Plants with increased yield

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for producing a plant with increased yield as compared to a corresponding wild type plant comprising increasing or generating one or more activities in a plant or a part thereof. The present invention further relates to nucleic acids enhancing or improving one or more traits of a transgenic plant, and cells, progenies, seeds and pollen derived from such plants or parts, as well as methods of making and methods of using such plant cell(s) or plant(s), progenies, seed(s) or pollen. Particularly, the improved trait(s) are manifested in an increased yield, preferably by improving one or more yield-related trait(s), e.g. low temperature tolerance.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for producing a transgenic plant with increased yield compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, comprising:
 (a) transforming a plant, plant cell, or plant part with a nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) a nucleic acid comprising any of the nucleotide sequences provided in column 5 or 7 of Table I; 
 (ii) a nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide comprising any of the amino acid sequences provided in column 5 or 7 of Table II; 
 (iii) a nucleic acid having at least 80% sequence identity with any of the nucleotide sequences provided in column 5 or 7 of Table I; 
 (iv) a nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity with any of the amino acid sequences provided in column 5 or 7 of Table II; and 
 (v) a nucleic acid which hybridizes with the nucleic acid of (a) or (b) under stringent hybridization conditions comprising hybridization in 4×sodium chloride/sodium citrate (SSC) at 65° C. or 4×SSC and 50% formamide at 42° C., followed by one or more wash steps in 0.1×SSC at 65° C. or 0.2×SSC at 50° C. or 65° C.; 
   (b) obtaining a transgenic plant from said transformed plant, plant cell, or plant part; and optionally   (c) selecting a transgenic plant having increased yield compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising obtaining a seed or progeny from said transgenic plant, wherein said seed or progeny comprises said nucleic acid and has increased yield compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transgenic plant exhibits increased yield compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant under standard growth conditions. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transgenic plant exhibits increased yield compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant under stress conditions. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plant, plant cell, or plant part is obtained from a monocotyledonous plant or a dicotyledonous plant. 
     
     
         6 . A transgenic plant obtained by the method of  claim 1 , or a seed or progeny of said transgenic plant, wherein said plant, seed or progeny comprises said nucleic acid. 
     
     
         7 . A nucleic acid construct comprising:
 (a) a nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of:
 (i) a nucleic acid comprising any of the nucleotide sequences provided in column 5 or 7 of Table I; 
 (ii) a nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide comprising any of the amino acid sequences provided in column 5 or 7 of Table II; 
 (iii) a nucleic acid having at least 80% sequence identity with any of the nucleotide sequences provided in column 5 or 7 of Table I; 
 (iv) a nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity with any of the amino acid sequences provided in column 5 or 7 of Table II; and 
 (v) a nucleic acid which hybridizes with the nucleic acid of (a) or (b) under stringent hybridization conditions comprising hybridization in 4×sodium chloride/sodium citrate (SSC) at 65° C. or 4×SSC and 50% formamide at 42° C., followed by one or more wash steps in 0.1×SSC at 65° C. or 0.2×SSC at 50° C. or 65° C., 
   (b) one or more regulatory sequences operably linked to the nucleic acid of (a).   
     
     
         8 . A vector comprising the nucleic acid construct of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         9 . A transgenic plant, plant cell, plant tissue or plant part comprising the nucleic acid construct of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         10 . The transgenic plant, plant cell, plant tissue or plant part of  claim 9 , wherein said transgenic plant, plant cell, plant tissue or plant part is obtained by transforming a plant, plant cell, plant tissue or plant part with said nucleic acid construct. 
     
     
         11 . The transgenic plant of  claim 9 , wherein said transgenic plant exhibits an improved yield-related trait compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant. 
     
     
         12 . The transgenic plant of  claim 9 , wherein said transgenic plant exhibits an improved nutrient use efficiency and/or abiotic stress tolerance compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant. 
     
     
         13 . The transgenic plant of  claim 9 , wherein said transgenic plant exhibits an increased tolerance to low temperature compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant. 
     
     
         14 . The transgenic plant of  claim 9 , wherein said transgenic plant exhibits an increased harvestable yield compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant. 
     
     
         15 . The transgenic plant of  claim 9 , wherein said transgenic plant exhibits an increased yield compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, wherein said increased yield is calculated on a per plant basis or in relation to a specific arable area. 
     
     
         16 . The transgenic plant, plant cell, plant tissue or plant part of  claim 9 , wherein said transgenic plant is a monocotyledonous plant or a dicotyledonous plant, and wherein said plant cell, plant tissue or plant part is obtained from a monocotyledonous plant or a dicotyledonous plant. 
     
     
         17 . A method for enhancing a yield-related trait in a plant compared to a corresponding control plant, comprising:
 (a) transforming the nucleic acid construct of  claim 7  into a plant, plant cell, or plant part;   (b) selecting a transgenic plant having an enhanced yield-related trait compared to a corresponding non-transformed control plant.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the plant, plant cell, or plant part is obtained from a monocotyledonous plant or a dicotyledonous plant. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the enhanced yield-related trait comprises increased yield, enhanced tolerance to abiotic environmental stress and/or increased nutrient use efficiency. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the enhanced tolerance to abiotic environmental stress comprises an increased drought tolerance, an increased low temperature tolerance, an increased heat tolerance and/or an increased salt stress tolerance compared to a corresponding non-transformed control plant.