Plants having enhanced yield-related traits and a method for making the same

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns a method for enhancing plant yield-related traits relative to control plants. More specifically, the present invention concerns a method for enhancing yield related traits in plants relative to control plants, by modulating, preferably increasing, expression in the roots of a plant, of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a 2-cysteine peroxiredoxin (2-Cys PRX); or by modulating expression of a nucleic acid encoding an ANN polypeptide in a plant. The present invention also concerns plants having modulated, preferably increased, expression in the roots, of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a 2-Cys PRX, or having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding an ANN polypeptide, which plants have enhanced yield-related traits relative to control plants. The invention also provides constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

1 . A method for enhancing a yield-related trait in a plant relative to a control plant, comprising introducing and expressing in a plant, plant part, or plant cell a nucleic acid encoding an Annexin-like (ANN) polypeptide, wherein said ANN polypeptide comprises at least an annexin domain and one or more signature sequences of SEQ ID NO: 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92 and 93. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid comprises:
 i) any one of the nucleic acids listed in Table B1;   ii) a nucleotide sequence capable of hybridizing with any one of the nucleic acids listed in Table B1 under conditions comprising hybridization at 50° C. in 4×SSC or at 40° C. in 6×SSC and 50% formamide, followed by washing at 50° C. in 2×SSC; or   iii) a nucleotide sequence encoding any one of the proteins listed in Table B1.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid comprises:
 i) the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 83;   ii) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 84; or   iii) a nucleotide sequence capable of hybridizing with the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 83 under conditions comprising hybridisation at 50° C. in 4×SSC or at 40° C. in 6×SSC and 50% formamide, followed by washing at 50° C. in 2×SSC.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced yield-related trait comprises increased yield and/or increased seed yield relative to a control plant. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced yield-related trait is obtained under non-stress conditions. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced yield-related trait is obtained under conditions of drought. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid is operably linked to a constitutive promoter, a GOS2 promoter, or a GOS2 promoter from rice. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid is operably linked to a green-tissue specific promoter, an expansin promoter, or an expansin promoter from rice. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid is of plant origin, from a dicotyledonous plant, from a plant of the family Brassicaceae, from a plant of the genus  Arabidopsis , or from an  Arabidopsis thaliana  plant. 
     
     
         10 . A plant obtained by the method of  claim 1 , or a plant part, seed, or progeny of said plant, wherein said plant, or said plant part, seed, or progeny, comprises a recombinant nucleic acid encoding said ANN polypeptide. 
     
     
         11 . A construct comprising:
 a) a nucleic acid sequence encoding an ANN polypeptide as defined in  claim 1 ;   b) one or more control sequences capable of driving expression of the nucleic acid sequence of a); and optionally   c) a transcription termination sequence.   
     
     
         12 . The construct of  claim 11 , wherein one of the control sequences is a constitutive promoter, a GOS2 promoter, or a GOS2 promoter from rice. 
     
     
         13 . The construct of  claim 11 , wherein one of the control sequences is a green-tissue specific promoter, an expansin promoter, or an expansin promoter from rice. 
     
     
         14 . A method for making a plant having increased yield, increased biomass, and/or increased seed yield relative to a control plant, comprising transforming the construct of  claim 11  into a plant, plant part, or plant cell. 
     
     
         15 . A plant, plant part, or plant cell comprising the construct of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         16 . A method for the production of a transgenic plant having increased yield and/or increased seed yield relative to a control plant, comprising:
 a) introducing and expressing in a plant a nucleic acid encoding an ANN polypeptide as defined in  claim 1 ; and   b) cultivating the plant under conditions promoting plant growth and development.   
     
     
         17 . A transgenic plant having increased yield and/or increased seed yield relative to a control plant, resulting from increased expression of a nucleic acid encoding an ANN polypeptide as defined in  claim 1 , or a transgenic plant cell derived from said transgenic plant. 
     
     
         18 . The transgenic plant of  claim 17 , wherein said plant is a crop plant, a monocot, or a cereal, or wherein said plant is rice, maize, wheat, barley, millet, rye, triticale, sorghum, or oats. 
     
     
         19 . Harvestable parts of the transgenic plant of  claim 17 , wherein said harvestable parts are preferably seeds. 
     
     
         20 . Products derived from the transgenic plant of  claim 17  or harvestable parts of said transgenic plant.