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

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method for enhancing yield-related traits in plants by modulating expression in a plant of one ore more nucleic acid(s) encoding at least two iSYT (interactor of SYT—synovial sarcoma translocation—) polypeptides. The present invention also concerns plants having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding at least two iSYT polypeptides, which plants have enhanced yield-related traits relative to corresponding wild type plants or other control plants. Nucleic acids encoding at least two iSYT polypeptides and constructs comprising the same useful in performing the methods of the invention are also disclosed. Also provided are constructs useful in the methods of the invention. The present invention also relates to an iSYT-based protein complex. The use of the complex to promote plant growth, and a method for stimulating the complex formation, by overexpressing at least two members of the complex, are also disclosed.

1 . A method for enhancing a yield-related trait in a plant relative to a control plant, comprising increasing expression in a plant of:
 (i) any two or three nucleic acids encoding the corresponding two or three interactor of synovial sarcoma translocation (iSYT)-like polypeptides;   (ii) two or three nucleic acids, each encoding a single iSYT-like polypeptide; or   (iii) the nucleic acids of (i) and the nucleic acids of (ii), wherein said iSYT-like polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of any of the polypeptides of Table A, homologues thereof, and fusions of the same.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the polypeptides is a synovial sarcoma translocation (SYT) polypeptide or a homologue thereof, said SYT polypeptide or homologue thereof comprising an SNH domain having at least 40% sequence identity to the SNH domain of SEQ ID NO: 670. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the nucleic acids encode the corresponding polypeptides selected from the group consisting of the polypeptides listed in Table 3. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the expression of the nucleic acids is increased by introducing and expressing the nucleic acids in said plant. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acids are selected from the group consisting of the nucleic acids encoding any of the polypeptides listed in Table A and Tables A2 to Table A26, or is a portion of such a nucleic acid, or a nucleic acid capable of hybridising with such a nucleic acid. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising increasing expression in said plant of:
 (i) a first nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; and   (ii) a second nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 120.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced yield-related trait comprises increased yield, increased biomass and/or increased seed yield relative to a control plant. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced yield-related trait is obtained under non-stress conditions. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced yield-related trait is obtained under conditions of drought stress, salt stress or nitrogen deficiency. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the nucleic acids are operably linked to a plant promoter, a constitutive promoter, a GOS2 promoter, or a GOS2 promoter from rice. 
     
     
         11 . A construct comprising:
 (i) any two or three nucleic acids encoding the corresponding two or three polypeptides selected from the group consisting of any of the polypeptides listed in of Table A or homologues thereof and fusions of the same;   (ii) one or more control sequences capable of driving expression of the nucleic acid of (i); and optionally   (iii) a transcription termination sequence.   
     
     
         12 . The construct of  claim 11 , wherein one of the control sequences is a plant promoter, a constitutive promoter, a GOS2 promoter, or a GOS2 promoter from rice. 
     
     
         13 . A plant, plant part or plant cell comprising the construct of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         14 . A method for making a plant having increased yield, increased biomass, and/or increased seed yield relative to a control plant, comprising transforming a plant, plant part, or plant cell with the construct of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         15 . A method for the production of a transgenic plant having increased yield, increased biomass, and/or increased seed yield relative to a control plant, comprising:
 (i) introducing and expressing in a plant or plant cell any two or three nucleic acids encoding the corresponding polypeptides selected from the group consisting of any of the polypeptides of Table A or homologues thereof and fusions of the same; and   (ii) cultivating the plant or plant cell under conditions promoting plant growth and development.   
     
     
         16 . A transgenic plant obtained by the method of  claim 15 , or a plant cell, plant part, seed, or progeny of said plant, wherein said plant, or said plant cell, plant part, seed, or progeny, comprises any two or three nucleic acids encoding the corresponding two or three polypeptides selected from the group consisting of the polypeptides listed in Table A, homologues thereof, and fusions of the same. 
     
     
         17 . A transgenic plant having increased yield, increased biomass, and/or increased seed yield relative to a control plant, resulting from increased expression of any two or three nucleic acids encoding the corresponding polypeptides selected from the group consisting of any of the polypeptides of Table A or homologues thereof and fusions of the same, 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 , emmer, spelt,  secale , einkom, teff, milo, or oats. 
     
     
         19 . Harvestable parts of the transgenic plant of  claim 17 , wherein said harvestable parts are shoot biomass and/or seeds, and wherein said harvestable parts comprise any two or three nucleic acids encoding the corresponding two or three polypeptides selected from the group consisting of the polypeptides listed in Table A, homologues thereof, and fusions of the same 
     
     
         20 . Products derived from the transgenic plant of  claim 17  and/or from harvestable parts of said plant, wherein said products comprise any two or three nucleic acids encoding the corresponding two or three polypeptides selected from the group consisting of the polypeptides listed in Table A, homologues thereof, and fusions of the same.