Isolated polynucleotides, polypeptides and methods of using same for increasing abiotic stress tolerance, biomass and yield of plants

Abstract

Provided are isolated polypeptides which are at least 80% homologous to SEQ ID NOs: 552-897 and 6029-10629, isolated polynucleotides which are at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NOs: 1-551 and 898-6028, nucleic acid constructs comprising same, transgenic cells expressing same, transgenic plants expressing same and method of using same for increasing yield, abiotic stress tolerance, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, photosynthetic capacity, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, and/or nitrogen use efficiency of a plant.

1 . A method of increasing yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant, comprising over-expressing within the plant, a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 552-633, 635-725, 727-773, 775-780, 782-786, 789-885, 887-889, 891-897, 6029-7467, 7481, 7487, 7498-7499, 7501-7503, 7512-7513, 7515, 7517, 7522, 7525, 7529, 7533-7534, 7539-7541, 7545, 7549, 7552, 7555-7556, 7558, 7563, 7576, 7579, 7588, 7590, 7592-7593, 7595, 7609-7612, 7614-7615, 7620, 7624, 7627, 7631, 7633, 7637, 7639, 7643-7644, 7647, 7649, 7651, 7653-7658, 7660, 7662, 7664, 7666, 7672-7673, 7677-7678, 7680-7681, 7683-7684, 7688-7690, 7692, 7694, 7699-7703, 7705-7706, 7709-7711, 7716-7719, 7721-7723, 7726-7732, 7736-7738, 7740-7742, 7745, 7747-7748, 7751, 7758, 7760-7762, 7765-7766, 7769, 7773, 7777-7781, 7783-7785, 7787-7789, 7791, 7795-7800, 7802-7811, 7813, 7815-8160, 8162, 8164-8853, 8855-9215, 9238-9749, 9751-9803, 9805-9818, 9828, 9935-9968, 9970-9971, 9973-10187, 10189, 10191-10585, 10600-10605, 10609-10628 or 10629, thereby increasing the yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of the plant. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 552-773, 775-780, 782-786, 789-885, 887-897, 6029-7781, 7783-9818, 9820-9823, 9827-9828, 9840-9841, 9849, 9852-9854, 9856, 9858-9859, 9867, 9870, 9872, 9874-9875, 9881, 9883-9885, 9887, 9891, 9893, 9896, 9898-9902, 9904, 9906-9908, 9911, 9915, 9917, 9919, 9921-9922, 9924-9926, 9929, 9933-10585, 10589, 10593, 10599-10605, 10607-10628 and 10629. 
     
     
         3 . A method of producing a crop comprising growing a crop plant over-expressing a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 80% homologous to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 552-633, 635-725, 727-773, 775-780, 782-786, 789-885, 887-889, 891-897, 6029-7467, 7481, 7487, 7498-7499, 7501-7503, 7512-7513, 7515, 7517, 7522, 7525, 7529, 7533-7534, 7539-7541, 7545, 7549, 7552, 7555-7556, 7558, 7563, 7576, 7579, 7588, 7590, 7592-7593, 7595, 7609-7612, 7614-7615, 7620, 7624, 7627, 7631, 7633, 7637, 7639, 7643-7644, 7647, 7649, 7651, 7653-7658, 7660, 7662, 7664, 7666, 7672-7673, 7677-7678, 7680-7681, 7683-7684, 7688-7690, 7692, 7694, 7699-7703, 7705-7706, 7709-7711, 7716-7719, 7721-7723, 7726-7732, 7736-7738, 7740-7742, 7745, 7747-7748, 7751, 7758, 7760-7762, 7765-7766, 7769, 7773, 7777-7781, 7783-7785, 7787-7789, 7791, 7795-7800, 7802-7811, 7813, 7815-8160, 8162, 8164-8853, 8855-9215, 9238-9749, 9751-9803, 9805-9818, 9828, 9935-9968, 9970-9971, 9973-10187, 10189, 10191-10585, 10600-10605, 10609-10628 or 10629, wherein the crop plant is derived from plants which over-express said polypeptide and which have been selected for increased yield, increased growth rate, increased biomass, increased vigor, increased oil content, increased seed yield, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased fiber length, increased photosynthetic capacity, increased nitrogen use efficiency, and/or increased abiotic stress tolerance as compared to a wild type plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, and the crop plant having the increased yield, increased growth rate, increased biomass, increased vigor, increased oil content, increased seed yield, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased fiber length, increased photosynthetic capacity, increased nitrogen use efficiency, and/or increased abiotic stress tolerance, thereby producing the crop. 
     
     
         4 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A nucleic acid construct comprising an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence at least 80% homologous to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 552-633, 635-725, 727-773, 775-780, 782-786, 789-885, 887-889, 891-897, 6029-7467, 7481, 7487, 7498-7499, 7501-7503, 7512-7513, 7515, 7517, 7522, 7525, 7529, 7533-7534, 7539-7541, 7545, 7549, 7552, 7555-7556, 7558, 7563, 7576, 7579, 7588, 7590, 7592-7593, 7595, 7609-7612, 7614-7615, 7620, 7624, 7627, 7631, 7633, 7637, 7639, 7643-7644, 7647, 7649, 7651, 7653-7658, 7660, 7662, 7664, 7666, 7672-7673, 7677-7678, 7680-7681, 7683-7684, 7688-7690, 7692, 7694, 7699-7703, 7705-7706, 7709-7711, 7716-7719, 7721-7723, 7726-7732, 7736-7738, 7740-7742, 7745, 7747-7748, 7751, 7758, 7760-7762, 7765-7766, 7769, 7773, 7777-7781, 7783-7785, 7787-7789, 7791, 7795-7800, 7802-7811, 7813, 7815-8160, 8162, 8164-8853, 8855-9215, 9238-9749, 9751-9803, 9805-9818, 9828, 9935-9968, 9970-9971, 9973-10187, 10189, 10191-10585, 10600-10605, 10609-10628 or 10629 and a promoter for directing transcription of said nucleic acid sequence in a host cell, wherein said promoter is heterologous to said isolated polynucleotide, wherein said amino acid sequence is capable of increasing yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant. 
     
     
         8 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 7 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 552-773, 775-780, 782-786, 789-885, 887-897, 6029-7781, 7783-9818, 9820-9823, 9827-9828, 9840-9841, 9849, 9852-9854, 9856, 9858-9859, 9867, 9870, 9872, 9874-9875, 9881, 9883-9885, 9887, 9891, 9893, 9896, 9898-9902, 9904, 9906-9908, 9911, 9915, 9917, 9919, 9921-9922, 9924-9926, 9929, 9933-10585, 10589, 10593, 10599-10605, 10607-10628 and 10629. 
     
     
         9 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 7 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence, at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NOs: 1-82, 84-174, 176-222, 224-229, 231-235, 238-302, 304-387, 389-473, 475-519, 521-526, 528-532, 535-551, 898-2468, 2485, 2492-2493, 2495, 2507-2508, 2510-2512, 2523-2524, 2526, 2528, 2533, 2537, 2541, 2545-2546, 2551-2553, 2557, 2564, 2567, 2573-2574, 2576-2577, 2583, 2594, 2599, 2602, 2611, 2613-2614, 2616-2617, 2619, 2635-2638, 2640-2642, 2648, 2652, 2655, 2660, 2662, 2666, 2668, 2673-2674, 2677, 2679, 2681, 2683-2688, 2691, 2693, 2695-2698, 2700, 2707-2708, 2713-2714, 2716-2717, 2719-2720, 2724-2726, 2728, 2730-2731, 2736-2742, 2744-2746, 2751-2753, 2757, 2759-2762, 2764-2766, 2769-2776, 2780-2783, 2785-2788, 2791, 2793-2795, 2798, 2805, 2807-2808, 2812, 2814-2815, 2818-2820, 2823, 2829, 2834-2838, 2840-2842, 2844-2846, 2848, 2852-2858, 2860-2872, 2874, 2876-3244, 3246, 3248-4015, 4017-4426, 4449-5012, 5015-5071, 5073-5090, 5101, 5255, 5267-5304, 5306-5307, 5309-5539, 5541, 5543-5976, 5994-5999, 6003-6027 or 6028. 
     
     
         10 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 7 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-551, 898-6027 and 6028. 
     
     
         11 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A plant cell transformed with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         15 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said polypeptide is encoded by a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-551, 898-6027 and 6028. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 552-773, 775-780, 782-786, 789-885, 887-897, 6029-7781, 7783-9818, 9820-9823, 9827-9828, 9840-9841, 9849, 9852-9854, 9856, 9858-9859, 9867, 9870, 9872, 9874-9875, 9881, 9883-9885, 9887, 9891, 9893, 9896, 9898-9902, 9904, 9906-9908, 9911, 9915, 9917, 9919, 9921-9922, 9924-9926, 9929, 9933-10585, 10589, 10593, 10599-10605, 10607-10628 and 10629. 
     
     
         20 . The plant cell of  claim 14 , wherein said plant cell forms part of a plant. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant expressing said exogenous polynucleotide under the abiotic stress. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said abiotic stress is selected from the group consisting of salinity, drought, osmotic stress, water deprivation, flood, etiolation, low temperature, high temperature, heavy metal toxicity, anaerobiosis, nutrient deficiency, nitrogen deficiency, nutrient excess, atmospheric pollution and UV irradiation. 
     
     
         23 . The method  claim 1 , wherein the yield comprises seed yield or oil yield. 
     
     
         24 . A transgenic plant comprising the nucleic acid construct of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant expressing said exogenous polynucleotide under nitrogen-limiting conditions. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A method of growing a crop, the method comprising seeding seeds and/or planting plantlets of a plant transformed with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 7 , wherein the plant is derived from plants which have been transformed with said exogenous polynucleotide and which have been selected for at least one trait selected from the group consisting of: increased nitrogen use efficiency, increased abiotic stress tolerance, increased biomass, increased growth rate, increased vigor, increased yield, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased fiber length, increased photosynthetic capacity, and increased oil content as compared to a non-transformed plant which is grown under the same growth conditions, thereby growing the crop. 
     
     
         28 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a plant having an increased yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress tolerance as compared to the wild type plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions. 
     
     
         32 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said selecting is performed under non-stress conditions. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said selecting is performed under abiotic stress conditions.