Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides and methods of using same for increasing plant utility

Abstract

Provided are isolated polypeptides comprising the amino acid sequence at least 80% homologous to SEQ ID NO:68, 51-66, 69-100, 379-656, 707-715, 720-723, 742-754, 764-771 or 772 with the proviso that the amino acid sequence is not as set forth by SEQ ID NO: 765 or 771, isolated polynucleotides comprising the nucleic acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NOs:18, 1-16, 19-50, 101-378, 657-672, 674-706, 716-719, 724-741 and 755-763 with the proviso that the nucleic acid sequence is not as set forth by SEQ ID NO:756 or 762, and isolated polynucleotides selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:779-792 and methods of using same for increasing oil content, yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, abiotic stress tolerance and/or nitrogen use efficiency of a plant.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of increasing oil content, yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, abiotic stress tolerance and/or nitrogen use efficiency of a plant and/or reducing time to inflorescence emergence and/or time to flowering of a plant, comprising over-expressing within the plant a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 80% identical to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 51-57, 59-66, 68-70, 72-95, 97-100, 379-433, 445-455, 457, 460-461, 465-483, 485-588, 593-656, 707-715, 720-723, 742-754, 764-771 or 772, with the proviso that the amino acid sequence is not as set forth by SEQ ID NO: 765 or 771, thereby increasing the oil content, yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, abiotic stress tolerance and/or nitrogen use efficiency, and/or reducing time to inflorescence emergence and/or to flowering of the plant. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said over-expressing of said polypeptide is performed by transforming the plant with a heterologous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding said polypeptide. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said heterologous polynucleotide is operably linked to a heterologous promoter for directing transcription of said polynucleotide in said plant. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence is at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO: 51-57, 59-66, 68-70, 72-95, 97-100, 379-433, 445-455, 457, 460-461, 465-483, 485-588, 593-656, 707-715, 720-723, 742-754, 764-771 or 772 with the proviso that the amino acid sequence is not as set forth by SEQ ID NO: 765 or 771. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence has at least 95% sequence identity and conservative amino acid substitution(s) with respect to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 51-57, 59-66, 68-70, 72-95, 97-100, 379-433, 445-455, 457, 460-461, 465-483, 485-588, 593-656, 707-715, 720-723, 742-754, 764-771 or 772, with the proviso that the amino acid sequence is not as set forth by SEQ ID NO: 765 or 771. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 51-57, 59-66, 68-70, 72-95, 97-100, 379-433, 445-455, 457, 460-461, 465-483, 485-588, 593-656, 707-715, 720-723, 742-754, 764, 766-770 and 772. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is encoded from a polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-7, 9-16, 18-20, 22-45, 47-50, 101-155, 167-310, 315-378, 657-663, 665-672, 674-676, 678-701, 703-706, 716-719, 724-736, 738-741 and 755-763 with the proviso that the nucleic acid sequence is not as set forth by SEQ ID NO:756 or 762. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a plant over-expressing said polypeptide for increased oil content, increased yield, increased growth rate, increased biomass, increased tolerance to abiotic stress and/or nitrogen use efficiency, and/or for a reduced time to inflorescence emergence and/or a reduced time to flowering as compared to a wild type plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 (a) isolating regenerable portion of said plant over-expressing said polypeptide which has been selected according to  claim 8 ; and   (b) regenerating plants over-expressing said polypeptide from said isolated regenerable portion of said selected plants according to  claim 8 , wherein the regenerated plants overexpress said polypeptide and exhibit increased oil content, increased yield, increased growth rate, increased biomass, increased tolerance to abiotic stress and/or increased nitrogen use efficiency, and/or a reduced time to inflorescence emergence and/or a reduced time to flowering as compared to a wild type plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions.   
     
     
         10 . 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% identical to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 51-57, 59-66, 68-70, 72-95, 97-100, 379-433, 445-455, 457, 460-461, 465-483, 485-588, 593-656, 707-715, 720-723, 742-754 and 764-772 with the proviso that the amino acid sequence is not as set forth by SEQ ID NO: 765 or 771 and a heterologous promoter operably linked to said isolated polynucleotide for directing transcription of said nucleic acid sequence in a host cell, wherein said amino acid sequence is capable of increasing oil content, yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, abiotic stress tolerance and/or nitrogen use efficiency and/or of reducing time to inflorescence emergence and/or to flowering of a plant. 
     
     
         11 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 10 , wherein said amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity and conservative amino acid substitution(s) with respect to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 51-57, 59-66, 68-70, 72-95, 97-100, 379-433, 445-455, 457, 460-461, 465-483, 485-588, 593-656, 707-715, 720-723, 742-754, 764-771 or 772, with the proviso that the amino acid sequence is not as set forth by SEQ ID NO: 765 or 771. 
     
     
         12 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 10 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence encodes the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 51-57, 59-66, 68-70, 72-95, 97-100, 379-433, 445-455, 457, 460-461, 465-483, 485-588, 593-656, 707-715, 720-723, 742-754, 764, 766-770 and 772. 
     
     
         13 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 10 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence encoding said polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-7, 9-16, 18-20, 22-45, 47-50, 101-155, 167-310, 315-378, 657-663, 665-672, 674-676, 678-701, 703-706, 716-719, 724-736, 738-741 and 755-763 with the proviso that the nucleic acid sequence is not as set forth by SEQ ID NO:756 or 762. 
     
     
         14 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 10 , wherein said promoter is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:779-792. 
     
     
         15 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 10 , wherein said promoter is a constitutive promoter, a tissue-specific promoter, or an abiotic stress-inducible promoter. 
     
     
         16 . A plant cell transformed with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 10 . 
     
     
         17 . The plant cell of  claim 16 , wherein said plant cell forms part of a plant. 
     
     
         18 . A transgenic plant comprising the nucleic acid construct of  claim 10 . 
     
     
         19 . A method of producing a crop, comprising growing a crop plant transformed with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 10 , wherein the crop plant is obtained from plants transformed with said nucleic acid construct of  claim 10  and selected for increased oil content, increased yield, increased growth rate, increased biomass, increased abiotic stress tolerance and/or increased nitrogen use efficiency, and/or for a reduced time to inflorescence emergence and/or for a reduced time to flowering as compared to a wild type plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, and the crop plant having said increased oil content, said increased yield, said increased growth rate, said increased biomass, said increased abiotic stress tolerance and/or said increased nitrogen use efficiency, and/or said reduced time to inflorescence emergence and/or said reduced time to flowering, thereby producing the crop. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant over-expressing said polypeptide under the abiotic stress. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said abiotic stress is selected from the group consisting of salinity, drought, water deprivation, low temperature, high temperature, heavy metal toxicity, anaerobiosis, nutrient deficiency, nutrient excess, atmospheric pollution and UV irradiation.