Transgenic plants with enhanced traits

Abstract

This disclosure provides recombinant DNA constructs and transgenic plants having enhanced traits such as increased yield, increased nitrogen use efficiency and enhanced drought tolerance; propagules, progeny and field crops of such transgenic plants; and methods of making and using such transgenic plants. This disclosure also provides methods of producing seed from such transgenic plants, growing such seed and selecting progeny plants with enhanced traits. Also disclosed are transgenic plants with altered phenotypes which are useful for screening and selecting transgenic events for the desired enhanced trait.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A recombinant DNA construct comprising a heterologous promoter functional in a plant cell and operably linked to:
 a) a polynucleotide that comprises a nucleotide sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity, or 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-27 and 55;   b) a DNA encoding RNA for suppressing the expression of a target mRNA transcribed from a polynucleotide having a nucleic acid sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity, or 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 6 and 55-60;   c) a polynucleotide that encodes a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity, or 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 28-54, 61, 79-95 and 96; or   d) a DNA encoding RNA for suppressing the expression of a target protein having an amino acid sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity, or 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 33, 61-66, 82, and 96.   
     
     
         2 . The recombinant DNA construct of  claim 1 , wherein said RNA is a double-stranded RNA, an antisense RNA, a miRNA precursor, or a ta-siRNA. 
     
     
         3 . The recombinant DNA construct of  claim 1 , wherein said RNA is a miRNA precursor that produces a mature miRNA, and wherein said mature miRNA has a nucleic acid sequence with at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99%, or 100% identity or complementarity to a fragment of at least 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 or 27 consecutive nucleotides of a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 6 and 55-60. 
     
     
         4 . The recombinant DNA construct of  claim 1 , wherein said RNA is a miRNA precursor that produces a mature miRNA having a nucleic acid sequence with 100% identity or 100% complementarity to a fragment of 21 consecutive nucleotides of a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 6 and 55-60. 
     
     
         5 . The recombinant DNA construct of  claim 1 , wherein said DNA comprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 67-72. 
     
     
         6 . A plant comprising a recombinant DNA construct comprising a heterologous promoter functional in a plant cell and operably linked to:
 a) a polynucleotide that comprises a nucleotide sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity, or 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-27 and 55;   b) a DNA encoding RNA for suppressing the expression of a target mRNA transcribed from a polynucleotide having a nucleic acid sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity, or 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 6 and 55-60;   c) a polynucleotide that encodes a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity, or 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 28-54, 61, 79-96; or   d) a DNA encoding RNA for suppressing the expression of a target protein having an amino acid sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity, or 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 33, 61-66, 82, and 96.   
     
     
         7 . The plant of  claim 6 , wherein said plant has an altered phenotype or an enhanced trait as compared to a control plant. 
     
     
         8 . The plant of  claim 6 , wherein said plant is a progeny, a propagule, or a field crop. 
     
     
         9 . The plant of  claim 6 , wherein said plant is a field crop selected from the group consisting of corn, soybean, cotton, canola, rice, barley, oat, wheat, turf grass, alfalfa, sugar beet, sunflower, quinoa and sugar cane. 
     
     
         10 . The plant of  claim 6 , wherein said plant is a propagule selected from the group consisting of cell, pollen, ovule, flower, embryo, leaf, root, stem, shoot, meristem, grain and seed. 
     
     
         11 . The plant of  claim 7 , wherein said enhanced trait is selected from the group consisting of increased yield, increased nitrogen use efficiency, and increased water use efficiency as compared to a control plant. 
     
     
         12 . The plant of  claim 7 , wherein said phenotype is selected from the group consisting of anthocyanin content, biomass, canopy area, chlorophyll content, plant height, water applied, water content and water use efficiency. 
     
     
         13 . A method for increasing yield, increasing nitrogen use efficiency, or increasing water use efficiency in a plant comprising producing a plant comprising a recombinant DNA construct comprising a heterologous promoter functional in a plant cell and operably linked to:
 a) a polynucleotide that comprises a nucleotide sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity, or 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-27 and 55;   b) a DNA encoding RNA for suppressing the expression of a target mRNA transcribed from a polynucleotide having a nucleic acid sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity, or 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 6 and 55-60;   c) a polynucleotide that encodes a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity, or 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 28-54, 61, 79-96; or   d) a DNA encoding RNA for suppressing the expression of a target protein having an amino acid sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity, or 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 33, 61-66, 82, and 96.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said plant is produced by transforming a plant cell or tissue with said recombinant DNA construct and regenerating a plant from said cell or tissue containing said recombinant DNA construct. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  comprising producing said plant by crossing said plant through breeding with:
 a) itself; 
 b) a second plant from the same plant line; 
 c) a wild type plant; or 
 d) a second plant from a different line of plants 
 to produce a seed, growing said seed to produce a plurality of progeny plants; and selecting a progeny plant with increased yield, increased nitrogen use efficiency, or increased water use efficiency as compared to a control plant.