Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides, and methods of using same for increasing nitrogen use efficiency, yield, growth rate, vigor, biomass, oil content, and/or abiotic stress tolerance

Abstract

Provided are methods of increasing nitrogen use efficiency, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant by expressing within the plant an exogenous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO:1-467, 785-3047; or an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO:468-784, 3048-4333, 4335-4682. Also provided isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:1-467, 785-3047, which can be used to increase nitrogen use efficiency, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of increasing nitrogen use efficiency, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, and/or abiotic stress tolerance, and/or reducing time to flowering or time to inflorescence emergence of a plant, comprising over-expressing within the plant a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 468-562, 564-633, 635-677, 679-748, 750-784, 3048-4039, 4041-4333, 4335-4410, 4414-4681 or 4682 as compared to a native plant under the same growth conditions, thereby increasing the nitrogen use efficiency, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, and/or abiotic stress tolerance, and/or reducing the time to flowering or the time to inflorescence emergence of the plant. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO: 468-562, 564-633, 635-677, 679-748, 750-784, 3048-4039, 4041-4333, 4335-4410, 4414-4681 or 4682. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 468-562, 564-633, 635-677, 679-748, 750-784, 3048-4039, 4041-4333, 4335-4410, 4414-4681 or 4682. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is set forth in SEQ ID NO: 468-562, 564-633, 635-677, 679-748, 750-784, 3048-4039, 4041-4333, 4335-4410, 4414-4681 or 4682. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is expressed from an exogenous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence at least 80% identical to the nucleic acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1-95, 97-166, 168-210, 212-234, 236-351, 353-364, 366-419, 421-462, 464-467, 785-2282, 2284-2729, 2734-3046 or 3047. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is expressed from an exogenous polynucleotide comprising the nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-95, 97-166, 168-210, 212-234, 236-351, 353-364, 366-419, 421-462, 464-467, 785-2282, 2284-2729, and 2734-3047. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant over-expressing said polypeptide under the abiotic stress. 
     
     
         8 . 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, nutrient excess, atmospheric pollution and UV irradiation. 
     
     
         9 . A method of producing seeds of a crop, comprising:
 (a) selecting a parent plant being transformed with an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence which exhibits at least 80% sequence identity to the polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 468-562, 564-633, 635-677, 679-748, 750-784, 3048-4039, 4041-4333, 4335-4410, 4414-4681 or 4682, wherein said parent plant exhibits an increased trait selected from the group consisting of: nitrogen use efficiency, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, and abiotic stress tolerance, and/or a reduced trait selected from the group of time to flowering and time to inflorescence emergence, as compared to a non-transformed plant which is grown under the same growth conditions, and;   (b) growing a seed-producing plant from said parent plant resultant of step (a), wherein said seed-producing plant which comprises said exogenous polynucleotide has said increased trait, and/or said reduced trait, and;   (c) producing seeds from said seed-producing plant resultant of step (b),   thereby producing seeds of the crop.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said polypeptide is set forth in SEQ ID NO: 468-562, 564-633, 635-677, 679-748, 750-784, 3048-4039, 4041-4333, 4335-4410, 4414-4681 or 4682. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a plant over-expressing said polypeptide for an increased nitrogen use efficiency, an increased yield, an increased biomass, an increased growth rate, an increased vigor, an increased oil content, an increased fiber yield, an increased fiber quality, an increased abiotic stress tolerance, a reduced time to flowering and/or a reduced time to inflorescence emergence, as compared to a non-transformed plant grown under the same growth conditions. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said selecting is performed under non-stress conditions. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said selecting is performed under abiotic stress conditions. 
     
     
         14 . 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 NO: 468-562, 564-633, 635-677, 679-748, 750-784, 3048-4039, 4041-4333, 4335-4410, 4414-4681 or 4682 and a promoter for directing transcription of said nucleic acid sequence in a host cell, wherein said promoter is heterologous to said isolated polynucleotide, and wherein said amino acid sequence is capable of increasing nitrogen use efficiency, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, and/or abiotic stress tolerance and/or reducing time to flowering or reducing time to inflorescence emergence of the plant. 
     
     
         15 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 14 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 468-562, 564-633, 635-677, 679-748, 750-784, 3048-4039, 4041-4333, 4335-4410, and 4414-4682. 
     
     
         16 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 14 , wherein said isolated polynucleotide comprises a nucleic acid sequence at least 80% identical to the nucleic acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1-95, 97-166, 168-210, 212-234, 236-351, 353-364, 366-419, 421-462, 464-467, 785-2282, 2284-2729, 2734-3046 or 3047. 
     
     
         17 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 14 , wherein said isolated polynucleotide comprises a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1-95, 97-166, 168-210, 212-234, 236-351, 353-364, 366-419, 421-462, 464-467, 785-2282, 2284-2729, 2734-3046 or 3047. 
     
     
         18 . A plant cell comprising the nucleic acid construct of  claim 14 . 
     
     
         19 . The plant cell of  claim 18 , wherein the plant cell forms part of a plant. 
     
     
         20 . A transgenic plant comprising the nucleic acid construct of  claim 14 . 
     
     
         21 . 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 14 , wherein the plant is obtained from plants which have been transformed with said isolated polynucleotide and which have been selected for at least one trait selected from the group consisting of: increased nitrogen use efficiency, increased yield, increased biomass, increased growth rate, increased vigor, increased oil content, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased abiotic stress tolerance, reduced time to flowering and reduced time to inflorescence emergence, as compared to a non-transformed plant which is grown under the same growth conditions, thereby growing the crop.