Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides, and methods of using same for increasing plant yield and/or agricultural characteristics

Abstract

Provided are isolated polynucleotides at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NOs: 1-479, 813-5173, 8511, 8513, 8515, 8517, 8519, 8521, 8523, 9096-9141 and 9142; and isolated polypeptides at least 80% homologous to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 624, 480-623, 625-812, 5174-7015, 7017-7021, 7024, 7026-8510, 8512, 8514, 8516, 8518, 8520, 8522, 8524, 9143-9177, such as the polypeptides set forth in SEQ ID NO:480-812, 5174-8510, 8512, 8514, 8516, 8518, 8520, 8522, 8524, and 9143-9177, nucleic acid constructs comprising same, transgenic cells and plants expressing same and methods of using same for increasing yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of increasing yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or nitrogen use efficiency, and/or reducing time to flowering or inflorescence emergence of a plant, comprising over-expressing within the plant, as compared to a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 624, 480-492, 494-620, 622-623, 625-648, 650-793, 795-812, 5174-5287, 5289-7015, 7017-7021, 7024, 7026-7196, 7202-7522, 7528-8510, 8512, 8514, 8516, 8518, 8520, 8522, 8524, 9143-9176 or 9177, thereby increasing the yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or nitrogen use efficiency, and/or reducing the time to flowering or inflorescence emergence of the plant. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting said plant over-expressing said polypeptide for an increased yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or nitrogen use efficiency as compared to a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting said plant over-expressing said polypeptide for a reduced time to flowering or time to inflorescence emergence as compared to a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence has at least 95% sequence identity and conservative amino acid substitutions with respect to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 624, 480-492, 494-620, 622-623, 625-648, 650-793, 795-812, 5174-5287, 5289-7015, 7017-7021, 7024, 7026-7196, 7202-7522, 7528-8510, 8512, 8514, 8516, 8518, 8520, 8522, 8524, 9143-9176 and 9177. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 624, 480-492, 494-620, 622-623, 625-648, 650-793, 795-812, 5174-5287, 5289-7196, 7202-7522, 7528-8510, 8512, 8514, 8516, 8518, 8520, 8522, 8524, and 9143-9177. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence is expressed from a polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 413, 1-169, 171-288, 290-409, 411-412, 414-435, 437-479, 813-961, 963-3583, 3591-3975, 3982-5173, 8511, 8513, 8515, 8517, 8519, 8521, 8523, 9096-9141 and 9142. 
     
     
         7 . A method of selecting a transformed plant, comprising:
 (a) providing transgenic plants transformed with an exogenous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide having at least 80% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting SEQ ID NOs: 624, 480-492, 494-620, 622-623, 625-648, 650-793, 795-812, 5174-5287, 5289-7015, 7017-7021, 7024, 7026-7196, 7202-7522, 7528-8510, 8512, 8514, 8516, 8518, 8520, 8522, 8524, 9143-9176 and 9177 and   (b) selecting said plants for an increased yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or nitrogen use efficiency, and/or reduced time to flowering or inflorescence emergence as compared to a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions,   thereby selecting the plant having the increased yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or nitrogen use efficiency, and/or the reduced time to flowering or inflorescence emergence as compared to the control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said amino acid sequence has at least 95% sequence identity and conservative amino acid substitutions with respect to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 624, 480-492, 494-620, 622-623, 625-648, 650-793, 795-812, 5174-5287, 5289-7015, 7017-7021, 7024, 7026-7196, 7202-7522, 7528-8510, 8512, 8514, 8516, 8518, 8520, 8522, 8524, 9143-9176 and 9177. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 624, 480-492, 494-620, 622-623, 625-648, 650-793, 795-812, 5174-5287, 5289-7196, 7202-7522, 7528-8510, 8512, 8514, 8516, 8518, 8520, 8522, 8524, and 9143-9177. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said amino acid sequence is expressed from a polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 413, 1-169, 171-288, 290-409, 411-412, 414-435, 437-479, 813-961, 963-3583, 3591-3975, 3982-5173, 8511, 8513, 8515, 8517, 8519, 8521, 8523, 9096-9141 and 9142. 
     
     
         11 . 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: 624, 480-492, 494-620, 622-623, 625-648, 650-793, 795-812, 5174-5287, 5289-7015, 7017-7021, 7024, 7026-7196, 7202-7522, 7528-8510, 8512, 8514, 8516, 8518, 8520, 8522, 8524, 9143-9176 or 9177, 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, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or nitrogen use efficiency, and/or reducing time to flowering or inflorescence emergence of a plant. 
     
     
         12 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 11 , wherein said amino acid sequence has at least 95% sequence identity and conservative amino acid substitutions with respect to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 624, 480-492, 494-620, 622-623, 625-648, 650-793, 795-812, 5174-5287, 5289-7015, 7017-7021, 7024, 7026-7196, 7202-7522, 7528-8510, 8512, 8514, 8516, 8518, 8520, 8522, 8524, 9143-9176 and 9177. 
     
     
         13 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 11 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 624, 480-492, 494-620, 622-623, 625-648, 650-793, 795-812, 5174-5287, 5289-7196, 7202-7522, 7528-8510, 8512, 8514, 8516, 8518, 8520, 8522, 8524, and 9143-9177. 
     
     
         14 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 11 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 413, 1-169, 171-288, 290-409, 411-412, 414-435, 437-479, 813-961, 963-3583, 3591-3975, 3982-5173, 8511, 8513, 8515, 8517, 8519, 8521, 8523, and 9096-9142, or a codon optimized sequence thereof. 
     
     
         15 . A plant cell transformed with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         16 . The plant cell of  claim 15 , wherein said plant cell forms part of a plant. 
     
     
         17 . A transgenic plant comprising the nucleic acid construct of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         18 . A method of generating a transgenic plant, comprising:
 (a) transforming a plant cell with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 11  to thereby obtain a transformed cell, and   (b) generating a mature plant from said transformed cell,   thereby generating the transgenic plant.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant over-expressing said polypeptide under an abiotic stress condition. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said abiotic stress is selected from the group consisting of salinity, drought, water deprivation, flood, etiolation, low temperature, high temperature, heavy metal toxicity, anaerobiosis, nutrient deficiency, nutrient excess, atmospheric pollution and UV irradiation. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant over-expressing said polypeptide under nitrogen-limiting conditions.