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

Abstract

Provided are isolated polynucleotides comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 422, 362-421, 423-601, 2429-4085 and 4086, such as a polynucleotide which is at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 260, 1-259, 261-361, 602-2427 and 2428, nucleic acid constructs comprising same, plant cells comprising same, transgenic plants expressing same, and methods of generating thereof for increasing the 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, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant and/or reducing time to flowering and/or time to inflorescence emergence of a plant, comprising over-expressing within the plant a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 362-387, 389-419, 421-442, 444-467, 469-552, 554-569, 571-601, 2429-2656, 2663-3132, 3136-3646, 3648-4085 or 4086, thereby increasing the yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of the plant and/or reducing time to flowering and/or time to inflorescence emergence of the plant. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said over-expressing of said polypeptide is performed by transforming the plant with an exogenous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding said polypeptide. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said exogenous polynucleotide is operably linked to a promoter capable of directing expression of said exogenous polynucleotide in a plant cell. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence exhibits at least 90% sequence identity to the polypeptide set forth by SEQ ID NO: 362-387, 389-419, 421-442, 444-467, 469-552, 554-569, 571-601, 2429-2656, 2663-3132, 3136-3646, 3648-4085 or 4086. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence exhibits at least 95% sequence identity to the polypeptide set forth by SEQ ID NO: 362-387, 389-419, 421-442, 444-467, 469-552, 554-569, 571-601, 2429-2656, 2663-3132, 3136-3646, 3648-4085 or 4086. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said amino acid sequence exhibits at least 95% sequence identity to the polypeptide set forth by SEQ ID NO: 362-387, 389-419, 421-442, 444-467, 469-552, 554-569, 571-601, 2429-2656, 2663-3132, 3136-3646, 3648-4085 or 4086. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 362-387, 389-419, 421-442, 444-467, 469-552, 554-569, 571-601, 2429-2656, 2663-3132, 3136-3646, 3648-4085 and 4086. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said promoter is heterologous to said plant cell and/or to said exogenous polynucleotide. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-26, 28-58, 60-81, 83-106, 108-189, 191-225, 227-257, 259-279, 281-304, 306-361, 602-853, 860-1379, 1383-2427 and 2428, or a codon-optimized sequence thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a plant over-expressing said polypeptide for an increased trait selected from the group consisting of: yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, nitrogen use efficiency, and abiotic stress tolerance as compared to a native plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a plant over-expressing said polypeptide for a decreased trait selected from the group consisting of: time to flowering and time to inflorescence emergence as compared to a native plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant over-expressing said polypeptide under nitrogen-limiting conditions. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant over-expressing said polypeptide under the abiotic stress. 
     
     
         14 . 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. 
     
     
         15 . A method of producing a crop, comprising growing a crop of a plant expressing an exogenous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence exhibiting at least 80% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth by SEQ ID NO: 362-387, 389-419, 421-442, 444467, 469-552, 554-569, 571-601, 2429-2656, 2663-3132, 3136-3646, 36484085 or 4086, wherein said plant is derived from a plant selected for increased yield, increased growth rate, increased biomass, increased vigor, increased oil content, increased seed yield, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased nitrogen use efficiency, increased abiotic stress tolerance, reduced time to flowering and/or reduced time to inflorescence emergence as compared to a control plant of the same species under the same growth conditions, thereby producing the crop. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 362-387, 389-419, 421-442, 444-467, 469-552, 554-569, 571-601, 2429-2656, 2663-3132, 3136-3646, 3648-4085 and 4086. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-26, 28-58, 60-81, 83-106, 108-189, 191-225, 227-257, 259-279, 281-304, 306-361, 602-853, 860-1379, 1383-2427 and 2428, or a codon-optimized sequence thereof. 
     
     
         18 . A nucleic acid construct comprising an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence exhibiting at least 80% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 362-387, 389-419, 421-442, 444-467, 469-552, 554-569, 571-601, 2429-2656, 2663-3132, 3136-3646, 36484085 or 4086, and a heterologous promoter for directing transcription of said nucleic acid sequence in a host cell, wherein said amino acid sequence is capable of increasing yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress of a plant and/or reducing time to flowering and/or reducing time to inflorescence emergence of a plant. 
     
     
         19 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 18 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 362-387, 389-419, 421-442, 444-467, 469-552, 554-569, 571-601, 2429-2656, 2663-3132, 3136-3646, 3648-4085 and 4086. 
     
     
         20 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 18 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-26, 28-58, 60-81, 83-106, 108-189, 191-225, 227-257, 259-279, 281-304, 306-361, 602-853, 860-1379, 1383-2427 and 2428, or a codon-optimized sequence thereof. 
     
     
         21 . A plant cell transformed with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 18 . 
     
     
         22 . A plant transformed with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 18 . 
     
     
         23 . 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 18 , wherein the plant is derived from plants selected for at least one trait selected from the group consisting of: increased yield, increased growth rate, increased biomass, increased vigor, increased oil content, increased seed yield, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased nitrogen use efficiency, increased abiotic stress tolerance, reduced time to flowering and reduced time to inflorescence emergence as compared to a non-transformed plant, thereby growing the crop.