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

Abstract

Provided are isolated polypeptides which are at least 80% homologous to SEQ ID NOs: 182-184, 186-202, 204-216, 219-223, 225, 227-232, 235-236, 238, 240-260, 262-268, 270-275, 277-287, 289-297, 3651-3671, 3686, 3720-3721, 3724, 3727, 3735, 3754, 3774, 3795-4304, 4316, 4374, 4425, 4464, 4481-4813, 4824, 4833, 4843-4844, 4867-4869, 4888, 4890-4891, 5005-5050, 5053-5070, 5093, 5217, 5231, 5233, 5239, 5246, 5255, 5257-5296, 5412, 5415-5429, 5447-5456, 5465-5673, 5675-5686, 5688-5695, 5697-5698, 5700, 5702-5707, 5709-5715, 5717-5785, 5831, 5869, 5980, 6010-6043, 6045-6053, 6055-6093, 6132, 6383, 6405, 6493, 6523, 6533-6537, and 6563-6589, isolated polynucleotides encoding same, nucleic acid constructs comprising same, transgenic cells expressing same, transgenic plants expressing same and method of using same for increasing yield, abiotic stress tolerance, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, photosynthetic capacity, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, and/or nitrogen use efficiency 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, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress tolerance, and/or reducing time to flowering or time to inflorescence emergence of a plant, comprising expressing within the plant an exogenous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 253, thereby increasing the yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, 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 amino acid sequence is at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequence set forth by SEQ ID NO: 253. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 253 and 273. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said exogenous polynucleotide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 167, 72 and 98. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant expressing said exogenous polynucleotide under the abiotic stress. 
     
     
         6 . 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, nitrogen deficiency, nutrient excess, atmospheric pollution and UV irradiation. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the yield comprises seed yield or oil yield. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant expressing said exogenous polynucleotide under nitrogen-limiting conditions. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a plant expressing said exogenous polynucleotide for an increased yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress tolerance, as compared to a wild type plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a plant expressing said exogenous polynucleotide for a reduced time to flowering or time to inflorescence emergence, as compared to a wild type plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions. 
     
     
         11 . A method of producing a crop, comprising growing a crop plant transformed with an exogenous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide at least 80% identical to the amino acid sequence set forth by SEQ ID NO: 253, wherein the crop plant is derived from plants which have been transformed with said exogenous polynucleotide and which have been selected for increased yield, increased growth rate, increased biomass, increased vigor, increased oil content, increased seed yield, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased fiber length, increased photosynthetic capacity, increased nitrogen use efficiency, increased abiotic stress tolerance, reduced time to flowering and/or reduced time to inflorescence emergence, as compared to a wild type plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, and the crop plant has the increased yield, increased growth rate, increased biomass, increased vigor, increased oil content, increased seed yield, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased fiber length, increased photosynthetic capacity, increased nitrogen use efficiency, increased abiotic stress tolerance, reduced time to flowering and/or reduced time to inflorescence emergence, thereby producing the crop. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said amino acid sequence is at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequence set forth by SEQ ID NO: 253. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 167, 72 and 98. 
     
     
         14 . A nucleic acid construct comprising a 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: 253, 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, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or reducing time to flowering or time to inflorescence emergence of a plant. 
     
     
         15 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 14 , wherein said polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 253 and 273. 
     
     
         16 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 14 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 167, 72 and 98. 
     
     
         17 . A plant cell transformed with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 14 . 
     
     
         18 . A transgenic plant comprising the nucleic acid construct of  claim 14 . 
     
     
         19 . 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 derived from plants which have been transformed with said exogenous polynucleotide and which have been selected for at least one trait selected from the group consisting of: increased nitrogen use efficiency, increased abiotic stress tolerance, increased biomass, increased growth rate, increased vigor, increased yield, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased fiber length, increased photosynthetic capacity, increased oil content, reduced time to flowering and reduced time to inflorescence emergence, as compared to a non-transformed plant, thereby growing the crop. 
     
     
         20 . A method of selecting a transformed plant having increased yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or reduced time to flowering or time to inflorescence emergence, as compared to a wild type plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, the method comprising:
 (a) providing plants transformed with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 14 ,   (b) selecting from said plants of step (a) a plant having an increased yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance and/or reduced time to flowering or time to inflorescence emergence as compared to a wild type plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions,   thereby selecting the plant having the increased yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or reduced time to flowering or time to inflorescence emergence, as compared to the wild type plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said selecting is performed under non-stress conditions. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said selecting is performed under abiotic stress conditions.