Methods and compositions for enhancing root system development

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12529063-B2
Application number	US-202217853997-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2022
Priority date	Jul 1, 2021
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

This invention relates to compositions and methods for modifying root architecture in a plant through modification of an endogenous Ser-Thr protein kinase gene, such as endogenous PHOSPHOROUS STARVATION TOLERANCE 1 (PSTOL1) nucleic acids. The invention further relates to plants produced using the methods and compositions of the invention.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1 . A maize plant or plant part thereof comprising a non-natural mutation in a PEST (P-proline, E-glutamine, S-serine, T-threonine) motif in an endogenous PHOSPHOROUS STARVATION TOLERANCE 1 (PSTOL1) gene,
wherein the endogenous PSTOL1 gene encodes an endogenous PSTOL1 polypeptide and
(a) comprises a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:72;
(b) comprises a coding sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 73;
(c) comprises a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to a region of consecutive nucleotides of SEQ ID NO:72 located from nucleotide 3106 to nucleotide 3234 or from nucleotide 3125 to nucleotide 3214, or a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to a region of consecutive nucleotides of SEQ ID NO:73 located from nucleotide 935 to nucleotide 1024, optionally a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to a region of consecutive nucleotides of SEQ ID NO:75 or SEQ ID NO: 76; and/or
(d) encodes a polypeptide sequence having at least 95% identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:74,
wherein the PEST motif consists of a 29 amino acid sequence having at least 85% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:77, and wherein the non-natural mutation results in:
(i) a deletion of all of the PEST motif, or
(ii) a deletion of a portion of the PEST motif, the portion comprising residues 1 to 6 of the PEST motif.

2 . The maize plant of claim 1 , wherein the at least one non-natural mutation results in the maize plant having longer roots and/or increased root surface as compared to a control maize plant not comprising the same mutation.

3 . The maize plant or plant part thereof of claim 1 , wherein the PEST motif is encoded by a region of the endogenous gene located from nucleotide 3106 to nucleotide 3234 or from nucleotide 3125 to nucleotide 3214 with reference to nucleotide numbering of SEQ ID NO: 72, and/or from nucleotide 935 to nucleotide 1024 with reference to nucleotide numbering of SEQ ID NO:75, optionally in a region having at least 85% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:75 or SEQ ID NO:76.

4 . The maize plant or plant part thereof of claim 1 , wherein the deletion of all or a portion of the PEST motif results in a mutant PSTOL1 gene comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 79.

5 . The maize plant or plant part thereof of claim 1 , wherein the plant part comprises a seed.

6 . The maize plant or plant part thereof of claim 1 , wherein the plant part comprises plant protoplasts, plant tissues, plant organs, plant cell tissue cultures, or plant calli.

Assignees

• Pairwise Plants Services Inc

Inventors

• Mojica Julius

Classifications

• C12Y207/11001

  Non-specific serine/threonine protein kinase (2.7.11.1), i.e. casein kinase or checkpoint kinase · CPC title

• C12N15/8213

  Targeted insertion of genes into the plant genome by homologous recombination · CPC title

• C12N9/12

  transferring phosphorus containing groups, e.g. kinases (2.7) · CPC title

• Y02A40/146

  Genetically Modified [GMO] plants, e.g. transgenic plants · CPC title

• C12Y207/11

  Protein-serine/threonine kinases (2.7.11) · CPC title