Plants with increased yield and method for producing said plants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016362702-A1
Application number	US-201515120829-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 24, 2015
Priority date	Feb 24, 2014
Publication date	Dec 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for increasing the yield and biomass of a plant, by means of an increase in the expression of the L-aspartate oxidase in the plant. The method according to the invention allows an increase in the photosynthetic capacities of the plants as a result of an increase in the quantities of NAD and the derivatives thereof in said plants. The invention relates to the plants produced by such a method.

First claim

1 . Method for improving at least one phenotypic trait selected from biomass, yield, in particular seed yield, abiotic stress resistance, biotic stress resistance, germination rate or growth rate of a plant, said method comprising overexpression of L-aspartate oxidase.

2 . Method according to claim 1 , which method comprises transformation of a plant cell with at least one nucleic acid that encodes L-aspartate oxidase, and generation from such a cell of a plant that overexpresses L-aspartate oxidase.

3 . Method according to claim 1 , to improve the yield, in particular the seed yield, of a plant, which method comprises transformation of a plant cell with at least one nucleic acid that encodes L-aspartate oxidase, thus generating a plant that overexpresses L-aspartate oxidase, and cultivation of the plant to maturity.

4 . Method according to claim 1 , for improving the biomass production of a plant, which method comprises transformation of a plant cell with at least one nucleic acid that encodes L-aspartate oxidase, thus generating a plant that overexpresses L-aspartate oxidase, and cultivation of the plant to maturity.

5 . Method according to claim 1 , for improving the abiotic stress resistance and/or the biotic stress resistance of a plant, which method comprises transformation of a plant cell with at least one nucleic acid that encodes L-aspartate oxidase, thus generating a plant that overexpresses L-aspartate oxidase, and cultivation of the plant to maturity.

6 . Method according to one of claims 2 to 5 , wherein the at one least nucleic acid that encodes L-aspartate oxidase is under the control of a promoter ensuring overexpression of L-aspartate oxidase.

7 . Method according to one of claims 2 to 6 , wherein the at one least nucleic acid comprises a nucleic acid according to SEQ ID NO: 1.

8 . Method according to one of claims 2 to 6 , wherein the at one least nucleic acid comprises a nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 8, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO: 11, SEQ ID NO: 12, SEQ ID NO: 13, SEQ ID NO: 14, SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 16.

9 . Method according to one of claims 2 to 8 , wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of wheat, barley, rice, maize, sorghum , sunflower, rapeseed, soybean, cotton, pea, common bean, cassava, mango, banana, potato, tomato, pepper, melon, zucchini, watermelon, lettuce, cabbage, eggplant, poplar.

10 . Method according to one of claims 2 to 8 , wherein the plant is rice ( Oryza sativa ), wheat, barley or maize.

11 . Method according to one of claims 2 to 8 , wherein overexpression of L-aspartate oxidase leads to increased amounts of NAD and derivatives thereof.

12 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein overexpression of L-aspartate oxidase is achieved by introgression of a genetic element encoding overexpression of L-aspartate oxidase.

13 . Method according to claim 12 , wherein introgression of a genetic element encoding overexpression of L-aspartate oxidase is produced by protoplast fusion.

14 . Method according to claim 12 , wherein introgression of a genetic element encoding overexpression of L-aspartate oxidase is produced by embryo rescue.

15 . Method for producing a plant exhibiting at least one improved phenotypic trait selected from biomass, germination rate, yield, in particular seed yield, abiotic stress resistance, biotic stress resistance, germination rate, growth, comprising detection of the presence of a genetic element, in particular a nucleic acid sequence, linked to overexpression of L-aspartate oxidase in a donor plant, and transfer of the genetic element, in particular a nucleic acid sequence, linked to overexpression of L-aspartate oxidase thus detected, from the donor plant to a recipient plant.

16 . Method according to claim 15 , wherein detection is carried out using at least one molecular marker.

17 . Method according to claim 15 , wherein detection is carried out by measuring L-aspartate oxidase enzymatic activity in the donor plant.

18 . Method for increasing at least one phenotypic trait selected from biomass, germination rate, yield, in particular seed yield, abiotic stress resistance, biotic stress resistance, germination rate, growth, of a plant, comprising provision of a plant population and selection of individuals of the population that exhibit the highest L-aspartate oxidase expression possible.

19 . Method according to claim 13 , wherein the plant population is a population of mutant plants.

20 . Method according to claim 19 , characterized in that the population of mutant plants is produced by TILLING.

21 . Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that said method comprises selection, within a plant population, of at least one plant exhibiting overexpression of L-aspartate oxidase in relation to the L-aspartate oxidase expression of the parent plants.

22 . Method according to claim 12 , characterized in that introgression comprises:
a) Providing a plant having a given level of expression of L-aspartate oxidase, b) Providing a plant having an increased level of expression of L-aspartate oxidase in relation to the plant provided in a), c) Crossing the plant provided in a) with the plant provided in b), d) Generating progeny resulting from the crossing c), e) Selecting among the progeny at least one plant having a higher level of expression of L-aspartate oxidase than that of the plant provided in b).

23 . Method according to claim 22 comprising an additional step of crossing the plant selected in e) with the plant provided in b) followed by an additional step of selecting among the progeny produced at least one plant having a higher level of expression of L-aspartate oxidase than that of the plant selected in e).

24 . Method for selecting a plant, characterized in that it comprises searching for an allele of the L-aspartate oxidase enzyme gene having a mutation resulting in an improvement in at least one phenotypic trait selected from biomass, seed yield, abiotic stress resistance, biotic stress resistance or germination rate.

25 . Plant able to be produced by a method according to one of the preceding claims.

26 . Use of a plant according to claim 25 or a derivative of such a plant, for the preparation of a composition intended for human consumption, for animal feed or for the preparation of biofuels.

Assignees

• Centre Nat De La Rech Scient (Cnrs)
• Univ Paris-Sud

Inventors

• De Bont Linda
• Gakiere Bertrand

Classifications

• C12N15/8273

  for drought, cold, salt resistance · CPC title

• C12Y104/03016

  L-Aspartate oxidase (1.4.3.16) · CPC title

• C12N9/0022

  with oxygen as acceptor (1.4.3) · CPC title

• C12N15/8271

  for stress resistance, e.g. heavy metal resistance · CPC title

• C12N15/8286

  for insect resistance · CPC title