Polynucleotides, polypeptides encoded thereby, and methods of using same for increasing abiotic stress tolerance, biomass and/or yield in plants expressing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018312860-A1
Application number	US-201816037055-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 17, 2018
Priority date	Dec 29, 2008
Publication date	Nov 1, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided are isolated polynucleotides comprising a nucleic acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO:619, 617, 606, 615, 629, 1-36, 40, 41, 43-45, 49, 52-56, 58, 113-343, 351, 354-358, 605, 607-614, 616, 618, 620-628, 630-638, 642, 645, 650, 651, 670, or 671. Also provided are nucleic acid constructs comprising same, isolated polypeptides encoded thereby, transgenic cells and transgenic plants comprising same and methods of using same for increasing abiotic stress tolerance, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, and/or nitrogen use efficiency of a plant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of increasing abiotic stress tolerance, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, and/or nitrogen use efficiency of a plant, comprising over-expressing within the plant a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence exhibiting at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 82, 73, 652, 86, 60-70, 72, 74, 76-85, 87-95, 108-109, 112, 359-448, 469-589, 602-604, 653-660, 665, 668, or 672 as compared to a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, thereby increasing the abiotic stress tolerance, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, and/or nitrogen use efficiency of the plant.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence exhibits at least 90% sequence identity to the polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 82, 73, 652, 86, 60-70, 72, 74, 76-85, 87-98, 100-109, 111, 112, 359-448, 469-589, 591-597, 600-604, 653-662, 664, 666-669, and 672.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence exhibits at least 95% sequence identity to the polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 82, 73, 652, 86, 60-70, 72, 74, 76-85, 87-98, 100-109, 111, 112, 359-448, 469-589, 591-597, 600-604, 653-662, 664, 666-669, and 672.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 82, 73, 652, 86, 60-70, 72, 74, 76-85, 87-98, 100-109, 111, 112, 359-448, 469-589, 591-597, 600-604, 653-662, 664, 666-669, and 672.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is expressed from a nucleic acid sequence exhibiting at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 625, 23, 617, 606, 629, 1-15, 17-36, 40, 41, 43-45, 49, 52-56, 58, 113-202, 223-343, 351, 354-358, 605, 607-614, 616, 618, 620-628, 630-638, 642, 645, 650, 651, 670, or 671.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is expressed from a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 625, 23, 617, 606, 629, 1-15, 17-49, 51-59, 113-202, 223-343, 345-351, 353-358, 605, 607-614, 616, 618, 620-628, 630-638, 641, 642, 644, 644-646, 648-651, 670, and 671.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the plant over-expressing said polypeptide for an increased abiotic stress tolerance, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, and/or nitrogen use efficiency as compared to said control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said selecting is performed under non-stress conditions.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
(a) isolating plants or regenerable portion of said plants selected according to the method of claim 7 having said increased abiotic stress tolerance, yield, biomass, growth rate, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, and/or nitrogen use efficiency as compared to said control plant, and (b) planting or regenerating plants from said isolated plants or regenerable portion of said selected plants obtained by step (a), to thereby obtain plants characterized by said increased abiotic stress tolerance, yield, biomass, growth rate, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, and/or nitrogen use efficiency as compared to said control plant.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant over-expressing said polypeptide under the abiotic stress.

11 . The method of claim 10 , 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.

12 . A method of producing seeds of a crop, comprising:
(a) selecting a plant transformed with an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence exhibiting at least 80% sequence identity to the polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 82, 73, 652, 86, 60-70, 72, 74, 76-85, 87-95, 108-109, 112, 359-448, 469-589, 602-604, 653-660, 665, 668, and 672 for an increased trait selected from the group consisting of: increased abiotic stress tolerance, increased yield, increased biomass, increased growth rate, increased oil content, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, and increased nitrogen use efficiency as compared to a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, and; (b) growing a seed producing plant from said plant selected according to step (a), wherein said seed producing plant comprises said exogenous polynucleotide has said increased trait, and; (c) producing seeds from said seed producing plant resultant of step (b), thereby producing seeds of the crop.

13 . A nucleic acid construct comprising an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence which exhibits at least 80% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 82, 73, 652, 86, 60-70, 72, 74, 76-85, 87-95, 108-109, 112, 359-448, 469-589, 602-604, 653-660, 665, 668, or 672, 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 abiotic stress tolerance, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, and/or nitrogen use efficiency of a plant.

14 . The nucleic acid construct of claim 13 , wherein said amino acid sequence exhibits at least 90% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 82, 73, 652, 86, 60-70, 72, 74, 76-85, 87-98, 100-109, 111, 112, 359-448, 469-589, 591-597, 600-604, 653-662, 664, 666-669, and 672.

15 . The nucleic acid construct of claim 13 , wherein said amino acid sequence exhibits at least 95% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 82, 73, 652, 86, 60-70, 72, 74, 76-85, 87-98, 100-109, 111, 112, 359-448, 469-589, 591-597, 600-604, 653-662, 664, 666-669, and 672.

16 . The nucleic acid construct of claim 13 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence encoding said polypeptide exhibits at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 625, 23, 617, 606, 629, 1-15, 17-36, 40, 41, 43-45, 49, 52-56, 58, 113-202, 223-343, 351, 354-358, 605, 607-614, 616, 618, 620-628, 630-638, 642, 645, 650-651, 670, or 671.

17 . The nucleic acid construct of claim 13 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 625, 23, 617, 606, 629, 1-15, 17-49, 51-59, 113-202, 223-343, 345-351, 353-358, 605, 607-614, 616, 618, 620-628, 630-638, 641, 642, 644, 644-646, 648-651, 670, and 671.

18 . A plant cell transformed with the nucleic acid construct of claim 13 .

19 . The plant cell of claim 18 , wherein said plant cell forms part of a plant.

20 . A transgenic plant comprising the nucleic acid construct of claim 13 .

Assignees

• Evogene Ltd

Inventors

• Ayal Sharon
• Emmanuel Eyal
• Granevitze Zur
• Diber Alex
• Vinocur Basia Judith
• Karchi Hagai
• Herschkovitz Yoav

Classifications

• C12N15/8273

  for drought, cold, salt resistance · CPC title

• C12N15/8247

  involving modified lipid metabolism, e.g. seed oil composition · CPC title

• C12N15/8262

  involving plant development · CPC title

• C12N15/8261 Primary

  with agronomic (input) traits, e.g. crop yield · CPC title

• C07K14/415 Primary

  from plants · CPC title