Modulating plant nitrogen levels

Abstract

Methods and materials for modulating (e.g., increasing or decreasing) nitrogen levels in plants are disclosed. For example, nucleic acids encoding nitrogen-modulating polypeptides are disclosed as well as methods for using such nucleic acids to transform plant cells. Plants and plant products having increased nitrogen levels are also disclosed.

1 . A method of modulating the level of nitrogen in a plant, said method comprising introducing into a plant cell an isolated nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having 80 percent or greater sequence identity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:4-18, wherein a tissue of a plant produced from said plant cell has a difference in the level of nitrogen as compared to the corresponding level in tissue of a control plant that does not comprise said nucleic acid. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said difference is an increase in the level of nitrogen. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said isolated nucleic acid is operably linked to a regulatory region. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said regulatory region is a promoter selected from the group consisting of YP0092, PT0676, PT0708, PT0613, PT0672, PT0678, PT0688, PT0837, the napin promoter, the Arcelin-5 promoter, the phaseolin gene promoter, the soybean trypsin inhibitor promoter, the ACP promoter, the stearoyl-ACP desaturase gene promoter, the soybean α subunit of β-conglycinin promoter, the oleosin promoter, the 15 kD zein promoter, the 16 kD zein promoter, the 19 kD zein promoter, the 22 kD zein promoter, the 27 kD zein promoter, the Osgt-1 promoter, the beta-amylase gene promoter, and the barley hordein gene promoter. 
     
     
         5 . A method of producing a plant tissue, said method comprising growing a plant cell comprising an isolated nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having 80 percent or greater sequence identity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:4-18, wherein said tissue has a difference in the level of nitrogen as compared to the corresponding level in tissue of a control plant that does not comprise said nucleic acid. 
     
     
         6 . A plant cell comprising an isolated nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having 80 percent or greater sequence identity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:4-18, wherein a tissue of a plant produced from said plant cell has a difference in the level of nitrogen as compared to the corresponding level in tissue of a control plant that does not comprise said nucleic acid. 
     
     
         7 . A transgenic plant comprising the plant cell of  claim 6 . 
     
     
         8 . Progeny of the plant of  claim 7 , wherein said progeny has a difference in the level of nitrogen as compared to the level of nitrogen in a corresponding control plant that does not comprise said isolated nucleic acid. 
     
     
         9 . Seed from a transgenic plant according to  claim 7 . 
     
     
         10 . Vegetative tissue from a transgenic plant according to  claim 7 . 
     
     
         11 . A food product comprising vegetative tissue from a transgenic plant according to  claim 7 . 
     
     
         12 . A feed product comprising vegetative tissue from a transgenic plant according to  claim 7 .