Plants having improved growth characteristics and methods for making the same

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method for altering characteristics of a plant. The invention describes the identification of a gene that is downregulated in transgenic plants overexpressing E2Fa/DPa and the use of such sequences to alter plant characteristics. A preferred way for altering characteristics of a plant comprises modifying expression of one or more nucleic acid sequences and or modifying level and/or activity of one or more proteins, which nucleic acids and/or proteins encoded thereby are essentially similar to SEQ ID NO 1835. The gene identified in the present invention have an E2Fa target consensus sequence in their 5′ upstream region. The identified gene is postulated to play a role as transcription factors.

1 . A method to alter one or more plant characteristics, said method comprising modifying, in a plant, expression of one or more nucleic acids and/or modifying level and/or activity of one or more proteins, which nucleic acids and/or proteins are essentially similar to any one of SEQ ID NO 1 to 2755, and wherein said one or more plant characteristics are altered relative to corresponding wild type plants. 
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said altered plant characteristic is selected from any one or more of the following: altered development, altered growth, increased yield and/or biomass, enhanced survival capacity, enhanced stress tolerance, altered plant architecture, altered plant physiology, altered plant biochemistry, altered metabolism, altered DNA synthesis, altered DNA modification, altered endoreduplication, altered cell cycle, altered cell wall biogenesis, altered transcription regulation, altered signal transduction, altered storage lipid mobilization and/or altered photosynthesis, each relative to corresponding wild type plants. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein said altered metabolism comprises altered nitrogen and/or altered carbon metabolism. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein said increased yield and/or biomass, comprises increased seed yield. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , comprising overexpression of one or more nucleic acids essentially similar to any one of SEQ ID NO 1 to 2755. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , comprising downregulation of expression of one or more nucleic acids essentially similar to any one of SEQ ID NO 1 to 2755. 
     
     
         7 . A transgenic plant having one or more altered characteristics when compared to the corresponding wild-type plant, characterized in that said plant has modified expression of one or more nucleic acids and/or modified level and/or activity of one or more proteins, said nucleic acid and/or protein being essentially similar to any one of SEQ ID NO 1 to 2755. 
     
     
         8 . A transgenic plant obtainable by a method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         9 . A transgenic plant comprising an isolated nucleic acid and/or protein sequence essentially similar to any one of SEQ ID NO 1 to 2755. 
     
     
         10 . An ancestor, progeny, or any plant part, particularly a harvestable part, of a transgenic plant of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         11 . A host cell having one or more altered characteristics when compared to the corresponding wild-type host cell, characterized in that said host cell has modified expression of one or more nucleic acids and/or modified level and/or activity of one or more proteins, said nucleic acid and/or protein being essentially similar to any one of SEQ ID NO 1 to 2755. 
     
     
         12 . Use of a nucleic acid sequence or protein essentially similar to any one of SEQ ID NO 1 to 2755, for altering one or more plant characteristics. 
     
     
         13 . A method for the production of plants with one or more altered characteristics when compared to the corresponding wild-type plants, which method comprises the use of a nucleic acid sequence essentially similar to any of SEQ ID NO 1 to 2755 in marker assisted breeding. 
     
     
         14 . A method for the production of plants with one or more altered characteristics when compared to the corresponding wild-type plants, which method comprises the use of a nucleic acid sequence essentially similar to any of SEQ ID NO 1 to 2755 in conventional breeding. 
     
     
         15 . A plant obtainable by the methods according to  claim 13 . 
     
     
         16 . Use of a nucleic acid and/or a protein essentially similar to any one of SEQ ID NO 1 to 2755 as a growth regulator.