Genes Involved in Tolerance to Environmental Stress

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for obtaining polynucleic acids comprising coding sequences and/or genes involved in environmental stress resistance in plants, comprising preparing a cDNA library comprising coding sequences from siliques, introducing the coding sequences in yeast cells in a functional format and screening for polynucleic acids leading to an enhanced tolerance or resistance to environmental stress conditions in the transformed yeast cells. The present invention further relates to an isolated polynucleic acid obtainable by such a method as listed in Table 1 as well as recombinant polynucleic acid comprising the same. The present invention further relates to an isolated polypeptide encoded by a polynucleic acid of the invention. The present invention also relates to a method for producing a plant with enhanced tolerance or resistance to environmental stress comprising introducing into a plant cell a recombinant DNA comprising a polynucleic acid as defined which when expressed in a plant cell enhances the tolerances or induces resistance to environmental stress conditions of the plant. The present invention particularly relates to plant cells, plants or harvestable parts or propagation material thereof transformed with a recombinant polynucleic acid as defined above.

1 . A method for producing a plant with enhanced tolerance or resistance to at least one environmental stress, comprising:
 (a) transiently or stably introducing into a plant cell a recombinant DNA comprising a polynucleic acid which is expressed in an amount effective to confer enhanced tolerance or resistance to at least one environmental stress, wherein the polynucleic acid is:
 (i) a polynucleic acid which is at least 80% identical to the polynucleic acid of SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83, 85, 87, 89, 90, 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 101, 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 117, 119 or 121, wherein expression of said polynucleic acid in a plant confers enhanced tolerance or resistance to at least one environmental stress; or 
 (ii) a polynucleic acid encoding a polypeptide which is at least 80% identical to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118 or 120, wherein expression of said polynucleic acid in a plant confers enhanced tolerance or resistance to at least one environmental stress; 
   and   (b) culturing the plant cell to regenerate a plant, thereby producing a plant with enhanced tolerance or resistance to at least one environmental stress.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising introducing the recombinant DNA into the genome of the plant cell, wherein the recombinant DNA is operably linked to a plant-expressible promoter. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the plant-expressible promoter is a constitutive promoter, a stress-inducible promoter, or an organ- or tissue-specific promoter. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the plant-expressible promoter is the 35S promoter of CaMV. 
     
     
         5 . A plant with enhanced tolerance or resistance to at least one environmental stress obtained by the method of  claim 1 , or a plant cell or plant part obtained from said plant. 
     
     
         6 . A harvestable part, organ, tissue or propagation material of the plant of  claim 5 , wherein said harvestable part, organ, tissue or propagation material comprises said recombinant DNA. 
     
     
         7 . The plant of  claim 5 , wherein the plant is a monocotyledonous plant or a dicotyledonous plant. 
     
     
         8 . The plant of  claim 5 , wherein the plant is a crop plant. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one environmental stress is osmotic stress, drought stress or salt stress. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polynucleic acid is:
 (a) the polynucleic acid of SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83, 85, 87, 89, 90, 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 101, 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 117, 119 or 121; or   (b) a polynucleic acid encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118 or 120.   
     
     
         11 . A method for producing a plant with enhanced tolerance or resistance to at least one environmental stress, comprising:
 (a) obtaining a variant of the polynucleic acid of SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83, 85, 87, 89, 90, 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 101, 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 117, 119 or 121;   (b) introducing said variant into a plant or a plant cell;   (c) testing the plant or the plant cell with at least one environmental stress;   (d) selecting a plant or a plant cell with enhanced tolerance or resistance to said at least one environmental stress as compared to a corresponding wild-type plant or plant cell; and   (e) optionally, regenerate the plant cell with enhanced tolerance or resistance to said at least one environmental stress into a plant,   wherein the variant comprises a polynucleic acid encoding a polypeptide which is at least 80% identical to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118 or 120.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said variant is introduced into the plant or the plant cell transiently or stably. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one environmental stress is osmotic stress, drought stress or salt stress. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the variant is introduced into said plant or said plant cell under the control of a plant-expressible promoter. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the plant-expressible promoter is a constitutive promoter, a stress-inducible promoter, or an organ- or tissue-specific promoter. 
     
     
         16 . An isolated polynucleic acid selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) the polynucleic acid of SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83, 85, 87, 89, 90, 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 101, 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 117, 119 or 121, or the complementary strand thereof;   (b) a polynucleic acid encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118 or 120, or the complementary strand thereof;   (c) a polynucleic acid which is at least 80% identical to the polynucleic acid of SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83, 85, 87, 89, 90, 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 101, 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 117, 119 or 121, or the complementary strand thereof; and   (d) a polynucleic acid encoding a polypeptide which is at least 80% identical to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118 or 120, or the complementary strand thereof.   
     
     
         17 . An isolated polypeptide encoded by the isolated polynucleic acid of  claim 16 . 
     
     
         18 . A DNA construct comprising the isolated polynucleic acid of  claim 16  operably linked to a plant-expressible promoter. 
     
     
         19 . The DNA construct of  claim 18 , wherein said plant-expressible promoter is a constitutive promoter, a stress-inducible promoter, or an organ- or tissue-specific promoter. 
     
     
         20 . A transgenic plant or plant cell comprising the DNA construct of  claim 18 .