Isolated polynucleotides, polypeptides and methods of using same for increasing abiotic stress tolerance, biomass and yield of plants

Abstract

Provided are isolated polypeptides which are at least 80% homologous to SEQ ID NOs: 529, 475-528, 530-770, 6179-9796, 9798-10421, isolated polynucleotides which are at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NOs: 314, 1-313, 315-474, 771-6178, nucleic acid constructs comprising same, transgenic cells expressing same, transgenic plants expressing same and method of using same for increasing abiotic stress tolerance, yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, photosynthetic capacity, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, and/or nitrogen use efficiency of a plant.

1 . A method of increasing yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant, comprising expressing within the plant an exogenous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 529, 475-528, 530-770, 6179-9796, 9798-10420 or 10421, thereby increasing the yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of the plant. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said exogenous polynucleotide comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 529, 475-528, 530-770 and 6179-10421. 
     
     
         3 . A method of producing a crop comprising growing a crop plant transformed with an exogenous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide at least 80% identical to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 529, 475-528, 530-770, 6179-9796, and 9798-10421, wherein the crop plant is derived from plants selected for increased yield, increased growth rate, increased biomass, increased vigor, increased oil content, increased seed yield, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased fiber length, increased photosynthetic capacity, increased nitrogen use efficiency, and/or increased abiotic stress tolerance as compared to a wild type plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, and the crop plant having the increased yield, increased growth rate, increased biomass, increased vigor, increased oil content, increased seed yield, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased fiber length, increased photosynthetic capacity, increased nitrogen use efficiency, and/or increased abiotic stress tolerance, thereby producing the crop. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said exogenous polynucleotide encoding said polypeptide comprises a nucleic acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 314, 1-313, 315-474, 771-6177 or 6178. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said exogenous polynucleotide comprises the nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 314, 1-313, 315-474 and 771-6178. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said exogenous polynucleotide encoding, said polypeptide comprises a nucleic acid sequence which is at least 80% identical to the nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 314, 1-313, 315-474 and 771-6178. 
     
     
         7 . An isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence at least 80% identical to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 529, 475-528, 530-770, 6179-9796, 9798-10420 or 10421, wherein said amino acid sequence is capable of increasing yield, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen use efficiency, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant. 
     
     
         8 . The isolated polynucleotide of  claim 7 , wherein said polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 529, 475-528, 530-770 and 6179-10421. 
     
     
         9 . The isolated polynucleotide of  claim 7 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence encoding said polypeptide is at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NOs: 314, 1-313, 315-474 and 771-6178. 
     
     
         10 . The isolated polynucleotide of  claim 7 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 314, 1-313, 315-474 and 771-6178. 
     
     
         11 . A nucleic acid construct comprising the isolated polynucleotide of  claim 7 , and a promoter for directing transcription of said nucleic acid sequence in a host cell. 
     
     
         12 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A plant cell transformed with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         15 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The plant cell of  claim 14 , wherein said plant cell forms part of a plant. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant expressing said exogenous polynucleotide under the abiotic stress. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said abiotic stress is selected from the group consisting of salinity, drought, osmotic stress, water deprivation, flood, low temperature, high temperature, heavy metal toxicity, anaerobiosis, nutrient deficiency, nitrogen deficiency, nutrient excess, atmospheric pollution and UV irradiation. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the yield comprises seed yield or oil yield. 
     
     
         24 . A transgenic plant comprising the nucleic acid construct of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant expressing said exogenous polynucleotide under nitrogen-limiting conditions. 
     
     
         26 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 11 , wherein said promoter is heterologous to said isolated polynucleotide and/or to said host cell. 
     
     
         27 . A method of growing a crop, the method comprising seeding seeds and/or planting plantlets of a plant transformed with the nucleic acid construct of  claim 11 , wherein the plant is derived from plants selected for at least one trait selected from the group consisting of: increased nitrogen use efficiency, increased photosynthetic capacity, increased abiotic stress tolerance, increased biomass, increased growth rate, increased vigor, increased yield, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased fiber length, and increased oil content as compared to a non-transformed plant, thereby growing the crop. 
     
     
         28 - 34 . (canceled)