Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides for increasing plant yield and/or agricultural characteristics

Abstract

Provided are isolated polynucleotides which comprise a nucleic acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 321, 1-320, 322-480, 793-2945 or 2946; isolated polypeptides which comprise an amino acid sequence at least 80% homologous to SEQ ID NO: 517, 481-516, 518-792, 2947-4662 or 4663, nucleic acid constructs comprising same, transgenic cells and plants expressing same and methods of using same for increasing yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or nitrogen use efficiency of a plant.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of increasing yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or nitrogen use efficiency 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: 517, 481-516, 518-792, 2947-4662 or 4663, thereby increasing the yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or nitrogen use efficiency of the plant. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 517, 481-516, 518-792, and 2947-4663. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence encoding said polypeptide is at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 321, 1-320, 322-480, 793-2945 or 2946. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 321, 1-320, 322-480, and 793-2946. 
     
     
         5 . A nucleic acid construct comprising 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: 517, 481-516, 518-792, 2947-4662 or 4663, and a heterologous promoter for directing transcription of said isolated polynucleotide in a host cell. 
     
     
         6 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 5 , wherein said promoter is a plant promoter. 
     
     
         7 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 5 , wherein said promoter is heterologous to said isolated polynucleotide and/or to said host cell. 
     
     
         8 . A plant cell exogenously expressing the nucleic acid construct of  claim 5 . 
     
     
         9 . A plant exogenously expressing the nucleic acid construct of  claim 5 . 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is at least 85% identical to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 517, 481-516, 518-792, and 2947-4663. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is at least 90% identical to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 517, 481-516, 518-792, and 2947-4663. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 517, 481-516, 518-792, and 2947-4663. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said polypeptide is at least 98% identical to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 517, 481-516, 518-792, and 2947-4663. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant expressing said exogenous polynucleotide under the abiotic stress. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the yield comprises seed yield or oil yield. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant expressing said exogenous polynucleotide under nitrogen-limiting conditions. 
     
     
         18 . A method of producing seeds of a crop, comprising:
 (a) selecting a parent plant transformed with an exogenous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 517, 481-516, 518-792, 2947-4662 or 4663, wherein said parent plant exhibits an increased trait selected from the group consisting of: increased yield, increased biomass, increased growth rate, increased vigor, increased oil content, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased abiotic stress tolerance, and/or increased nitrogen use efficiency as compared to a non-transformed plant which is grown under the same growth conditions, and;   (b) growing a seed producing plant from said parent plant resultant of step (a), wherein said seed producing plant which 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.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said polypeptide is at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 517, 481-516, 518-792, and 2947-4663. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 517, 481-516, 518-792, and 2947-4663.