Gene associated with non-biological stress resistance, and transformed plant

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition for enhancing non-biological stress resistance in plants and a composition for accelerating germination. A nucleotide sequence of the present invention is involved in the resistance against the drying stresses in plants, and a transformed plant in which the nucleotide sequence is overexpressed has prominent resistance against various kinds of non-biological stress, including drought stress. In addition, the nucleotide sequence of the present invention is involved in ABA hormone sensitivity in plants, and germination is greatly improved in a plant in which the nucleotide sequence expression is suppressed. Therefore, the composition of the present invention can be useful as new functional crops regardless of the climate of the cultivation area, or as seeds for long-term storage with an increased storage period.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method for improving the tolerance of a plant to an abiotic stress, comprising:
 (a) introducing a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 into a cell of the plant; and   (b) obtaining a transgenic plant exhibiting improved tolerance to an abiotic stress from the cell of the plant.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the nucleotide sequence comprises the nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the abiotic stress is selected from the group consisting of a drought stress, a low-temperature stress and a salt stress. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the abiotic stress is a drought stress. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the abiotic stress is a low-temperature stress. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the abiotic stress is a salt stress. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the nucleotide sequence is contained in a recombinant plant expression vector; and the recombinant plant expression vector comprises (i) the nucleotide sequence; (ii) a promoter which is operatively linked to the nucleotide sequence of (i) and generates a RNA molecule in plant cells; and (iii) a poly A signal sequence inducing polyadenylation at the 3′-end of the RNA molecule. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the plant is selected from the group consisting of food crops such as rice plant, wheat, barley, corn, bean, potato, Indian bean, oat and Indian millet; vegetable crops such as  Arabidopsis  species, Chinese cabbage, radish, red pepper, strawberry, tomato, watermelon, cucumber, cabbage, melon, pumpkin, welsh onion, onion and carrot; crops for special use such as  ginseng , tobacco plant, cotton plant, sesame, sugar cane, sugar beet,  Perilla  sp., peanut and rape; fruit trees such as apple tree, pear tree, jujube tree, peach tree, kiwi fruit tree, grape tree, citrus fruit tree, persimmon tree, plum tree, apricot tree and banana tree; flowering crops such as rose,  gladiolus, gerbera , carnation,  chrysanthemum , lily and tulip; and fodder crops such as ryegrass, red clover, orchardgrass, alfalfa, tallfescue and perennial ryograss. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , wherein the plant is vegetable crops such as  Arabidopsis  species, Chinese cabbage, radish, red pepper, strawberry, tomato, watermelon, cucumber, cabbage, melon, pumpkin, welsh onion, onion and carrot. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the vegetable crop is  Arabidopsis  species. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the  Arabidopsis  species is  Arabidopsis thaliana.    
     
     
         25 . A plant cell exhibiting improved tolerance to an abiotic stress, transformed with the method according to  claim 14 . 
     
     
         26 . A plant exhibiting improved tolerance to an abiotic stress, transformed with the method according to  claim 14 .