Plants Having Altered Expression and Activity of Yield-Related Proteins

Abstract

Transgenic plants that have enhanced yield-related traits, such as increased seed oil production, are produced by genetically engineering the plants to down-regulate the expression of at least one BPM protein. Such transgenic plants can, for example, be cultivated and yield higher seed oil production than control plants which have not been genetically engineered for down regulation of a BPM protein.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A transgenic plant genetically engineered to express a nucleic acid which, as compared to a control plant, down-regulates expression of or reduces the activity of one or more proteins characterized as Broad complex, Tramtrack, Bric-a-brac/Pox virus and Zing finger having a Meprin and tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor homolog (MATH-BTB/POZ),
 wherein the transgenic plant exhibits enhanced yield-related traits as compared to the control plant, wherein the enhanced yield-related traits are selected from the group consisting of increased seed oil production, increased stress-tolerance, and increased growth rate as compared to the control plant.   
     
     
         16 . The transgenic plant of  claim 15 , wherein said plant is of the Brassicaceae family. 
     
     
         17 . The transgenic plant of  claim 16 , wherein said plant is  Arabidopsis Thaliana.    
     
     
         18 . The transgenic plant of  claim 15 , wherein said transgenic plant exhibits increased seed oil production as compared to the control plant. 
     
     
         19 . The transgenic plant of  claim 15  wherein the one or more proteins includes at least a plurality of proteins. 
     
     
         20 . A method for seed oil production comprising:
 cultivating transgenic plants under conditions promoting plant growth and development, wherein each of the transgenic plants are genetically engineered to express a nucleic acid which, as compared to a control plant, down-regulates expression of or reduces the activity of one or more proteins characterized as Broad complex, Tramtrack, Bric-a-brac/Pox virus and Zing finger having a Meprin and tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor homolog (MATH-BTB/POZ), wherein the transgenic plant exhibits increased seed oil production compared to the control plant; and   recovering said seed oil from said transgenic plant.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the transgenic plants are of the Brassicaceae family. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the transgenic plants are  Arabidopsis Thaliana.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the one or more proteins which have down-regulated expression or reduced activity compared to the control plant includes at least a plurality of proteins. 
     
     
         24 . A method for enhancing yield-related traits in a plant as compared to a control plant comprising:
 genetically engineering the plant to express a nucleic acid which, as compared to a control plant, down-regulates expression of or reduces the activity of one or more proteins characterized as Broad complex, Tramtrack, Bric-a-brac/Pox virus and Zing finger having a Meprin and tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor homolog (MATH-BTB/POZ), wherein the transgenic plant exhibits enhanced yield-related traits as compared to the control plant, wherein the enhanced yield-related traits are selected from the group consisting of increased seed oil production, increased stress-tolerance, and increased growth rate as compared to the control plant.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein said plant exhibits increased seed oil production as compared to a control plant. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  wherein said plant is of the Brassicaceae family. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein said plant is  Arabidopsis Thaliana.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24  wherein said step of genetically engineering comprises introducing artificial microRNA (amiRNA) to down-regulate the one or more MATH-BTB/POZ proteins. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the one or more MATH-BTB/POZ proteins includes a plurality of proteins.