Transgenic plants having altered biomass composition

Abstract

Methods and materials for modulating biomass composition in plants are disclosed. For example, nucleic acids encoding biomass composition-modulating polypeptides are disclosed as well as methods for using such nucleic acids to transform plant cells. Also disclosed are plants having altered biomass composition and plant products produced from plants having altered biomass composition.

1 . A method of producing a plant, said method comprising growing a plant cell comprising an exogenous nucleic acid, said exogenous nucleic acid comprising a regulatory region operably linked to a nucleotide sequence, wherein the nucleotide sequence comprises a polynucleotide sequence having 80 percent or greater sequence identity to the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:482 or wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having 80 percent or greater sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:483, wherein a plant produced from said plant cell has a difference in biomass composition as compared to the corresponding composition of a control plant that does not comprise said nucleic acid. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide comprises SEQ ID NO:483. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the difference in biomass composition in said plant is a difference in the sucrose content. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the difference in biomass composition in said plant is a difference in or ash composition. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said nucleotide sequence comprises the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:482. 
     
     
         6 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A method of modulating biomass composition in a plant, said method comprising introducing into a plant cell an exogenous nucleic acid, said exogenous nucleic acid comprising a regulatory region operably linked to a nucleotide sequence, wherein the nucleotide sequence comprises a polynucleotide sequence having 80 percent or greater sequence identity to the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:482 or wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having 80 percent or greater sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:483, wherein a plant produced from said plant cell has a difference in biomass composition as compared to the corresponding composition of a control plant that does not comprise said nucleic acid. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the difference in biomass composition in said plant is a difference in the sucrose content. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the difference in biomass composition in said plant is a difference in ash content. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said polypeptide has 90 percent or greater sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:483. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said nucleotide sequence has 90 percent or greater sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:482. 
     
     
         13 . A plant cell comprising an exogenous nucleic acid, said exogenous nucleic acid comprising:
 (a) a regulatory region operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having 80 percent or greater sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:483, or   (b) a regulatory region operably linked to a nucleotide sequence having 80 percent or greater sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:482, or a fragment thereof, wherein a plant produced from said plant cell has a difference in biomass composition as compared to the corresponding composition of a control plant that does not comprise said nucleic acid.   
     
     
         14 . A transgenic plant comprising the plant cell of  claim 13 . 
     
     
         15 . The transgenic plant of  claim 14 , wherein said plant is a member of a species selected from the group consisting of  Panicum virgatum  (switchgrass),  Sorghum bicolor  ( sorghum , sudangrass),  Miscanthus giganteus  ( miscanthus ),  Saccharum  sp. (energycane),  Populus balsamifera  (poplar),  Zea mays  (corn),  Glycine max  (soybean),  Brassica napus  (canola),  Triticum aestivum  (wheat),  Gossypium hirsutum  (cotton),  Oryza sativa  (rice),  Helianthus annuus  (sunflower),  Medicago sativa  (alfalfa),  Beta vulgaris  (sugarbeet), or  Pennisetum glaucum  (pearl millet). 
     
     
         16 . A transgenic plant comprising the plant cell of  claim 13 , wherein said polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:483. 
     
     
         17 . A seed product comprising embryonic tissue from a transgenic plant according to  claim 14 . 
     
     
         18 - 23 . (canceled)