Nucleotide sequences and corresponding polypeptides conferring improved nitrogen use efficiency characteristics in plants

Abstract

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

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . 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 said nucleotide sequences encodes a polypeptide having 85 percent or greater sequence identity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:792, SEQ ID NO:1302, SEQ ID NO:533, SEQ ID NO:828, SEQ ID NO:166, SEQ ID NO:208, SEQ ID NO:300, SEQ ID NO:746, SEQ ID NO:824, SEQ ID NO:855, and SEQ ID NO:1437, or wherein said nucleotide sequence has 85 percent or greater sequence identity to a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:791, SEQ ID NO:1301, SEQ ID NO:532, SEQ ID NO:827, SEQ ID NO:165, SEQ ID NO:207, SEQ ID NO:299, SEQ ID NO: 745, SEQ ID NO:823, SEQ ID NO:854, and SEQ ID NO: 175; wherein a plant produced from said plant cell has a difference in the level of low-nitrogen tolerance as compared to the corresponding level of low-nitrogen tolerance of a control plant that does not comprise said nucleic acid. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the polypeptide comprises a Pfam domain having 70 percent or greater sequence identity to a Pfam domain in any one of the polypeptides in the sequence listing. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:792, SEQ ID NO:1302, SEQ ID NO:533, SEQ ID NO:828, SEQ ID NO:166, SEQ ID NO:208, SEQ ID NO:300, SEQ ID NO:746, SEQ ID NO:824, SEQ ID NO:855, and SEQ ID NO:1437, or wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:791, SEQ ID NO:1301, SEQ ID NO:532, SEQ ID NO:827, SEQ ID NO:165, SEQ ID NO:207, SEQ ID NO:299, SEQ ID NO: 745, SEQ ID NO:823, SEQ ID NO:854, and SEQ ID NO: 175. 
     
     
         5 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A method of modulating the level of low-nitrogen tolerance 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 nucleotide sequence, wherein said nucleotide sequences encodes a polypeptide having 85 percent or greater sequence identity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:792, SEQ ID NO:1302, SEQ ID NO:533, SEQ ID NO:828, SEQ ID NO:166, SEQ ID NO:208, SEQ ID NO:300, SEQ ID NO:746, SEQ ID NO:824, SEQ ID NO:855, and SEQ ID NO:1437, or wherein said nucleotide sequence has 85 percent or greater sequence identity to a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:791, SEQ ID NO:1301, SEQ ID NO:532, SEQ ID NO:827, SEQ ID NO:165, SEQ ID NO:207, SEQ ID NO:299, SEQ ID NO: 745, SEQ ID NO:823, SEQ ID NO:854, and SEQ ID NO: 175; wherein a tissue of a plant produced from said plant cell has a difference in the level of low-nitrogen tolerance as compared to the corresponding level of low-nitrogen tolerance of a control plant that does not comprise said nucleic acid. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:792, SEQ ID NO:1302, SEQ ID NO:533, SEQ ID NO:828, SEQ ID NO:166, SEQ ID NO:208, SEQ ID NO:300, SEQ ID NO:746, SEQ ID NO:824, SEQ ID NO:855, and SEQ ID NO:1437. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:792, SEQ ID NO:1302, SEQ ID NO:533, SE ID NO:828, SEQ ID NO:166, SEQ ID NO:208, SEQ ID NO:300, SEQ ID NO:746, SEQ ID NO:824, SEQ ID NO:855, and SEQ ID NO:1437, or wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:791, SEQ ID NO:1301, SEQ ID NO:532, SEQ ID NO:827, SEQ ID NO:165, SEQ ID NO:207, SEQ ID NO:299, SEQ ID NO: 745, SEQ ID NO:823, SEQ ID NO:854, and SEQ ID NO: 175. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A plant cell comprising an exogenous nucleic acid said exogenous nucleic acid comprising a regulatory region operably linked to a nucleotide sequence, wherein said nucleotide sequences encodes a polypeptide having 85 percent or greater sequence identity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:792, SEQ ID NO:1302, SEQ ID NO:533, SEQ ID NO:828, SEQ ID NO:166, SEQ ID NO:208, SEQ ID NO:300, SEQ ID NO:746, SEQ ID NO:824, SEQ ID NO:855, and SEQ ID NO:1437, or wherein said nucleotide sequence has 85 percent or greater sequence identity to a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:791, SEQ ID NO:1301, SEQ ID NO:532, SEQ ID NO:827, SEQ ID NO:165, SEQ ID NO:207, SEQ ID NO:299, SEQ ID NO: 745, SEQ ID NO:823, SEQ ID NO:854, and SEQ ID NO: 175; wherein a tissue of a plant produced from said plant cell has a difference in the level of low-nitrogen tolerance as compared to the corresponding level of low-nitrogen tolerance of a control plant that does not comprise said nucleic acid. 
     
     
         12 . The plant cell of  claim 11 , wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:792, SEQ ID NO:1302, SEQ ID NO:533, SEQ ID NO:828, SEQ ID NO:166, SEQ ID NO:208, SEQ ID NO:300, SEQ ID NO:746, SEQ ID NO:824, SEQ ID NO:855, and SEQ ID NO:1437, or wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:791, SEQ ID NO:1301, SEQ ID NO:532, SEQ ID NO:827, SEQ ID NO:165, SEQ ID NO:207, SEQ ID NO:299, SEQ ID NO: 745, SEQ ID NO:823, SEQ ID NO:854, and SEQ ID NO: 175. 
     
     
         13 . A transgenic plant comprising the plant cell of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         14 . The transgenic plant of  claim 13 , 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),  Poplus balsamifera  (poplar),  Zea mays  (corn),  Glycine max  (soybean),  Brassica napes  (canola),  Triticum aestivum  (wheat),  Gossypium hirsutum  (cotton),  Oryza sativa  (rice),  Helianthus annuus  (sunflower),  Medicago saliva  (alfalfa),  Beta vulgaris  (sugarbeet), or  Pennisetum glaucum  (pearl millet). 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A product comprising plant tissue from the transgenic plant according to  claim 14 . 
     
     
         17 . An nucleic acid comprising a regulatory region operably linked to a nucleotide sequence, wherein said nucleotide sequences encodes a polypeptide having 90 percent or greater sequence identity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:792, SEQ ID NO:1302, SEQ ID NO:533, SEQ ID NO:828, SEQ ID NO:166, SEQ ID NO:208, SEQ ID NO:300, SEQ ID NO:746, SEQ ID NO:824, SEQ ID NO:855, and SEQ ID NO:1437, or wherein said nucleotide sequence has 90 percent or greater sequence identity to a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:791, SEQ ID NO:1301, SEQ ID NO:532, SEQ ID NO:827, SEQ ID NO:165, SEQ ID NO:207, SEQ ID NO:299, SEQ ID NO: 745, SEQ ID NO:823, SEQ ID NO:854, and SEQ ID NO: 175; 
     
     
         18 . The nucleic acid of  claim 17 , wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:792, SEQ ID NO:1302, SEQ ID NO:533, SEQ ID NO:828, SEQ ID NO:166, SEQ ID NO:208, SEQ ID NO:300, SEQ ID NO:746, SEQ ID NO:824, SEQ ID NO:855, and SEQ ID NO:1437, or wherein said nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:791, SEQ ID NO:1301, SEQ ID NO:532, SEQ ID NO:827, SEQ ID NO:165, SEQ ID NO:207, SEQ ID NO:299, SEQ ID NO: 745, SEQ ID NO:823, SEQ ID NO:854, and SEQ ID NO: 175. 
     
     
         19 - 24 . (canceled)