Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides and methods of using same for increasing plant yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, abiotic stress tolerance of plants and nitrogen use efficiency

Abstract

Provided are isolated polynucleotides encoding a polypeptide at least 80% homologous to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 757, 456-756, 758-774, 8385-10836, and 10838-14462; and isolated polynucleotide comprising nucleic acid sequences at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 377, 1-376, 378-455, and 775-8384. Also provided are nucleic acid constructs comprising same, isolated polypeptides encoded thereby, transgenic cells and transgenic plants comprising 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 and/or reducing time to flowering and/or time to inflorescence emergence of a plant, comprising over-expressing within the plant a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NO: 757, 456-599, 601-637, 639-756, 758-774, 8385-8643, 8645-10582, 10587-10650, 10652-10836, 10838-12575, 12577, 12579-12583, 12585, 12586, 12590, 12591, 12593-12615, 12617-12624, 12628-12637, 12639-12659, 12662-12666, 12668-12677, 12679-12681, 12683-12695, 12697-12705, 12707-12709, 12711-12717, 12719-12727, 12729-12755, 12757-12811, 12813, 12815-12817, 12819-12825, 12827-12840, 12847-12848, 12850, 12853, 12855-12859, 12861-12884, 12886, 12887, 12893, 12895, 12896, 12898-12902, 12904-12912, 12916-12926, 12930-12937, 12940-12942, 12945-12954, 12956-12962, 12965-12967, 12969-12977, 12979-12984, 12986-12992, 12994, 12999-13001, 13003, 13006-13010, 13012-13016, 13018-13019, 13021-13029, 13031-13049, 13051-13054, 13056-13063, 13065-13066, 13068-13070, 13073-13076, 13079-13084, 13086-14461 or 14462, thereby increasing the yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or nitrogen use efficiency, and/or reducing the time to flowering and/or the time to inflorescence emergence of the plant. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence comprises conservative amino acid substitutions with respect to a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 757, 456-599, 601-637, 639-756, 758-774, 8385-8643, 8645-10582, 10587-10650, 10652-10836, 10838-12575, 12577, 12579-12583, 12585, 12586, 12590, 12591, 12593-12615, 12617-12624, 12628-12637, 12639-12659, 12662-12666, 12668-12677, 12679-12681, 12683-12695, 12697-12705, 12707-12709, 12711-12717, 12719-12727, 12729-12755, 12757-12811, 12813, 12815-12817, 12819-12825, 12827-12840, 12847-12848, 12850, 12853, 12855-12859, 12861-12884, 12886, 12887, 12893, 12895, 12896, 12898-12902, 12904-12912, 12916-12926, 12930-12937, 12940-12942, 12945-12954, 12956-12962, 12965-12967, 12969-12977, 12979-12984, 12986-12992, 12994, 12999-13001, 13003, 13006-13010, 13012-13016, 13018-13019, 13021-13029, 13031-13049, 13051-13054, 13056-13063, 13065-13066, 13068-13070, 13073-13076, 13079-13084, 13086-14461 and 14462. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence is at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 757, 456-599, 601-637, 639-756, 758-774, 8385-8643, 8645-10582, 10587-10650, 10652-10836, 10838-12575, 12577, 12579-12583, 12585, 12586, 12590, 12591, 12593-12615, 12617-12624, 12628-12637, 12639-12659, 12662-12666, 12668-12677, 12679-12681, 12683-12695, 12697-12705, 12707-12709, 12711-12717, 12719-12727, 12729-12755, 12757-12811, 12813, 12815-12817, 12819-12825, 12827-12840, 12847-12848, 12850, 12853, 12855-12859, 12861-12884, 12886, 12887, 12893, 12895, 12896, 12898-12902, 12904-12912, 12916-12926, 12930-12937, 12940-12942, 12945-12954, 12956-12962, 12965-12967, 12969-12977, 12979-12984, 12986-12992, 12994, 12999-13001, 13003, 13006-13010, 13012-13016, 13018-13019, 13021-13029, 13031-13049, 13051-13054, 13056-13063, 13065-13066, 13068-13070, 13073-13076, 13079-13084, 13086-14461 and 14462. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 757, 456-459, 601-637, 639-756, 758-774, 8385-10582, 10587-10836, 10838-14461 and 14462. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said over-expressing of said polypeptide is effected by transforming a cell of the plant with an exogenous polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding said polypeptide. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting a plant over-expressing of said polypeptide as compared to a native plant of the same species under the same growth conditions and having at least one trait selected from the group consisting of: increased yield, increased biomass, increased growth rate, increased oil content, increased fiber yield, increased fiber quality, increased abiotic stress tolerance, increased nitrogen use efficiency, reduced time to flowering and reduced time to inflorescence emergence as compared to said trait in a native plant of the same species under the same growth conditions. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 (a) isolating regenerable portion of said plant selected according to  claim 6  so as to obtain isolated regenerable portion of said selected plants; and   (b) regenerating plants from said isolated regenerable portion of said selected plants, wherein plants without the said trait are not isolated and not regenerated.   
     
     
         8 . A nucleic acid construct comprising a 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: 757, 456-599, 601-637, 639-756, 758-774, 8385-8643, 8645-10582, 10587-10650, 10652-10836, 10838-12575, 12577, 12579-12583, 12585, 12586, 12590, 12591, 12593-12615, 12617-12624, 12628-12637, 12639-12659, 12662-12666, 12668-12677, 12679-12681, 12683-12695, 12697-12705, 12707-12709, 12711-12717, 12719-12727, 12729-12755, 12757-12811, 12813, 12815-12817, 12819-12825, 12827-12840, 12847-12848, 12850, 12853, 12855-12859, 12861-12884, 12886, 12887, 12893, 12895, 12896, 12898-12902, 12904-12912, 12916-12926, 12930-12937, 12940-12942, 12945-12954, 12956-12%2, 12%5-12967, 12969-12977, 12979-12984, 12986-12992, 12994, 12999-13001, 13003, 13006-13010, 13012-13016, 13018-13019, 13021-13029, 13031-13049, 13051-13054, 13056-13063, 13065-13066, 13068-13070, 13073-13076, 13079-13084, 13086-14461 or 14462 and a promoter for directing transcription of said nucleic acid sequence in a host cell, wherein said promoter is heterologous to said polynucleotide, wherein said amino acid sequence is capable of increasing yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or nitrogen use efficiency, and/or reducing time to flowering and/or time to inflorescence emergence when over-expressed in a plant as compared to a native plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions. 
     
     
         9 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 8 , wherein said amino acid sequence comprises conservative amino acid substitutions with respect to a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 757, 456-599, 601-637, 639-756, 758-774, 8385-8643, 8645-10582, 10587-10650, 10652-10836, 10838-12575, 12577, 12579-12583, 12585, 12586, 12590, 12591, 12593-12615, 12617-12624, 12628-12637, 12639-12659, 12662-12666, 12668-12677, 12679-12681, 12683-12695, 12697-12705, 12707-12709, 12711-12717, 12719-12727, 12729-12755, 12757-12811, 12813, 12815-12817, 12819-12825, 12827-12840, 12847-12848, 12850, 12853, 12855-12859, 12861-12884, 12886, 12887, 12893, 12895, 12896, 12898-12902, 12904-12912, 12916-12926, 12930-12937, 12940-12942, 12945-12954, 12956-12962, 12965-12967, 12969-12977, 12979-12984, 12986-12992, 12994, 12999-13001, 13003, 13006-13010, 13012-13016, 13018-13019, 13021-13029, 13031-13049, 13051-13054, 13056-13063, 13065-13066, 13068-13070, 13073-13076, 13079-13084, 13086-14461 and 14462. 
     
     
         10 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 8 , wherein said amino acid sequence is at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 757, 456-599, 601-637, 639-756, 758-774, 8385-8643, 8645-10582, 10587-10650, 10652-10836, 10838-12575, 12577, 12579-12583, 12585, 12586, 12590, 12591, 12593-12615, 12617-12624, 12628-12637, 12639-12659, 12662-12666, 12668-12677, 12679-12681, 12683-12695, 12697-12705, 12707-12709, 12711-12717, 12719-12727, 12729-12755, 12757-12811, 12813, 12815-12817, 12819-12825, 12827-12840, 12847-12848, 12850, 12853, 12855-12859, 12861-12884, 12886, 12887, 12893, 12895, 12896, 12898-12902, 12904-12912, 12916-12926, 12930-12937, 12940-12942, 12945-12954, 12956-12962, 12965-12967, 12969-12977, 12979-12984, 12986-12992, 12994, 12999-13001, 13003, 13006-13010, 13012-13016, 13018-13019, 13021-13029, 13031-13049, 13051-13054, 13056-13063, 13065-13066, 13068-13070, 13073-13076, 13079-13084, 13086-14461 and 14462. 
     
     
         11 . The nucleic acid construct of  claim 8 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 757, 456-599, 601-637, 639-756, 758-774, 8385-10582, 10587-10836, 10838-14461 and 14462. 
     
     
         12 . A plant cell comprising 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: 757, 456-599, 601-637, 639-756, 758-774, 8385-8643, 8645-10582, 10587-10650, 10652-10836, 10838-12575, 12577, 12579-12583, 12585, 12586, 12590, 12591, 12593-12615, 12617-12624, 12628-12637, 12639-12659, 12662-12666, 12668-12677, 12679-12681, 12683-12695, 12697-12705, 12707-12709, 12711-12717, 12719-12727, 12729-12755, 12757-12811, 12813, 12815-12817, 12819-12825, 12827-12840, 12847-12848, 12850, 12853, 12855-12859, 12861-12884, 12886, 12887, 12893, 12895, 12896, 12898-12902, 12904-12912, 12916-12926, 12930-12937, 12940-12942, 12945-12954, 12956-12962, 12965-12967, 12969-12977, 12979-12984, 12986-12992, 12994, 12999-13001, 13003, 13006-13010, 13012-13016, 13018-13019, 13021-13029, 13031-13049, 13051-13054, 13056-13063, 13065-13066, 13068-13070, 13073-13076, 13079-13084, 13086-14461 or 14462 and a promoter for directing transcription of said nucleic acid sequence in a host cell, wherein said promoter is heterologous to said isolated polynucleotide and/or to said plant cell, wherein said amino acid sequence is capable of increasing yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and/or nitrogen use efficiency, and/or reducing time to flowering and/or time to inflorescence emergence when over-expressed in a plant as compared to a native plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions. 
     
     
         13 . The plant cell of  claim 12 , wherein said amino acid sequence comprises conservative amino acid substitutions with respect to a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 757, 456-599, 601-637, 639-756, 758-774, 8385-8643, 8645-10582, 10587-10650, 10652-10836, 10838-12575, 12577, 12579-12583, 12585, 12586, 12590, 12591, 12593-12615, 12617-12624, 12628-12637, 12639-12659, 12662-12666, 12668-12677, 12679-12681, 12683-12695, 12697-12705, 12707-12709, 12711-12717, 12719-12727, 12729-12755, 12757-12811, 12813, 12815-12817, 12819-12825, 12827-12840, 12847-12848, 12850, 12853, 12855-12859, 12861-12884, 12886, 12887, 12893, 12895, 12896, 12898-12902, 12904-12912, 12916-12926, 12930-12937, 12940-12942, 12945-12954, 12956-12962, 12965-12967, 12969-12977, 12979-12984, 12986-12992, 12994, 12999-13001, 13003, 13006-13010, 13012-13016, 13018-13019, 13021-13029, 13031-13049, 13051-13054, 13056-13063, 13065-13066, 13068-13070, 13073-13076, 13079-13084, 13086-14461 and 14462. 
     
     
         14 . The plant cell of  claim 12 , wherein said amino acid sequence is at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 757, 456-599, 601-637, 639-756, 758-774, 8385-8643, 8645-10582, 10587-10650, 10652-10836, 10838-12575, 12577, 12579-12583, 12585, 12586, 12590, 12591, 12593-12615, 12617-12624, 12628-12637, 12639-12659, 12662-12666, 12668-12677, 12679-12681, 12683-12695, 12697-12705, 12707-12709, 12711-12717, 12719-12727, 12729-12755, 12757-12811, 12813, 12815-12817, 12819-12825, 12827-12840, 12847-12848, 12850, 12853, 12855-12859, 12861-12884, 12886, 12887, 12893, 12895, 12896, 12898-12902, 12904-12912, 12916-12926, 12930-12937, 12940-12942, 12945-12954, 12956-12962, 12965-12967, 12969-12977, 12979-12984, 12986-12992, 12994, 12999-13001, 13003, 13006-13010, 13012-13016, 13018-13019, 13021-13029, 13031-13049, 13051-13054, 13056-13063, 13065-13066, 13068-13070, 13073-13076, 13079-13084, 13086-14461 and 14462. 
     
     
         15 . The plant cell of  claim 12 , wherein said amino acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 757, 456-599, 601-637, 639-756, 758-774, 8385-10582, 10587-10836, 10838-14461 and 14462. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said nucleic acid sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 377, 1-182, 184-376, 378-398, 400-436, 438-455, 775-3902, and 3909-8384. 
     
     
         17 . The plant cell of  claim 12 , wherein said plant cell forms part of a plant. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant over-expressing said polypeptide under the abiotic stress. 
     
     
         19 . 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. 
     
     
         20 . A transgenic plant comprising the nucleic acid construct of  claim 8 . 
     
     
         21 . A method of generating a transgenic plant, comprising expressing the nucleic acid construct of  claim 8  within the plant, thereby generating the transgenic plant. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising growing the plant over-expressing said polypeptide under nitrogen-limiting conditions.