Transgenic plants with enhanced traits

Abstract

This disclosure provides transgenic plants having enhanced traits such as increased yield, enhanced nitrogen use efficiency and enhanced drought tolerance; propagules, progeny and field crops of such transgenic plants; and methods of making and using such transgenic plants. This disclosure also provides methods of producing hybrid seed from such transgenic plants, growing such seed and selecting progeny plants with enhanced traits. Also disclosed are transgenic plants with altered phenotypes which are useful for screening and selecting transgenic events for the desired enhanced trait.

We claimed: 
     
         1 . A plant comprising a recombinant DNA molecule comprising a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide, wherein the nucleotide sequence of the polynucleotide is selected from the group consisting of:
 a) a nucleotide sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, or 19;   b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, or 20-29;   c) a nucleotide sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, or 19; and   d) a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity to SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, or 20-29;   wherein said plant has an enhanced trait as compared to a control plant.   
     
     
         2 . The plant of  claim 1 , wherein said enhanced trait is selected from the group consisting of increased yield, increased nitrogen use efficiency, and increased water use efficiency. 
     
     
         3 . The plant of  claim 1 , wherein said plant is a monocot plant or is a member of the family Poaceae, wheat plant, maize plant, sweet corn plant, rice plant, wild rice plant, barley plant, rye, millet plant, sorghum plant, sugar cane plant, turfgrass plant, bamboo plant, oat plant, brome-grass plant,  Miscanthus  plant, pampas grass plant, switchgrass ( Panicum ) plant, and/or teosinte plant, or is a member of the family Alliaceae, onion plant, leek plant, garlic plant; or wherein the plant is a dicot plant or is a member of the family Amaranthaceae, spinach plant,  quinoa  plant, a member of the family Anacardiaceae, mango plant, a member of the family Asteraceae, sunflower plant, endive plant, lettuce plant, artichoke plant, a member of the family Brassicaceae,  Arabidopsis thaliana  plant, rape plant, oilseed rape plant, broccoli plant, Brussels sprouts plant, cabbage plant, canola plant, cauliflower plant, kohlrabi plant, turnip plant, radish plant, a member of the family Bromeliaceae, pineapple plant, a member of the family Caricaceae,  Papaya  plant, a member of the family Chenopodiaceae, beet plant, a member of the family Curcurbitaceae, melon plant, cantaloupe plant, squash plant, watermelon plant, honeydew plant, cucumber plant, pumpkin plant, a member of the family Dioscoreaceae, yam plant, a member of the family Ericaceae, blueberry plant, a member of the family Euphorbiaceae, cassava plant, a member of the family Fabaceae, alfalfa plant, clover plant, peanut plant, a member of the family Grossulariaceae, currant plant, a member of the family Juglandaceae, walnut plant, a member of the family Lamiaceae, mint plant, a member of the family Lauraceae, avocado plant, a member of the family Leguminosae, soybean plant, bean plant, pea plant, a member of the family Malvaceae, cotton plant, a member of the family Marantaceae, arrowroot plant, a member of the family Myrtaceae, guava plant,  Eucalyptus  plant, a member of the family Rosaceae, peach plant, apple plant, cherry plant, plum plant, pear plant, prune plant, blackberry plant, raspberry plant, strawberry plant, a member of the family Rubiaceae, coffee plant, a member of the family Rutaceae, citrus plant, orange plant, lemon plant, grapefruit plant, tangerine plant, a member of the family Salicaceae, poplar plant, willow plant, a member of the family Solanaceae, potato plant, sweet potato plant, tomato plant,  Capsicum  plant, tobacco plant, tomatillo plant, eggplant plant,  Atropa belladona  plant,  Datura stramonium  plant, a member of the family Vitaceae, grape plant, a member of the family Umbelliferae, carrot plant, or a member of the family Musaceae, banana plant; or wherein the plant is a member of the family Pinaceae, cedar plant, fir plant, hemlock plant, larch plant, pine plant, or spruce plant. 
     
     
         4 . The plant of  claim 1 , wherein the recombinant DNA molecule further comprises a promoter that is operably linked to the polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide, wherein said promoter is selected from the group consisting of a constitutive, inducible, tissue specific, diurnally regulated, tissue enhanced, and cell specific promoter. 
     
     
         5 . The plant of  claim 1 , wherein said plant is a progeny, a propagule, or a field crop. 
     
     
         6 . The plant of  claim 5 , wherein said field crop is selected from the group consisting of corn, soybean, cotton, canola, rice, barley, oat, wheat, turf grass, alfalfa, sugar beet, sunflower,  quinoa  and sugar cane. 
     
     
         7 . The plant of  claim 5 , wherein said propagule is selected from the group consisting of a cell, pollen, ovule, flower, embryo, leaf, root, stem, shoot, meristem, grain and seed. 
     
     
         8 . A method for producing a plant comprising:
 introducing into a plant cell a recombinant DNA molecule comprising a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide, wherein the nucleotide sequence of the polynucleotide is selected from the group consisting of:   a) a nucleotide sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, or 19;   b) a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, or 20-29;   c) a nucleotide sequence with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity to SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, or 19; and   d) a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein with at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99% identity to SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, or 20-29;   and growing a plant from said plant cell.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising selecting a plant with an enhanced trait selected from increased yield, increased nitrogen use efficiency, and increased water use efficiency as compared to a control plant. 
     
     
         10 . A method for increasing yield, increasing nitrogen use efficiency, or increasing water use efficiency in a plant comprising:
 crossing the plant of  claim 1  with itself, a second plant from the same plant line, a wild type plant, or a second plant from a different line of plants to produce a seed;   growing said seed to produce a plurality of progeny plants; and   selecting a progeny plant with increased yield, increased nitrogen use efficiency, or increased water use efficiency.   
     
     
         11 . The plant of  claim 1 , wherein said plant has at least one phenotype selected from the group consisting of anthocyanin, biomass, canopy area, chlorophyll score, plant height, water applied, water content and water use efficiency that is altered for said plant as compared to a control plant.