The Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Other

Christopher J Lamb

Peter W Doerner

Qun Zhu

Goetz Laible

Richard A Dixon

Yonatan Elkind

Yiji Xia

Jingping Zhong

Roland Megnet

Justin Borevitz

Monika Clausen

Eileen A Maher

Adan Colon-Carmona

The invention provides a method of producing a genetically modified plant characterized as having increased growth and yield as compared to a corresponding wild-type plant comprising increasing the level of cyclin expression in the plant. Genetically modified plants characterized as having increased growth and yield are also provided.

Method of increasing growth and yield in plants

A method for determining gene expression in transgenic plants is disclosed. This method includes providing expression vectors having the PAP1 or PAP2 gene linked to an expressed gene of interest. If the expression vector is activated, the PAP1 or PAP2 genes confer a purple pigmentation to the transgenic plant. Thus, plants that have been successfully transformed are easily identifiable by visual inspection.

Regulation of anthocyanin pigment production

A novel transcription enhancer element (AATT) , that increases the activity of cis-elements in heterologous promoter constructs without altering their intrinsic specificity is provided. Also provided is a transcription factor, PABF, which specifically binds to the (AATT) repeat element and methods of use therefor.

Method of increasing transcription with nucleic acids encoding PABF

A novel transcription enhancer element, (AATT),, that increases the activity of cis-elements in heterologous promoter constructs without altering their intrinsic specificity is provided. Also provided is a transcription factor, PABF, which specifically binds to the (AATT) repeat element and methods of use therefor.

Purified palindromic element binding factor

Provided is a method of producing a genetically modified plant characterized as having increased growth and yield as compared to a corresponding wild-type plant comprising increasing the level of cyclin expression in the plant. The methods include providing a modified nucleic acid regulatory sequence from cycB1a;At resulting in increased gene transcription and expression. Also provided are modified nucleic acid regulatory sequences. Genetically modified plants characterized as having increased growth and yield are also provided.

The present invention is based on the discovery that increased growth and yield in plants can be achieved by elevating the level of receptor-like protein kinase (RKN), a member of the receptor-like protein kinase (RLK) family. RKN polypeptide and polynucleotides encoding RKN polypeptide are provided, as are RKN expression control sequences. Also included are methods of producing a genetically modified plant characterized as having increased growth and yield as compared to a corresponding wild-type plant. A method for genetically modifying a plant cell such that a plant produced form the cell will have a modulated yield is also provided. A method of producing a genetically modified plant characterized as having increased expression of a gene product of interest in its roots as compared to the corresponding wild type plant is also provided. The invention also provides plants, plant tissue, and seeds produced by the genetically modified plants of the invention.

Receptor-like protein kinase, RKN, and method of use for increasing

In accordance with the present invention, there are provided methods to modulate plant lignification. For example, the level of the enzyme phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), a key enzyme in the production of lignin precursors, can be increased or decreased, as desired, to increase or decrease lignification levels. Alternatively, the level of lignin precursors in the plant can be modulated either by enhancing the plant's ability to produce such precursors, or by causing the compounds which are required for the production of lignin precursors to undergo alternative chemical conversions (which prevent the incorporation of such compounds into lignin by diverting the lignin precursors to other chemical pathways). In addition, there is provided a method for producing plants having modified lignin composition and content, by converting a portion of the cinnamic acid in said plant to styrene. In another embodiment, there is provided a method for producing styrene and/or styrene derivatives, by contacting cinnamic acid or a cinnamic acid derivative with PAD under decarboxylation conditions.

Methods for the modulation of lignification levels

A novel transcription enhancer element, (AATT).sub.n, that increases the activity of cis-elements in heterologous promoter constructs without altering their intrinsic specificity is provided. Also provided is a transcription factor, PABF, which specifically binds to the (AATT) repeat element and methods of use therefor.

AATT repeat transcription enhancer element

Novel chitinase gene, and its associated regulatory region, from a monocotyledon plant is described.

Plant defense genes and plant defense regulatory elements

In accordance with the present invention, there are provided transgenic plants comprising a plurality of plant-defense-associated proteins that are expressed to produce such proteins in an amount sufficient to increase the plants resistance to plant pathogens, relative to non-transgenic plants of the same species. The transgenic plants are useful to study patterns of development, and to provide increased resistance to plant pathogens when grown in crops as a food source, and the like. Nucleic acid constructs are also provided that are useful in methods for producing the invention transgenic plants.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Christopher J Lamb