Pioneer Hi-bred International, Inc.

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, As Represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food

E.i. Dupont De Nemours and Company

Nicholas J Bate

Xiping Niu

Timothy George Helentjaris

Jeffrey Habben

Dwayne Hegedus

Kellie Reimann

Abdelali Hannoufa

Stephen M Allen

Jeffrey M Hegstad

Xiaoming Bao

Milo Aukerman

Honor Renee Lafitte

Stephen Gleddie

Daniel C W Brown

Jennifer Youjin Chung

Odd Arne Olsen

Sarah T Collinson

Ulrike Schafer

Jeffrey E Habben

Milo J Aukerman

The invention provides isolated ethylene over-producer 1 (ETO1) nucleic acid molecules which are associated with ethylene production in plants and their encoded proteins. The present invention provides methods and compositions relating to altering ethylene production and abiotic stress response in plants. The invention further provides recombinant expression cassettes, host cells, transgenic plants and antibody compositions.

ETO1 genes and use of same for reduced ethylene and improved stress tolerance in plants

The invention provides methods for improving plant yield, particularly under nitrogen limiting conditions. According to the invention, applicants have discovered that modulating ACC synthase activity in plants improves yield of plants, even when grown under low nitrogen conditions. The same plants, while demonstrating improved yield over non-modified plants, exhibited no deleterious effects under normal nitrogen conditions. The invention further provides methods using recombinant expression cassettes, host cells and transgenic plants.

Modulation of ACC synthase improves plant yield under low nitrogen conditions

Compositions and methods for modulating flower organ development, leaf formation, phototropism, apical dominance, fruit development, initiation of roots and for increasing yield in a plant are provided. The compositions include an AP2 transcription factor sequence. Compositions of the invention comprise amino acid sequences and nucleotide sequences selected from SEQ ID NOS: 1-11 as well as variants and fragments thereof. Nucleotide sequences encoding the AP2 transcription factors are provided in DNA constructs for expression in a plant of interest are provided for modulating the level of an AP2 transcription factor sequence in a plant or a plant part are provided. The methods comprise introducing into a plant or plant part a heterologous polynucleotide comprising an AP2 transcription factor sequence of the invention. The level of the AP2 transcription factor polypeptide can be increased or decreased. Such method can be used to increase the yield in plants; in one embodiment, the method is used to increase grain yield in cereals.

Yield enhancement in plants by modulation of AP2 transcription factor

Methods and compositions for modulating expression of knotted1 (kn1) polypeptides in seed and reproductive tissue are provided. Polynucleotide sequences encoding knotted1 transcription factor polypeptides are expressed in a spatially and/or temporally regulated manner with expression preferentially in developing flowers, pods, ears and/or seeds, or to other reproductive structures during flowering and seed development, to create a sequestered effect resulting in plants that produce increased yield and may have greater flower, pod, ear and/or seed retention. Transformed plants, plant cells, tissues and seed are also provided.

Methods and compositions for enhanced yield by targeted expression of knotted1

Compositions and methods for modulating abscisic acid (ABA) perception and signal transduction in developing seed are provided. The methods and compositions find use in increasing yield in plants, particularly under abiotic stress. Compositions comprise genetic constructs known to affect ABA sensitivity, particularly ABA biosynthetic mutants and fragments and variants thereof.

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Compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant are provided. Compositions include a novel nucleotide sequence for a maize actin depolymerization factor 4 promoter. Also provided is a method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using a promoter sequence disclosed herein.

Plant regulatory region that directs transgene expression in the maternal and supporting tissue of maize ovules and pollinated kernels

Compositions and methods for suppressing the shade-avoidance response of plants and improving plant yield are provided. Compositions of the invention include an early flowering 3 (ELF3) maize gene, the promoter for this gene, anbasic helix-loop-helix transcription factor (bHLH-041), and fragments and variants thereof. The ELF3 promoter sequence is useful for driving expression of polynucleotides of interest in a plant. The ELF3 and bHLH-041 sequences of the invention, or variants and fragments thereof, are provided in expression cassettes for use in manipulating expression of the ELF3 and bHLH-041 genes. By increasing expression of ELF3 and/or suppressing expression of bHLH-041, the methods of the invention provide for altered response of a plant to light quality and suppression of the high-density-invoked survival mode of development. The invention thus provides methods for growing crop plants at high population densities for yield enhancement. Transformed plants having the altered shade-avoidance phenotype of the invention, and seeds of said plants, are also provided.

Compositions and methods for increasing plant tolerance to high population density

Methods and compositions for modulating plant development are provided. Polynucleotide sequences encoding ZmSNAC polypeptides are provided, as are the amino acid sequences of the encoded polypeptides. The sequences can be used in a variety of methods including modulating root development, modulating floral development, modulating leaf and/or shoot development, modulating senescence, modulating seed size and/or weight, and modulating tolerance of plants to abiotic stress. Transformed plants, plant cells, tissues, and seed are also provided. A stress-inducible ZmSNAC1 promoter is also provided.

Maize stress-responsive promoter

The present invention provides compositions and methods for regulating expression of isolated nucleotide sequences in a plant. The compositions are novel nucleic acid sequences for regulatory elements providing expression preferentially in the inflorescence meristem and developing floral tissues. Methods for expressing an isolated nucleotide sequence in a plant using the regulatory sequences are also provided, as well as expression constructs, vectors, and transformed cells and plants.

Early-inflorescence-preferred regulatory elements and uses thereof

The invention provides a method for selectively controlling the transcription of a gene of interest, comprising producing one or more plants that express either a first, a second, or both the first and second genetic constructs. The first genetic construct comprises a first regulatory region operatively linked to a gene of interest and at least one repressor sequence capable of controlling the activity of the first regulatory region. The second genetic construct comprises a second regulatory region in operative association with a nucleic acid molecule, or a derivative thereof, encoding a repressor protein, the repressor protein exhibiting both repressor operator sequence binding activity and repressor activity.

Repressor-mediated regulation system for control of gene expression in plants

The invention provides a method for selectively controlling the transcription of a gene of interest, comprising producing one or more plants that express either a first, a second, or both the first and second genetic constructs. The first genetic construct comprises a first regulator region operatively linked to a gene of interest and at least one repressor sequence capable of controlling the activity of the first regulatory region. The second genetic construct comprises a second regulator region in operative association with a nucleic acid molecule, or a derivative thereof, encoding a repressor protein, the repressor protein exhibiting both repressor operator sequence binding activity and repressor activity. The first and second genetic constructs may reside on separate vectors, or the vector may comprise both the first and second genetic constructs comprised as just defined. If the first and second constructs reside within separate plants, then the first plant and the second plant are crossed to obtain progeny, so that the progeny comprise both the first genetic construct and the second genetic construct. The progeny of this cross are characterized in that the expression of the second genetic construct represses expression of the gene of interest. The first and second regulatory regions may be either the same or different and may be selected from the group consisting of a constitutive promoter, an inducible promoter, a tissue specific promoter, and a developmental promoter. if the plant comprises the vector that comprises both the first and second genetic construct, or if a plant has been co-transformed with the first and second genetic construct so that both the first and second genetic constructs may be expressed in the same plant, then it is preferred that the first and second regulatory regions are different. The first regulatory region may comprise a constitutive promoter, an inducible promoter, a tissue specific promoter, or a developmental promoter. The second regulatory region may comprise an inducible promoter, a tissue specific promoter, or a developmental promoter.

The present invention provides compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant. Compositions include a novel nucleotide sequence for a tissue-preferred promoter for thegene encoding INVINH1. A method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using the promoter sequences disclosed herein is provided. The method comprises stably incorporating into the genome of a plant cell a polynucleotide operably linked to the promoter of the present invention and regenerating a stably transformed plant that expresses the linked polynucleotide.

Promoter from maize invertase inhibitor gene

The invention provides for a chimeric construct comprising a regulatory region obtained from a hydroperoxide lyase (HPL) gene in operative association with a heterologous gene of interest. Even though the HPL gene is known to be expressed in response to wounding, unexpectedly, it was observed that the HPL regulatory region or one or more fragments thereof, result in constitutive expression of the gene of interest in a range of tissues and organs in the absence of any wound or stress treatment. This invention also provides for a transgenic organism comprising the chimeric construct defined above, and a method for preparing a transgenic organism using the chimeric construct.

Hydroperoxide Lyase regulator region

Compositions and methods for modulating gene expression in plants are provided. The compositions comprise novel genes and promoters as well as regulatory and binding elements therein. The methods comprise the modulation of gene expression using the compositions of the invention. Compositions and methods are provided to reduce the impact on plants of biotic and abiotic environmental stresses. Accordingly, the compositions and methods may also be used to decrease the necessary amounts of conventional stress reduction treatment as well as to increase plant yield.

Growing community of inventors

Urbandale, IA, United States of America

Nicholas J Bate