The Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Peter W Doerner

Christopher J Lamb

Goetz Laible

Yonatan Elkind

Adan Colon-Carmona

Roland Megnet

Monika Clausen

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 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.

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.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Peter W Doerner