Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc.

University of Connecticut

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

Roberto A Gaxiola

Gerald R Fink

Seth L Alper

The present invention relates to a transgenic plant which is tolerant to a salt, comprising one or more plant cells transformed with exogenous nucleic acid which alters expression of vacuolar pyrophosphatase in the plant. The present invention also relates to a transgenic plant with increased Pi uptake, comprising one or more plant cells transformed with exogenous nucleic acid which alters expression of vacuolar pyrophosphatase in the plant. Also encompassed by the present invention are transgenic progeny and seeds of the transgenic plants described herein. Progeny transgenic plant grown from seed are also described.

Vacuolar pyrophosphatases and uses in plants

Methods are provided for imparting desirable phenotypic traits to transgenic plants, among them being increased tolerance to external stresses such as drought, freezing temperatures, high salt conditions, and the like. In addition, the present invention is directed toward methods for increasing the yield of seeds from plants by using the pollen from a transgenic plant transformed to overexpress a vacuolar proton-pumping pyrophosphatase to fertilize plants, and to the pollen of transgenic plants itself.

Transgenic pollen expressing exogenous plant vacuolar pyrophosphatase and methods for increasing seed production in plants

The present invention relates to a transgenic plant, comprising one or more plant cells transformed with exogenous nucleic acid which increases expression of vacuolar pyrophosphatase in the plant. Also encompassed by the present invention are transgenic progeny and seeds of the transgenic plants described herein. Progeny transgenic plants grown from seed are also described. Plant cells (e.g., root cells, stem cells, leaf cells) comprising exogenous nucleic acid which increases expression of vacuolar pyrophosphatase in the plant cells are also the subject of the present invention. Also encompassed by the present invention are methods of making a transgenic plant described herein. The present invention also relates to a method of increasing the yield of a plant, a method of making a plant which is larger than its corresponding wild type plant, and a method of producing a transgenic plant with increased salt tolerance.

Plant cells and plants overexpressing vacuolar proton pyrophosphatases

Transgenic plants are described which are engineered to overexpress vacuolar H-PPase. Plants such as tobacco and petunia transformed withAVP-1 are shown to have increased meristematic activity resulting in larger leaves, stem, flower, fruit, root structures, increased salt tolerance, enhanced drought and freeze tolerance. Methods of making such plants are also described.

Growing community of inventors

Mansfield Center, CT, United States of America

Roberto A Gaxiola