Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides, construct and plants comprising same and methods of using same for increasing nitrogen use efficiency of plants

A method of producing a crop comprising growing a crop plant over-expressing a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:

• 524 or an orthologue polypeptide thereof comprising an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 524 as compared to a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, wherein the crop plant is derived from plants selected for increased growth rate, increased biomass, increased seed yield, increased photosynthetic capacity, and/or increased abiotic stress tolerance as compared to a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, wherein said abiotic stress comprises nitrogen deficiency, and the crop plant having the increased growth rate, increased biomass, increased seed yield, increased photosynthetic capacity, and/or increased abiotic stress tolerance, thereby producing the crop.

A plant cell comprising a nucleic acid construct comprising an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:

• 524 or an orthologue polypeptide thereof comprising an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 524, and a heterologous promoter for directing transcription of said nucleic acid sequence in a plant cell, wherein said amino acid sequence is capable of increasing growth rate, biomass, seed yield, photosynthetic capacity, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant as compared to a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions.

A transgenic plant comprising a nucleic acid construct comprising an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:

• 524 or an orthologue polypeptide thereof comprising an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 524, and a heterologous promoter for directing transcription of said nucleic acid sequence in a plant cell, wherein said amino acid sequence is capable of increasing growth rate, biomass, seed yield, photosynthetic capacity, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant as compared to a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions.

A method of growing a crop, the method comprising seeding seeds and/or planting plantlets of a plant transformed with a nucleic acid construct comprising an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:

• 524 or an orthologue polypeptide thereof comprising an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 524, and a heterologous promoter for directing transcription of said nucleic acid sequence in a plant cell, wherein said amino acid sequence is capable of increasing growth rate, biomass, seed yield, photosynthetic capacity, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant as compared to a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, wherein the plant is derived from plants selected for at least one trait selected from the group consisting of:
• increased abiotic stress tolerance, increased biomass, increased growth rate increased yield and increased photosynthetic capacity as compared to a non-transformed plant, thereby growing the crop, wherein said abiotic stress comprises nitrogen deficiency.