# US 12,215,331 B2 · Abiotic stress tolerant plants and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,215,331 B2 - Document ID: US12215331B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/629,318 - Filed: 2019-07-30 - Published: 2022-08-18 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-30 - Assignees: Sinobioway Bio-Agriculture Group Co. Ltd.; Pioneer Overseas Corporation - Applicants: Pioneer Overseas Corporation; Sinobioway Bio-Agriculture Group Co. Ltd. - Inventors: Guihua Lu; Guangwu Chen; Guanfan Mao; Changgui Wang; Guokui Wang; Yu Zhang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215331B2 ## CPC - C12N 15/8213: {Targeted insertion of genes into the plant genome by homologous recombination} - C12N 15/8273: {for drought, cold, salt resistance} - C07K 14/415: from plants - C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00) - C07K: PEPTIDES (peptides in foodstuffs A23; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs, working-up proteins for foodstuffs A23J; preparations for medicinal purposes A61K; peptides containing beta-lactam rings C07D; cyclic dipeptides not having in their molecule any other peptide link than those which form their ring, e.g. piperazine-2,5-diones, C07D; ergot alkaloids of the cyclic peptide type C07D519/02; macromolecular compounds having statistically distributed amino acid units in their molecules, i.e. when the preparation does not provide for a specific; but for a random sequence of the amino acid units, homopolyamides and block copolyamides derived from amino acids C08G69/00; macromolecular products derived from proteins C08H1/00; preparation of glue or gelatine C09H; single cell proteins, enzymes C12N; genetic engineering processes for obtaining peptides C12N15/00; compositions for measuring or testing processes involving enzymes C12Q; investigation or analysis of biological material G01N33/00) ## Abstract Provided are isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides, and recombinant DNA constructs that are useful for conferring improved drought tolerance and yield in a plant. Also provided are genome edited plants, or plants expressing a recombinant DNA construct, having improved drought tolerance and yield. Further provided are methods for improving drought tolerance and yield by introducing a genome edit in a plant or expressing a recombinant DNA construct in a plant. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A modified plant or modified seed comprising an increased expression of at least one polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 9 wherein the modified plant or plant grown from the modified seed has improved drought tolerance when compared to a control plant. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The modified plant or modified seed of claim 1, wherein the modified plant or modified seed comprises in its genome a recombinant DNA construct comprising a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 9 operably linked to at least one regulatory element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The modified plant or modified seed of claim 1, wherein the modified plant or modified seed comprises a targeted genetic modification at an endogenous genomic locus encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 9, thereby increasing expression of the polypeptide. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The modified plant or modified seed of claim 1, wherein said plant is selected from the group consisting of rice, maize, soybean, sunflower, sorghum, canola, wheat, alfalfa, cotton, barley, millet, sugar cane and switchgrass. ### Claim 5 A method of increasing drought tolerance in a plant, the method comprising: (a) introducing in a regenerable plant cell a targeted genetic modification at an endogenous genomic locus encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 9, the targeted genetic modification introducing a modification increasing expression or activity of the polypeptide; and (b) generating the plant, wherein the plant comprises the targeted genetic modification and has increased drought tolerance as compared to a control plant not comprising the targeted genetic modification. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the targeted genetic modification is introduced using an enzyme selected from the group consisting of a polynucleotide-guided endonuclease, CRISPR-Cas endonucleases, base editing deaminases, a zinc finger nuclease, a transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN), and engineered site-specific meganucleases. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the targeted genetic modification is present in (a) the coding region; (b) a non-coding region; (c) a regulatory sequence; (d) an untranslated region; or (e) any combination of (a)-(d) of the endogenous genomic locus. ### Claim 8 A method of increasing drought tolerance in a plant, the method comprising: (a) expressing in a regenerable plant cell, a polynucleotide operably linked to at least one heterologous regulatory element, the polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising having an amino acid sequence that is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 9; and (b) generating a plant from the regenerable plant cell, wherein the plant comprises in its genome the polynucleotide operably linked to the at least one heterologous regulatory element and has increased drought tolerance as compared to a control plant not comprising the polynucleotide operably linked to the at least one heterologous regulatory element. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the heterologous regulatory element is a promoter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein said plant is selected from the group consisting of rice, maize, soybean, sunflower, sorghum, canola, wheat, alfalfa, cotton, barley, millet, sugar cane and switchgrass. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The modified plant or modified seed of claim 1, wherein the polynucleotide comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7 or SEQ ID NO: 8. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The modified plant or modified seed of claim 1, wherein the encoded polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 9. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The modified plant or seed of claim 1, wherein the modified plant or plant grown from the seed has increased grain yield under drought conditions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The modified plant or seed of claim 2, wherein the regulatory element is a heterologous promoter.