Plants with increased photorespiration efficiency
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
InventorsDonald R. Ort, Paul F. South, Berkley Walker
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Abstract
Presented herein are plants with altered photorespiratory characteristics. Disruption of transport proteins involved in shuttling glycolate and/or glycerate results in reductions in photosynthetic rates, reduced plant growth and alterations in gene expression and photosynthetic metabolite profiles. Such disruptions are also combined with introduced genes expressing components of alternate photorespiratory enzyme pathways to increase photosynthetic efficiency.
Claims13
A genetically altered C3 plant, comprising a first heterologous polynucleotide encoding a malate synthase and a second heterologous polynucleotide encoding an algal glycolate dehydrogenase,
- wherein the malate synthase and the algal glycolate dehydrogenase localize to a chloroplast of the plant,
- wherein the first and second heterologous polynucleotides are heterologous to the genetically altered C3 plant,
- wherein the genetically altered C3 plant further comprises a reduced glycolate and glycerate transport activity of an endogenous chloroplast inner membrane plastidic glycolate/glycerate translocator (PLGG1) protein in the genetically altered C3 plant as compared to a control plant lacking the genetic alterations,
- wherein the malate synthase is at least 95% identical to amino acid residues 41-607 of SEQ ID NO:
- 43,
- wherein the algal glycolate dehydrogenase is at least 95% identical to amino acid residues 41-1136 of SEQ ID NO:
- 45,
- wherein the endogenous PLGG1 protein is at least 70% identical to SEQ ID NO:
- 6 and has glycolate and glycerate transport activity,
- wherein the endogenous PLGG1 protein localizes to the chloroplast inner membrane, and
- wherein the genetically altered C3 plant has increased biomass or increased photosynthetic efficiency when cultivated under ambient carbon dioxide conditions compared to a corresponding wild-type C3 plant that is cultivated under ambient carbon dioxide conditions, comprises endogenous levels of the endogenous PLGG1 protein, and does not comprise the first or second heterologous polynucleotides.
A genetically altered C3 plant, comprising a first heterologous polynucleotide encoding a malate synthase and a second heterologous polynucleotide encoding an algal glycolate dehydrogenase,
- wherein the malate synthase and the algal glycolate dehydrogenase localize to a chloroplast of the plant,
- wherein the first and second heterologous polynucleotides are heterologous to the genetically altered C3 plant,
- wherein the genetically altered C3 plant further comprises a reduced glycolate and/or glycerate transport activity of an endogenous chloroplast inner membrane plastidic glycolate/glycerate translocator (PLGG1) protein in the genetically altered C3 plant as compared to a control plant lacking the genetic alterations,
- wherein the malate synthase is at least 95% identical to amino acid residues 41-607 of SEQ ID NO:
- 43,
- wherein the algal glycolate dehydrogenase is at least 95% identical to amino acid residues 41-1136 of SEQ ID NO:
- 45,
- wherein the endogenous PLGG1 protein is a homolog of SEQ ID NO:
- 6 and has glycolate and/or glycerate transport activity, and
- wherein the endogenous PLGG1 protein localizes to the chloroplast inner membrane,
- wherein the genetically altered C3 plant has increased biomass or increased photosynthetic efficiency when cultivated under ambient carbon dioxide conditions compared to a corresponding wild-type C3 plant that is cultivated under ambient carbon dioxide conditions, comprises endogenous levels of the endogenous PLGG1 protein, and does not comprise the first or second heterologous polynucleotides.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.