# US 12,760,318 B2 · Methods and compositions for controlling meristem size for crop improvement

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,760,318 B2
- Document ID: US12760318B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/342,767
- Filed: 2023-06-28
- Published: 2024-01-04
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2022-06-29
- Assignees: Pairwise Plants Services, Inc.
- Applicants: Pairwise Plants Services, Inc.
- Inventors: Devin Lee O'Connor
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12760318B2

## CPC

- C12N 15/8262: {involving plant development}
- C07K 14/415: from plants
- C12N 9/22: Ribonucleases {[RNase]; Deoxyribonucleases [DNase]}
- C12N 15/11: DNA or RNA fragments; Modified forms thereof (DNA or RNA not used in recombinant technology, C07H21/00); {Non-coding nucleic acids having a biological activity}
- C12N 15/8213: {Targeted insertion of genes into the plant genome by homologous recombination}
- C12N 2310/20: involving clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats [CRISPR]
- C12N 2800/80: Vectors containing sites for inducing double-stranded breaks, e.g. meganuclease restriction sites
- 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

This invention relates to compositions and methods for modifying FASCIATED EAR2 (FEA2) genes in plants, optionally to modify meristem size. The invention further relates to plants having increased kernel row number produced using the methods and compositions of the invention.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A corn plant or plant part thereof comprising at least one mutation in an endogenous FASCIATED EAR2 (FEA2) gene that encodes a FEA2 polypeptide, wherein the endogenous FEA2 gene (a) comprises a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:72 or SEQ ID NO:73, (b) comprises a region having at least 90% sequence identity to any one of the nucleotide sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 75-77, (c) encodes an amino acid sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:74, and/or (d) encodes a polypeptide comprising a region having at least 90% sequence identity to any one of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 78-80; the at least one mutation is an insertion located in a region comprising a sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 75-77; the at least one mutation results in a premature stop codon; and the at least one mutation results in a mutated FEA2 gene with a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:84 and/or encoding a mutated FEA2 polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:85.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The corn plant or plant part thereof of claim 1, wherein the at least one mutation results in a mutated FEA2 polypeptide having an altered ability to complex with other polypeptides, an altered ability to transit the plasma membrane, and/or locate from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The corn plant or plant part thereof of claim 1, wherein the corn plant comprising the at least one mutation exhibits increased yield as compared to a control plant devoid of the at least one mutation.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The corn plant or plant part thereof of claim 3, wherein the corn plant exhibits a phenotype of increased kernel row number (KRN).

### Claim 5

A method for producing a corn plant or plant part thereof comprising at least one cell having a mutated endogenous FASCIATED EAR2 (FEA2) gene, the method comprising:
contacting a target site in an endogenous FEA2 gene in the corn plant or plant part with a nuclease comprising a cleavage domain and a nucleic acid binding domain, wherein the nucleic acid binding domain binds to a target site in the endogenous FEA2 gene,
wherein the endogenous FEA2 gene
(a) comprises a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO:72 or SEQ ID NO:73;
(b) encodes an amino acid sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to the sequence of SEQ ID NO:74;
(c) comprises a region having at least 90% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 75-77; and/or
(d) encodes a region of a polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to any one of the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 78-80;
the target site is located in a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NOs: 75-77 or encoding any one of the polypeptide sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 78-80; the mutation in the endogenous FEA2 gene results in a premature stop codon, and the mutation results in a mutated FEA2 gene with a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:84 and/or encoding a mutated FEA2 polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:85, thereby producing the corn plant or plant part thereof comprising at least one cell having a mutation in the endogenous FEA2 gene.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the mutation results in a mutated FEA2 polypeptide having an altered ability to complex with other polypeptides, an altered ability to transit the plasma membrane, and/or locate from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane.

### Claim 7

A corn plant or part thereof comprising a nucleic acid comprising a sequence having at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 84 and/or encoding a mutated FEA2 polypeptide having at least 90% sequence identity to any one of SEQ ID NO: 85, wherein the nucleic acid comprises at least one mutation.

### Claim 8

A corn plant or part thereof comprising a truncated corn FASCIATED EAR2 (FEA2) polypeptide comprising the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 85.