Nucleic acid molecules encoding plant proteins in the c3hc4 family and methods for the alteration of plant cellulose and lignin content
AssigneeAlellyx S.A.
InventorsPaulo Arruda, Isabel Rodriguez Gerhardt
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Abstract
Polynucleotides, nucleic acid constructs, and methods are disclosed for the modification of cellulose and/or lignin content in plant tissues. Plants are genetically engineered with a gene encoding a C3HC4 protein, which leads to increased cellulose content when over-expressed in the plant vascular system. Plant transformants harboring the C3HC4 protein gene show increased content of cellulose and/or decreased lignin content, traits that are thought to improve hardwood trees for cellulose extraction during pulping and papermaking.
Claims22
An isolated nucleic acid sequence comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of:
- (a) a nucleic acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, or the complement strand thereof;
- (b) a nucleic acid sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
- 2;
- (c) a nucleic acid sequence capable of hybridizing under stringent conditions with a nucleic acid sequence of (a) or (b), wherein said hybridizing sequence encodes a C3HC4 polypeptide;
- (d) a nucleic acid which is an allelic variant or alternative splice variant of the nucleic acid sequence of (a) or (b);
- and
- (e) a nucleic acid sequence which has at least 50%, 60%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90% or more sequence identity to the sequence of (a) or (b).
An isolated C3HC4 protein selected from the group consisting of:
- (a) a polypeptide set forth in SEQ ID NO 2;
- (b) a polypeptide with an amino acid sequence having at least 85% or more sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO 2;
- and
- (c) a variant of a polypeptide as defined in (a) or (b).
A nucleic acid construct comprising an isolated C3HC4 polynucleotide sequence operably linked to one or more suitable promoters that drive the expression of the C3HC4 polynucleotide sequence.
A method for altering the cellulose and/or lignin content in a plant, comprising
- (a) introducing into an isolated plant cell a nucleic acid construct comprising an isolated C3HC4 polynucleotide sequence, operably linked to one or more suitable promoters that drive the expression of the C3HC4 polynucleotide sequence;
- and
- (b) culturing said plant cell under conditions that promote growth of a plant, wherein said plant over-expresses the C3HC4 protein and has increased cellulose and/or reduced lignin content compared to a non-transgenic plant of the same species.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.