# US 2014/0196173 A1 · Plants having altered agronomic characteristics under nitrogen limiting conditions and related constructs and methods involving genes encoding lnt6 polypeptides and homologs thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196173 A1 - Document ID: US20140196173A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/207,713 - Filed: 2014-03-13 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2008-10-29 - Assignees: Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.; E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company - Applicants: Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc; E I Du Pont De Nemours and Company - Inventors: MILO AUKERMAN; Stephen M. Allen; Dale F. Loussaert; Hajime Sakai; Scott V. Tingey; Stanley Luck - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196173A1 ## CPC - C12N 15/8273: {for drought, cold, salt resistance} - C07K 14/415: from plants - C12N 15/8261: {with agronomic (input) traits, e.g. crop yield} - C12N 15/8271: {for stress resistance, e.g. heavy metal resistance} - Y02A 40/146: Genetically Modified [GMO] plants, e.g. transgenic 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) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract Isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides and recombinant DNA constructs particularly useful for altering agronomic characteristics of plants under nitrogen limiting conditions, compositions (such as plants or seeds) comprising these recombinant DNA constructs, and methods utilizing these recombinant DNA constructs. The recombinant DNA construct comprises a polynucleotide operably linked to a promoter functional in a plant, wherein said polynucleotide encodes an LNT6 polypeptide or homolog thereof. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A plant comprising in its genome a recombinant DNA construct comprising a polynucleotide operably linked to at least one regulatory element, wherein said polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of at least 50% sequence identity, based on the Clustal V method of alignment, when compared to SEQ ID NO: 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, or 47, and wherein said plant exhibits increased nitrogen stress tolerance when compared to a control plant not comprising said recombinant DNA construct. ### Claim 2 A plant comprising in its genome a recombinant DNA construct comprising a polynucleotide operably linked to at least one regulatory element, wherein said polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of at least 50% sequence identity, based on the Clustal V method of alignment, when compared to SEQ ID NO: 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, or 47, and wherein said plant exhibits an alteration of at least one agronomic characteristic when compared to a control plant not comprising said recombinant DNA construct. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The plant of claim 2, wherein said at least one agronomic characteristic is at least one selected from the group consisting of greenness, yield, growth rate, biomass, fresh weight at maturation, dry weight at maturation, fruit yield, seed yield, total plant nitrogen content, fruit nitrogen content, seed nitrogen content, whole plant free amino acid content, fruit free amino acid content, seed free amino acid content, fruit protein content, seed protein content, protein content in a vegetative tissue, drought tolerance, nitrogen uptake, root lodging, harvest index, stalk lodging, plant height, ear height, ear length, early seedling vigor and seedling emergence under low temperature stress. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2, 3) The plant of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said plant exhibits said alteration of said at least one agronomic characteristic when compared, under nitrogen limiting conditions, to said control plant not comprising said recombinant DNA construct. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2, 3, 4) The plant of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein said at least one agronomic trait is yield or biomass and further wherein said alteration is an increase. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) The plant of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said plant is selected from the group consisting of: maize, soybean, canola, rice, wheat, barley and sorghum. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Seed of the plant of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said seed comprises in its genome a recombinant DNA construct comprising a polynucleotide operably linked to at least one regulatory element, wherein said polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of at least 50% sequence identity, based on the Clustal V method of alignment, when compared to: 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, or 47, and wherein a plant produced from said seed exhibits either increased nitrogen stress tolerance, or an alteration of at least one agronomic characteristic, or both, when compared to a control plant not comprising said recombinant DNA construct. ### Claim 8 A method of increasing nitrogen stress tolerance in a plant, comprising: (a) introducing into a regenerable plant cell a recombinant DNA construct comprising a polynucleotide operably linked to at least one regulatory sequence, wherein the polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of at least 50% sequence identity, based on the Clustal V method of alignment, when compared to SEQ ID NO: 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, or 47; (b) regenerating a transgenic plant from the regenerable plant cell after step (a), wherein the transgenic plant comprises in its genome the recombinant DNA construct; and (c) obtaining a progeny plant derived from the transgenic plant of step (b), wherein said progeny plant comprises in its genome the recombinant DNA construct and exhibits increased nitrogen stress tolerance when compared to a control plant not comprising the recombinant DNA construct. ### Claim 9 A method of evaluating nitrogen stress tolerance in a plant, comprising: (a) introducing into a regenerable plant cell a recombinant DNA construct comprising a polynucleotide operably linked to at least one regulatory sequence, wherein the polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of at least 50% sequence identity, based on the Clustal V method of alignment, when compared to SEQ ID NO: 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, or 47; (b) regenerating a transgenic plant from the regenerable plant cell after step (a), wherein the transgenic plant comprises in its genome the recombinant DNA construct; (c) obtaining a progeny plant derived from the transgenic plant, wherein the progeny plant comprises in its genome the recombinant DNA construct; and (d) evaluating the progeny plant for nitrogen stress tolerance compared to a control plant not comprising the recombinant DNA construct. ### Claim 10 A method of determining an alteration of an agronomic characteristic in a plant, comprising: (a) introducing into a regenerable plant cell a recombinant DNA construct comprising a polynucleotide operably linked to at least one regulatory sequence, wherein the polynucleotide encodes a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of at least 50% sequence identity, based on the Clustal V method of alignment, when compared to SEQ ID NO: 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, or 47; (b) regenerating a transgenic plant from the regenerable plant cell after step (a), wherein the transgenic plant comprises in its genome the recombinant DNA construct; (c) obtaining a progeny plant derived from the transgenic plant, wherein the progeny plant comprises in its genome the recombinant DNA construct; and (d) determining whether the progeny plant exhibits an alteration of at least one agronomic characteristic when compared to a control plant not comprising the recombinant DNA construct. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said determining step (d) comprises determining whether the transgenic plant exhibits an alteration of at least one agronomic characteristic when compared, under nitrogen limiting conditions, to a control plant not comprising the recombinant DNA construct. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10, 11) The method of claim 10 or claim 11, wherein said at least one agronomic characteristic is at least one selected from the group consisting of greenness, yield, growth rate, biomass, fresh weight at maturation, dry weight at maturation, fruit yield, seed yield, total plant nitrogen content, fruit nitrogen content, seed nitrogen content, whole plant free amino acid content, fruit free amino acid content, seed free amino acid content, fruit protein content, seed protein content, protein content in a vegetative tissue, drought tolerance, nitrogen uptake, root lodging, harvest index, stalk lodging, plant height, ear height, ear length, early seedling vigor and seedling emergence under low temperature stress. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10, 11, 12) The method of any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein said at least one agronomic trait is yield or biomass and further wherein said alteration is an increase. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) The method of any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein said plant is selected from the group consisting of: maize, soybean, canola, rice, wheat, barley and sorghum. ### Claim 15 An isolated polynucleotide comprising: (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide with LNT6 polypeptide activity, wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence of at least 90% sequence identity, based on the Clustal V method of alignment with pairwise alignment default parameters of KTUPLE=1, GAP PENALTY=3, WINDOW=5 and DIAGONALS SAVED=5, when compared to SEQ ID NO: 20, 24, 26, 28, 37, or 40, or (b) the full complement of the nucleotide sequence of (a). ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The polynucleotide of claim 15, wherein the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide comprises SEQ ID NO: 20, 24, 26, 28, 37, or 40. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The polynucleotide of claim 15 wherein the nucleotide sequence comprises SEQ ID NO: 19, 23, 25, 27, 36, or 39. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15, 16, 17) A plant or seed comprising a recombinant DNA construct, wherein the recombinant DNA construct comprises the polynucleotide of any one of claims 15 to 17 operably linked to at least one regulatory sequence.