# US 2017/0283473 A1 · Genetically modified higher plants with increased photosynthesis and/or biomass production, methods and uses thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0283473 A1 - Document ID: US20170283473A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/532,082 - Filed: 2015-11-26 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-01 - Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. - Applicants: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Förderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.V. - Inventors: Greta Noelke; Stefan Schillberg; Fritz Kreutzaler; Mirna Barsoum; Rainer Fischer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170283473A1 ## CPC - C07K 14/415: from plants - C12N 1/12: Unicellular algae; Culture media therefor (as new plants A01H13/00) - C12N 15/74: Vectors or expression systems specially adapted for prokaryotic hosts other than E. coli, e.g. Lactobacillus, Micromonospora - C12N 15/79: Vectors or expression systems specially adapted for eukaryotic hosts - C12N 15/8261: {with agronomic (input) traits, e.g. crop yield} - C12N 15/8265: {Transgene containment, e.g. gene dispersal} - C12N 15/09: Recombinant DNA-technology - C12N 15/82: for plant cells {, e.g. plant artificial chromosomes (PACs)} - Y02A 40/146: Genetically Modified [GMO] plants, e.g. transgenic plants - Y02P 60/20: Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2 - 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) - C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00) - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract The technology provided herein generally relates relates to genetically modified higher plants, for example C3 and C4 plants, and subsequent generations thereof, comprising stable and/or transient expression of at least one gene-product (e.g. mRNA or protein) of the “Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CO2 concentrating mechanism” (CCM), wherein the expression takes place in the intermembrane space and/or one or more subcellular compartments of the chloroplasts of the higher plant, and wherein this expression increases one or more of the characteristics selected from the group of photosynthetic rate, photosynthetic carbon fixation, chlorophyll level and/or biomass of the genetically modified higher plant (T0) and/or of the T1 and/or T2 generation or any subsequent plant generation of said genetically modified higher plant. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A genetically modified higher plant, and/or a subsequent generation thereof, comprising stable and/or transient expression of at least one gene-product of the “Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CO2 concentration mechanism” (CCM), wherein the expression takes place in the intermembrane space and/or one or more subcellular compartments of the chloroplasts of the higher plant. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The genetically modified higher plant according to claim 1, wherein said gene-product of the “Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CO2 concentration mechanism” (CCM) is selected from the group consisting of bicarbonate transporter LCIA, bicarbonate transporter LCIB, carbonic anhydrases CAH1 and/or carbonic anhydrases CAH3 of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The genetically modified higher plant according to claim 1, wherein the T1 and/or T2 generation or a subsequent generation of the genetically modified higher plant grows faster, produces more biomass and/or has a shorter vegetative phase as compared to a wild-type control. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The genetically modified higher plant according to claim 1, wherein said gene-product of the “Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CO2 concentration mechanism” (CCM) is carbonic anhydrase CAH1 of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, in particular wherein said carbonic anhydrase CAH1 is expressed in the intermembrane space of the chloroplast of the higher plant, in particular wherein the expression of said carbonic anhydrase CAH1 in the intermembrane space of the chloroplast of the higher plant increases the photosynthetic rates, the levels of chlorophyll and/or the dry weight biomass measured at the end of the vegetative period, as compared to a wild-type control, in the T1 and/or T2 generation or any subsequent generation of said transgenic higher plant. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The genetically modified higher plant according to claim 1, wherein said gene-product of the “Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CO2 concentration mechanism” (CCM) is carbonic anhydrase CAH3 of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, in particular wherein said carbonic anhydrase CAH3 is expressed in the thylakoid lumen of the chloroplast of the higher plant, in particular wherein the expression of said carbonic anhydrase CAH3 in the thylakoid lumen of the chloroplast of the genetically modified higher plant increases the photosynthetic rates, the levels of chlorophyll and/or the biomass, as compared to a wild-type control, in the T1 and/or T2 generation or a subsequent generation of said genetically modified higher plant. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The genetically modified higher plant according to claim 1, wherein said gene-product of the “Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CO2 concentration mechanism” (CCM) is bicarbonate transporter LCIA of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, in particular wherein said bicarbonate transporter LCIA is expressed in the inner envelope of the chloroplast of the genetically modified higher plant, in particular wherein the expression of said bicarbonate transporter LCIA in inner envelope space of the chloroplast of the genetically modified plant increases the photosynthetic rates, the levels of chlorophyll and/or biomass, as compared to a wild-type control, in the T1 and/or T2 generation or any subsequent generation of said genetically modified higher plant. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The genetically modified higher plant according to claim 1, wherein said gene-product of the “Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CO2 concentration mechanism” (CCM) is bicarbonate transporter LCIB of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, in particular wherein said bicarbonate transporter LCIB is expressed in the stroma of the chloroplast of the genetically modified higher plant, in particular wherein the expression of said bicarbonate transporter LCIB in the stroma of the chloroplast of the higher plant increases the biomass, as compared to a wild-type control, in the T1 and/or T2 generation or a subsequent generation of said genetically modified higher plant. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method for producing a genetically modified higher plant according to claim 1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method of using the genetically modified higher plant according to claim 1 in order to increase the production rate of a natural and/or transgenic product produced by said genetically modified higher plant as compared to the wild-type control. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the natural product produced by the genetically modified higher plant is selected from the group consisting of a flower, a fruit, a seed, and a nut. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the transgenic product produced by the genetically modified higher plant is selected from the group consisting of a nucleic acid, a protein, a peptide, and a metabolic product produced with transgenic means. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8 for the increase of one or more characteristic selected from the group consisting of photosynthetic rate, photosynthetic carbon fixation, chlorophyll level and/or biomass in the T1 and/or T2 and/or in any subsequent generation of a genetically modified higher plant. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8 in order to create a genetically modified higher plant which is able to grow under climate and/or nutritional conditions which do not allow the growth of a wild-type control or the growth with lower efficiency. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The genetically modified higher plant according to claim 1, wherein said genetically modified higher plant is a C3- or C4-plant. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The genetically modified higher plant according to claim 1, wherein the genetically modified higher plant is selected from the group comprising rice, wheat, orange tree, wine plant, coffee plant, tobacco plant, tea plant, peanut plant, lemon tree, potato, carrot, tomato, peach tree, apple tree, pear tree, mango tree, barley, oats, rye, triticale, dry bean, soybean, mung bean, faba bean, cowpea, common pea, chickpea, pigeon pea, lentil, banana, coconut, taro, yams, sweet potato, cassava, sugar beet, cotton, jute, sisal, sesame, sunflower, rapeseed, safflower, crab grass, corn (maize), amaranth, sorgham, millet, sugarcane, nut grass, crab grass, barnyard grass, fourwinged salt bush, and a chenopod. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The genetically modified higher plant according to claim 15, wherein the genetically modified higher plant is the tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum).