Transgenic Plants with Increased Photosynthesis Efficiency and Growth
AssigneesThe Regents of the University of California, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
InventorsStephen P. Long, Johannes Kromdijk, Katarzyna Glowacka, Krishna K. Niyogi, Laurie Beth Leonelli, Stephane T. Gabilly
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides a transgenic plant comprising one or more nucleotide sequences encoding polypeptides selected from photosystem II subunit S (PsbS), zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP), and violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE), operably linked to at least one expression control sequence. Expression vectors for making transgenic plants, and methods for increasing biomass production and/or carbon fixation and/or growth in a plant comprising increasing expression of at least one of PsbS, ZEP and VDE polypeptides are also provided.
Claims29
1-19. (canceled)
A genetically modified higher plant (tracheophyte) comprising genetic modifications that increase expression of:
- (i) both a PsbS polypeptide and a ZEP polypeptide as compared to expression of the PsbS polypeptide and the ZEP polypeptide in a control plant without the genetic modifications grown under the same conditions,
- wherein the expression of the PsbS polypeptide is increased by expressing a transfected nucleotide sequence encoding the PsbS polypeptide in the genetically modified plant and/or by a genetic modification in a promoter of a nucleotide sequence encoding the PsbS polypeptide, and
- wherein the expression of the ZEP polypeptide is increased by expressing a transfected nucleotide sequence encoding the ZEP polypeptide in the genetically modified plant and/or by a genetic modification in a promoter of a nucleotide sequence encoding the ZEP polypeptide;
- or
- (ii) both a PsbS polypeptide and a VDE polypeptide as compared to expression of the PsbS polypeptide and the VDE polypeptide in a control plant without the genetic modifications grown under the same conditions,
- wherein the expression of the PsbS polypeptide is increased by expressing a transfected nucleotide sequence encoding the PsbS polypeptide in the genetically modified plant and/or by a genetic modification in a promoter of a nucleotide sequence encoding the PsbS polypeptide, and
- wherein the expression of the VDE polypeptide is increased by expressing a transfected nucleotide sequence encoding the VDE polypeptide in the genetically modified plant and/or by a genetic modification in a promoter of a nucleotide sequence encoding the VDE polypeptide;
- wherein the plant has improved growth under fluctuating light conditions as compared to the control plant grown under the same fluctuating light conditions.
23-25. (canceled)
27-31. (canceled)
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An expression vector comprising:
- (i) one or more nucleotide sequences encoding (a) a plant PsbS and (b) a plant ZEP, operably linked to at least one expression control sequence, wherein the at least one expression control sequence provides that the transcript levels of both the PsbS and ZEP are increased under the same conditions when the expression vector is transfected into a plant as compared to a control plant lacking the transfected nucleotide sequences grown under the same conditions and the conditions are fluctuating light conditions;
- or
- (ii) one or more nucleotide sequences encoding (a) a plant PsbS and (b) a plant VDE, operably linked to at least one expression control sequence, wherein the at least one expression control sequence provides that the transcript levels of both the PsbS and VDE are increased under the same conditions when the expression vector is transfected into a plant as compared to a control plant lacking the transfected nucleotide sequences grown under the same conditions and the conditions are fluctuating light conditions.
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A method for increasing growth, increasing photosynthetic efficiency, improving photoprotection efficiency, increasing lutein, or improving quantum yield and CO2 fixation in a genetically modified higher plant (tracheophyte), or the rate of relaxation of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), said method comprising increasing expression in the plant of:
- (i) (a) a PsbS polypeptide and (b) a VDE polypeptide, wherein the expression of the PsbS polypeptide is increased by expressing a transfected nucleotide sequence encoding the PsbS polypeptide in the genetically modified plant or by a genetic modification in a promoter of a nucleotide sequence encoding the PsbS polypeptide, and wherein the expression of the VDE polypeptide is increased by expressing a transfected nucleotide sequence encoding the VDE polypeptide in the genetically modified plant or by a genetic modification in a promoter of a nucleotide sequence encoding the VDE polypeptide, and wherein the VDE polypeptide and the PsbS polypeptide both have increased expression as compared to expression of the VDE polypeptide and the PsbS polypeptide in a control plant without the nucleotide sequences grown under the same conditions and the plant has improved growth under fluctuating light conditions compared to the control plant grown under the same fluctuating light conditions;
- or
- (ii) (a) a PsbS polypeptide and (b) a ZEP polypeptide, wherein the expression of the PsbS polypeptide is increased by expressing a transfected nucleotide sequence encoding the PsbS polypeptide in the genetically modified plant or by a genetic modification in a promoter of a nucleotide sequence encoding the PsbS polypeptide, and wherein the expression of the ZEP polypeptide is increased by expressing a transfected nucleotide sequence encoding the ZEP polypeptide in the genetically modified plant or by a genetic modification in a promoter of a nucleotide sequence encoding the ZEP polypeptide, and wherein the ZEP polypeptide and the PsbS polypeptide both have increased expression as compared to expression of the ZEP polypeptide and the PsbS polypeptide in a control plant without the nucleotide sequences grown under the same conditions and the plant has improved growth under fluctuating light conditions compared to the control plant grown under the same fluctuating light conditions.
50-51. (canceled)
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.