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AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsPat J. Unkefer, Thomas J. Knight, Rodolfo A. Martinez
Estimating the term…
Increasing the concentration of prolines such as 2-hydroxy-5-oxoproline, in the foliar portions of plants has been shown to cause an increase in carbon dioxide fixation, growth rate, dry weight, nutritional value (amino acids), nodulation and nitrogen fixation, photosynthetically derived chemical energy, and resistance to insect pests over the same properties for wild type plants. This can be accomplished in four ways: (1) the application of a solution of the proline directly to the foliar portions of the plant by spraying these portions; (2) applying a solution of the proline to the plant roots; (3) genetically engineering the plant and screening to produce lines that overexpress glutamine synthetase in the leaves which gives rise to increased concentration of the metabolite, 2-hydroxy-5-oxoproline (this proline is also known as 2-oxoglutaramnate); and (4) impairing the glutamine synthetase activity in the plant roots which causes increased glutamine synthetase activity in the leaves which gives rise to increased concentration of 2-hydroxy-5-oxoproline. Prolines have also been found to induce similar effects in algae.
A plant comprising a recombinant expression cassette comprising a glutamine synthetase polynucleotide sequence, wherein glutamine synthetase activity in leaf tissue of the plant is higher than glutamine synthetase activity in root tissue thereof, and wherein the concentration of 2-hydroxy-5-oxoproline is increased in the leaf tissue thereof.
A method for increasing the growth of a plant comprising:
A method for increasing nodulation of a plant comprising:
A method for increasing the percent dry weight of a plant comprising:
A method for increasing fresh weight of a plant comprising:
A method for increasing resistance of a plant to insect pests comprising:
A method for improving properties of plants said properties including increasing the rate of growth, increasing nodulation, increasing dry weight, increasing fresh weight, and increasing plant resistance to insect pests, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.