Stress tolerant transgenic plants over-expressing ascorbic acid and cell wall synthesis genes
AssigneeVirginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
InventorsCraig L. Nessler, Argelia Lorence, Boris Chevone, Pedro Mendes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods are provided for increasing plant growth rate, biomass and tolerance to stress by genetically engineering plants to contain and express a gene of the ascorbic acid synthesis-cell wall synthesis network (e.g. GlcUA reductase, GLOase or MIOX). Transgenic plants that are genetically engineered in such a manner are also provided.
Claims17
A method for increasing a growth rate, biomass or stress tolerance of a plant, comprising the steps of:
- genetically engineering said plant to contain and over-express an Arabidopsis glucuronic acid reductase enzyme with an amino acid sequence that comprises the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
- 8, and wherein overexpression of said glucuronic acid reductase enzyme in said genetically engineered plant results in increased vitamin C content in said genetically engineered plant as compared to a control plant of the same species lacking said Arabidopsis glucuronic acid reductase enzyme comprising the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
- 8,
- wherein said step of genetically engineering includes
- i) isolating and purifying a gene encoding said glucuronic acid reductase;
- and
- ii) transforming said plant with said gene encoding said glucuronic acid reductase,
- and wherein said step of genetically engineering said plant results in increasing one or more of said growth rate, biomass or stress tolerance of said genetically engineered plant as compared to a control plant of the same species lacking the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
- 8.
A transgenic plant, wherein said transgenic plant is genetically engineered to contain and over-express an Arabidopsis glucuronic acid reductase enzyme having an amino acid sequence that comprises the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
- 8, wherein said genetically engineered transgenic plant has increased vitamin C content as compared to a control plant of the same species lacking the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
- 8, wherein said genetically engineered transgenic plant is transformed with a gene encoding said glucuronic acid reductase enzyme, and wherein said genetically engineered transgenic plant shows increased growth rate, biomass or stress tolerance as compared to a control plant of the same species lacking the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
- 8.
An isolated and purified nucleotide sequence encoding an Arabidopsis glucuronic acid reductase enzyme, wherein said isolated and purified nucleotide sequence comprises the nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:
- 7, and wherein said isolated and purified nucleotide sequence is operably linked to a heterologous promoter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.