# US 9,518,267 B2 · Polynucleotides, polypeptides encoded thereby, and methods of using same for increasing abiotic stress tolerance and/or biomass and/or yield in plants expressing same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,518,267 B2 - Document ID: US9518267B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/071,715 - Filed: 2013-11-05 - Published: 2014-03-06 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2007-07-24 - Assignees: Evogene Ltd. - Applicants: Evogene Ltd. - Inventors: Gil Ronen; Hagai Karchi; Alex Diber; Basia Judith Vinocur; Sharon Ayal; Eyal Emmanuel; Michael Gang; Dotan Dimet - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518267B2 ## CPC - C12N 15/8273: {for drought, cold, salt resistance} - A01H 1/122: {for stress resistance, e.g. heavy metal resistance} - A01H 5/00: Angiosperms, i.e. flowering plants, characterised by their plant parts; Angiosperms characterised otherwise than by their botanic taxonomy - C07K 14/415: from plants - C12N 15/00: Mutation or genetic engineering; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification; Use of hosts therefor (mutants or genetically engineered microorganisms, per se C12N1/00, C12N5/00, C12N7/00; new plants per se A01H; plant reproduction by tissue culture techniques A01H4/00; new animals per se A01K67/00; use of medicinal preparations containing genetic material which is inserted into cells of the living body to treat genetic diseases, gene therapy A61K48/00) - C12N 15/8247: {involving modified lipid metabolism, e.g. seed oil composition} - 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) - A01H: NEW PLANTS OR {NON-TRANSGENIC} PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES - 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 Provided are methods of increasing tolerance of a plant to abiotic stress, and/or increasing biomass, growth rate, vigor and/or yield of a plant. The methods are effected by expressing within the plant an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% homologous to the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:201, 207, 212, 202-206, 208-211, 213-391, 1655, 961-1529, and 1660-1663. Also provided are polynucleotides, nucleic acid constructs, polypeptides and transgenic plants expressing same which can be used to increase tolerance of a plant to abiotic stress, and/or increase biomass, growth rate, vigor and/or yield of a plant. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of increasing biomass, growth rate, seed yield, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant as compared to the biomass, growth rate, seed yield, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, wherein the abiotic stress is selected from the group consisting of osmotic stress, salinity stress and nutrient deficiency, the method comprising: (a) overexpressing within the plant an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth by SEQ ID NO:201 wherein said polypeptide is capable of increasing biomass, growth rate, seed yield and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant, wherein the abiotic stress is selected from the group consisting of osmotic stress, salinity stress and nutrient deficiency, wherein said exogenous polynucleotide is comprised in a nucleic acid construct which further comprises —a promoter for directing transcription of said exogenous polynucleotide in a plant cell, said promoter is —a constitutive promoter, a tissue-specific, or an abiotic stress-inducible promoter, and; (b) selecting from plants resultant of step (a) a plant exhibiting an increased biomass, growth rate, seed yield, and/or abiotic stress tolerance as compared to a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, wherein the abiotic stress is selected from the group consisting of osmotic stress, salinity stress and nutrient deficiency, thereby increasing the biomass, growth rate, seed yield, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of the plant as compared to the biomass, growth rate, seed yield, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of the control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said promoter is a constitutive promoter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said exogenous polynucleotide is set forth in SEQ ID NO:1530, 1, or 1531. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said polynucleotide is heterologous to said plant. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising growing the plant expressing said exogenous polynucleotide under the abiotic stress. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said nutrient deficiency comprises nitrogen deficiency. ### Claim 7 A method of selecting a plant having increased biomass, growth rate, seed yield, and/or abiotic stress tolerance as compared to a control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions, the method comprising: (a) providing plants transformed with an exogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:201, (b) selecting from said plants a plant having increased biomass, growth rate, seed yield, and/or abiotic stress tolerance, wherein said abiotic stress is selected from the group consisting of osmotic stress, salinity stress and nutrient deficiency, thereby selecting the plant having increased biomass, growth rate, seed yield, and/or abiotic stress tolerance as compared to the control plant of the same species which is grown under the same growth conditions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: (c) growing a crop of said plant transformed with said exogenous polynucleotide. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein said growing comprises seeding seeds and/or planting plantlets of said plant transformed with said exogenous polynucleotide. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein said nutrient deficiency comprises nitrogen deficiency. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein said exogenous polynucleotide is set forth in SEQ ID NO:1530, 1, or 1531.