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Regulation of Light- and Circadian-Associated Plant Developmental Processes

Detailed Technology Description

The life cycle of higher plants consists of two major phases, the vegetative phase and the reproductive (flowering) phase. In general, plants store matter and energy in the form of carbohydrate reserves during the vegetative phase, and then mobilize these reserves in the development of flowers, fruit, and seeds during the reproductive phase, which is often triggered by various light- and circadian-related factors. As a consequence of this, the timing of the transition to flowering can significantly affect the biomass yields of vegetative structures (leaves, stems, and roots) and reproductive structures. Hence, the ability to control the timing of plant flowering could have important applications in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. Researchers at the University of California have isolated an Arabidopsis gene, known as CCA1, that encodes a regulatory transcription factor involved in light- and circadian-regulated gene expression. The UC researchers have shown that CCA1 plays an important role in plant development, notably that overexpression of the gene in transgenic plants causes delayed flowering. These plants also display reduced sensitivity to photoperiod for their growth and development, and have elongated stems. Transgenic plants incorporating CCA1 might have a number of advantages over wild-type plants, such as a lengthened harvesting season for vegetables and fruits or lengthened vegetative phases with higher yields for vegetables such as spinach and cabbage. Further, light requirements might be rendered less stringent to extend the growing range of photoperiodic plants. The UC researchers have also isolated a protein kinase regulatory subunit, called CKB2, which stimulates the transcriptional activity of CCA1 proteins. CKB2 does so both by inducing protein-binding and by protein-activation (via phosphorylation), thus strongly modulating CCA1-mediated transcription. Thus, CKB2 provides an alternative to CCA1 for genetic engineering of plants to control light- and circadian-associated plant developmental processes.

Supplementary Information

Patent Number: US6727407B1
Application Number: US1999359026A
Inventor: Tobin, Elaine M. | Sugano, Shoji
Priority Date: 24 Jul 1998
Priority Number: US6727407B1
Application Date: 22 Jul 1999
Publication Date: 27 Apr 2004
IPC Current: C07K0014415 | C12N000912 | C12N001529 | C12N001582
US Class: 800298 | 435419 | 5360236 | 800278 | 800290 | 800295
Assignee Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
Title: NUCLEIC ACIDS ENCODING THE ARABIDOPSIS PROTEIN KINASE beta-SUBUNIT CKB3 AND A METHOD OF ALTERING CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS AND FLOWERING IN A PLANT BY TRANFORMING WITH A NUCLEIC ACID ENCODING A PROTEIN KINASE beta-SUBUNIT | NUCLEIC ACIDS ENCODING THE ARABIDOPSIS
Usefulness: NUCLEIC ACIDS ENCODING THE ARABIDOPSIS PROTEIN KINASE beta-SUBUNIT CKB3 AND A METHOD OF ALTERING CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS AND FLOWERING IN A PLANT BY TRANFORMING WITH A NUCLEIC ACID ENCODING A PROTEIN KINASE beta-SUBUNIT | NUCLEIC ACIDS ENCODING THE ARABIDOPSIS PROTEIN KINASE β-SUBUNIT CKB3 AND A METHOD OF ALTERING CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS AND FLOWERING IN A PLANT BY TRANFORMING WITH A NUCLEIC ACID ENCODING A PROTEIN KINASE β-SUBUNIT
Summary: Circadian rhythms and flowering in a plant may be altered by transforming the plant with (II) to alter the expression of (I), which changes the level of activity of CK2 (claimed).
Novelty: New CKB3 gene and protein sequences used to alter circadian rhythms and flowering in plants

Industry

Agriculture

Sub Category

Plant

Application No.

6727407

Others

Tech ID/UC Case

10135/1999-253-0

Related Cases

1999-253-0

*Abstract

None

*IP Issue Date

Apr 27, 2004

*Principal Investigator

Name: Shoji Sugano

Department:

Name: Elaine Tobin

Department:

Country/Region

USA