Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for modifying the growth characteristics of plants by modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a TAD protein and/or modulating activity in a plant of a TAD protein. The invention also relates to transgenic plants having modified growth characteristics, which plants have modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding a TAD protein fragment.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for enhancing yield-related traits in plants, particularly increasing seed yield, by modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding a Class III Trehalose Phosphate Phosphatase (TPP) polypeptide. The present invention also concerns plants having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding a Class III TPP polypeptide, which plants have enhanced yield-related traits relative to control plants. The invention further concerns novel Class III TPP nucleic acid and polypeptide sequences. The invention also provides nucleic acid and polypeptide sequences, and constructs comprising the same, which are useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns a method for enhancing various economically important yield-related traits in plants. More specifically, the present invention concerns a method for increasing seed yield in plants by increasing expression in a plant of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a Dwarf1 (DWF1) polypeptide. The present invention also concerns plants having increased expression of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a DWF1 polypeptide, which plants have increased seed yield relative to control plants. The invention also provides constructs useful in performing the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of increasing yield in plants, comprising transforming a plant with a nucleic acid encoding a CDC27 polypeptide or homolog thereof having a N-terminal deletion operably linked to a promoter active in the plant, where 100 to 220 amino acids are deleted at the N-terminus of the CDC27 polypeptide.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for improving plant growth characteristics by increasing expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding a CCS52 protein and/or by increasing level and/or activity in a plant of a CCS52 protein. The invention also relates to transgenic plants having improved growth characteristics, such as increased plant size, increased organ size or increased number of organs, which plants have increased expression of a nucleic acid encoding a CCS52 protein.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for enhancing yield-related traits in plants by modulating expression of a particular type of NAC transcription factor in plants. The particular type of NAC transcription factor is one having an amino acid sequence, which when used in the construction of a NAC phylogenetic tree, tends to cluster with the group of NACs comprising the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 51, SEQ ID NO: 53, SEQ ID NO: 55, SEQ ID NO: 57 or SEQ ID NO: 59 rather than with any other NAC group. The present invention also concerns plants having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding such a NAC transcription factor, which plants have enhanced yield-related relative to control plants. The present invention further concerns a method for enhancing yield-related traits in plants by modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding an AP2-2 polypeptide.

Abstract: A method is presented for selecting and isolating nucleic acids capable of conferring tolerance or resistance to environmental stress conditions in plants or yeast. Furthermore, nucleic acids, the proteins they encode and their use for the production of plants or yeast with enhanced environmental stress resistance is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for improving growth characteristics of plants by increasing activity and/or expression in a plant of an SnRK2 kinase or a homologue thereof. One such method comprises introducing into a plant an SnRK2 nucleic acid molecule or functional variant thereof. The invention also relates to transgenic plants having improved growth characteristics, which plants have modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding an SnRK2 kinase. The present invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides several promoters isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana, which promoters are capable of driving and/or regulating the expression of an operably linked nucleic acid in a plant. The expression patterns of the promoters according to the present invention have been studied in Arabidopsis thaliana and some of the promoters displayed specific activity in particular cells, tissues or organs of the plant, while others displayed constitutive expression throughout substantially the whole plant. Some promoters showed weak expression, while others were strongly active.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns a method for improving various plant growth characteristics by modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding a GRP (Growth-Related Protein). The present invention also concerns plants having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding a GRP, which plants have improved growth characteristics relative to corresponding wild type plants or other control plants. The invention also provides constructs useful in the methods of the invention. The GRP may be one of the following: Extensin Receptor-Like Kinase (ERLK), F-Box WD40 (FBXW) polypeptide, RAN-Binding Protein (RANBP), Golden2-like Transcription Factor (GLK), REV delta homeodomain leucine zipper domain polypeptide, CLE protein, and Seed Yield Regulator (SYR) protein.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for modifying the growth characteristics of a plant relative to corresponding wild type plants, comprising modifying expression in a plant of a seedy1 nucleic acid and/or modifying the level and/or activity in a plant of a seedy1 protein. The invention also concerns novel constructs and novel seedy1 nucleic acid and protein sequences.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of plant breeding and concerns a method for determining the point at which a plant starts to flower. More specifically, the invention concerns a method for determining the start of flowering on an individual plant basis by measuring the reproductive structures of plants from digital images of these structures and deducing the start of flowering from the measurements and average growth rates. The invention also concerns apparatus for determining the start of flowering in plants, particularly in a high-throughput manner.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for increasing plant yield and/or increased stress resistance by decreasing the level of activity of a DEL1 polypeptide. One such method comprises introducing into a plant a nucleic acid comprising a variant DEL1 nucleic acid. Another method comprises downregulating expression of a DEL1 gene. The invention also relates to transgenic plants having introduced therein a variant DEL1 nucleic acid thereof, which plants have increased yield and/or increased stress resistance relative to control plants. The present invention also concerns a novel DEL1 protein and its encoding sequence, and constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for improving the growth characteristics of plants by introducing and expressing in a plant a nucleic acid encoding a small subunit ribosomal (S3a) protein. The invention also relates to transgenic plants having introduced therein a nucleic acid encoding an S3a protein, which plants have improved growth characteristics relative to corresponding wild type plants. The improved growth characteristics are particularly increased seed yield compared to corresponding wild type plants, in particularly increased number of filled seeds, increased total seed weight, increased harvest index and increased thousand kernel weight. The present invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for increasing plant yield by modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding an OsLEA3a polypeptide or a homologue thereof. One such method comprises introducing into a plant an OsLEA3a nucleic acid or variant thereof. The invention also relates to transgenic plants having introduced therein an OsLEA3a nucleic acid or variant thereof, which plants have increased yield and altered metabolic profile, relative to control plants. The present invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: This invention describes the identification of pre-messenger RNA processing as a novel target of environmental stress caused for example by lithium and sodium toxicity. Overexpression of different types of proteins (or protein fragments) from different organisms but all involved in pre-mRNA processing, protects yeast from salt stress, which indicates that any stimulation of this process, independently of its mechanism, may counteract the toxic effects of mineral salts. A similar phenotype of tolerance to NaCl and to LiCl has been observed by overexpression of these types of proteins in transgenic Arabidopsis plants, demonstrating the generality of this protective effect in eukaryotic cells and organisms.

Abstract: The present invention is situated in the field of plant development. More specifically the invention relates to the identification and characterization of plant development regulating proteins (cdc27B) required for correct plant development as well as to mutants (hbt, HOBBIT) thereof. The present invention thus relates to isolated nucleic acid sequences and protein sequences, and to vectors and host cells comprising said nucleic acid sequences. The invention further relates to transgenic cells and plants comprising and expressing said sequences and to methods for obtaining said cells and plants. The present invention further relates to the use of said wild type or mutant genes and proteins in methods to modify plant development. Said genes and proteins can furthermore be used in methods for mimicking or modifying auxin-related effects.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for obtaining polynucleic acids comprising coding sequences and/or genes involved in environmental stress resistance in plants, comprising the preparation of a cDNA library comprising coding sequences from siliques, introducing said coding sequences in yeast cells in a functional format and screening for polynucleic acids leading to an enhanced tolerance or resistance to environmental stress conditions in said transformed yeast cells. The present invention further relates to an isolated polynucleic acid obtainable by such a method as listed in Table 1 as well as recombinant polynucleic acid comprising the same. The present invention further relates to an isolated polypeptide encoded by a polynucleic acid of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for improving the growth characteristics of plants by increasing expression of at least part of a Leucine Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Kinase (RKS11, RKS4 or an orthologue of these). One such method comprises introducing into a plant a nucleic acid encoding at least part of a Leucine Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Kinase (RKS11 or RKS4 or an orthologue thereof). The invention also relates to transgenic plants having introduced therein a nucleic acid or variant thereof encoding at least part of a Leucine Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Kinase (RKS11 or RKS4 or an orthologue thereof), which plants have improved growth characteristics relative to corresponding wild type plants. The present invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for increasing plant yield in plants grown under non-stress growth conditions relative to yield in corresponding wild type plants grown under comparable conditions, the method comprising preferentially increasing activity in the cytosol of a plant cell of a type I DnaJ-like polypeptide or a homologue thereof. One such method comprises introducing and/or expressing in a plant, plant part or plant cell a type I DnaJ-like nucleic acid or variant thereof. The invention also relates to transgenic plants grown under non-stress conditions having introduced and/or expressed therein a type I DnaJ-like nucleic acid or variant thereof, which plants have increased plant yield relative to corresponding wild type plants grown under comparable conditions. The present invention also concerns constructs useful in the methods of the invention.