Patent ID: 9290777
Filing Date: 2016-03-22
CPC Classification: C07K,C12N,Y02A

Claim Text:
1. A method of modulating the expression of at least one trait in a rice plant, the method comprising: decreasing the expression of a polypeptide in a rice plant, wherein the polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5, wherein decreasing the expression of the polypeptide comprises introducing into one or more cells of the rice plant a polynucleotide which decreases the expression of the polypeptide to produce a transformed rice plant, wherein the introduced polynucleotide is selected from the group consisting of: i) an antisense polynucleotide which comprises the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 15, and ii) an antisense polynucleotide which consists of the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 15; and selecting for decreased expression of the polypeptide and for modulated expression of at least one trait in the rice plant, wherein the modulated expression of at least one trait in the rice plant is selected from the group consisting of increased number of panicles, increased seed yield, increased plant biomass, increased number of tillers, and increased leaf area, relative to the expression of the same trait in a non-transformed rice plant.