Patent ID: 8115052
Filing Date: 2012-02-14
Classification: C07K,C12N

Abstract:
1. A method for increasing yield in a maize plant under an abiotic environmental stress said method comprising the steps of: (a) transforming stably maize plant cells with a DNA construct which comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:4, wherein the nucleotide sequence is operably linked to an early kernel/embryo promoter that is active during the first phase of seed development, wherein the first phase of seed development is from 0 to about 12 days after pollination (DAP), wherein said early kernel/embryo promoter is heterologous to said nucleotide sequence, and wherein said early kernel/embryo promoter is inactive in the embryo during the maturation phase of seed development; (b) regenerating transgenic maize plants from the transformed maize plant cells of step (a); (c) growing the transformed maize plants of step (b) under an abiotic environmental stress, and expressing said polypeptide during the early phase of maize kernel/embryo development to reduce sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA) during said early phase of maize kernel/embryo development, wherein said kernel/embryo is being produced on said transformed maize plant, thereby reducing the detrimental effects of said stress on the developing maize plant seed; and (d) harvesting mature seeds from the transformed maize plants of step (c) to determine yield, whereby said method results in an increased yield as compared to a maize plant lacking said DNA construct.