INCREASE IN ROOT BIOMASS IN PLANTS THROUGH LOSS OF FUNCTION OF GDSL LIPASES

Claims

Methods are provided for increasing root biomass, shoot biomass, and / or suberized regions in plants by reducing the expression and / or activity of one or more Gly-Asp-Ser-Leu (GDSL) lipases in the plant. Transgenic or gene-edited plants with reduced expression and / or activity of one or more GDSL lipases and increased root biomass, shoot biomass, and / or suberized regions are also provided. Isolated or recombinant molecules used in the provided methods and / or to generate the provided plants are also provided.

1. A method for increasing the biomass of roots and / or shoots in a plant, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: reducing the expression and / or activity of one or more Gly-Asp-Ser-Leu (GDSL)-lipases in the plant, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 different GDSL lipases, thereby increasing the biomass of the roots and / or shoots of the plant.

25. A transformed plant, or plant cell or part of a plant with gene editing or transgenic characteristics, characterized in that it is produced by the method of any of claims 1 to 18, or a transformed plant tissue produced by the method of claim 19, or a transformed seedling produced by the method of claim 20, or a transformed progeny of a transformed seedling produced by the method of claim 21.

27. A method for producing a plant-based food product, characterized in that it comprises the step of harvesting or producing the plant-based food product from the transformed plant, plant cell or plant part with gene editing or transgenicity, transformed plant tissue, transformed seedling, or transformed progeny of any of the preceding claims; optionally, wherein the plant-based food product comprises a nucleic acid molecule or protein not native to the transformed plant, plant cell or plant part with gene editing or transgenicity, transformed plant tissue, transformed seedling, or transformed progeny; and optionally, wherein the plant-based food product comprises a protein concentrate, protein isolate, leaves, extract, oil, grain, and / or seed.

28. A method for producing plant seeds, characterized in that it comprises crossing the transformed plant, plant cell or part of plant with gene editing or transgenicity, the transformed plant tissue, the transformed seedling, or the transformed progeny of any of the preceding claims with itself or a second plant.

30. A method for improving a plant by increasing the biomass of the roots and / or shoots, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: crossing the transformed plant of any of the preceding claims with a second plant; obtaining the seeds from the cross; sowing the seeds and growing the seeds to produce a progeny of plants; and selecting from the progeny plants those with a greater biomass of the roots and / or shoots compared to a control plant.

32. A seed that produces or is produced by the transformed plant of any of claims 2 to 30, characterized in that said seed comprises one or more deletions or one or more loss-of-function mutations in one or more GDSL-lipase genes.

33. A gene-edited plant, plant part, or plant cell, characterized in that it comprises one or more deletions or one or more loss-of-function mutations in one or more GDSL-lipase genes.

42. A gene-edited plant, plant part, or plant cell comprising a GDSL-lipase gene, characterized in that it comprises at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% sequence identity with any of SEQ ID Nos. 335, 336, and 1002-1013 and retains the mutation(s) thereof.

43. A recombinant nucleic acid molecule, characterized in that it comprises at least 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% sequence identity with any of the SEQ ID No. 922-1001.