Chimeric Myosin XI Protein for Plant Growth Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for enhancing plant growth through the photosynthesis pathway are limited in effectiveness due to attenuation of enhanced photosynthetic capacity over time and limited whole-plant effects.
Innovation Solution
Introduction of a chimeric myosin XI protein with a motor domain from Chara corallina, which has a higher sliding velocity than Arabidopsis thaliana's myosin XI, to increase cytoplasmic streaming velocity, thereby enhancing plant growth, or using a chimeric myosin Vb-XI protein with a lower sliding velocity to suppress growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If genes encoding proteins involved in the photosynthesis pathway are introduced to enhance plant growth, then photosynthetic capacity is improved, but the enhanced capacity becomes attenuated over time due to feedback effects and shows limited whole-plant effects
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the functional parameter of cytoplasmic streaming velocity by introducing chimeric myosin XI proteins with motor domains from different species (Chara corallina for enhanced velocity, human myosin Vb for reduced velocity). This directly modifies the speed parameter of intracellular transport, thereby controlling plant growth rate without the attenuation problems associated with photosynthesis pathway modifications
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses chimeric myosin XI proteins as intermediary molecules to control plant growth. These hybrid proteins combine the motor domain from one species with the tail domain from another, serving as mediators that regulate cytoplasmic streaming velocity and thereby indirectly control growth rates, biomass accumulation, and developmental timing
2Productivity
If conventional photosynthesis enhancement methods are used, then leaf photosynthetic capacity is improved, but only limited effects are exhibited in the whole plant
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the rate-determining factor from photosynthesis and identifies it as cytoplasmic streaming velocity. By separating the growth control mechanism from photosynthetic capacity and targeting the transport limitation directly through chimeric myosin proteins, the invention achieves whole-plant growth enhancement that overcomes the localized effects of photosynthesis pathway modifications
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the velocity parameter of cytoplasmic streaming through chimeric myosin proteins, which directly impacts the rate of photosynthetic product transport throughout the entire plant. This systemic parameter change enables coordinated growth enhancement across all plant organs, not just in leaves
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves significant enhancement or suppression of plant growth by modifying cytoplasmic streaming rates, leading to increased biomass and production efficiency in agriculture or forestry, or controlled plant growth.
Implementation Method 1
the velocity of cytoplasmic streaming for transport of a product obtained as a result of enhancement of photosynthetic capacity becomes a rate-determining factor in plant cells
Implementation Method 2
Myosins classified into classes VIII, XI, and XIII according to the phylogenetic classification have been found in plants. It has been suggested that myosin XI proteins are involved in cytoplasmic streaming via transport of 'cargoes' such as organelles
Implementation Method 3
the velocity of cytoplasmic streaming for transport of a product obtained as a result of enhancement of photosynthetic capacity becomes a rate-determining factor in plant cells
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing a plant with enhanced growth is provided including a step of introducing a gene encoding a chimeric myosin XI protein into a host plant so as to transform the host plant. The chimeric myosin XI protein comprises a neck domain, a coiled-coil domain, and a globular tail domain from a myosin XI protein involved in cytoplasmic streaming of a donor plant. The motor domain from a myosin XI protein of a plant belongs to the genus Chara. The motor domain comprises an amino acid sequence specified in the following (a) or (b): (a) the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1; or (b) an amino acid sequence having 90% or more identity with the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1. The host plant belongs to the same family as the donor plant.