Simultaneous CKX Gene Disruption for Enhanced Seed Yield

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for improving plant productivity, such as delaying leaf senescence and enhancing growth characteristics, have limitations in effectively increasing seed yield and plant height, as evidenced by the need for further enhancements beyond single cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase gene disruptions.

Innovation Solution

Simultaneous disruption of the CKX3 gene with either CKX2, CKX4, CKX5, or CKX6 genes leads to transgenic plants with significantly increased seed yield and improved plant height, leveraging the regulation of cytokinin homeostasis to enhance plant growth characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If single CKX3 gene disruption is used to improve plant productivity, then seed yield shows slight increase, but the improvement is not significant and further enhancement is needed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseed yieldVSAvoidsignificance of improvement

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the CKX gene family into multiple targets (CKX3 and at least one other CKX gene such as CKX1, CKX2, CKX4, CKX5, CKX6, or CKX7). By disrupting multiple genes simultaneously rather than relying on a single gene disruption, the invention achieves a more significant and reliable increase in seed yield and plant height, overcoming the limitation of single gene disruption effects

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If single CKX5 gene disruption is used to improve plant productivity, then no measurable effect on seed yield is observed, but the goal of enhancing productivity remains unachieved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseed yieldVSAvoidmeasurable effect

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the disruption of CKX3 gene with at least one other CKX gene (CKX1, CKX2, CKX4, CKX5, CKX6, or CKX7) to achieve a synergistic effect. This combination approach merges the effects of multiple gene disruptions, resulting in a measurable and significant increase in seed yield and plant height that neither single disruption could achieve alone

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If multiple CKX genes are simultaneously disrupted to achieve significant seed yield increase, then transgenic plants show improved productivity, but the complexity of genetic modification increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseed yieldVSAvoidgenetic modification complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes the universality of the CKX gene family members, which all encode cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase enzymes with similar functions. By targeting multiple genes within this functionally related family, the invention achieves enhanced productivity through a unified biological mechanism, reducing the complexity compared to targeting unrelated genes with different functions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2451959B1Disruption of CKX3 and at least one other CKX gene in a plant or plant cell leads to improved traits

Publication Date: 2017.01.11 WERNER

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AI summary

The present invention is directed to isolated plant cells and transgenic plants comprising a disruption in at least a CKX3 gene and in one further gene encoding for a cytokininoxidase/dehydrogenase and being different from CKX3 well as to methods of producing such transgenic plants and to methods of increasing seed yield in a plant and/or plant height.