COBL4 and ERF62 Proteins for Plant Drought Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods fail to effectively enhance drought tolerance in plants, which is a major constraint on crop yields due to drought stress, a prevalent abiotic stress factor.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of exogenous COBL4 and ERF62 proteins or nucleic acids encoding these proteins into plants to increase their expression and activity, thereby enhancing abiotic stress tolerance, including drought tolerance, through genetic modification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional breeding or traditional methods are used to improve drought tolerance, then genetic diversity may be maintained, but the effectiveness and speed of enhancing drought tolerance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the genetic parameter by introducing specific exogenous genes (COBL4 and ERF62) that encode proteins directly involved in drought stress response. This targeted genetic modification approach rapidly confers drought tolerance without requiring traditional multi-generational breeding, thus resolving the contradiction between effectiveness and time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-selecting and introducing genes that have been proven to enhance drought tolerance based on prior research. The COBL4 and ERF62 genes are chosen because their protein products are known to play critical roles in stress response pathways, allowing the plant to acquire drought tolerance capability in advance rather than through gradual selection.
2Reliability
If genetic modification with exogenous proteins is implemented, then drought tolerance is enhanced, but the complexity of the genetic system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential functional elements (COBL4 and ERF62 genes) needed for drought tolerance enhancement, rather than introducing complex multi-gene systems. By isolating and expressing these specific genes that directly confer stress tolerance, the patent achieves the desired reliability improvement while minimizing genetic system complexity.
3Productivity
If current agricultural practices are maintained, then existing crop varieties can be grown, but crop yields are severely limited by drought stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of drought stress into a benefit by introducing genes that enable the plant to actively respond to and withstand drought conditions. The COBL4 and ERF62 proteins enhance the plant's ability to sense, signal, and respond to water deficit, transforming the previously harmful drought environment into a manageable condition that allows maintained or improved productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for improving the abiotic stress tolerance of plants. Plants and plant parts identified, selected and/or produced using compositions and methods of the present invention are also provided.