EAR Motif Mutated AtHB17 Polypeptides for Crop Yield
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for increasing plant yield through photosynthesis enhancement often result in undesirable phenotypes, such as smaller plant size, due to overexpression of HD-ZIP polypeptides like AtHB17, which can limit agricultural productivity.
Innovation Solution
Introduction of EAR mutation variants of AtHB17 and related class II HD-ZIP polypeptides with modified EAR motifs that maintain high photosynthetic rates and chlorophyll levels while reducing repression activity, leading to increased nitrogen use efficiency, biomass, and yield without the growth penalties associated with native overexpression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If HD-ZIP polypeptides like AtHB17 are overexpressed to increase photosynthetic efficiency and yield, then photosynthetic capacity and chlorophyll levels are improved, but plant size and growth are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention modifies the EAR motif sequence parameters of AtHB17 polypeptide to create variant forms with altered transcriptional repression activity. Specifically, mutations in the EAR motif (amino acid residues 84-86) change the protein's interaction with co-repressors, reducing its ability to repress target genes while maintaining photosynthetic function, thereby resolving the contradiction between photosynthetic enhancement and plant growth
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality modification by specifically altering only the EAR motif region of the AtHB17 polypeptide while leaving the rest of the protein structure intact. This localized change in the repression domain allows the protein to maintain its photosynthetic capacity function while acquiring modified growth regulation properties, thus achieving improved plant size without sacrificing photosynthetic efficiency
2Quantity of substance
If HD-ZIP polypeptides are overexpressed to enhance nitrogen use efficiency and biomass, then these agronomic traits are improved, but undesirable phenotypes such as reduced plant size occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the functional parameters of AtHB17 by mutating the EAR motif, creating a variant that maintains or enhances nitrogen use efficiency and biomass accumulation while eliminating the harmful phenotype of reduced plant size. The modified EAR motif alters the transcriptional repression profile, allowing beneficial metabolic effects to persist without growth suppression
3Volume of moving object
If the EAR motif of AtHB17 is mutated to reduce repression activity, then plant growth and size are improved, but photosynthetic capacity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality modification by specifically altering only the EAR motif region of the AtHB17 polypeptide while leaving the rest of the protein structure intact. This localized change in the repression domain allows the protein to maintain its photosynthetic capacity function while acquiring modified growth regulation properties, thus achieving improved plant size without sacrificing photosynthetic efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates variant copies of AtHB17 with modified EAR motifs that replicate the photosynthetic enhancement function while correcting the growth suppression defect. These mutant variants serve as improved copies that retain the beneficial photosynthetic properties of wild-type AtHB17 while eliminating its harmful growth-repressing activity
Data Source
AI summary
The application describes producing polynucleotide variants of the AtHB 17 clade members and introducing the mutant variants into plants to improve plant traits. The mutant polynucleotides encode polypeptides that comprise mutations in the EAR motifs.