Suppressing Shade Avoidance in Plants via HD-Zip Mutations

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Solution Overview

Problem

Shade avoidance response in plants leads to reduced vigor and yield due to overcrowding, as they compete for light by altering growth habits, such as increased height and reduced branching, which is wasteful and decreases productivity in monoculture crop settings.

Innovation Solution

Introducing non-natural mutations in Homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factors using CRISPR-associated effector proteins and guide nucleic acids to disrupt DNA binding, thereby reducing the plants' ability to respond to shade by altering their growth habits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If plants grow in densely planted conditions, then light competition increases, but plant vigor and yield decrease due to shade avoidance response

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveyieldVSAvoidshade avoidance response

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the DNA binding affinity parameter of HD-Zip transcription factors through site-directed mutagenesis, specifically altering amino acid residues in the DNA binding domain to reduce their binding strength to target gene promoters. This parameter change suppresses the shade avoidance response pathway while maintaining other physiological functions, enabling plants to maintain vigor and yield in dense planting conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Illumination intensity

If plants increase height to compete for light, then light access improves, but plant vigor and resource efficiency decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelight accessVSAvoidresource efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of allowing plants to naturally increase height in response to shade, the patent inverts the typical shade avoidance response by suppressing the hormonal signaling pathway through modified HD-Zip transcription factors. This prevents the maladaptive height increase and redirects resources to productive functions like grain filling and root development, improving resource efficiency while maintaining adequate light capture through alternative architectural traits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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 solution effectively suppresses the shade avoidance response, leading to improved plant yield and vigor by maintaining optimal growth habits, even in densely planted conditions, thus increasing agricultural productivity.

Implementation Method 1

an editing system, the editing system comprising: (a) a CRISPR-associated effector protein; and (b) a guide nucleic acid (gRNA, gDNA, crRNA, crDNA) having a spacer sequence with complementarity to an endogenous target gene encoding an HD-Zip transcription factor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCRISPR gene editing:

Data Source

PatentUS11959072B2Suppression of shade avoidance response in plants

Publication Date: 2024.04.16 PAIRWISE PLANTS SERVICES INC

AI summary

This invention relates to compositions and methods for modifying Homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factors in plants to suppress shade avoidance response in plants. The invention further relates to plants produced using the methods and compositions of the invention.