Transgenic Maize Cell Wall Invertase Drought Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Maize plants face significant yield reductions due to abiotic stress conditions such as drought, heat, and salinity, which are exacerbated by extreme weather changes, posing a threat to global food supply and requiring crops that can maintain high yields under adverse conditions.
Innovation Solution
Introduction of the Chenopodium rubrum cell wall invertase (CrCIN) gene into maize plants, which enhances drought tolerance and biomass production by expressing a functional part thereof, resulting in increased yield and tolerance to abiotic stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If maize plants are exposed to drought stress conditions, then survival is compromised, but yield is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the expression levels of cell wall invertase enzymes through transgenic overexpression. This changes the metabolic parameters of sucrose hydrolysis and carbohydrate allocation, enabling the plant to maintain both drought tolerance and yield by optimizing carbon distribution to roots and sink tissues under stress conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses cell wall invertase as an intermediary enzyme that mediates the breakdown of sucrose into glucose and fructose. This intermediary process facilitates carbon allocation to stress-responsive tissues and maintains energy supply during drought, resolving the contradiction between survival and productivity
2Productivity
If cell wall invertase is overexpressed to increase yield, then biomass production improves, but drought tolerance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by directing cell wall invertase activity to specific tissues and developmental stages. By optimizing spatial and temporal expression patterns, the invention ensures that carbohydrate allocation is enhanced in sink tissues for yield improvement while simultaneously strengthening root systems and stress-response pathways for drought tolerance
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 transgenic maize plants exhibit enhanced tolerance to drought and increased yield, demonstrating improved resistance to adverse conditions and maintaining high production levels under normal and stress conditions.
Implementation Method 1
They work by hydrolysis of sucrose into glucose and fructose outside cells
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a transgenic maize plant or a part thereof comprising as transgene a nucleic acid capable of expressing a cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof, preferably a Chenopodium rubrum cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof, wherein as a result of the expression of the cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof the transgenic maize plant exhibits an enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress and/or an increased yield, to a method of producing such transgenic maize plant, to method of enhancing the tolerance to abiotic stress of a maize plant and/or of increasing yield potential of a maize plant, to a nucleic acid capable of expressing a cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof, preferably a Chenopodium rubrum cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof, to a vector comprising such nucleic acid, the use of the nucleic acid or vector for enhancing the tolerance to abiotic stress of a maize plant, for increasing yield potential of a maize plant and/or for protecting a maize plant against abiotic stress, and to a method for production of ethanol or methane from transgenic maize plant or a part thereof of the invention.