Recombinant DNA Constructs for Crop Yield and Stress Tolerance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current agricultural practices face challenges in enhancing crop yields, nitrogen use efficiency, and water use efficiency, particularly under stress conditions, due to limitations in genetic modification technologies that can effectively introduce desired traits into plants.

Innovation Solution

Development of recombinant DNA constructs that include specific nucleotide and amino acid sequences, linked with promoters functional in plant cells, to modulate gene expression and introduce traits such as increased yield, nitrogen use efficiency, and water use efficiency by suppressing or overexpressing target genes, thereby altering plant phenotypes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional genetic modification methods are used to enhance crop traits, then some genetic changes can be achieved, but the effectiveness is limited and cannot sufficiently improve yield, nitrogen use efficiency, and water use efficiency under stress conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrop yieldVSAvoideffectiveness of genetic modification
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameters of gene expression by using specific promoters (such as GhWRKY42 promoter) and targeting specific gene sequences (GhNAC2, GhNAC6, GhNAC9) to achieve precise control over gene activity. This approach transforms the generic genetic modification into a targeted parameter-specific modification, thereby improving the reliability and effectiveness of trait enhancement in cotton plants under abiotic stress conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If gene expression is suppressed to introduce desired traits, then traits such as increased yield and stress tolerance can be achieved, but the complexity of constructing recombinant DNA increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveyield enhancementVSAvoidrecombinant DNA construct complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple functional elements into a single recombinant DNA construct: the promoter sequence (GhWRKY42), the target gene sequence (GhNAC2/GhNAC6/GhNAC9), and the necessary regulatory elements are merged into one integrated construct. This consolidation simplifies the transformation process and reduces the complexity of managing multiple separate genetic elements while achieving the desired gene suppression effect through RNA interference mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Manufacturing precision

If specific nucleotide sequences are used to target gene suppression, then precision in trait modification is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring the correct sequences increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegene targeting precisionVSAvoidsequence identification difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a feedback mechanism in the form of specific sequence homology between the promoter region (GhWRKY42) and the target gene regions (GhNAC2, GhNAC6, GhNAC9). This homology acts as a molecular recognition feedback system that ensures the recombinant DNA construct targets the correct sequences with high precision. The feedback through sequence complementarity facilitates both the precise targeting and the detection/verification of correct sequence integration in the transformed plants.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10487338B2Transgenic plants with enhanced traits
Publication Date: 2019.11.26 MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

This disclosure provides recombinant DNA constructs and transgenic plants having enhanced traits such as increased yield, increased nitrogen use efficiency and enhanced drought tolerance; propagules, progeny and field crops of such transgenic plants; and methods of making and using such transgenic plants. This disclosure also provides methods of producing seed from such transgenic plants, growing such seed and selecting progeny plants with enhanced traits. Also disclosed are transgenic plants with altered phenotypes which are useful for screening and selecting transgenic events for the desired enhanced trait.