US 12,145,967 B2
Compositions and methods for improving crop yields through trait stacking
Leonardo Alves-Junior, Limburgerhof (DE); Wesley B. Bruce, Raleigh, NC (US); Charles R. Dietrich, Chesterfield, MO (US); Natalia Ivleva, Webster Groves, MO (US); Kian Kiani, Cary, NC (US); Ryan Rapp, Hillsborough, NC (US); and Thomas L. Slewinski, Chesterfield, MO (US)
Assigned to Monsanto Technology LLC, St. Louis, MO (US); BASF Plant Science LP, Research Triangle Park, NC (US); and BASF Plant Science Company GmbH, Ludwigshafen am Rhein (DE)
Filed by Monsanto Technology LLC, St. Louis, MO (US); BASF Plant Science LP, Research Triangle Park, NC (US); and BASF Plant Science Company GmbH, Ludwigshafen am Rhein (DE)
Filed on Aug. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/822,380.
Application 17/822,380 is a division of application No. 16/276,616, filed on Feb. 15, 2019, granted, now 11,472,852.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/631,344, filed on Feb. 15, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0265132 A1, Aug. 24, 2023
Int. Cl. C12N 15/82 (2006.01); C07K 14/415 (2006.01); C12N 9/02 (2006.01); C12N 15/52 (2006.01)
CPC C07K 14/415 (2013.01) [C12N 9/0004 (2013.01); C12N 15/52 (2013.01); C12N 15/8223 (2013.01); C12N 15/8265 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
 
1. A method for producing a transgenic corn plant, the method comprising:
(I) introducing into a corn cell (i) a first recombinant expression cassette comprising a first heterologous plant-expressible promoter operably linked to a transcribable DNA sequence encoding a non-coding RNA for suppression of one or more gibberellic acid 20 (GA20) oxidase genes, wherein the non-coding RNA comprises a targeting sequence that is (a) at least 95% complementary to at least 19 consecutive nucleotides of a first mRNA molecule encoding a first endogenous GA20 oxidase protein that has at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9, and (b) at least 95% complementary to at least 19 consecutive nucleotides of a second mRNA molecule encoding a second endogenous GA20 oxidase protein that has at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15, and (ii) a second recombinant expression cassette comprising a DNA sequence encoding a CONSTANS-like (COL) polypeptide that has at least 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 168; and
(II) regenerating or developing a transgenic corn plant from the corn cell, wherein the transgenic corn plant comprises the first and second recombinant expression cassettes, and wherein expression cassettes expression of said non-coding RNA and said CONSTANS-like (COL) polypeptide in said transgenic corn plant results in a semi-dwarf phenotype, and an increase in one or more improved ear trait selected from the group consisting of ear area, ear volume, ear diameter, ear length, kernels per ear, single kernel weight, yield, grain yield estimate, broad acreage yield, and ear fresh weight as compared to a control wild-type corn plant grown under comparable conditions.