METHOD FOR MODIFYING PLANT MORPHOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY COMPRISING EXPRESSION OF PLANT CYTOKININ OXIDASE

摘要

The present invention relates to methods for stimulating root growth and/orenhancing theformation of lateral or adventitious roots and/or altering root geotropismcomprising expression ofa plant cytokinin oxidase in plants or plant parts. Also provided by thepresent invention aremethods for increasing seed size and/or weight, embryo size and/or weight, andcotyledon sizeand/or weight. The methods comprise expression of a plant cytokinin oxidase orexpression ofanother protein that reduces the level of active cytokinins in plants or plantparts. The inventionalso relates to novel plant cytokinin oxidase proteins, nucleic acid sequencesencoding cytokininoxidase proteins as well as to vectors, host cells, transgenic cells andplants comprising saidsequences. The invention also relates to the use of said sequences forimproving root-relatedcharacteristics and the use of said sequences in the above-mentioned methods.