Class I homeodomain leucine zipper (HDZip) hox5 polypetide-expressing plants having improved growth characteristics and a method for making the same

摘要

The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns a method for improving plant growth characteristics relative to corresponding wild type plants. More specifically, the present invention concerns a method for improving plant growth characteristics comprising modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding a class I homeodomain leucine zipper (HDZip) hox5 polypeptide or a homologue thereof. The present invention also concerns plants having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding a class I homeodomain leucine zipper (HDZip) hox5 polypeptide or a homologue thereof, which plants have improved growth characteristics relative to corresponding wild type plants. The invention also provides constructs useful in the methods of the invention.