Gene targets for nitrogen fixation targeting for improving plant traits
Methods and systems are provided for generating and utilizing a genetically engineered bacterium comprising a modification in glnD, wherein said modification is selected from the group consisting of: deletion of the entire gene, deletion of substantially the entire gene, deletion of an ACT domain, deletion of more than 50% of an ACT domain, deactivation of an ACT domain, and deactivation of an UTase domain.
1. A genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium having increased expression of rpoN, wherein:
rpoN expression is increased by deleting the native rpoN promoter and replacing it with a strong intrageneric constitutive promoter; and
the genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium is capable of increasing the amount of atmospheric derived nitrogen in a plant.
2. The genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium of claim 1 , wherein said genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium further comprises a modification in a nitrogen fixation genetic network.
3. The genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium of claim 1 , wherein said genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium further comprises a genetic modification which results in increased expression of Nif cluster genes.
4. A method of increasing the amount of atmospheric derived nitrogen in a plant, comprising contacting said plant with a plurality of said genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium of claim 1 .
5. A composition comprising a seed, and a seed coating; wherein the seed coating comprises a plurality of said genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium of claim 1 .
6. A composition comprising a plant and a plurality of said genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium of claim 1 .
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein said genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium is applied to a seed of said plant.
8. The method of claim 4 , wherein said genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium is applied to a seedling of said plant.
9. The method of claim 4 , wherein said plant is a cereal plant.
10. The method of claim 4 , wherein said plant is a corn plant.
11. The method of claim 4 , wherein said plant is a rice plant.
12. The method of claim 4 , wherein said plant is a wheat plant.
13. The method of claim 4 , wherein said plant is a soy plant.
14. The composition of claim 5 , wherein said seed is a cereal seed.
15. The composition of claim 5 , wherein said seed is selected from the group consisting of: a corn seed, a wheat seed, a rice seed, a soy seed, a rye seed and a sorghum seed.
16. The composition of claim 6 , wherein said plant is a seedling.
17. The genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium of claim 1 , wherein said genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium is from a genus selected from the group consisting of: Clostridium, Agrobacterium, Bacillus, Bradyrhizobium, Brevibacillus, Delftia, Lysobacter, Paenibacillus, Pantoea, Pectobacterium, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Streptomyces, Xanthomonas, Xenorhabdus, Azotobacter, Methanosarcina, Klebsiella, Rhodobacter, Rhizobium, Rahnella, Kosakonia, Azospirillum, Enterobacter, Burkholderia, Sinorhizobium and Chlorobium.
18. The genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium of claim 17 , wherein said genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium is from the genus of Klebsiella.
19. The genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium of claim 18 , wherein said genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium is Klebsiella variicola.
20. The genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium of claim 19 , wherein said genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium is Klebsiella variicola strain CI137.
21. A genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium having increased expression of rpoN, wherein:
rpoN expression is increased by deleting the native rpoN promoter and replacing it with a strong constitutive promoter; and
the genetically engineered diazotrophic bacterium is Klebsiella variicola and is capable of increasing the amount of atmospheric derived nitrogen in a plant.