Herbicide tolerant plants expressing a cyanobacterial plastoquinone biosynthetic pathway

1. A method for providing a plant having increased tolerance to a 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitor herbicide, the method comprising:

(i) expressing in the plant transgenes encoding exogenous polypeptides of a cyanobacterial pathway for biosynthesis of 2-solanesyl-1,4-benzoquinol (SBQ) from endogenous chorismate, said exogenous polypeptides being the polypeptides of:

(a) at least one cyanobacterial chorismate lyase enzyme,

(b) at least one cyanobacterial 4-hydroxybenzoate solanesyltransferase enzyme,

(c) at least one cyanobacterial 4-hydroxy-3-prenylbenzoate decarboxylase enzyme, and

(d) at least one cyanobacterial solanesylphenol hydroxylase enzyme;

(ii) growing the plants having the transgene in the presence of an herbicide; and

(iii) selecting the plants, wherein the selected plants have increased tolerance relative to a control plant not having the transgenes exogenous polypeptides of a cyanobacterial pathway for biosynthesis of 2-solanesyl-1,4-benzoquinol (SBQ);

wherein the chorismate lyase enzyme polypeptide comprises a UbiC polypeptide having at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 1 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 11,

wherein the 4-hydroxybenzoate solanesyltransferase enzyme polypeptide comprises a UbiA polypeptide having at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 2 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 12;

wherein the 4-hydroxy-3-prenylbenzoate decarboxylase enzyme polypeptide comprises either a UbiX polypeptide or a UbiD polypeptide, or said plant comprises two cyanobacterial 4-hydroxy-3-prenylbenzoate decarboxylase enzyme polypeptides comprising a UbiX polypeptide and a UbiD polypeptide wherein the UbiX polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 3 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 13, and/or wherein the UbiD polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 4 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 14;

wherein the 4-hydroxy-3-prenylbenzoate decarboxylase enzyme polypeptide comprises either a UbiX polypeptide or a UbiD polypeptide, or said plant comprises two cyanobacterial 4-hydroxy-3-prenylbenzoate decarboxylase enzyme polypeptides comprising a UbiX polypeptide and a UbiD polypeptide wherein the UbiX polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 3 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 13, and/or wherein the UbiD polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 4 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 14; and

wherein the solanesylphenol hydroxylase enzyme polypeptide comprises a UbiH polypeptide wherein the UbiH polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 5 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 15.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant comprises enzymes that convert SBQ to plastoquinone-9 (PQ9), said enzymes being:

(e) at least one MPBQ/MSBQ methyltransferase enzyme, and

(f) at least one plastoquinol-plastocyanin reductase enzyme, and

wherein said MPBQ/MSBQ methyltransferase enzyme(s) comprise at least one exogenous, cyanobacterial MPBQ/MSBQ methyltransferase polypeptide expressed from a transgene in the plant;

wherein said cyanobacterial MPBQ/MSBQ methyltransferase polypeptide(s) comprise at least one of a Sll0418 polypeptide, a slr0089 polypeptide, a sl11407 polypeptide, a slr0407 polypeptide, and/or a sl10829 polypeptide, wherein the Sll0418 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 6 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 16, the slr0089 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 7 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 17, the sll1407 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 8 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 18, the slr0407 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 9 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 19, and/or the sl10829 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 10 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 20.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exogenous polypeptides further comprise at least one of a Sl10418 polypeptide, a slr0089 polypeptide, a sll1407 polypeptide, a slr0407 polypeptide, and/or a sl10829 polypeptide, wherein the Sll0418 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 6 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 16, the slr0089 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 7 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 17, the sll1407 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 8 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 18, the slr0407 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 9 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 19, and/or the sl10829 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 10 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 20.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exogenous polypeptides are expressed from at least one transformation vector.

5. The method of claim 4 ,

wherein the transformation vector further comprises a nucleic acid encoding one or more of one or more of a Sl10418 polypeptide, a slr0089 polypeptide, a sl11407 polypeptide, a slr0407 polypeptide, and/or a sl10829 polypeptide, wherein the Sll0418 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 6 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 16, the slr0089 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 7 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 17, the sll1407 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 8 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 18, the slr0407 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 9 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 19, and/or the sl10829 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 10 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 20.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant is a soybean plant.

7. A plant or plant cell comprising the exogenous polypeptides referred to in claim 1 .

8. The plant or plant cell of claim 7 , wherein said plant or plant cell comprises 2-solanesyl-1,4-benzoquinol (SBQ) produced in the plant or plant cell from endogenous chorismate by enzymes comprising said exogenous polypeptide(s).

9. The plant or plant cell of claim 7 , wherein said plant or plant cell comprises plastoquinol-9 (PQH2) or plastoquinone-9 (PQ9) biosynthesized in the plant or plant cell from SBQ produced in the plant or plant cell from endogenous chorismate by enzymes comprising said exogenous polypeptide(s).

10. The plant or plant cell of claim 9 , wherein (i) said PQH2 is biosynthesized by at least one endogenous MPBQ/MSBQ methyltransferase enzyme(s), or (ii) said PQ9 is biosynthesized by at least one endogenous plastoquinol-plastocyanin reductase, or (iii) both (i) and (ii).

11. The plant or plant cell of claim 9 , wherein said PQH2 is biosynthesized by at least one MPBQ/MSBQ methyltransferase enzyme(s) comprising exogenous cyanobacterial MPBQ/MSBQ methyltransferase polypeptide(s) expressed from transgene(s) in the plant or plant cell.

12. The plant or plant cell of claim 11 , wherein said exogenous MPBQ/MSBQ methyltransferase polypeptide(s) comprises at least one of a Sll0418 polypeptide, a slr0089 polypeptide, a slll407 polypeptide, a slr0407 polypeptide, and/or a sll0829 polypeptide, wherein the Sll0418 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 6, the slr0089 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 7, the slll407 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 8, the slr0407 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 9, and/or the sll0829 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 10.

13. The plant or plant cell of claim 7 , wherein the exogenous polypeptides:

further comprise at least one of a Sll0418 polypeptide, a slr0089 polypeptide, a slll407 polypeptide, a slr0407 polypeptide, and/or a sll0829 polypeptide, wherein the Sll0418 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 6 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 16, the slr0089 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 7 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 17, the sll1407 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 8 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 18, the slr0407 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 9 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 19, and/or the sl10829 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 10 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 20.

14. The plant or plant cell of claim 7 , wherein the plant is a soybean plant, or the plant cell is a soybean plant cell.

15. Isolated nucleic acid comprising:

coding regions of the transgenes referred to in claim 1 , the nucleic acid encoding: said chorismate lyase polypeptide(s) or an enzymatically active component thereof,

said 4-hydroxybenzoate solanesyltransferase peptide(s) or an enzymatically active component thereof,

said 4-hydroxy-3-prenylbenzoate decarboxylase peptide(s) or an enzymatically active component thereof, and

said solanesylphenol hydroxylase peptide(s) or an enzymatically active component thereof, and optionally at least one cyanobacterial MPBQ/MSBQ methyltransferase polypeptide or an enzymatically active component thereof; and

at least one plant-expressible promoters operably linked to the coding region(s).

16. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 15 , wherein each of said plant-expressible promoters is able to drive expression in a soybean plant of the coding region(s) to which it is linked.

17. The isolated nucleic acid of claim 15 , wherein said coding regions comprise:

a nucleotide sequence encoding a UbiC polypeptide, a nucleotide sequence encoding a UbiA polypeptide, a nucleotide sequence encoding a UbiX polypeptide,

a nucleotide sequence encoding a UbiD polypeptide, and a nucleotide sequence encoding a UbiH polypeptide, wherein isolated nucleic acid of claim 15 , wherein said coding regions further comprise nucleotide sequence(s) encoding at least one of a Sl10418 polypeptide, a slr0089 polypeptide, a sl11407 polypeptide, a slr0407 polypeptide, and a sl10829 polypeptide, wherein the Sll0418 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 6 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 16, the slr0089 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 7 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 17, the sll1407 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 8 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 18, the slr0407 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 9 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 19, and/or the sl10829 polypeptide has at least 75% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 10 or to the polypeptide encoded by SEQ ID NO: 20.

18. A transformation vector comprising the isolated nucleic acid according to claim 15 .

19. A method for growing a plant comprising:

obtaining a transgenic plant of any of claim 7 in a field; and

treating said field with an effective amount of a 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitor herbicide.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said plant is a soybean plant.