Nucleic acid sequences encoding proteins associated with abiotic stress response and plant cells and plants with increased tolerance to environmental stress

1. A transgenic plant cell with increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant cell, wherein the transgenic plant cell is transformed with a Stress-Related Protein (SRP) coding nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of:

a) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 65,

b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 64,

c) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 65 and conferring said increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress in a plant cell, and

d) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity with the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 64 and encoding a polypeptide conferring said increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress in a plant cell,

wherein the low temperature stress is below 15° C.,

and wherein expression of said SRP coding nucleic acid confers the increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress to the plant cell.

2. The transgenic plant cell of claim 1 obtained from a monocotyledonous plant or from a dicotyledonous plant.

3. The transgenic plant cell of claim 1 , obtained from a gymnosperm plant.

4. A transgenic plant generated from the plant cell of claim 1 , wherein the transgenic plant is a monocotyledonous or dicotyledonous plant.

5. A transgenic plant generated from the plant cell of claim 1 , wherein the transgenic plant is a gymnosperm plant.

6. A seed produced by the transgenic plant of claim 4 , wherein the seed is genetically homozygous for a transgene conferring increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant.

7. A method of producing a transgenic plant with increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant, comprising

a) transforming a plant cell with a vector comprising a Stress-Related Protein (SRP) coding nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of:

i) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 65,

ii) a nucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 64,

iii) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 65 and conferring said increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress in a plant cell, and

iv) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity with the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 64 and encoding a polypeptide conferring said increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress in a plant cell, and

b) generating from the plant cell a transgenic plant with increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type plant,

wherein the low temperature stress is below 15° C., and

wherein expression of said SRP coding nucleic acid confers the increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress to the plant.

8. A method of increasing drought and/or low temperature stress tolerance of a plant, comprising increasing the level of expression of an SRP in a plant by introducing a SRP coding nucleic acid into said plant, wherein the SRP coding nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of:

a) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 65,

b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 64,

c) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 65 and conferring said increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress in a plant cell, and

d) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity with the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 64 and encoding a polypeptide conferring said increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress in a plant cell,

wherein the low temperature stress is below 15° C., and

wherein expression of said SRP coding nucleic acid confers the increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress to the plant.

9. A plant cell comprising a nucleic acid construct which confers the expression of a nucleic acid molecule in a host cell, wherein the nucleic acid construct comprises the nucleic acid molecule and one or more regulatory elements, wherein the expression of the nucleic acid molecule in the host cell results in increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type host cell, wherein the low temperature stress is below 15° C., and wherein the nucleic acid molecule is selected from the group consisting of:

a) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 65,

b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 64,

c) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 65 and conferring said increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress in a plant cell, and

d) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity with the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 64 and encoding a polypeptide conferring said increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress in a plant cell.

10. A plant cell comprising a vector, wherein the vector comprises a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of:

a) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 65,

b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 64,

c) a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 65 and conferring increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress in a plant cell, and

d) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% sequence identity with the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 64 and encoding a polypeptide conferring increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress in a plant cell,

wherein the low temperature stress is below 15° C.,

and wherein expression of the nucleic acid molecule in the plant cell results in increased tolerance and/or resistance to drought and/or low temperature stress as compared to a corresponding non-transformed wild type host cell.

11. A plant comprising the plant cell of claim 10 .

12. A plant comprising the plant cell of claim 9 .

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plant cell is obtained from a monocotyledonous plant or from a dicotyledonous plant.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plant cell is obtained from a gymnosperm plant.

15. A transgenic plant obtained from the method of claim 7 .

16. A transgenic plant obtained from the method of claim 14 .

17. A transgenic plant obtained from the method of claim 13 .

18. The transgenic plant cell of claim 1 , wherein the low temperature stress is below 4° C.

19. The method of claim 7 , wherein the low temperature stress is below 4° C.

20. The transgenic plant cell of claim 1 , or a transgenic plant generated from said transgenic plant cell, or a seed produced by said transgenic plant, wherein the Stress-Related Protein (SRP) coding nucleic acid comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 64 or encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 65, and wherein the seed is genetically homozygous for said SRP coding nucleic acid.