Patent · US Expired

Transgenic trees exhibiting increased growth, biomass production and xylem fibre length, and methods for their production

US7141422B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by

0References

3Claims

0Family size

Assignee

SweTREE Technologies AB · SE

Inventors

Maria Eriksson · Umeå, SE
Thomas Moritz · Berlin, DE
Maria Israelsson · Umeå, SE
Olof Olsson · Karlskoga, SE

Key dates

Filing date	Mar 2, 2001
Grant date	Nov 28, 2006
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Sep 17, 2022

Classification

Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
CPC primaryC12N15/8297
WIPO fieldBiotechnology
WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Important aims in nearly all tree-breeding programs around the world are to produce plants with increased growth rates and stem volumes, and shorter rotation times. Such trees would yield more biomass per area unit. Here the present inventors have shown that when over-expressing a key regulatory gene in the biosynthesis of the plant hormone gibberellin (GA) in hybrid aspen (Populus tremula×P. tremuloides), improvements in valuable traits such as growth rate and biomass are obtained. In addition, these trees also have longer xylem fibers than unmodified wild type plants. Long fibres are very desirable in the production of strong paper, but it has not (as yet) proved possible to influence this trait by traditional breeding techniques. A further advantage of the present invention is that it may reduce or eliminate the use of growth influencing chemicals in forestry.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.