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; or comprising modulating expression in a plant of a
nucleic acid encoding a
nitrate transporter protein (NRT) or a homologue thereof; or comprising modulating expression in a plant of a
nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide denoted Yield Enhancing
Protein 16 (referred to as YEP16); or comprising modulating expression in a plant of a Group I
glycogen synthase
kinase (Group I shaggy-like
kinase) 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; or having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding a
nitrate transporter protein (NRT) or a homologue thereof; or having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide denoted Yield Enhancing
Protein 16 (hereinafter referred to as YEP16); or having modulated expression of a Group I
glycogen synthase
kinase (Group I shaggy-like kinase) 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.