The present invention relates to novel strategies for gradually decreasing the expression of genes by modifying the promoter sequence. Provided are methods for gradually decreasing the expression level of a nucleic acid molecule of interest in a cell, preferably in a plant cell, comprising the step of introducing at least one modification into a promoter sequence, wherein the modification disrupts a core promoter consensus sequence. Furthermore, the invention also provides methods for producing a cell or an organism, preferably a plant cell or a plant, having a decreased expression level of a nucleic acid molecule of interest. The invention also relates to a cell and an organism, preferably a plant cell and a plant, obtained by a method according to the invention.

Compositions and methods related to Cas proteins, nucleic acids encoding the Cas proteins, and modified host cells comprising the Cas proteins and/or encoding nucleic acids are disclosed. Cas proteins are useful in a variety of applications. Cas proteins bind guide RNAs that in turn provide functional specificity to the Cas proteins, nucleic acids encoding the Cas guide RNAs, and modified host cells comprising the Cas guide RNAs and/or encoding nucleic acids. The Cas polypeptides and corresponding guide RNAs can be used in a variety of applications.

The present disclosure relates to recombinant proteins that induce epigenetic gene silencing and to methods of using such proteins for reducing the expression of genes in plants.

This disclosure concerns compositions and methods for increasing the expression of a polynucleotide of interest. Some embodiments concern novel transactivation polypeptides and variants thereof that have been identified in plants, and methods of using the same. Particular embodiments concern the use of at least one DNA-binding polypeptide in a fusion protein to target at least one transactivation polypeptide or variant thereof to a specific binding site on a nucleic acid comprising the polynucleotide of interest, such that its expression may be increased.

This disclosure concerns synthetic polynucleotides encoding a polypeptide of interest that are particularly well-suited for expression in target plants.

This disclosure provides recombinant DNA constructs and transgenic plants having enhanced traits such as increased yield, increased nitrogen use efficiency, and enhanced drought tolerance or water use efficiency. Transgenic plants may include field crops as well as plant propagules, plant parts and progeny of such transgenic plants. Methods of making and using such transgenic plants are also provided. This disclosure also provides methods of producing seed from such transgenic plants, growing such seed, and selecting progeny plants with enhanced traits. Also disclosed are transgenic plants with altered phenotypes which are useful for screening and selecting transgenic events for the desired enhanced trait.

The present disclosure relates generally to targeted gene editing constructs, including methods of designing a DNA-recognition moiety for modulation of gene expression in plants, DNA-recognition moieties, gene editing constructs, methods for the modulation of gene expression in plants using gene editing constructs, and plants or regenerable plant cells produced therefrom.

The invention provides recombinant DNA molecules and constructs, as well as their nucleotide sequences, useful for modulating gene expression in plants. The invention also provides transgenic plants, plant cells, plant parts, and seeds comprising the recombinant DNA molecules operably linked to heterologous transcribable DNA molecules. Also provided are methods of the use of the recombinant DNA molecules and constructs and the transgenic plants, plant cells, plant parts, and seeds comprising the recombinant DNA molecules and constructs.

Plants are created with desired traits by conveniently and rapidly inhibiting methylation of target DNA in plants, without using recombination technology. Scaffold RNA produced by transcription of target DNA is cleaved in an RNA-directed DNA methylation mechanism.

This disclosure provides genetically modified plants, plant cells and plant tissues that show modified lignin content and/or sugar release as compared to a wild type control plant which was not genetically modified. In addition, the disclosure provides methods of regulating lignin content and sugar release in a plant. The disclosure also provides methods of producing bioproducts using the genetically modified plants of the instant disclosure.