Plant metabolism and alkaloid levels can be regulated by transcription factors that regulate the nicotinic alkaloid biosynthetic pathway. In one embodiment, the disclosure provides a transcription factor that negatively regulates alkaloid biosynthesis, such as nicotine biosynthesis.

A method for modifying a plant includes coating a microparticle with at least one type of nucleic acid and/or at least one type of a protein, bombarding a shoot apex of a plant with the coated microparticle, growing the shoot apex bombarded with the coated microparticle to obtain a plant body, and selecting a modified plant body from the plant body. The shoot apex is selected from the group consisting of a shoot apex of an embryo of a fully mature seed, a shoot apex of a young bud, a shoot apex of a terminal bud or a lateral bud, and a shoot apex of an immature embryo.

Disclosed herein are polypeptides, polynucleotides encoding, cells and organisms comprising novel DNA-binding domains, including TALE DNA-binding domains. Also disclosed are methods of using these novel DNA-binding domains for modulation of gene expression and/or genomic editing of endogenous cellular sequences.

Gene editing complexes are specifically directed to cannabinoid sequences, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), for excision or inactivation of these sequences. The disclosure is directed to the inhibition of synthesis of THC in a cannabis plant. In doing so, THC would never become an active compound within the plant chemistry and chemotype, thereby eliminating the chance of CBD extracts being contaminated with THC.

The present invention relates to methods and hybrids for the targeted modification of a nucleic acid-target region in a plant target structure using CRISPR/Cas systems. The invention specifically relates to methods and hybrids for directly obtaining a plant or plant material which comprises an editing of a nucleic acid introduced in a targeted manner into a meristematic cell. The hybrids can be introduced in a transient and/or stable manner. The invention also relates to novel plant-optimized introduction strategies. The invention further relates to a method for carrying out an in vitro screening assay in order to first check the suitable gRNA candidates in vitro with respect to their efficiency.

Compositions and methods are provided for the use of pollen-inhibitor genes and/or color marker genes in accelerated trait introgression. Compositions and methods are also provided for introducing a pollen-inhibitor gene and/or a color marker gene in close proximity to a trait locus of interest. Breeding methods and methods for selecting plants comprising a trait locus of interest in close proximity to at least one pollen-inhibitor gene and/or color marker gene are also disclosed. The methods and compositions employ at least one pollen-inhibitor gene and/or color marker gene to provide an effective system for accelerated trait introgression in the genome of a plant.

The present disclosure provides the identification of genes involved in sucker growth in tobacco. Also provided are promoters that are preferentially active in tobacco axillary buds. Also provided are modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth.

There is described herein a plant cell comprising: (i) a polynucleotide comprising, consisting or consisting essentially of a sequence having at least 81% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 5 (NtINV4-S) or at least 62% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 7 (NtINV4-T); (ii) a polypeptide encoded by the polynucleotide set forth in (i); (iii) a polypeptide comprising, consisting or consisting essentially of a sequence having at least 85% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 6 (NtINV4-S) or at least 85% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 8 (NtINV4-T); or (iv) a construct, vector or expression vector comprising the isolated polynucleotide set forth in (i), wherein said plant cell comprises at least one modification which modulates (a) the expression or activity of the polynucleotide or (b) the expression or activity of the polynucleotide the polypeptide, as compared to a control plant cell in which the expression or activity of the polynucleotide or polypeptide has not been modified.

The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods related to using the CAST system to provide targeted transposition of desired sequences into plant genomes. Several embodiments relate to a method for producing a megalocus on a plant chromosome comprising: (a) obtaining a plant comprising a first locus, wherein the first locus comprises an endogenous trait locus or a transgene; (b) providing to the plant tnsB, tnsC, tniQ, Cast 2k, a guide nucleic acid and a donor cassette; and (c) selecting a progeny plant produced from step (b) wherein targeted transposition of the donor cassette has occurred at a second locus targeted by the guide nucleic acid, wherein the first and second locus are genetically linked but physically separate.

Compositions and methods are provided for an inducible, high efficiency intra-genomic homologous recombination (IGHR) system in plants, that can be used for non-chimeric, heritable gene targeting. The advantage of IGHR approach to targeted integration is that every cell contains donor DNA and nuclease-encoding sequences, so that there are many potentially homology-directed targeting events that can occur during plant development.