An object of the present invention is to provide enhancers useful in enhancing the transcription activity of promoters.

(i) A polynucleotide comprising a sequence of at least 20 consecutive nucleotides in the region of nucleotides 201 to 300 in SEQ ID NO: 1; or (ii) a polynucleotide that consists of a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identify to that of the polynucleotide (i), and has an effect to enhance promoter transcription activity, is used as an enhancer.

Compositions and methods are provided for agronomic trait modification of a target sequence in the genome of a plant or plant cell. The methods and compositions employ a guide RNA/Cas endonuclease system to provide an effective system for modifying or altering target sites within a genomic region of a plant, plant cell or seed to provide improvement in a desirable agronomic trait such as drought, yield, and stress tolerance. Breeding methods for selecting plants utilizing a two component RNA guide and Cas endonuclease system are also disclosed. Compositions and methods are also provided for editing a nucleotide sequence in the genome of a cell.

Methods are provided for genome editing. On example method includes editing a genome sequence of an organism with multiple edits simultaneously without precise knowledge of a phenotypic effect of each individual one of the multiple edits, wherein the multiple edits are selected based on a prediction of an aggregate phenotypic effect of the multiple edits on a phenotypic trait. The method also includes aggregating the multiple edits into multi-dimensional pools, whereby phenotypic effects of contrasting pools of edits are compared to ascertain which of the multiple edits are most likely to be causing large phenotypic effects while eliminating need to evaluate each edit separately. The organism may include one of: maize, soybean, wheat, sorghum, rice, cotton, rapeseed, sunflower, bean, tomato, squash, cucumber, melon, pepper, watermelon, eggplant, okra, pea, chickpea, lentil, peanut, onion, carrot, celery, beet, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprout, radish, black-eyed pea, potato, sweet-potato, sugar cane, cassava, and banana.

The present invention relates to OsNF-YA5 gene from Oryza sativa for increasing nitrogen availability of plant and uses thereof. Since the OsNF-YA5 gene of the present invention can increase or improve nitrogen availability of a plant, it can be advantageously used for developing a plant which enables lesser consumption of nitrogen fertilizer while maintaining the same plant yield, i.e., an environment friendly plant with lower production cost.

The present disclosure provides a viral-mediated genome-editing platform that facilitates multiplexing, obviates stable transformation, and is applicable across plant species. The RNA2 genome of the tobacco rattle virus (TRV) was engineered to carry and systemically deliver a guide RNA molecules into plants overexpressing Cas9 endonuclease. High genomic modification frequencies were observed in inoculated as well as systemic leaves including the plant growing points. This system facilitates multiplexing and can lead to germinal transmission of the genomic modifications in the progeny, thereby obviating the requirements of repeated transformations and tissue culture. The editing platform of the disclosure is useful in plant genome engineering and applicable across plant species amenable to viral infections for agricultural biotechnology applications.

Provided are isolated polypeptides which are at least 80% homologous to SEQ ID NOs: 710-1153 and 9276-15726, isolated polynucleotides which are at least 80% identical to SEQ ID NOs: 1-709 and 1157-9275, nucleic acid constructs comprising same, transgenic cells expressing same, transgenic plants expressing same and method of using same for increasing yield, abiotic stress tolerance, growth rate, biomass, vigor, oil content, photosynthetic capacity, seed yield, fiber yield, fiber quality, fiber length, and/or nitrogen use efficiency of a plant.

Transgenic seed for crops with enhanced agronomic traits are provided by trait-improving recombinant DNA in the nucleus of cells of the seed where plants grown from such transgenic seed exhibit one or more enhanced traits as compared to a control plant. Of particular interest are transgenic plants that have increased yield. The present invention also provides recombinant DNA molecules for expression of a protein, and recombinant DNA molecules for suppression of a protein.

Methods of modifying plants by amplifying native or introducing extrachromosomal circular plant DNA comprising one or more exogenous or endogenous genes conferring an agronomically useful trait when expressed in a plant, or disrupting the association or tethering of endogenous extrachromosomal circular plant DNA with endogenous chromosomes in a plant to change one or more plant traits.

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 a recombinant DNA molecule comprising a DNA molecule operably linked to heterologous transcribable DNA molecule, as are methods of their use.

Compositions and methods for increasing plant growth for higher crop yield are provided. The methods involve the expression in a plant of interest of at least one C4 transporter coding sequence. Plants showing increased expression of one or more C4 transporter coding sequence of interest are encompassed by the invention. It is recognized that any method for increasing the expression of the C4 transporter coding sequences in a plant of interest can be used in the practice of the methods disclosed herein. Such methods include transformation, breeding and the like. Increased expression of the C4 transporter coding sequences in the plant of interest results in yield gains. Expression cassettes and vectors comprising the C4 transporter sequences disclosed herein are also provided herein. Methods for identifying genes under positive selection in plants that use C4 photosynthesis are disclosed and provided herein.