The present invention relates to a modified watermelon PPO gene, the wild type of which is identified as SEQ ID NO: 1, encoding the protein of SEQ ID NO: 5, or the wild type of which encodes a protein that has at least 90% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 5, wherein the modified PPO gene comprises one or more nucleotides replaced, inserted and/or deleted relative to the wild type, and wherein said one or more replaced, inserted and/or deleted nucleotides result in an absence of functional PPO protein. The present invention further relates to a watermelon plant which may comprise the modified PPO gene, wherein the homozygous presence of the modified PPO gene confers a pale seed color to the plant. The present invention also relates to methods for selecting, producing or the use of the watermelon plant of 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.

Materials and methods for inducing genetic alterations in meristematic plant tissue are provided herein.

The invention is directed to methods involved in the production of flavonoids, anthocyanins and other organic compounds. The invention provides cells engineered for the production of flavonoids, anthocyanins and other organic compounds, where the engineered cells include one or more genetic modifications that increase flavonoid production by increasing metabolic flux to flavonoid precursors and/or reducing carbon losses resulting from the production of byproducts.

The invention provides a compositions and methods for controlling phenotypic traits in plants. Genes of interest are placed under the control of a gene switch to allow inducible control or expression of a gene of interest “on-demand” by treatment of the plant with a chemical ligand.

The object of an embodiment of the present invention is to improve the quality of a tobacco product. The present invention relates to a tobacco plant in which a mutation is introduced in a genome, the mutation causing suppression of a function of a specific endogenous gene.

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

The present disclosure discloses a mutant of a lycopene epsilon cyclase (Lcye) gene crucial in a wheat carotenoid synthesis pathway and use thereof. The present disclosure provides the following proteins: (1) a protein obtained by substituting serine at position 253 of an Lcye-D1 protein with phenylalanine; (2) a derived protein that is obtained by subjecting the protein in (1) to substitution and/or deletion and/or addition of one or more amino acid residues and has the same ability as the protein in (1); (3) a protein that has a homology of more than 99%, more than 95%, more than 90%, more than 85%, or more than 80% with the amino acid sequence defined in any one of (1) and (2) and has the same function as the amino acid sequence; and (4) a fusion protein obtained by attaching a tag to N-terminus and/or C-terminus of the protein in any one of (1) to (3). The present disclosure not only verifies the function of an Lcye gene, but also provides a theoretical basis and a germplasm resource for improving the color character of flour and products thereof.

The invention provides glyphosate-tolerant transgenic turfgrass plants, plant material, and propagules that have a specific transformation event. Also provided are assays for detecting the presence of the event.

Compositions and methods for modifying genomic DNA sequences are provided. The methods produce double-stranded breaks (DSBs) at pre-determined target sites in a genomic DNA sequence, resulting in mutation, insertion, and/or deletion of DNA sequences at the target site(s) in a genome. Compositions comprise DNA constructs comprising nucleotide sequences that encode a Cms1 protein operably linked to a promoter that is operable in the cells of interest. The DNA constructs can be used to direct the modification of genomic DNA at pre-determined genomic loci. Methods to use these DNA constructs to modify genomic DNA sequences are described herein. Additionally, compositions and methods for modulating the expression of genes are provided. Compositions comprise DNA constructs comprising a promoter that is operable in the cells of interest operably linked to nucleotide sequences that encode a mutated Cms1 protein with an abolished ability to produce DSBs, optionally linked to a domain that regulates transcriptional activity. The methods can be used to up- or down-regulate the expression of genes at predetermined genomic loci.