The present disclosure provides genetic constructs containing a promotor that is useful in driving fruit-specific expression in plants. Further provided are expression vectors, transgenic plants, and plant parts containing such genetic constructs, as well as uses thereof.

This disclosure provides transgenic plants having enhanced traits such as increased yield, enhanced nitrogen use efficiency and enhanced drought tolerance; propagules, progeny and field crops of such transgenic plants; and methods of making and using such transgenic plants. This disclosure also provides methods of producing hybrid 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.

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

The present invention relates to a transcription factor gene that plays a key role in Solanaceae fruit ripening. Plants overexpressing the gene have fruits with deeper pigmentation and ripen more rapidly than controls. The invention also relates to transgenic plants comprising said gene, and methods of making said plants.

This disclosure provides a number of sequences involved in nitrogen utilization, methods of using such sequences, tobacco plants carrying modifications to such sequences, tobacco plants transgenic for such sequences, and tobacco products made from such plants.

A transgenic method of obtaining blue flowers by catalyzing glutamine to synthesize indigo is provided. The steps thereof comprise: 1) respectively cloning a Sfp gene encoding phosphopantetheinyl transferase and a bpsA gene encoding indigo synthase downstream of a plant promoter in a plant-promoter-containing plasmid; 2) amplifying the obtained plasmid in E. coli and then transferring the same to Agrobacterium tumefaciens; and 3) transferring DNA containing Sfp and bpsA into a plant. The blue flowers produced by the present invention have various characteristics of natural flowers, being fresh, flower-scented, non-color-fading, and non-toxic. The transgene-encoded enzyme and the produced indigo are not in the vacuole and are not affected by the low pH of the plant vacuole, thereby resulting in a pure blue color. The precursor of the blue matter, i.e., the substrate of the enzyme, is glutamine, which is abundant in plants. The enzyme catalysis reaction comprises a single step, and the transgenic transformation can be carried out on natural white flowers.

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.

Unique DGC polynucleotides and polypeptides can be used to modify cells, including plant, animal, fungal, and bacterial cells.

Disclosed herein are artificially synthesized nucleic acid constructs to guide an epigenetic modification for at least partially silencing or activating a target gene in an organism such as a plant or seed, and formulations thereof. Also disclosed are methods of applying such nucleic acid constructs to the plant or to the seed. Also disclosed are engineered seeds and plants obtained by the epigenetic modification.

Disclosed herein are artificially synthesized nucleic acid constructs to guide an epigenetic modification for at least partially silencing or activating a target gene in an organism such as a plant or seed, and formulations thereof. Also disclosed are methods of applying such nucleic acid constructs to the plant or to the seed. Also disclosed are engineered seeds and plants obtained by the epigenetic modification.