Compositions and methods are provided for introducing transgenic target sites for Site Specific Integration (SSI) and/or polynucleotides of interest into at least one double-strand break target site of a double-strand-break inducing agent in a genomic window of a plant genome. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing a complex trait locus in a genomic window of a plant comprising at least one transgenic target site for site specific integration integrated in at least double-strand-break target site. The double-strand-break target site can be, but is not limited to, a target site for a zinc finger endonuclease, an engineered endonuclease, a meganuclease, a TALENs and/or a Cas endonuclease. The genomic window of said plant can comprise at least one genomic locus of interest such as a trait cassette, a transgene, a mutated gene, a native gene, an edited gene or a site-specific integration (SSI) target site.

The invention relates to a genetically modified cereal plant having a recombinant DNA construct comprising a gene encoding a polypeptide having aspartyl protease activity (EC 3.4.23.12) whose expression, particularly in grain, confers enhanced fungal disease resistance as compared to a parent cereal plant from which said genetically modified cereal plant was derived. The invention further relates to a method for producing a genetically modified cereal plant of the invention comprising transforming one or more cells of a parent cereal plant with the recombinant DNA construct; as well as a method for manufacturing the genetically modified grain for production of a crop of genetically modified cereal plants which exhibit increased resistance to a fungal disease due to expression of the recombinant DNA construct. Furthermore, use of grain produced by a genetically modified cereal plant of the invention includes the manufacture of a composition, comprising a milled grain composition, an animal fodder, or steam-pelleted animal fodder.

Recombinant DNA molecules and constructs including sequences derived from Tripsacum dactyloides are provided, which are useful for modulating gene expression in plants. Transgenic plants, plant cells, plant parts, and seeds are also provided, comprising a recombinant DNA molecule operably linked to a heterologous transcribable DNA molecule, as well as methods of their use.

Method of increasing protein content in a eukaryotic cell comprising an NF-YC4 gene comprising modifying the transcriptional repressor binding site; method of producing a plant with increased protein content comprising crossing and selecting for increased protein content; method of increasing resistance to a pathogen or a pest in a plant cell or plant comprising an NF-YC4 gene comprising modifying the transcriptional repressor binding site, alone or in further combination with expressing QQS in the plant cell or plant; method for producing a plant with increased resistance to a pathogen or a pest comprising crossing and selecting for increased resistance to the pathogen or the pest; a cell, collection of cells, tissue, organ, or organism, such as a plant, in which the NF-YC4 gene comprises a promoter comprising a transcriptional repressor binding site that has been modified so that the transcriptional repressor cannot prevent transcription of the NF-YC4; plants and hybrids thereof; and seeds.

This invention relates to compositions and methods for modifying Growth Regulating Factor (GRF) family transcription factors in soybean plants to produce soybean plants having improved pathogen resistance, optionally with improved or maintained yield traits, and/or soybean plants having improved yield traits without loss of pathogen resistance. The invention further relates to soybean plants produced using the methods and compositions of the invention.

Provided are double stranded polyribonucleotides, expression systems, host cells and methods for controlling animal pests, in paricular insect pests, via RNAi-mediated gene silencing. The animal pest is contacted with a double-stranded RNA from outside the cell(s) of the animal pest and the double-stranded

RNA is taken up by the animal pest. In particular, the methods of the invention are used to alleviate plants from insect pests. Suitable insect target genes for RNAi-mediated gene silencing are disclosed.

The present application relates to a compositions and methods comprising or expressing a hevamine A-related MoMo30 protein from Momordica balsamina. The MoMo30 protein is about 30 kDa in size, is stable after being autoclaved at 120° C. for 30 min, resists proteolytic cleavage by trypsin, exhibits mannose-sensitive binding to HIV gp120, exhibits hemagglutinin and chitinase activity, is capable of activating and stimulating T cell proliferation, is capable of preventing infection by HIV-1 or alleviating symptoms in an HIV-1 infected patients, and comprises an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4. The MoMo30 protein and/or a nucleic acid encoding the same may be used in methods for preventing or treating microbial infections by HIV, SARS-CoV-2 and other enveloped viruses, as well as other microorganisms comprising cell surface proteins containing glycan residues, such as mannose.

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, as are methods of their use.

Bacterial plant pathogens such as Xanthomonas sp. and Pseudomonas syringae are developing resistance to various classes of antibiotics. A method and system for combating plant pathogenic bacterial infections have been provided. The system is configured to provide strategies to combat infections in plants caused by multi-drug resistant (MDR) plant pathogens. The strategy involves identifying potential target sites in the plant pathogen, which can be utilized to compromise its multiple virulence or essential functions at the same time. The idea used in this disclosure utilizes the fact that a conserved stretch of nucleotide sequence occurring multiple times on a pathogen genome in genomic neighborhood of genes encoding virulence factors or in vicinity of genes essential for pathogen survival encoded within the genome of the candidate pathogen can be targeted to disrupt the overall genetic machinery of the plant pathogen.

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, as are methods of their use.