A method of expressing heterologous expansin in a plant cell is provided where a nucleic acid molecule encoding expansin is introduced into the plant cell and in an embodiment is operably linked to a promoter preferentially expressing in the seed tissue of the plant, and in another embodiment is linked to a promoter preferentially expressing in the embryo tissue of the seed. An embodiment provides the nucleic acid molecule is operably linked to a second nucleic acid molecule that directs expression to the endoplasmic reticulum, vacuole or cell wall. Plants and plant parts expressing expansin are provided. An assay for detection of expansin activity is also provided.

Methods of extracting ribonucleic acid from plant tissue involve treating multiple groups of plant seeds with different plant growth regulators. Each group of plant seeds can be treated with a different plant growth regulator. Methods further involve germinating the plant seeds to form seedlings, harvesting tissue samples from subgroups within each group of plant seeds and seedlings at different timepoints, and extracting total RNA from each harvested tissue sample. Methods can also involve sequencing the extracted RNA, determining an expression level of a plurality of genes relative to a negative control, and identifying a subset of differentially expressed genes at each distinct timepoint.

Provided herein are genetically-altered Solanaceae plants, compositions related to the Solanaceae plants, and methods of making the Solanaceae plants.

The present invention relates to transgenic plants that have increased nitrogen use efficiency, stress tolerance, and/or alleviating a limitation such that yield is increased, or a combination of these and that have been transformed using a novel vector construct including a synthetic isocitrate dehydrogenase (icdh) gene that modulates nitrogen use in plants. The invention also relates to stacking the icdh gene with other exogenous or heterologous genes that modulate nitrogen use in the plant, including a N-acetylglutamate kinase gene. The invention also relates to methods of expressing in plants the nucleic acid molecules corresponding to the nucleic acid sequences that modulate nitrogen use in plants or are modulated by nitrogen conditions.

The present application relates to a method of producing drimenol and/or drimenol derivatives by comprising contacting at least one polypeptide with farnesyl diphosphate (FPP). The method may be performed in vitro or in vivo. Also provided are amino acid sequences of polypeptides useful in the methods and nucleic acids encoding the polypeptides described. The method further provides host cells or organisms genetically modified to express the polypeptides and useful to produce drimenol and/or derivatives of drimenol.

The present subject matter relates to methods and compositions for identifying soybean plants that having increased Phytophthora root and stem rot resistance. The methods use molecular markers to identify and to select plants with increased Phytophthora root and stem rot resistance or to identify and deselect plants with decreased Phytophthora root and stem rot resistance. Soybean plants generated by the methods disclosed are also a feature of the present subject matter.

A nuclear maize gene is mutated to result in dominant male sterility. Two mutants are provided which impact signal peptide processing. Restoration constructs and methods are provided for use of the dominant male-sterile mutants in producing hybrid seed for male-sterile hybrid plants. Other signal-peptide modifications are provided. Orthologs of the wild type or mutated gene in various species are provided.

Compositions and methods for modulating male fertility in a plant are provided. Compositions comprise nucleotide sequences, and active fragments and variants thereof, which modulate male fertility. Further provided are expression cassettes comprising the male fertility polynucleotides, or active fragments or variants thereof, operably linked to a promoter, wherein expression of the polynucleotides modulates the male fertility of a plant. Various methods are provided wherein the level and/or activity of the sequences that influence male fertility is modulated in a plant or plant part. In certain embodiments, the plant is polyploid.

The corn genes ZmSPL1 and ZmSPL2 are provided. The proteins encoded by these genes and the uses of these genes are also provided.

Provided are isolated polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs which comprise a nucleic acid sequence at least 80% identical to a nucleic acid sequence selected form the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 277, 1-276, 278-469 and 785-2397; and isolated polypeptides which comprise an amino acid sequence at least 80% homologous to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 482, 470-481, 483-784 and 2398-3818. Also provided are transgenic cells and plants expressing same and methods of using same for increasing nitrogen use efficiency, yield, biomass, growth rate, vigor, oil content, fiber yield, fiber quality, and/or abiotic stress tolerance of a plant.