The present invention relates generally to the field of recombinant fatty acid synthesis, particularly in transgenic plants. The application describes genes involved in fatty acid synthesis and provides methods and vectors for the manipulation of fatty acid composition of plant oils. In particular, the invention provides constructs for achieving the integration of multiple heterologous genes involved in fatty acid synthesis into the plant genome, such that the resulting plants produce altered levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Also described are methods for enhancing the expression of fatty acid biosynthesis enzymes by co-expressing a silencing suppressor within the plant storage organ.

The present invention relates to methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, in recombinant cells such as yeast or plant cells. Also provided are recombinant cells or plants which produce long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a group of new enzymes which possess desaturase or elongase activity that can be used in methods of synthesizing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. In particular, the present invention provides ω3 destaurases, Δ5 elongases and Δ6 desaturases with novel activities. Also provided are methods and DNA constructs for transiently and/or stably transforming cells, particularly plant cells, with multiple genes.

Methods for producing in a plant a complex transgenic trait locus comprising at least two altered target sequences in a genomic region of interest are disclosed. The methods involve the use of two or more double-strand-break-inducing agents, each of which can cause a double-strand break in a target sequence in the genomic region of interest which results in an alteration in the target sequence. Also disclosed are complex transgenic trait loci in plants. A complex transgenic trait locus comprises at least two altered target sequences that are genetically linked to a polynucleotide of interest. Plants, plant cells, plant parts, and seeds comprising one or more complex transgenic trait loci are also disclosed.

Provided herein are methods for increasing plant cell transformation efficiency. These methods include exposing the plant cells to a liquid medium containing a surfactant. Following exposure to the surfactant-containing medium, the cells can become more amenable to transformation and may be genetically transformed using methods known in the art. Exposure of the cells to the surfactant-containing medium prior to transformation can increase plant transformation efficiency when compared to transformation efficiency of cells not exposed to the surfactant-containing medium.

A method of in vivo assembly of a recombinant micelle including: introducing a plasmid into a plant cell, wherein: the plasmid includes a segment of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) for encoding a ribonucleic acid (RNA) for a protein in a casein micelle, the segment of DNA is transcribed and translated; forming recombinant casein proteins in the plant cell, wherein: the recombinant casein proteins include a κ-casein and at least one of an αS.sub.1-casein, an αS.sub.2-casein, a β-casein; and assembling in vivo a recombinant micelle within the plant cell, wherein: an outer layer of the recombinant micelle is enriched with the κ-casein, an inner matrix of the recombinant micelle include at least one of the αS.sub.1-casein, the αS.sub.2-casein, the β-casein.

A method to prevent, inhibit or treat soft rot in a vegetable, fruit or ornamental plant is provided, as well as compositions comprising one or more isolated quorum quenching lactonases.

This invention relates to methods and materials for modulating the characteristics of a plant, said plant having been heterologously disposed to an endophyte or a plurality of endophytes, or derived from a plant reproductive element heterologously disposed to an endophyte or a plurality of endophytes.

There is described herein a plant cell comprising: (i) a polynucleotide comprising, consisting or consisting essentially of a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 3 or SEQ ID NO: 9 or SEQ ID NO: 11 or SEQ ID NO: 17 or SEQ ID NO: 19 or SEQ ID NO: 21 or SEQ ID NO: 23; or a polynucleotide comprising, consisting or consisting essentially of a sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 5 or SEQ ID NO: 7 or SEQ ID NO: 13 or SEQ ID NO: 15; (ii) a polypeptide encoded by the polynucleotide set forth in (i); (iii) a polypeptide comprising, consisting or consisting essentially of a sequence having at least 94% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 2; or at least 93% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 4; or least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 6; or at least 96% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 8; or at least 93% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 10 or SEQ ID NO: 12; or at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 14; or at least 96% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 16; or at least 89% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 18; or at least 92% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 20; or at least 93% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 22; or at least 94% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 24; or (iv) a construct, vector or expression vector comprising the isolated polynucleotide set forth in (i), wherein said plant cell comprises at least one modification which modulates the expression or activity of the polynucleotide or the polypeptide as compared to a control plant cell in which the expression or activity of the polynucleotide or polypeptide has not been modified.

Disclosed are a nucleic acid molecule, a polypeptide having epoxy group-removing catalytic activity and use thereof. According to the invention, by means of genetic engineering, the nucleic acid molecule encoding a de-epoxidation protein is expressed in a plant, so that an epoxy group of a trichothecene mycotoxin is removed, and the toxin amount in the plant is reduced. The polypeptide of the invention is capable of catalyzing a reaction between vomitoxin and glutathione under mild conditions to remove epoxy groups to produce a glutathionylated derivative.

The present invention relates to excision of explant material comprising meristematic tissue from seeds, and storage of such material prior to subsequent use in plant tissue culture and genetic transformation. Methods for tissue preparation, storage, and transformation are disclosed, as is transformable meristem tissue produced by such methods, and apparati for tissue preparation.