The present invention provides a method of synthesizing celosianin II, a method of synthesizing a betaxanthin, an amyloid-β polymerization inhibitor or a therapeutic or preventive agent for Alzheimer's, an amyloid peptide aggregation inhibitor, and an HIV-1 protease activity inhibitor. A gene having a celosianin II synthesis ability has been isolated from quinoa, and a method of synthesizing celosianin II of the present invention has been constructed. Besides, it has been recognized that celosianin II or the like serves as an active ingredient of each of an amyloid-β polymerization inhibitor or a therapeutic or preventive agent for Alzheimer's, an amyloid peptide aggregation inhibitor, and an HIV-1 protease activity inhibitor.

Genetically modified plants and methods of detecting diseases by a relevant color change in the genetically modified plant compared to a non-genetically modified plant are provided. Also disclosed is a system for remote detection of pathogens on crops and a methods for treating crops under a pathogenic attack.

Transgenic plants with blue flower color, or their inbred or outbred progeny, or their propagules, partial plant bodies, tissues or cells, are provided. A buckwheat-derived C-glucosyltransferase (CGT) gene or its homolog is transferred into a host plant to cause delphinidin-type anthocyanins and flavone mono-C-glycosides to be copresent in the plant cells.

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.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for modifying a predetermined nucleic acid sequence. A programmable nucleoprotein molecular complex containing a polypeptide moiety and a specificity conferring nucleic acid (SCNA) which assembles in-vivo, in a target cell, and is capable of interacting with the predetermined target nucleic acid sequence is provided. The programmable nucleoprotein molecular complex is capable of specifically modifying and/or editing a target site within the target nucleic acid sequence and/or modifying the function of the target nucleic acid sequence.

The invention provides Angelonia plants comprising a recessive amf1-1 allele that confers to the plant a desired flower color, wherein said flower color is of a higher intensity when at least two copies of said allele are present in a plant when compared to the flower color of a plant lacking said at least two alleles and methods for producing a plant produced by crossing such plants with themselves or with another plant, such as a plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by crossing Angelonia plants comprising a recessive amf1-1 allele. The invention further relates to parts of such plants.

The present invention generally relates to the field of genetic engineering and obtaining transgenic traits for agronomic applications. More specifically, the present invention relates to a specific transgenic event in agricultural crops that improves plant characteristics. Yet more specifically, the invention relates to a polynucleotide construct comprising a gene from Arabidopsis thaliana. In particular, the polynucleotide construct of the invention comprises the gene AtBBX21 which encodes a B-box protein from Arabidopsis thaliana. The transgenic event of the invention increases green and seed yield, reduces photoinhibition, improves water use efficiency, increases tuber and chlorophyll production and improves photosynthetic rates, among others. The polynucleotide construct of the invention comprises a sequence depicted as SEQ ID NO: 1. The invention also provides a transgenic plant transformed with said polynucleotide construct, wherein said plant exhibits improved characteristics. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the transgenic plant is a potato (Solanum tuberosum) plant that overexpresses a gene from Arabidopsis thaliana, wherein said potato plant exhibits improved characteristics.

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.

The present invention relates to a tomato plant which carries at least one QTL in its genome that leads to its fruits comprising higher levels of anthocyanins when compared to fruits produced by a tomato plant not carrying said QTL in its genome, wherein said fruits are not purple at the red-ripe harvest stage. A tomato plant of the invention may also comprise all QTLs, each either in homozygous or heterozygous form. The invention further relates to progeny of the plant, propagation material for the plant and to markers for identifying the QTLs and their use.

Compositions and methods are provided for the use of pollen-inhibitor genes and/or color marker genes in accelerated trait introgression. Compositions and methods are also provided for introducing a pollen-inhibitor gene and/or a color marker gene in close proximity to a trait locus of interest. Breeding methods and methods for selecting plants comprising a trait locus of interest in close proximity to at least one pollen-inhibitor gene and/or color marker gene are also disclosed. The methods and compositions employ at least one pollen-inhibitor gene and/or color marker gene to provide an effective system for accelerated trait introgression in the genome of a plant.