The invention provides methods and compositions for identifying transgenic seed that contain a transgene of interest, but lack a marker gene. Use of an identification sequence that results in a detectable phenotype increases the efficiency of screening for seed and plants in which transgene sequences not linked to a gene of interest have segregated from the sequence encoding a gene of interest.

The compositions and methods are provided that enhance the selection of transgenic plants having two T-DNA molecules integrated into a plant genome at different physical and genetic loci. The compositions are DNA constructs that comprise novel arrangements of T-DNA molecules containing genes of interest, positive selectable marker genes, and conditional lethal genes. The methods disclosed herein comprises transforming a plant cell to comprise the DNA constructs of the present invention, regenerating the plant cell into a plant and identifying independant transgene loci, where the selectable marker genes or transgenic elements can be segregated in the progeny.

Pairs of plants are provided in which complementing constructs result in suppression of a parental phenotype in the progeny. Methods to generate and maintain such plants and methods of use of said plants, are provided, including use of parental plants to produce sterile plants for hybrid seed production. Also provided are methods for maintaining a homozygous recessive condition and for repressing transmission of transgenes.

The invention relates to plant transcription factor polypeptides, polynucleotides that encode them, homologs from a variety of plant species, and methods of using the polynucleotides and polypeptides to produce transgenic plants having advantageous properties compared to a reference plant. Sequence information related to these polynucleotides and polypeptides can also be used in bioinformatic search methods and is also disclosed.

The disclosure relates to a T-DNA binary vector based on bean yellow dwarf virus (BeYDV) that reduces plant cell death and increases transgene expression. In one aspect, the T-DNA region comprise a replicon cassette comprising a rep gene or a repA gene with a mutated translation initiation region. The disclosure also relates to replicating geminiviral expression system based on BeYDV comprising with an expression cassette a sequence encoding Rep and a sequence encoding the promoter of ubiquitin-3 from potato with ubiquitin fusion; an expression cassette comprising a sequence encoding RepA and a sequence encoding the promoter of ubiquitin-3 from potato with ubiquitin fusion; and an expression cassette comprising a promoter region, a 5′ UTR, a sequence encoding a recombinant protein, and a 3′ UTR. These expression cassettes are on different T-DNA cloning vectors or on one T-DNA cloning vector.

This disclosure describes, in one aspect, a cell that includes a biocontainment system. Generally, the biocontainment system includes a coding region whose overexpression decreases growth of the cell, a transcription regulatory region that includes a silent mutation and is operably linked upstream of the coding region, and a polynucleotide that encodes a programmable transcription activator engineered to bind to the transcription regulatory region in the absence of the silent mutation. Thus, in the absence of the silent mutation, the programmable transcription activator induces overexpression of the coding region; in the presence of the silent mutation, the programmable transcription activator does not initiate overexpression of the coding region.

The present invention belongs to the field of plant genetic engineering. Specifically, the invention relates to a method for base editing in plants. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for performing efficient base editing to a target sequence in the genome of a plant (such as a crop plant) by a Cas9-cytidine deaminase fusion protein, as well as plants produced through said method and progenies thereof.

The invention provides methods and compositions for identifying transgenic seed that contain a transgene of interest, but lack a marker gene. Use of an identification sequence that results in a detectable phenotype increases the efficiency of screening for seed and plants in which transgene sequences not linked to a gene of interest have segregated from the sequence encoding a gene of interest.

This disclosure describes, in one aspect, a cell that includes a biocontainment system. Generally, the biocontainment system includes a coding region whose overexpression decreases growth of the cell, a transcription regulatory region that includes a silent mutation and is operably linked upstream of the coding region, and a polynucleotide that encodes a programmable transcription activator engineered to bind to the transcription regulatory region in the absence of the silent mutation. Thus, in the absence of the silent mutation, the programmable transcription activator induces overexpression of the coding region; in the presence of the silent mutation, the programmable transcription activator does not initiate overexpression of the coding region.

The invention provides methods and compositions for identifying transgenic seed that contain a transgene of interest, but lack a marker gene. Use of an identification sequence that results in a detectable phenotype increases the efficiency of screening for seed and plants in which transgene sequences not linked to a gene of interest have segregated from the sequence encoding a gene of interest.