The invention provides specific transgenic cotton plants, plant material and seeds, characterized in that these products harbor a specific herbicide tolerance transformation event at a specific location in the cotton genome. Tools are also provided which allow rapid and unequivocal identification of the event in biological samples.

The present invention refers to a method for controlling undesired vegetation at a plant cultivation site, the method comprising the steps of providing, at said site, a plant that comprises at least one nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a wild-type hydroxyphenyl pyruvate dioxygenase or a mutated hydroxyphenyl pyruvate dioxygenase (mut-HPPD) which is resistant or tolerant to a HPPD-inhibiting herbicide and/or a nucleotide sequence encoding a wild-type homogentisate solanesyl transferase or a mutated homogentisate solanesyl transferase (mut-HST) which is resistant or tolerant to a HPPD-inhibiting herbicide, applying to said site an effective amount of said herbicide. The invention further refers to plants comprising mut-HPPD, and methods of obtaining such plants.

The biological production of beta-hydroxyisovalerate (βHIV) using at least one non-natural enzyme. The non-natural enzyme for the biologically-derived βHIV provides more beta-hydroxyisovalerate synthase activity than the wild-type parent. The non-natural enzyme having one or more modifications of substrate-specificity positions. The non-natural enzyme can be expressed in a microorganism, such as a yeast or bacteria, wherein the microorganism comprises an active βHIV metabolic pathway for the production of βHIV. Alternatively, the non-natural enzyme can be a βHIV synthase used to produce βHIV in a cell-free environment. The biological derivation of βHIV eliminates toxic by-products and impurities that result from the chemical production of βHIV, such that βHIV produced by a non-natural enzyme prior to any isolation or purification process has not been in substantial contact with any halogen-containing component.

A method for conferring tolerance to a 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitor herbicide in a plant includes reducing expression of at least one HPPD enzyme in the plant.

The invention provides specific transgenic cotton plants, plant material and seeds, characterized in that these products harbor a specific herbicide tolerance transformation event at a specific location in the cotton genome. Tools are also provided which allow rapid and unequivocal identification of the event in biological samples.

A method for conferring tolerance to a 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitor herbicide in a plant includes reducing expression of at least one HPPD enzyme in the plant.

The present invention relates to a mutant p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) protein or a bioactive fragment thereof and an isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the protein or fragment thereof, wherein the mutant p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) protein or a bioactive fragment thereof retains or enhances the property of catalyzing the conversion of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate (HPP) to homogentisate and is significantly less sensitive to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides than a wild-type HPPD. The present invention also relates to a nucleic acid construct, an expression vector and a host cell comprising the polynucleotide, as well as to a method for producing a plant that has the property of catalyzing the conversion of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate (HPP) to homogentisate and significantly reduced sensitivity to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides.

The present invention belongs to the field of plant genetic engineering. Specifically, the invention relates to a method for creating novel herbicide resistant plants by base editing techniques and a method for screening endogenous gene mutation sites capable of conferring herbicide resistance in plants. The invention also relates to the use of the identified endogenous gene mutantation sites in crop breeding.

Compositions and methods comprising polynucleotides and polypeptides having 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) activity and having insensitivity to an HPPD inhibitor are provided. Further provided are nucleic acid constructs, plants, plant cells, explants, seeds and grain having the HPPD sequences. Various methods of employing the HPPD sequences are provided. Such methods include, for example, methods for producing an HPPD inhibitor tolerant plant, plant cell, explant or seed and methods of controlling weeds in a field containing a crop employing the plants and/or seeds disclosed herein. Methods are also provided to identify additional HPPD variants. Further provided are various methods and compositions that allow the various HPPD polypeptides and variant and fragments thereof to be expressed in a chloroplast or transported to a chloroplast.

The present invention refers to a method for controlling undesired vegetation at a plant cultivation site, the method comprising the steps of providing, at said site, a plant that comprises at least one nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a wild-type hydroxyphenyl pyruvate dioxygenase or a mutated hydroxyphenyl pyruvate dioxygenase (mut-HPPD) which is resistant or tolerant to a HPPD-inhibiting benzamide, applying to said site an effective amount of said benzamide herbicide.