Abstract: The invention provides a transgenic plant, which expresses a transgene encoding a citrate synthase (CS) wherein the transgenic plant is characterized by increased yield when compared to an isoline that does not express the transgene; and also provides methods of producing transgenic plants with economically relevant traits and provides expression vectors comprising polynucleotides encoding Citrate Synthase.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to methods for preparing plants, plant cells, or plant parts with increased content in one or more of protein, oil, or one or more amino acids. The invention also relates to transgenic plants comprising multiple genes of interest including a nucleic acid molecule encoding a polypeptide having pyruvate kinase activity and a nucleic acid molecule encoding a trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) homolog. Expression cassettes for achieving such gene expression manipulation, as well as recombinant constructs, vectors and plants, plant cells, or plant parts comprising the same, are also provided. Plants, plant cells, or plant parts with increased content in one or more of protein, oil, or one or more amino acids thus obtained may be useful in preparing foodstuffs and animal feeds and in plant breeding programs for developing further hybrid or inbred lines.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for increasing digestibility and/or crude protein of a plant by modifying lignin biosynthesis of the plant. The methods involve the manipulation of the expression level of genes in the lignin biosynthesis pathway by directly reducing the expression of genes using miRNA or using regulation of transcription factors. Expression cassettes for achieving such gene expression manipulation and transgenic plant cells and plants comprising the constructs and cassettes are also provided. Transcription regulating nucleotide sequences for use in the expression cassettes have also been developed as well as methods of using these sequences and cassettes.

Abstract: The invention provides a transgenic plant, which expresses a transgene encoding a citrate synthase (CS) wherein the transgenic plant seed of the invention is characterized by increased yield and/or enhanced levels of protein, essential amino acids or oil, when compared to an isoline that does not express the transgene; and also provides methods of producing transgenic plants with economically relevant traits and provides expression vectors comprising polynucleotides encoding Citrate Synthase.

Abstract: The invention provides transgenic corn seed, which expresses a gene encoding a double mutant of the E. coli glgC gene in endosperm plastids, wherein the mutant protein has a proline to aspartic acid substitution at amino acid 295 and a glutamic acid to lysine substitution at amino acid 296. The transgenic corn seed of the invention is characterized by enhanced levels of a number of amino acids and oil, when compared to isogenic corn seed, which does not express the transgene in an endosperm plastid. However, the amount of starch in the transgenic corn seed of the invention is decreased or unchanged when compared to the amount of starch in the isogenic control corn seed.

Abstract: This invention provides polynucleotides regulating high level tissue-preferred expression. Compositions comprising the polynucleotides include DNA constructs useful for plant transformation and plants transformed with such DNA constructs. Further provided are methods for the expression of transgenes in plants using the tissue-preferred regulatory elements.

Abstract: The invention relates to hosts containing constructs with genes from the starch pathway. More typically the present invention relates to bacterial hosts that form plant like starches. Additionally the present invention relates to plant hosts that have genes from the starch pathway. The invention further relates to the starches produced by said hosts.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recombinant nucleic acid encoding a hybrid polypeptide which comprises a transit peptide for the translocation of the polypeptide into an appropriate organelles such as plastids, a starch-encapsulating region from maize starch synthase and a payload polypeptide, wherein said payload polypeptide can be either N- or C-terminal to the starch encapsulating region. The invention also relates to the expression vectors comprising said nucleic acid, and hosts comprising the said vector. Also, the invention encompasses methods of producing the hybrid polypeptide thereof from starch and particularly from starch granules, and industrial uses of the payload polypeptide recombinantly produced in said hybrid polypeptide wherein said payload polypeptide is a biologically active molecule.

Abstract: The invention relates to hosts containing constructs with genes from the starch pathway. More typically the present invention relates to bacterial hosts that form plant like starches. Additionally the present invention relates to plant hosts that have genes from the starch pathway. The invention further relates to the starches produced by said hosts.

Abstract: The invention provides transgenic corn seed, which expresses a gene encoding a double mutant of the E. coli glgC gene in endosperm plastids, wherein the mutant protein has a proline to aspartic acid substitution at amino acid 295 and a glutamic acid to lysine substitution at amino acid 296. The transgenic corn seed of the invention is characterized by enhanced levels of a number of amino acids and oil, when compared to isogenic corn seed, which does not express the transgene in an endosperm plastid. However, the amount of starch in the transgenic corn seed of the invention is decreased or unchanged when compared to the amount of starch in the isogenic control corn seed.

Abstract: Hybrid polypeptides are provided formed with encapsulating regions from genes that encode for anabolic proteins. More particularly, the present invention relates to recombinant nucleic acid molecules that code for genes which encapsulate an attached protein within a matrix; preferably, these genes encapsulate a desired (“payload”) polypeptide within starch, and more specifically within the starch granule matrix. Expression vectors comprising these recombinant nucleic acid molecules, and hosts therefor, and more specifically the starch-bearing portions of such hosts, transformed with such vectors, are also provided. Preferably, grain containing a foreign protein encapsulated within the starch is provided, useful to produce mammalian, fish and avian food. The invention also encompasses methods of producing purified protein from starch and particularly from starch granules, and industrial uses of such protein.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for changing the glucan chain lengths using fusion protein domains of various starch synthase enzymes in any starch or starch granule producing organism. The invention relates to identification of a GLucan ASSociation domain (herein after referred to as “GLASS” domain) of granule bound starch synthase (GBSS) used in combination with any other GLYcosyl TRransferase domain otherwise referred to as pfam00534-catalytic domain (herein after referred to as “GLYTR” domain) of one or more of any of the other starch synthase enzymes. The invention relates to identifying and using the new and surprising discovery that starch synthases are composed of at least two distinct functional domains herein after labeled as “GLASS” and “GLYTR”. More specifically, this invention relates to the genetic constructs that encode the fusions of the above domains and to the plants transformed with said constructs.

Abstract: This invention relates to hosts containing constructs with genes from the starch pathway. More typically the present invention relates to bacterial hosts that form plant like starches. Additionally the present invention relates to plant hosts that have genes from the starch pathway. The invention further relates to the starches produced by said hosts.

Abstract: Hybrid polypeptides are provided formed with encapsulating regions from genes that encode for anabolic proteins. More particularly, the present invention relates to recombinant nucleic acid molecules that code for genes which encapsulate an attached protein within a matrix; preferably, these genes encapsulate a desired ("payload") polypeptide within starch, and more specifically within the starch granule matrix. Expression vectors comprising these recombinant nucleic acid molecules, and hosts therefor, and more specifically the starch-bearing portions of such hosts, transformed with such vectors, are also provided. Preferably, grain containing a foreign protein encapsulated within the starch is provided, useful to produce mammalian, fish and avian food. The invention also encompasses methods of producing purified protein from starch and particularly from starch granules, and industrial uses of such protein.

Abstract: A method of producing a plant with novel starch-synthesising ability comprises stably incorporating into the genome of a recipient plant at least one target gene encoding an enzyme involved in a starch or glycogen biosynthetic pathway. A plant with novel starch-synthesising ability may have novel starch quality (eg altered fine structure). Starch or glycogen biosynthetic enzymes include soluble starch synthase, branching enzyme, glycogen synthase, ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, self-glucosylating protein, glycogenin and amylogenin. Mutants involving said enzymes for use in this method are described, including specific gene-dosage combinations which provide novel starch fine structures and starch properties. DNA constructs for use in this method are described, as well as plants transformed with said DNA constructs, the seeds and progeny of such plants, and hybrids whose pedigree includes such plants.