Abstract: Methods and materials for modulating (e.g., increasing or decreasing) flavonoid levels in cacao plants are disclosed. For example, nucleic acids encoding flavonoid-modulating polypeptides are disclosed as well as methods for using such nucleic acids to transform plant cells. Also provided are methods for accelerating breeding of Theobroma cacao plants of the porcelana variety with modulated levels of proanthocyanidin, its precursors and it polymers, useful in various medical and skin care products. Also provided are plants having modulated flavonoid levels and plant products produced from plants having modulated flavonoid levels.

Abstract: The invention relates to nucleic acids encoding a zingiberene synthase that enables host cells and plants to make zingiberene that is useful in fragrances and for repelling or killing insects. The invention also relates to isolated zingiberene synthases and to methods for making zingiberenes.

Abstract: Provided are methods for generating iris plants having flowers expressing red, red/orange, or orange/red color, previously non-existing in this plant genus, thereby expanding the color palette of, and generating new and exciting varieties of, ornamental plants. These methods employ capsanthin-capsorubin synthase-encoding nucleotide sequences, and are also applicable to other genera, species, cultivars, and varieties of ornamental plants in which red, red/orange, or orange/red flowers have been desired. The nucleotide sequences and methods disclosed herein can be applied to genera, species, cultivars, and varieties of ornamental plants that produce yellow pigments, or yellow/orange flowers, but no red flowers, to produce novel red-, red/orange, or orange/red-flowering plants.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for manipulating the exchange of water and/or carbon dioxide (CO2) through plant stomata by controlling CO2 sensor genes. The invention provides compositions and methods for enhancing or optimizing biomass accumulation in a plant. The invention provides compositions and methods for for opening or closing a stomatal pore on a guard cell in the epidermis of a plant. The invention provides compositions and methods for increasing or decreasing oxygenation efficiency and/or carbon fixation in a guard cell in the epidermis of a plant by manipulating expression of a ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. The invention provides promoters for regulating expression of a nucleic acid in a plant guard cell.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an activation tagging construct for maize, resulting tagged populations and plants. In one example, an activation tagging DNA construct includes a coding sequence for a transposase, a detectable reporter (such as anthocyanin regulatory genes B-Peru and C1) and a non-autonomous transposable T-DNA cassette. For example, the transposable T-DNA cassette is inserted into the detectable reporter encoding region such that the B-Peru and C1 genes express anthocyanins in a cell containing the maize activation tagging DNA construct only upon excision of the transposable cassette. Methods of generating a tagged population of maize plants include transforming a maize plant cell or tissue with the disclosed constructs.

Abstract: The present invention discloses gene targets, constructs and methods for the genetic control of plant disease caused by nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne (root knot nematodes). The present invention relates to achieving a plant protective effect through the identification of target coding sequences and the use of recombinant DNA technologies for post-transcriptionally repressing or inhibiting expression of the target coding sequences in the cells of plant-parasitic nematodes. The disclosed gene targets show significant conservation at the nucleotide level between orthologs from different Meloidogyne species, facilitating genus-wide targeting by RNA interference.

Abstract: There are provided a method for promoting plant biomass by overexpression of a gene coding a small GTP binding protein RabG3b or mutants thereof, a vector including the gene, a transgenic plant comprising the expression vector and a method for preparing the transgenic plant.

Abstract: Nucleic acid molecules from Cannabis sativa (cannabis, hemp, marijuana) have been isolated and characterized, and encode polypeptides having aromatic prenyltransferase activity. Specifically, the enzyme, CsPT1, is a geranylpyrophosphate olivetolate geranyltransferase, active in the cannabinoid biosynthesis step of prenylation of olivetolic acid to form cannabigerolic acid (CBGA). Expression or over-expression of the nucleic acids alters levels of cannabinoid compounds. The polypeptides may be used in vivo or in vitro to produce cannabinoid compounds.

Abstract: The present invention provides plant inbred mutant parent lines producing hybrid offspring having at least one heterosis-related phenotype, particularly total yield associated phenotypes, methods for identifying same and hybrid plants produced therefrom. The present invention further discloses heterosis-related genes and provides the corresponding isolated polynucleotides.

Abstract: The invention relates to tomato plants which may comprise the trait fertilization independent fruit formation, which may be obtainable by introgression from a plant, representative seed of which was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number NCIMB 41626, NCIMB 41627, NCIMB 41628, NCIMB 41629, NCIMB 41630 or NCIMB 41631. Such tomato plant may be obtainable by crossing plants, representative seed of which was deposited with the NCIMB under accession number NCIMB 41626, NCIMB 41627, NCIMB 41628, NCIMB 41629, NCIMB 41630 or NCIMB 41631, with a plant not showing the trait to obtain an F1 population; selfing plants from the F1 population to obtain an F2 population; preventing pollination of the F2 plants and allowing fruit formation to occur; and selecting plants producing fruits as plants showing fertilization independent fruit formation. The invention further relates to parthenocarpic fruits, seeds of the plants and propagation material of the plant.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the specific silencing of the ? (alpha), ? (beta), ? (gamma) and ? (omega)-gliadins of hard wheat for flour by RNA interference (RNAi) through employment of a polynucleotide which is transcribed into an hpRNA (hairpin RNA). Furthermore the present invention additionally relates to a vector, cell, plant or seed comprising the polynucleotide, the expression whereof is specifically directed in particular tissues of wheat seeds through gene expression-regulating sequences such as, for example, the promoter of a gene of ?-gliadins or the promoter of the gene encoding for a D-hordein.

Abstract: Presently provided are a cineraria-derived polynucleotide which can act as a promoter for a coding region of flavonoid 3?,5?-hydroxylase (F3?5?H and a F3?5?H gene construct which carries the polynucleotide. The cineraria-derived petal-specific promoter can be as polynucleotide having the nucleotide sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO: 9 or a polynucleotide which can hybridize with the polynucleotide having the nucleotide sequence depicted in SEQ ID NO: 9 under stringent conditions and can act as a promoter for a coding region of flavonoid. 3?,5?-hydroxylase (F3?5?H). The gene construct can be used, for inhibiting the expression of a gene in an RNAi method, which has, as a loop, a polynucleotide comprising the whole or a part of a first intron of the presently provided cineraria-derived polynucleotide.

Abstract: A process for the production of transgenic plants that have a high starch content and yield and a high amylose/amylopectin ratio. The alpha-1,4-glucan phosphorylases (GPs) catalyze the reversible cutting of bonds ?-1,4 of the non-reducing ends of homopolysaccharides with at least 5 glucose molecules such as starch, maltodextrin and glycogen, leading to production of glucose-1-phosphate. The GPs in bacteria and animal cells are responsible for the breakdown of glycogen. Although the increase in GP activity leads to a reduction in intracellular levels of glycogen in bacteria and animal cells, this invention discloses the production of plants that have high starch levels and yields and high amylose/amylopectin ratio, as result of the expression of genes coding for GPs.

Abstract: The present invention provides transgenic plants with altered oil content. The invention further provides nucleic acid sequences and methods for generating such plants.

Abstract: The invention relates to transgenic sugar beet plants having a phenotype of delayed bolting. The invention further relates to polynucleotides that are closely linked to the bolting gene or B gene within the sugar beet genome and can be used for the discrimination between the annual and biennial genotype or between different haplotypes within plant groupings of sugar beet plants exhibiting a biennial genotype.

Abstract: Two genes, A622 and NBB1, can be influenced to achieve a decrease of nicotinic alkaloid levels in plants. In particular, suppression of one or both of A622 and NBB1 may be used to decrease nicotine in tobacco plants.

Abstract: The invention consists in modifying the levels of accumulation and emission of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes in citrus as a mechanism to achieve systemic resistance against pathogens or repellency against pests. The alteration of the content of d-limonene and other terpenes is achieved by genetic transformation via the introduction of a gene that encodes an enzyme with d-limonene synthase activity, from a citrus fruit or plant or from another living organism, in antisense or RNAi (RNA interference) configuration. Genetic modification is achieved either by Agrobacterium tumefaciens or any other method of genetic transformation of plants from protoplasts or explants. The construction is incorporated in citrus genotypes or related genera of the family Rutaceae in order to reduce the levels of accumulation and emission of the monoterpene and precursor compounds and/or derivatives, either of leaves or flowers and/or fruit.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns a method for enhancing various plant yield-related traits by modulating expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding a RHL1 (Root Hairless 1). The present invention also concerns plants having modulated expression of a nucleic acid encoding a RHL1, which plants have enhanced various plant yield-related relative to corresponding wild type plants or other control plants. The invention also provides constructs useful in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a copolymer comprising 3-hydroxyalkanoate monomer unit and lactate monomer unit, or their preparing method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for preparing a copolymer comprising lactate monomer and 3-hydroxyalkanoate monomer, wherein the method comprises culturing a cell or plant comprising the gene of enzyme converting lactate and 3-hydroxyalkanoate into lactyl-CoA and 3-hydroxyalkanoyl-CoA, respectively, and polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase gene together, and the copolymer made by the method. The copolymer of the present invention is a biodegradable polymer being able to be usefully used instead of conventional synthetic plastic, and the copolymer can be used also for medical use.

Abstract: The present invention relates to wheat flours, the starch component whereof has an amylose content between 15.0 wt. % and 30.0 wt. % and which have a content of resistant starch of more than 5.0 wt. % and foodstuffs containing these wheat flours. Further, the present invention relates to methods for the production of said wheat flours and the use thereof as resistant starch, as a prebiotic or for the production of foodstuffs with decreased glycemic index. The present invention also relates to nucleic acid molecules which code for a soluble starch synthase II, and vectors containing such nucleic acid molecules. Further, the present invention also relates to host cells and plants which contain such nucleic acid molecules or vectors.