Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a gramineous hybrid plant produced from a rice-derived protoplast and another gramineous plant-derived protoplast. Also provided by the invention is an efficient process for preparing such a gramineous hybrid plant wherein a protoplast is prepared from a callus or suspension cell of a rice plant (Oryza sativa), another protoplast is separately prepared from a callus or suspension cell of another gramineous plant, these protoplasts are subjected to cell fusion by electric treatment, the thus fused cells are cultivated in a culture medium containing cultured rice cells as nurse cells, and the thus formed colonies are then cultivated in a culture medium containing a plant hormone such as 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.

Abstract: A method for potentiating the insecticidal activity of a protein toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria is disclosed. A potentiating amount of trypsin inhibitor is co-administered to the insect along with the toxin. Improved insecticidal compositions are also disclosed which contain an insecticidal amount of a protein toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis and a potentiating amount of a trypsin inhibitor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel method to purify green-plant phytochrome; the production of hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies specific for green-plant phytochrome and that do not cross-react significantly with etiolated-plant phytochrome; a partial amino acid sequence for an immunoaffinity-purified green-plant phytochrome; oligonucleotide probes for cloning green-phytochrome genes from plant genomic DNA and cDNA libraries; and cloned green-phytochrome genes and cDNA.

Abstract: A process for inducing desiccation tolerance in an in vitro formed plant embryo to enable production of viable artificial seeds is disclosed. The process comprises culturing in vitro plant embryos, stimulating the embryos to proceed through globular and a heart shaped stage into an elongate-torpedo shaped stage and early cotyledon stage, inducing the embryos as early as the torpedo-shaped stage with a source of abscisic acid at an effective concentration of abscisic acid and for a sufficient period of time to cause expression of desiccation tolerance which includes change in cellular metabolism, electron transport processes and oxidation-reduction reactions in the embryos and drying the induced embryos to provide stable viable embryos.

Abstract: Edible fruit, seed and vegetables of transgenic plants modified to produce a sweetening protein such as monellin or thaumatin are useful in preparing food compositions which have enhanced sweetness improved flavor. Expression systems for the genes encoding sweetening proteins compatible with plant systems and designed to enhance the production of these proteins in the edible portions of plants, and methods for producing sweetened fruit, seeds and vegetables are described.

Abstract: Methods are provided for producing plants exhibiting one or more desired phenotypic traits.

Abstract: A method is provided for the regeneration of an individual coconut plantlet. It comprises culturing a tissue explant of an undifferentiated male flower of a coconut tree in a culture medium, which contains 10-50 ppm of an auxin, 0.1-3% of a polysaccharide produced by a bacterium of Pseudomonas and 0.05-1% of activated carbon, in a dark place until a shoot-like structure appears; and then culturing under exposure to light of 3,000-20,000 luxes while repeating its subculture in a fresh culture medium.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods for producing transgenic plants that contain a gene of interest and that are free of foreign ancillary nucleic acids. These methods allow for the production of plants which thus contain a desired gene, but which are free of vector sequences and/or marker sequences used to transform the plant. The method of transforming such plants calls for transforming the plants with a gene of interest by introduction of the gene on a DNA construct comprising a transposon and foreign ancillary nucleic acids; crossing the transformed plant through self-crossing or with another plant to obtain F.sub.1 or more removed generation progeny; and utilizing a means for selecting those progeny that carry the gene of interest and are free of the ancillary nucleic acids. Such progeny may be detected biochemically, by Southern hybridization, through the use of polymerase chain reaction procedures and other methods available in the art.

Abstract: This invention relates to the discovery that the prokaryotic enzyme, aminoglycoside 3"-adenyltransferase (AGAT), in particular as encoded by a bacterial aadA gene, is useful as a selectable marker for transformed plants. The enzyme conveys resistance to spectinomycin and streptomycin. Such markers are particularly advantageous because they are non-lethal, provide rapid visual identification of transformed cells and permit selection in media containing either spectinomycin or streptomycin. In addition, AGAT may be used as a selectable marker which differentiates by enabling survival on selective media.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for producing stigma-like tissues of saffron in a large scale by cutting the tissues of stigma (c), style (d, e, f), ovary (h, i, k), ovule (j), and petal (r) of saffron flower, and subculturing them on a liquid or solid LS medium or B5 medium containing a cytokinin and an auxin as main hormones.

Abstract: DNA sequences encoding herbicide metabolizing cytochrome P450 enzymes and iron-sulfur proteins that donate electrons to these enzymes, were introduced into plants and microorganisms rendering them able to produce the encoded gene products and to metabolize herbicides.

Abstract: Methods are provided for inhibition of leaf rust infections of plants, especially wheat, using inhibitors which disrupt sulfhydryl bonds of the enzymes used by the leaf rust germ tube to ingest and metabolize components of epicuticular waxes.

Abstract: Novel adventitious citrus juice vesicles which have the unique characteristic that they branch out of pre-existing citrus juice vesicles are disclosed. The citrus vesicles are prepared by culturing juice vesicles obtained from fruit 120-210 days old on a medium comprising a growth regulator, sugar, inorganic salts, and vitamins. The product is useful as edible citrus tissue or for citrus juice.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation and use of antidote-carrying maize plant parts which are useful for lowering the cultivated plant-damaging effect of thiolcarbamates and chloroacetanilides, which comprises treating native or artificially genmanipulated macroorganisms living in the soil or on the soil surface by the thiolcarbamate and chloroacetanilides compounds and using the living organisms thus made antidote-carrying for the treatment of field soils in a fresh state or after preservation by lyophilization or by application onto a carrier in their original state or after working up them by crushing, pulverisation, extraction or drying, before or simultaneously with or after the treatment with the herbicides, in any time until the germination of the cultivated plant, whereby the selectivity of thiolcarbamates of the formula (I) and chloroacetanilides against cultivated plants, preferably against the maize is increased.

Abstract: This invention relates to a novel dwarf Brassica oleracea plant and a useful variety of rapid-cycling B. oleracea containing the single recessive mutant gene for the dwarf phenotype homozygously. The single gene (dwfl) is produced by mutagenesis and selection and is useful for producing novel types and varieties of dwarf Brassica plants for ornamental or agricultural purposes.

Abstract: This invention pertains to the identification and isolation of a novel fungus which can be used for growth stimulation in plants. A method of promoting plant growth using the novel fungus is provided.

Abstract: Phosphinothricin (PTC) selection of bacteria which are not fungus-like yields PTC-resistant selectants. The DNA fragment which carries the resistance gene is obtained from the complete DNA of these selectants by constructing a gene bank and screening for chemical modification of PTC. The resistance gene can be localized to a fragment which is 2 kb in size, and selection for PTC resistance. This gene is suitable for producing PTC-resistant plants and propagation material thereof, and as a resistance marker as well. Microorganisms which contain this PTC-resistance gene can be used in sewage treatment plants.

Abstract: Recombinant DNA comprises promoter and terminator base sequences respectively upstream and downstream of an inverted base sequence complementary to a substantial sequence of bases in polygalacturonase mRNA. The antisense mRNA produced thereby delays softening of fruit, in particular tomatoes.

Abstract: This invention relates to the discovery that the prokaryotic enzyme, aminoglycoside 3"-adenyltransferase (AGAT), in particular as encoded by a bacterial aadA gene, is useful as a selectable marker for transformed plants. The enzyme conveys resistance to spectinomycin and streptomycin. Such markers are particularly advantageous because they are non-lethal, provide rapid visual identification of transformed cells and permit selection in media containing either spectinomycin or streptomycin. In addition, AGAT may be used as a selectable marker which differentiates by enabling survival on selective media.

Abstract: Plant embryogenesis from cultured, immature gametic cells can be exploited to overcome the problem of phenotypic sterility in the products of many techniques for plant modification, including interspecific and intergeneric sexual crossing or somatic fusion somaclonal selection, genetic transformation and mutagenesis.