Abstract: A cryopreservation medium comprising a protein-containing plant extract is disclosed. Methods, compositions, uses and kits for cryopreservation of biological material, such as a molecule, organelle, cell, embryo, tissue or organ, are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to sunscreen compositions for humans including naturally occurring sunscreen agents from plants, algae, cyanobacteria, fungi and bacteria that protect against exposure to solar radiation. The active sunscreen agents are compounds that naturally occur in plants, algae, cyanobacteria, fungi and bacteria and derivatives of these compounds.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of increasing the viability of a plant cell comprising transforming a plant with a nucleic acid encoding a cold tolerance polypeptide from the Wcor410 family and combining this treatment with a period of low temperature exposure.

Abstract: The Wcs120 gene encodes a highly abundant protein which appears to play an important role during cold acclimation of wheat. To understand the regulatory mechanism controlling its expression at low temperature (LT-responsiveness), the promoter region has been characterized. The data indicate the involvement of putative enhancer elements, negative and positive regulatory regions in the transcriptional regulation of this gene. Further, the promoter was found to be cold-inducible in different freezing tolerant and sensitive monocot and dicot species, suggesting that universal transcription factors responsive to LT may be present in all plants. Therefore this promoter could be used to drive the genes needed for LT tolerance in sensitive species.

Abstract: The Wcs120 gene encodes a highly abundant protein which appears to play an important role during cold acclimation of wheat. To understand the regulatory mechanism controlling its expression at low temperature (LT-responsiveness), the promoter region has been characterized. To identify the regulatory elements involved in LT-responsiveness, transient expression activity of different promoter regions was determined using the luciferase reporter gene. The data indicate the involvement of putative enhancer elements, negative and positive regulatory regions in the transcriptional regulation of this gene. The role of nuclear factors on the promoter region was analysed. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays using short promoter fragments revealed the presence of multiple DNA-binding proteins in nuclear extracts from non-acclimated (NA) plants which interact with several elements. In contrast, no DNA-binding activity was observed in the nuclear extracts from cold-acclimated (CA) plants.

Abstract: The present invention relates to three novel genes which have been isolated from cold-tolerant wheat species and which are induced by low temperature. The first gene, Wcs19, is preferentially expressed in green leaf tissues of tolerant gramineae species and requires both light and low temperature for maximal induction. The second gene, Wcs120, is induced only by low temperature. Different from the protein encoded by Wcs19, the protein encoded by Wcs120 contains two repeated domains that are highly conserved among RAB (rice abscisic acid-induced) and dehydrin families and appears to be light-independent. The Wcs120 protein does not however contain a serine-rich sequence present in RAB and dehydrin families. Finally, the present invention also relates to a third gene, Wcor410, also induced by low temperature as well as water stress and, to a lesser extend, by ABA. Its expression is light-independent. The protein encoded by this gene contains a serine-rich stretch as found in several drought induced proteins.