Abstract: The present disclosure provides hybrid tomatoes that produce better-tasting fruit, methods of producing and identifying the hybrid tomatoes and methods of identifying the chemical composition of a tomato that leads to a better-tasting fruit.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides isolated DNA molecules encoding tomato O-methyltransferases (OMT); tomato OMT proteins; OMT antisense molecules; vectors, plant cells and plants including tomato OMT DNA molecules or OMT antisense molecules; genetic markers for tomato OMT genes; and methods of increasing or decreasing the amount of guaiacol produced by a plant.

Abstract: The subject invention concerns polynucleotides encoding a plant 2-phenylethanol dehydrogenase enzyme. In one embodiment, the polynucleotide encodes a tomato 2-phenylethanol dehydrogenase. The subject invention also concerns polynucleotides encoding a plant phenylalanine decarboxylase enzyme. In one embodiment, the polynucleotide encodes a tomato phenylalanine decarboxylase. The subject invention also concerns 2-phenylethanol dehydrogenase polypeptides and phenylalanine decarboxylase polypeptides encoded by polynucleotides of the present invention. The subject invention also concerns methods for providing a plant with an increased flavor and aroma volatile. Plants can be transformed with one or more polynucleotide of the present invention. The subject invention also concerns these transformed plant cells, plant tissue, and plants and transgenic progeny thereof.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides hybrid tomatoes that produce better-tasting fruit, methods of producing and identifying the hybrid tomatoes and methods of identifying the chemical composition of a tomato that leads to a better-tasting fruit.

Abstract: The subject invention concerns polynucleotides encoding a plant 2-phenylethanol dehydrogenase enzyme. In one embodiment, the polynucleotide encodes a tomato 2-phenylethanol dehydrogenase. The subject invention also concerns polynucleotides encoding a plant phenylalanine decarboxylase enzyme. In one embodiment, the polynucleotide encodes a tomato phenylalanine decarboxylase. The subject invention also concerns 2-phenylethanol dehydrogenase polypeptides and phenylalanine decarboxylase polypeptides encoded by polynucleotides of the present invention. The subject invention also concerns methods for providing a plant with an increased flavor and aroma volatile. Plants can be transformed with one or more polynucleotide of the present invention. The subject invention also concerns these transformed plant cells, plant tissue, and plants and transgenic progeny thereof.

Abstract: The subject invention concerns materials and methods for controlling agricultural traits in plants that are mediated by the plant hormone ethylene. One aspect of the invention concerns a polynucleotide that comprises a sequence encoding a mutant ethylene receptor that is operably linked to a regulatory sequence that drives expression of the mutant receptor in a tissue-specific manner. In an exemplified embodiment, the mutant receptor sequence is an etr1-1 sequence, or a functional fragment or variant thereof, and the regulatory sequence is a promoter sequence from a cotton chitinase gene that can promote expression of the mutant ethylene receptor in abscission zone tissue of a plant. The subject invention also concerns plants and plant tissue transformed with the polynucleotide of the subject invention. Plants expressing the polynucleotide of the subject invention do not drop their flowers in response to exposure to ethylene.

Abstract: A plant promoter that is a nucleic acid region located upstream of the 5' end of a plant DNA structural coding sequence that is transcribed at high levels in meristematic tissue and/or rapidly dividing cells. This promoter region is capable of conferring high levels of transcription in meristematic tissue and/or rapidly dividing cells when used as a promoter for a heterologous coding sequence in a chimetic gene. The promoter and any chimeric gene in which it may be used can be used to obtain transformed plants or plant cells. A DNA coding sequence that codes for a gene that is highly transcribed in meristematic tissue of Arabidopsis thaliana is also disclosed. This coding sequence can be used to obtain a cDNA probe useful in obtaining analogous promoters from a homologous coding sequence in other plant species. Chimeric genes including the isolated promoter region, transformed plants containing the isolated promoter region, transformed plant cells and seeds are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for controlling the ripening of fruits and vegetables as well as a method for controlling senescence of plant tissue is described. The method generally embraces the expression of an ACC metabolizing enzyme in the fruit or other desired plant tissue to inhibit the production of ethylene in the fruit or plant tissue. The use of the ACC metabolizing enzyme ACC deaminase is described in detail. The ripening or senescence process in the fruit or plant tissue is inhibited by the expression of the ACC deaminase gene such that the shelf-life and marketability of the fruit or plant is enhanced. The ACC metabolizing enzyme may be used in combination with other methods for reducing ethylene production in transformed plants to further reduce the production of ethylene in the fruit or plant. DNA constructs containing the ACC deaminase gene are also described.