Abstract: The present invention provides methods for obtaining stably transformed transplastomic plant cell material belonging to the genus Lycopersicon (tomato) and having the potential to regenerate into mature fertile plants. The method generally comprises (a) transforming plastids of said plant cell material with a DNA molecule carrying an expression cassette encoding at least one protein of interest, and a target sequence enabling homologous recombination; (b) selecting plant cell material until substantially all plastids have been transformed with said DNA molecule, thereby obtaining said stably transformed transplastomic plant cell material; and, optionally (c) regenerating said transplastomic plant cell material into mature fertile plants.

Abstract: The invention relates to Leptospiral surface proteins, and the nucleic acid molecules which encode them. Various uses are described, including immunoprophylactic, diagnostic and therapeutic methods.

Abstract: Disclosed are novel DNA constructs for selecting plastid transformants in higher plants. Also disclosed are editing based selectable marker genes which require editing at the transcriptional level for expression of the selectable marker gene. Vectors including such edited upstream sequences operably linked to slectable marker genes facilitate the isolation of plastid, rather than nuclear transformants in higher plants.

Abstract: DNA constructs are provided for stable transformation of plastids of multicellular plants and expression of foreign proteins in plastids. The DNA constructs comprise a transforming DNA which is targeted to a pre-determined location on the plastid genome and inserted into the plastid genome by homologous recombination with targeting segments comprising DNA sequences homologous to the pre-determined region of the plastid genome. The transforming DNA contains a non-lethal selectable marker gene which confers a selectable phenotype on cells having plastids in which substantially all of the genomes therein contain the transforming DNA (i.e., homoplasmic cells or tissues). The transforming DNA further comprises at least one insertion site 4 for an additional DNA segment, such as a gene encoding a protein for improving a characteristic of the transformed plant.