Abstract: The invention establishes that coffee fruit ripening is climacteric. The invention further provides techniques to isolate substantially pure RNA from coffee fruit even though the fruit contains high levels of phenolic compounds and carbohydrate which would otherwise interfere with obtaining clean RNA preparations from this tissue. The invention provides purified proteins, nucleic acid sequences that code on expression therefore and recombinant DNA molecules, including hosts transformed therewith, and methods for transforming coffee plants to suppress the expression of coffee fruit-expressed ACC synthase and/or coffee fruit-expressed ACC oxidase necessary for ethylene biosynthesis and the ripening of coffee fruit. Coffee plants are transformed with vectors containing coffee fruit-expressed ACC synthase and/or with ACC oxidase DNA sequences that code on expression for the respective RNA that is antisense or sense to the mRNA for the respective ACC synthase and/or ACC oxidase.

Abstract: The invention establishes that coffee fruit ripening is climacteric. The invention further provides techniques to isolate substantially pure RNA from coffee fruit even though the fruit contains high levels of phenolic compounds and carbohydrate which would otherwise interfere with obtaining clean RNA preparations from this tissue. The invention provides purified proteins, nucleic acid sequences that code on expression therefore and recombinant DNA molecules, including hosts transformed therewith, and methods for transforming coffee plants to suppress the expression of coffee fruit-expressed ACC synthase and/or coffee fruit-expressed ACC oxidase necessary for ethylene biosynthesis and the ripening of coffee fruit. Coffee plants are transformed with vectors containing coffee fruit-expressed ACC synthase and/or with ACC oxidase DNA sequences that code on expression for the respective RNA that is antisense or sense to the mRNA for the respective ACC synthase and/or ACC oxidase.

Abstract: The invention establishes that coffee fruit ripening is climacteric. The invention further provides techniques to isolate substantially pure RNA from coffee fruit even though the fruit contains high levels of phenolic compounds and carbohydrate which would otherwise interfere with obtaining clean RNA preparations from this tissue. The invention provides purified proteins, nucleic acid sequences that code on expression therefore and recombinant DNA molecules, including hosts transformed therewith, and methods for transforming coffee plants to suppress the expression of coffee fruit-expressed ACC synthase and/or coffee fruit-expressed ACC oxidase necessary for ethylene biosynthesis and the ripening of coffee fruit. Coffee plants are transformed with vectors containing coffee fruit-expressed ACC synthase and/or with ACC oxidase DNA sequences that code on expression for the respective RNA that is antisense or sense to the mRNA for the respective ACC synthase and/or ACC oxidase.

Abstract: The invention provides purified proteins, DNA sequences that code on expression therefore, and recombinant nucleic acid sequences, including hosts transformed with such sequences, for transforming coffee plants to reduce or eliminate the synthesis of caffeine. Coffee plant cells are transformed by means of transforming vectors that comprise a nucleic acid sequence, operably linked to a transcription promoter in an antisense or sense orientation, that codes on transcription for an RNA that has a length sufficient to interfere with the expression of a specific enzyme in the pathway for caffeine biosynthesis. Coffee plants regenerated from transformed coffee plant cells exhibit caffeine production that has been reduced by up to 98% compared with untransformed coffee plants.

Abstract: Purified proteins, DNA sequences that code on expression therefore and recombinant DNA molecules, including hosts transformed therewith, for transforming coffee plants to suppress the expression of caffeine. The DNA sequences and recombinant DNA molecules are characterized in that they code on expression for an enzyme in the pathway for caffeine synthesis in coffee. Coffee plants transformed with DNA molecules that code on transcription for mRNA that is antisense to mRNA that codes on expression for at least one enzyme in the pathway for caffeine biosynthesis.

Abstract: The invention provides purified proteins, DNA sequences that code on expression therefore and recombinant DNA molecules, including hosts transformed therewith for transforming coffee plants to suppress the expression of enzymes necessary for ethylene synthesis. The DNA sequences and recombinant DNA molecules are characerized in that they code on expression for the enzymes ACC synthase or ACC oxidase that are elements of the pathway for ethylene biosynthesis in coffee plants. Coffee plants are transformed with vectors containing ACC synthase and/or with ACC oxidase DNA sequences that code on expression for the respective mRNA that is antisense to the mRNA for ACC synthase and/or ACC oxidase. The resulting antisense mRNA binds to the respective ACC synthase and/or ACC oxidase mRNA, thereby inactivating the mRNA encoding one or more enzymes in the pathway for ethylene synthesis. The described DNA sequences can also be used to block synthesis of ACC synthase or ACC oxidase using co-suppression.

Abstract: The present invention provides 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (ACC synthase) cDNA sequences from papaya fruit. These sequences are useful in regulation of ethylene biosynthesis in papaya cells and in regulating fruit ripening, including delaying of ripening. This is accomplished by co-suppression or by antisense technology. The present invention also provides methods for regulation of fruit ripening.

Abstract: A strain of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been developed which, when grown under defined culture conditions, will produce protein indistinguishable from wheat gluten protein. This new yeast strain was developed by introducing a specially constructed autonomously replicating extrachromosomal genetic element, gluten plasmid pAY31, into the parent yeast strain. This plasmid is a circular DNA molecule, constructed by enzymic fusion of the following elements: (1) the E.