Abstract: In alternative embodiments, provided are methods for: enhancing drought tolerance of crop plants and trees, enhancing salinity of tolerance of plants such as crop plants, enhancing early monitoring of drought, salinity and cold stress by plants such as crop plants and trees, enhancing stress resistance in plants such as crop plants and trees, by increasing the expression of or the activity of a Raf-like mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase (MAPKK) kinase delta B3 family enzyme (or a Raf-like MAPKK kinase delta B3 family enzyme) (a M3K B3 family enzyme) in a plant or a tree cell or a plant or a tree.

Abstract: In alternative embodiments, the invention provides compositions and methods for manipulating the exchange of water and/or carbon dioxide (CO2) through plant stomata by controlling the expression of a novel apoplastic subtilisin-like serine endopeptidase-like protein. In alternative embodiments, the invention provides plants having increased water use efficiency, and drought-resistant plants; and methods for engineering of water transpiration and water use efficiency in plants, and engineering plants with increased water use efficiency and drought-resistant plants.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for manipulating the exchange of water and/or carbon dioxide (CO2) through plant stomata by controlling CO2 sensor genes. The invention provides compositions and methods for enhancing or optimizing biomass accumulation in a plant. The invention provides compositions and methods for 10 opening or closing a stomatal pore on a guard cell in the epidermis of a plant. The invention provides compositions and methods for increasing or decreasing oxygenation efficiency and/or carbon fixation in a guard cell in the epidermis of a plant by manipulating expression of a ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. The invention provides promoters for regulating expression of a nucleic acid in a plant guard cell.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for manipulating the exchange of water and/or carbon dioxide (CO2) through plant stomata by controlling CO2 sensor genes. The invention provides compositions and methods for enhancing or optimizing biomass accumulation in a plant. The invention provides compositions and methods for 10 opening or closing a stomata! pore on a guard cell in the epidermis of a plant. The invention provides compositions and methods for increasing or decreasing oxygenation efficiency and/or carbon fixation in a guard cell in the epidermis of a plant by manipulating expression of a ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. The invention provides promoters for regulating expression of a nucleic acid in a plant guard cell.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for manipulating the exchange of water and/or carbon dioxide (CO2) through plant stomata by controlling CO2 sensor genes. The invention provides compositions and methods for enhancing or optimizing biomass accumulation in a plant. The invention provides compositions and methods for opening or closing a stomatal pore on a guard cell in the epidermis of a plant. The invention provides compositions and methods for increasing or decreasing oxygenation efficiency and/or carbon fixation in a guard cell in the epidermis of a plant by manipulating expression of a ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. The invention provides promoters for regulating expression of a nucleic acid in a plant guard cell.

Abstract: In alternative embodiments, the invention provides compositions and methods for manipulating the exchange of water and/or carbon dioxide (CO2) through plant stomata by controlling the expression of a novel apoplastic subtilisin-like serine endopeptidase-like protein. In alternative embodiments, the invention provides plants having increased water use efficiency, and drought-resistant plants; and methods for engineering of water transpiration and water use efficiency in plants, and engineering plants with increased water use efficiency and drought-resistant plants.

Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for manipulating the exchange of water and/or carbon dioxide (CO2) through plant stomata by controlling CO2 sensor genes. The invention provides compositions and methods for enhancing or optimizing biomass accumulation in a plant. The invention provides compositions and methods for opening or closing a stomatal pore on a guard cell in the epidermis of a plant. The invention provides compositions and methods for increasing or decreasing oxygenation efficiency and/or carbon fixation in a guard cell in the epidermis of a plant by manipulating expression of a ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. The invention provides promoters for regulating expression of a nucleic acid in a plant guard cell.

Abstract: In alternative embodiments, the invention provides compositions and methods for manipulating the exchange of water and/or carbon dioxide (CO2) through plant stomata by combining the control of expression of CO2 sensor genes with the control of expression of OST1 protein kinase and the related protein kinases SnRK2.2 and SnRK2.3, and their genes. In alternative embodiments, the invention provides plants having increased water use efficiency, and drought-resistant plants; and methods for engineering of water transpiration and water use efficiency in plants, and engineering plants with increased water use efficiency and drought-resistant plants.

Abstract: A composition for transportation of phytochelatin including two DNA molecule encoding two members of ABCC (multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP)) subfamily of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter protein in a plant is provided. The composition for transportation of phytochelatin can be useful in accumulating and sequestering phytochelatin alone or in combination with a harmful substance by transporting the phytochelatin and/or harmful substance into the vacuole of a cell, thereby reducing a content of the toxic substance from cytosol, and also reducing it from translocation from the root to the shoot of a plant. Therefore, the DNA molecule can be useful to develop a crop in which the toxic substance present in edible parts, such as leaves, stems and fruits, of the plant is reduced in content.

Abstract: A method to increase drought resistance in plants is provided. The method comprises inhibiting or disabling inward-rectifying K+(K+in) channels in the stomatal guard cells of the plant.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel phytochelatin synthases and uses thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides LCT1 nucleic acids which encode metal ion uptake transporters. The invention also provides methods of modulating heavy metal and alkali metal uptake in plants. The methods involve producing transgenic plants comprising a recombinant expression cassette containing an LCT1 nucleic acid linked to a plant promoter.

Abstract: The present invention provides polynucleotide sequences encoding high affinity potassium uptake transporters. The polynucleotides of the invention can be used to modulate alkali metal uptake in plants and other organisms.