Abstract: Genes can be introduced into plants that confer desirable traits such as, drought and stress tolerance, insect and pest resistance, as well as environmental qualities such as phyto-remediation. However, possibility for transgene escape to wild and non-transformed species raises commercial and ecological concerns. Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for generating plants with total vegetative growth for the reduction, and in some examples prevention of, transgene escape. The same methods and compositions can also be used to increase biomass production in a plant.

Abstract: Transgenic cells may be selected using temperature sensitive marker proteins. In this method, a population of host cells are transformed with a foreign DNA construct which includes at least one first nucleic acid coding sequence and a second nucleic acid sequence encoding a temperature sensitive marker protein, wherein each of the first and second nucleic acid coding sequences are operatively linked to gene expression control sequences. Suitable temperature sensitive marker proteins which may be used herein include heat shock proteins, heat shock transcription factors, cold regulated proteins (COR), or cold regulated protein transcription factors. Following transformation, the population of cells are cultured under temperature conditions wherein growth of non-transformed cells is suppressed or prevented while growth of cells transformed with the DNA construct is supported or promoted.

Abstract: Transgenic cells may be selected using temperature sensitive marker proteins. In this method, a population of host cells are transformed with a foreign DNA construct which includes at least one first nucleic acid coding sequence and a second nucleic acid sequence encoding a temperature sensitive marker protein, wherein each of the first and second nucleic acid coding sequences are operatively linked to gene expression control sequences. Suitable temperature sensitive marker proteins which may be used herein include heat shock proteins, heat shock transcription factors, cold regulated proteins (COR), or cold regulated protein transcription factors. Following transformation, the population of cells are cultured under temperature conditions wherein growth of non-transformed cells is suppressed or prevented while growth of cells transformed with the DNA construct is supported or promoted.

Abstract: The invention provides a DNA molecule, a DNA construct, a transgenic plant and a transgenic plant part comprising a synthetic DNA sequence. The synthetic DNA sequence encodes an enzyme that degrades 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) to dichlorophenol. The synthetic DNA sequence comprises a natural microbial sequence that encodes the enzyme in which at least a plurality of the codons of the natural microbial sequence have been replaced by codons more preferred by a plant. The invention also provides a method of controlling weeds in a field containing transgenic plants according to the invention by applying an auxin herbicide, such as 2,4-D, to the field. The invention further provides methods of selecting plants and plant cells that have been transformed with a DNA construct according to the invention using an auxin herbicide.

Abstract: A medium is disclosed that supports pollen germination and pollen tube growth in the presence of Agrobacterium, the medium comprising agarose, sucrose, NO.sub.3, MnSO.sub.4, H.sub.3 BO.sub.3, MgSO.sub.4 and gibberellic acid. A method is disclosed for the genetic transformation of plants and lines by a pollen-based Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.