Abstract: A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are disclosed whose flower petals, leaves or flower petals and leaves contain one or more of an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced ?-carotene ratio, an enhanced lycopene ratio, an enhanced ?-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio relative to that ratio in a non-mutant marigold. A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are also disclosed whose flower petals contain zeaxanthin esters and are substantially free of esters of both neoxanthin and violaxanthin, and wherein zeaxanthin constitutes at least about one-half of the extractable carotenoids when xanthophylls are assayed as alcohols. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such plants, oleoresins and comestible materials that have such carotenoid ratios.

Abstract: A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are disclosed whose flower petals, leaves or flower petals and leaves contain one or more of an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced ?-carotene ratio, an enhanced lycopene ratio, an enhanced ?-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio relative to that ratio in a non-mutant marigold. A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are also disclosed whose flower petals contain zeaxanthin esters and are substantially free of esters of both neoxanthin and violaxanthin, and wherein zeaxanthin constitutes at least about one-half of the extractable carotenoids when xanthophylls are assayed as alcohols. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such plants, oleoresins and comestible materials that have such carotenoid ratios.

Abstract: The formation of a carotenoid compound containing a 4-keto-?-ionene ring such as astaxanthin or canthaxanthin in flowers, and particularly in the corolla and reproductive parts of a flower of a higher plant whose flowers produce a carotenoid compound containing a ?-ionene ring such as ?-carotene or zeaxanthin, but otherwise do not produce astaxanthin or canthaxanthin is disclosed. One or more genes controlled by a promoter are inserted (transformed) into a higher plant. The inserted gene encodes a chimeric enzyme including (a) a carotenoid-forming enzyme that is at least a ketolase. That gene is operatively linked to (b) a plastid-directed transit peptide. Some higher plants to be transformed produce at least zeaxanthin or ?-carotene in their flowers prior to transformation, whereas other plants produce little if any colored carotenoid pigments prior to transformation and are transformed with a cassette of carotenoids-forming genes. Methods of transformation and use of the transformed plants are described.

Abstract: A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are disclosed whose flower petals, leaves or flower petals and leaves contain one or more of an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced ?-carotene ratio, an enhanced lycopene ratio, an enhanced ?-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio relative to that ratio in a non-mutant marigold. A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are also disclosed whose flower petals contain zeaxanthin esters and are substantially free of esters of both neoxanthin and violaxanthin, and wherein zeaxanthin constitutes at least about one-half of the extractable carotenoids when xanthophylls are assayed as alcohols. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such plants, oleoresins and comestible materials that have such carotenoid ratios.

Abstract: Mixed zeaxanthin C8–C20 carboxylic acid esters in which the mixed zeaxanthin esters constitute about 50 mg/g or more of the concentrate and wherein the zeaxanthin is about 20 percent or more of the total carotenoids present when assayed after saponification are disclosed, as are the products that can be made from such a concentrate, as well as the several uses for mixed zeaxanthin esters.

Abstract: A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are disclosed whose flower petals, leaves or flower petals and leaves contain one or more of an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced ?-carotene ratio, an enhanced lycopene ratio, an enhanced ?-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio relative to that ratio in a non-mutant marigold. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such plants, oleoresins and comestible materials that have such carotenoid ratios.

Abstract: A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are disclosed whose flower petals, leaves or flower petals and leaves contain one or more of an enhanced zeaxanthin ratio, an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced &bgr;-carotene ratio, an enhanced &agr;-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio relative to that ratio in a non-mutant marigold. The flower petals of such a plant also typically contain zeta-carotene that is not normally found in such petals. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such plants, oleoresins and comestible materials that have such carotenoid ratios.

Abstract: A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are disclosed whose flower petals, leaves or flower petals and leaves contain one or more of an enhanced zeaxanthin ratio, an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced &bgr;-carotene ratio, an enhanced &agr;-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio relative to that ratio in a non-mutant marigold. The flower petals of such a plant also typically contain zeta-carotene that is not normally found in such petals. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such plants, oleoresins and comestible materials that have such carotenoid ratios.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an isolated promoter derived from a S-linalool synthase gene that can be used to confer high levels of expression to at least one operably linked polynucleotide(s) or selected gene(s) in at least one flower of a plant.

Abstract: Mixed zeaxanthin C8-C20 carboxylic acid esters in which the mixed zeaxanthin esters constitute about 50 mg/g or more of the concentrate and wherein the zeaxanthin is about 20 percent or more of the total carotenoids present when assayed after saponification are disclosed, as are the products that can be made from such a concentrate, as well as the several uses for mixed zeaxanthin esters.

Abstract: A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are disclosed whose flower petals, leaves or flower petals and leaves contain one or more of an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced &bgr;-carotene ratio, an enhanced lycopene ratio, an enhanced &agr;-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio relative to that ratio in a non-mutant marigold. A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are also disclosed whose flower petals contain zeaxanthin esters and are substantially free of esters of both neoxanthin and violaxanthin, and wherein zeaxanthin constitutes at least about one-half of the extractable carotenoids when xanthophylls are assayed as alcohols. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such plants, oleoresins and comestible materials that have such carotenoid ratios.

Abstract: The formation of a carotenoid compound containing a 4-keto-&bgr;-ionene ring such as astaxanthin or canthaxanthin in flowers, and particularly in the corolla and reproductive parts of a flower of a higher plant whose flowers produce a carotenoid compound containing a &bgr;-ionene ring such as &bgr;-carotene or zeaxanthin, but otherwise do not produce astaxanthin or canthaxanthin is disclosed. One or more genes controlled by a promoter are inserted (transformed) into a higher plant. The inserted gene encodes a chimeric enzyme including (a) a carotenoid-forming enzyme that is at least a ketolase. That gene is operatively linked to (b) a plastid-directed transit peptide. Some higher plants to be transformed produce at least zeaxanthin or &bgr;-carotene in their flowers prior to transformation, whereas other plants produce little if any colored carotenoid pigments prior to transformation and are transformed with a cassette of carotenoids-forming genes.

Abstract: A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are disclosed whose flower petals, leaves or flower petals and leaves contain one or more of an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced &bgr;-carotene ratio, an enhanced lycopene ratio, an enhanced &agr;-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio relative to that ratio in a non-mutant marigold. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such plants, oleoresins and comestible materials that have such carotenoid ratios.

Abstract: A marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof and seed are disclosed whose flower petals, leaves or flower petals and leaves contain one or more of an enhanced zeaxanthin ratio, an enhanced neoxanthin plus violaxanthin ratio, an enhanced &bgr;-carotene ratio, an enhanced &agr;-cryptoxanthin ratio, an enhanced phytoene ratio or an enhanced phytofluene ratio relative to that ratio in a non-mutant marigold. The flower petals of such a plant also typically contain zeta-carotene that is not normally found in such petals. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such plants, oleoresins and comestible materials that have such carotenoid ratios.

Abstract: Chimeric regulatory regions and gene cassettes based upon Agrobacterium tumefaciens opine sythase genes are provided for expressing foreign genes in plants. Various upstream activating sequences from opine synthase genes like the mannopine synthase and the octopine synthase genes are operably linked with promoters (or promoters plus activating sequences), both of which are then operably linked to the foreign gene. These regions and cassettes permit expression levels and patterns that could not be obtained previously.

Abstract: A transgenic higher plant, seed containing the transgene, and methods of providing enhanced carotenoid accumulation are disclosed. The transgenic higher plant has a genomic structural gene that encodes a chimeric polypeptide conjugate and over accumulates a colored native carotenoid in a preselected storage organ relative to the accumulation in a non-transgenic plant of the same type. Expression of the chimeric polypeptide is driven by a promoter operatively linked to that structural gene that provides storage organ-enhanced expression. The chimeric polypeptide has an N-terminal plastid transit peptide portion whose C-terminus is linked to the N-terminus of a non-higher plant phytoene synthase enzyme.