Abstract: Modified Agrobacterium strains, methods of producing such modified Agrobacterium strains, and methods of using such modified Agrobacterium strains for producing transformed plants are disclosed herein.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for Ochrobactrum-mediated transformation of plants are provided. Methods include but are not limited to using an Ochrobactrum strain to transfer a polynucleotide of interest to a plant cell. These include VirD2-dependent methods. Compositions include an Ochrobactrum strain, transfer DNAs, constructs and/or plasmids. These include Ochrobactrum strains having a plasmid comprising one or more virulence gene(s), border region, and/or origin of replication. Plant cells, tissues, plants, and seeds comprising a polynucleotide of interest produced by the methods are also provided.

Abstract: Provided are compositions comprising polynucleotides encoding glutamine synthetase (GS) polypeptides having improved properties, such as increased enzymatic activity and/or increased thermostability. Also provided are recombinant DNA constructs, plants, plant cells, seed, grain comprising the polynucleotides. Additionally, various methods of employing the polynucleotides in plants, such as methods for increasing GS activity in a plant, methods for increase seed protein content in a seed of a plant, and methods for increasing yield of a plant, are also provided herein.

Abstract: Methods of detecting the impacts on plant health attributable to the presence of one or more agronomically important polypeptides of interest in a transgenic plant are disclosed. The methods involve transforming plants or plant cells with nucleic acid sequences encoding proteins of agronomically important traits. The transformed plants or plant cells expressing the nucleic acid sequences encoding the proteins of agronomically important traits are compared to transformed plants or plant cells expressing a neutral control gene to detect the impacts on plant health attributable to the presence of the one or more agronomically important polypeptides of interest.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for the vectors comprising vir genes. The present disclosure further provides a vector comprising: (a) an origin of replication for propagation and stable maintenance in Escherichia coli; (b) an origin of replication for propagation and stable maintenance in Agrobacterium spp.; (c) a selectable marker gene; and (d) Rhizobiaceae virulence genes virB1-B11 or r-virB1-B11, virC1-C2 or r-virC1-C2, virD1-D2 or r-virD1-D2, and virG or r-virG, or variants and derivatives thereof, wherein the vector comprising the virulence genes r-virB1-B11, r-virC1-C2, r-virD1-D2, and r-virG further comprises a r-galls virulence gene, or variants and derivatives thereof. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

Abstract: Methods and compositions for Ochrobactrum-mediated transformation of plants are provided. Methods include but are not limited to using an Ochrobactrum strain to transfer a polynucleotide of interest to a plant cell. These include VirD2-dependent methods. Compositions include an Ochrobactrum strain, transfer DNAs, constructs and/or plasmids. These include Ochrobactrum strains having a plasmid comprising one or more virulence gene(s), border region, and/or origin of replication. Plant cells, tissues, plants, and seeds comprising a polynucleotide of interest produced by the methods are also provided.