Abstract: Disclosed are methods of obtaining clonal seeds, methods of plant cloning, methods of screening for maternal plants that produce clonal seeds asexually and methods of increasing yield of clonal seeds. Also disclosed are constructs comprising a nucleic acid that may silence the activity of a RNA-dependent DNA methylation pathway gene. Further disclosed are maternal plants comprising a construct wherein the construct comprises an exogenous nucleic acid sequence, wherein the construct renders the maternal plant defective for RNA-dependent DNA methylation.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of obtaining clonal seeds, methods of plant cloning, methods of screening for maternal plants that produce clonal seeds asexually and methods of increasing yield of clonal seeds. Also disclosed are constructs comprising a nucleic acid that may silence the activity of a RNA-dependent DNA methylation pathway gene. Further disclosed are maternal plants comprising a construct wherein the construct comprises an exogenous nucleic acid sequence, wherein the construct renders the maternal plant defective for RNA-dependent DNA methylation.

Abstract: A variety of methods and compostions are provided, including methods and compositions for targeted modification of a specific target site in a cell or organism, methods for integrating polynucleotides of interest, methods to assess promoter activity, directly select transformed organisms, minimize or eliminate expression resulting from random integration into the genome of an organism, such as a plant, remove polynucleotides of interest, combine multiple transfer cassettes, invert or excize a polynucleotide, silence a gene, and identify and/or characterize transcriptional regulating regions. The methods involve the introduction of a cell proliferation factor and a double-strand break-inducing enzyme into an organism.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of obtaining clonal seeds, methods of plant cloning, methods of screening for maternal plants that produce clonal seeds asexually and methods of increasing yield of clonal seeds. Also disclosed are constructs comprising a nucleic acid that may silence the activity of a RNA-dependent DNA methylation pathway gene. Further disclosed are maternal plants comprising a construct wherein the construct comprises an exogenous nucleic acid sequence, wherein the construct renders the maternal plant defective for RNA-dependent DNA methylation.

Abstract: Compositions and transformation methods to increase the frequency of plants in a population of transformed plants which have a single copy of the target polynucleotide of interest are provided. The frequency of plants in a population of transformed plants containing no contaminating vector backbone sequence may be increased. The methods and compositions provide for a greater number of transgenic events having single copy inserts and no contaminating vector backbone sequence.

Abstract: Compositions and methods relating to the use of sulfonylurea-mediated control of gene expression are provided. Compositions include sulfonylurea responsive chemical switches wherein the gene expression is regulated by a sulfonylurea compound. Compositions also include polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides as well as constructs, vectors, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and eukaryotic organisms including plants and seeds comprising the polynucleotide, and/or produced by the methods. Also provided are methods to regulate expression of a polynucleotide of interest in a cell or organism, and methods to modify a genome, including in a plant or plant cell.

Abstract: A variety of methods and compostions are provided, including methods and compositions for targeted modification of a specific target site in a cell or organism, methods for integrating polynucleotides of interest, methods to assess promoter activity, directly select transformed organisms, minimize or eliminate expression resulting from random integration into the genome of an organism, such as a plant, remove polynucleotides of interest, combine multiple transfer cassettes, invert or excise a polynucleotide, silence a gene, and identify and/or characterize transcriptional regulating regions. The methods involve the introduction of a cell proliferation factor and a double-strand break-inducing enzyme into an organism.

Abstract: The invention provides isolated nucleic acids and their encoded proteins that are involved in cell cycle regulation. The invention further provides recombinant expression cassettes, host cells, transgenic plants, and antibody compositions. The present invention provides methods and compositions relating to altering cell cycle protein content, cell cycle progression, cell number and/or composition of plants.

Abstract: The invention provides isolated nucleic acids and their encoded proteins that are involved in cell cycle regulation. The invention further provides recombinant expression cassettes, host cells, transgenic plants, and antibody compositions. The present invention provides methods and compositions relating to altering cell cycle protein content, cell cycle progression, cell number and/or composition of plants.

Abstract: Methods and compositions using populations of randomized modified FRT recombination sites to identify, isolate and/or characterize modified FRT recombination sites are provided. The recombinogenic modified FRT recombination sites can be employed in a variety of methods for targeted recombination of polynucleotides of interest, including methods to recombine polynucleotides, assess promoter activity, directly select transformed organisms, minimize or eliminate expression resulting from random integration into the genome of an organism, such as a plant, remove polynucleotides of interest, combine multiple transfer cassettes, invert or excise a polynucleotide, and identify and/or characterize transcriptional regulating regions are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods for identifying transformed cells. The method comprises introducing a visual marker polynucleotide into a plant cell and providing a growth stimulation protein. The compositions comprise a visual marker polynucleotide and a growth stimulation polynucleotide. Also provided are expression cassettes, plant cells, plant parts, and plants comprising same.

Abstract: This invention relates to isolated polynucleotides encoding WUS polypeptides. The invention further provides isolated WUS polypeptides. The invention also provides methods of using the polynucleotides to modulate the level of WUS, improve transformation efficiency, to stimulate plant cell growth, including stem cells, to stimulate organogenesis, to stimulate somatic embryogenesis, to induce apomixis, and to provide a positive selection for cells comprising the polynucleotide. The invention also relates to cells, plants and seeds comprising the polynucleotides of the invention or produced by the methods of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for regulating expression of isolated nucleotide sequences in a plant. The compositions are novel nucleic acid sequences for callus-tissue and seed embryo-preferred regulatory sequences. Methods for expressing an isolated nucleotide sequence in a plant or callus tissue using the regulatory sequences are also provided. The methods comprise transforming a plant cell to contain an isolated nucleotide sequence operably linked to the regulatory sequences of the present invention and regenerating a stably transformed plant or callus tissue from the transformed plant cell.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided which allow for the production of an inverted repeat in a plant or plant part, which, when transcribed as an RNA can be used in some examples to decrease expression of a target polynucleotide of interest. The methods and composition provide precursor inverted repeat cassettes that are not capable of producing a hairpin RNA polynucleotide, and plants and plant parts comprising such precursor inverted repeat cassettes. The precursor inverted repeat cassettes are altered in planta by using a recombination system to produce a inverted repeat. Plants, plant parts, and seeds comprising the various components are also provided.

Abstract: Methods of preparing microparticles for transformation of plant cells with compositions of interest, and compositions comprising the prepared particles and the associated compound(s) of interest are provided. Further provided are methods to deliver compositions of interest to plant cells for transient or stable incorporation in the genome, and any transformed plant cells, plants, and seeds produced thereby.

Abstract: Methods of preparing microparticles for transformation of plant cells with compositions of interest, and compositions comprising the prepared particles and the associated compound(s) of interest are provided. Further provided are methods to deliver compositions of interest to plant cells for transient or stable incorporation in the genome, and any transformed plant cells, plants, and seeds produced thereby.

Abstract: The invention provides novel methods of gene targeting using replication in order to increase the efficiency of targeted genetic modification in an eukaryotic organism. Included are vectors, expression cassettes, and modified cells, plants and seeds.

Abstract: Methods and compositions using populations of randomized modified FRT recombination sites to identify, isolate and/or characterize modified FRT recombination sites are provided. Kits comprising the library populations of FRT sites are also provided, as are methods to make a library of modified FRT recombination sites. The recombinogenic modified FRT recombination sites can be employed in a variety of methods for targeted recombination of polynucleotides of interest.

Abstract: The invention provides isolated polynucleotides and their encoded proteins that are involved in splicing or modulating splicing activity. The invention further provides recombinant expression cassettes, host cells, transgenic plants, and antibody compositions. The present invention provides methods and compositions relating to altering splicing protein content and/or composition of plants.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and compositions for site-specific recombinase-mediated mobilization of viral replicons and associated DNAs of interest from T-DNA. The methods of the invention comprise Agrobacterium-mediated transfer of T-DNA to a plant cell, wherein the T-DNA contains a viral replicon flanked by directly repeated target sites for a site-specific recombinase and optionally a DNA of interest linked to the viral replicon. The DNA of interest may also contain a non-identical target site for the recombinase. An expression cassette for the site-specific recombinase is present on the T-DNA or the plant genome, or is transiently introduced into the plant cell. Expression of the site-specific recombinase in the plant cell results in excision of the viral replicon and the associated DNA of interest. The viral replicon and DNA of interest are then replicated to high copy number in the host plant cell.