Ut-Battelle, Inc.

The University of Tennessee Research Foundation

West Virginia University

Gerald A Tuskan

Xiaohan Yang

Lee E Gunter

Wellington Muchero

Jin-Gui Chen

Sara S Jawdy

Jay Chieh Chen

Meng Xie

Anthony Christian Bryan

Henrique Cestari De Paoli

Degao Liu

Priya Ranjan

Rongbin Hu

Mitchel John Doktycz

Michael J Paulus

Timothy J Tschaplinski

Udaya C Kalluri

Dale A Pelletier

Jessy L Labbe

Yongil Yang

Stephen Difazio

Hao-Bo Guo

Juan Wang

Jianjun Guo

Stephen P DiFazio

Olaf Czarnecki

Nancy L Engle

Christopher Warren Schadt

David Weston

Jared Leboldus

Jin Zhang

Rupert Wimmer

Darrell C West

Disclosed herein are vectors and components for a nucleic acid cloning system, and methods of use of the vectors and components in cloning nucleic acid fragments of interest. The cloning system includes two families of destination vectors which can be used in alternating form to systematically combine nucleic acid fragments of interest.

TNT cloning system

This disclosure provides genetically modified plants, plant cells and plant tissues that show modified lignin content and/or sugar release as compared to a wild type control plant which was not genetically modified. In addition, the disclosure provides methods of regulating lignin content and sugar release in a plant. The disclosure also provides methods of producing bioproducts using the genetically modified plants of the instant disclosure.

Regulating lignin biosynthesis and sugar release in plants

The present disclosure provides methods for increasing drought resistance, salt resistance, photosynthetic rate, biomass production and water-use efficiency of a plant. The methods encompass expression of CAM-specific a phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) in the plant. In comparison to a plant not manipulated in this manner, the disclosed, genetically-modified, plants display improved drought resistance and salt resistance. Also provided are plants that can be obtained by the method according to the invention, and nucleic acid vectors to be used in the described methods.

Genes for enhancing salt and drought tolerance in plants and methods of use

The present disclosure provides genetically modified plants, plant cells and plant tissues that show reduced lignin content as compared to a control plant which was not genetically modified. In addition, the disclosure provides methods of regulating lignin content in a plant. The disclosure also provides methods of producing bioproducts using the genetically modified plants of the instant disclosure.

Loss of function alleles of PtEPSP-TF and its regulatory targets in rice

This disclosure provides methods of improving callus formation in plants. This disclosure further provides genetically engineered plants with improved callus formation.

Methods for improving callus formation and regeneration in plants

The present disclosure provides methods for increasing drought resistance and heat resistance of a plant. The methods encompass expression of at least one heat shock protein (HSP) from the group consisting of HSP40, HSP60 or HSP70 together with a phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) comprising an aspartic acid (D) at a position that corresponds to the position 509 of SEQ ID NO: 4, in the plant. In comparison to a plant not manipulated in this manner, the disclosed, genetically-modified, plants display improved drought resistance and heat resistance. Also provided are plants that can be obtained by the method according to the invention, and nucleic acid vectors to be used in the described methods.

Genes for enhancing drought and heat tolerance in plants and methods of use

The present disclosure is directed to methods of improving mycorrhization in a plant or plant cell. Another aspect of this disclosure is directed to a genetically modified plant or plant cell with improved mycorrhization.

Methods of improving mycorrhization in plants and genetically modifed plants with improved mycorrhization

Pathogenic fungi from the genuscause damage to a diverse array of economically important plant species. The present disclosure provides methods of determining whether a plant is susceptible to pathogenic fungi infections. The disclosure further provides methods of engineering pathogenic fungi-resistant plants from susceptible plants using targeted genome editing techniques.

Methods of identifying and modulating pathogen resistance in plants

This disclosure provides genetically modified plants having desirable levels of sugar release and syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio; methods of genetically modifying plants to modulate sugar release and S/G ratio; and uses of such plants. The inventors have determined that genetic modification of a laccase gene (LAC2) from, encoded by locus Potri.008G064000 resulted in transgenictrees with changes in syringyl/guaiacyl ratios as well as altered sugar release phenotypes. Plants with altered sugar release, and S/G ratio, based on modulation of the expression or activity of the LAC2 gene, have divergent uses including pulp and paper production, and biofuel and bioproducts production.

Modulating laccase enzyme to regulate cell wall biosynthesis and recalcitrance in plants

This disclosure provides genetically modified plants having desirable levels of sugar release, cellulose content and reduction of recalcitrance; methods of genetically modifying plants to modulate sugar release, cellulose and lignin contents; and uses of such plants. The inventors have determined that genetic modification of PdDUF266A from, encoded by locus Potri.011G009500 resulted in transgenictrees with changes in lignin and cellulose content as well as altered sugar release phenotypes. Plants with altered sugar release, cellulose and lignin content, based on modulation of the expression or activity of the PdDUF266A gene, have diverse uses including pulp and paper production, and biofuel and bioproducts production.

PtDUF266 gene regulating cell wall biosynthesis and recalcitrance in populus

The invention provides plants having improved biomass properties of increased biomass quantity and density, increased cellulose content and deceased lignin content and improved sugar release efficiency, methods of generating (genetically modifying) and/or selecting (natural variant collections) plants with such preferred attributes of cellulose, lignin and sugar release, and uses of such plants. The inventors have determined that the expression of the gene, Potri.001G375700 (belonging to IQD signaling protein family containing a canonical calmodulin-binding domain) and/or activity of Potri.001G375700, modulates cellulose, lignin synthesis, sugar release and growth in plants.

Gene impacting biomass formation and recalcitrance and methods of use

The invention provides plants having desirable levels of sugar release and/or lignin synthesis. The invention further provides methods of selecting plants with such desirable levels of sugar release and/or lignin synthesis; methods of genetically modifying plants to modulate lignin synthesis, sugar release, and modulating phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan and flavonoid production; and uses of such plants.

Transcription factor which regulates flavonoid, phenylpropanoid, tyrosine, and tryptophan pathways

This disclosure provides plants having desirable levels of lignin synthesis, sugar release, S/G ratio, and resistance to stress and pathogens; methods of selecting plants with such desirable levels of lignin synthesis, sugar release, S/G ratio, and resistance to stress and pathogens; methods of genetically modifying plants to modulate lignin synthesis, sugar release, S/G ratio, and resistance to stress and pathogens; and uses of such plants. The inventors have determined that the expression and/or activity of POPTR_0014s08530, a gene encoding an/CtBP transcription factor, modulates lignin synthesis, sugar release, S/G ratio, and resistance to stress and pathogens in plants. Plants with lignin synthesis, sugar release, S/G ratio, and resistance to stress and pathogens, based on modulation of the expression or activity of the POPTR_0014s08530 gene, have divergent uses including pulp and paper production, and ethanol/biofuel production.

Growing community of inventors

Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America

Gerald A Tuskan