Philip Morris USA Inc.

Rutger S Van Der Hoeven

Chengalrayan Kudithipudi

Alec J Hayes

Various embodiments are directed to transgenic plants, including transgenic tobacco plants and derivative seeds, genetically modified to impede the transport of Cadmium (Cd) from the root system to aerial portions of transgenic plants by reducing the expression levels of HMA-related transporters. Various embodiments are directed to transgenic tobacco plants genetically modified to stably express a RNAi construct encoding RNAi polynucleotides that enable the degradation of endogenous NtHMA RNA variants. Reduced expression of NtHMA transporters in transgenic plants results in substantially reduced content of Cadmium (Cd) in the leaf lamina. Various consumable products that are substantially free or substantially reduced in Cd content can be produced by incorporating leaves derived from transgenic tobacco plants modified to reduce the expression of NtHMA transporters.

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Midlothian, VA, United States of America

Rutger S Van Der Hoeven