Altria Client Services LLC

U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC

University of Virginia Patent Foundation

Yanxin Shen

Dongmei Xu

Chengalrayan Kudithipudi

Jesse Frederick

James A Strickland

Jaemo Yang

Mark T Nielsen

Ujwala Warek

Alec J Hayes

Robert Frank Hart, Iii

Raja Payyavula

Michael Paul Timko

Dong Qi

Rajanikanth Govindarajulu

Roel Rabara

Nazmul Bhuiyan

The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods related to tissue-specific promoters and their uses in plants, including tobacco and cannabis. The provided trichome-specific promoters enable the expression of heterologous polynucleotides in trichome tissues.

Tissue-specific promoters in plants

The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods related to modification of trichome density and transport of metabolite and their uses in plants, including tobacco and. The provided transcription factors enable the increase in trichome density in plants.

Increasing trichome density and improving transport of metabolites in plant trichomes

Provided herein are genetic markers and a coding sequence associated with a low- or ultra-low anatabine trait in tobacco.

Genetic locus imparting a low anatabine trait in tobacco and methods of using

The present disclosure provides the identification of genes involved in sucker growth in tobacco. Also provided are promoters that are preferentially active in tobacco axillary buds. Also provided are modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth.

Compositions and methods for producing tobacco plants and products having reduced or eliminated suckers

The present disclosure provides composition and methods for improving leaf quality of low-alkaloid tobacco plants. Also provided are the identification and genetic engineering of target genes (Leaf Quality Genes) for producing tobacco plants with altered total alkaloid and nicotine levels and commercially acceptable leaf grade, their development via breeding or transgenic approaches, and production of tobacco products from these tobacco plants.

Compositions and methods for producing tobacco plants and products having altered alkaloid levels with desirable leaf quality via manipulating leaf quality genes

This disclosure provides a number of sequences involved in axillary bud growth in tobacco, methods of using such sequences, tobacco plants carrying modifications to such sequences or transgenes of such sequences, and tobacco products made from tobacco leaf harvested from such plants.

Genetic control of axillary bud growth in tobacco plants

The present disclosure provides approaches for reducing tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in tobacco. Some of these approaches include genetically engineering tobacco plants to increase one or more antioxidants, increase oxygen radicle absorbance capacity (ORAC), increase phenylalanine, or reduce nitrite. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants and tobacco products therefrom comprising reduced TSNAs.

Composition and methods for producing tobacco plants and products having increased phenylalanine and reduced tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs)

The present invention generally relates to methods and materials involved in producing tobacco plants having reduced levels of conversion of nicotine to nornicotine. In certain embodiments, the invention is directed to mutations in a nicotine demethylase gene, tobacco plants comprising mutations in a nicotine demethylase gene, and tobacco compositions and products thereof. In other embodiments, the invention is directed toward nicotine demethylase RNA interference, tobacco plants comprising a nicotine demethylase RNA interference transgene, and tobacco compositions and products thereof.

Tobacco plants having reduced nicotine demethylase activity

This disclosure provides tobacco plants that exhibit altered photosynthesis as well as methods of making and using such plants.

Tobacco plants exhibiting altered photosynthesis and methods of making and using

The present disclosure provides the identification of promoters that are preferentially active in tobacco axillary buds. Also provided are tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth.

Optimized tissue-preferred promoter and uses thereof

This disclosure provides a number of sequences involved in the transport of alkaloids from the root to the leaf in tobacco, methods of using such sequences, tobacco plants carrying modifications to such sequences, and tobacco products made from such plants.

Growing community of inventors

Glen Allen, VA, United States of America

Yanxin Shen