Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency Through Overexpression of Alanine Aminotransferase in Rice, Wheat, and Barley.

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plants, but crop plants are inefficient in the acquisition and utilization of applied nitrogen. This often results in producers over applying nitrogen fertilizers, which can negatively impact the environment. The development of crop plants with more efficient nitrogen usage is, therefore, an important research goal in achieving greater agricultural sustainability.

Development and field performance of nitrogen use efficient rice lines for Africa.

Nitrogen (N) fertilizers are a major input cost in rice production, and its excess application leads to major environmental pollution. Development of rice varieties with improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is essential for sustainable agriculture. Here, we report the results of field evaluations of marker-free transgenic NERICA4 (New Rice for Africa 4) rice lines overexpressing barley alanine amino transferase (HvAlaAT) under the control of a rice stress-inducible promoter (pOsAnt1).

Improved nitrogen use efficiency in transgenic sugarcane: phenotypic assessment in a pot trial under low nitrogen conditions.

Sugarcane lines transformed with an alanine aminotransferase gene demonstrated an improved nitrogen use efficiency compared with untransformed controls in a pot trial under low nitrogen conditions.

Characterization of acyl-ACP thioesterases of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) seed and high levels of stearate production in transgenic canola.

Acyl-acyl-carrier protein (ACP) thioesterases are, at least in part, responsible for the fatty acyl chain length composition of seed storage oils. Acyl-ACP thioesterases with specificity for each of the saturated acyl-ACP substrates from 8:0 through 16:0 have been cloned, with the exception of 18:0, and are members of the FatB class of thioesterases. The authors have determined that the tropical tree species mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) stores 18:0 (stearate) in its seed oil in amounts of up to 56% by weight.

Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli of a cDNA coding for the oleoyl-acyl carrier protein thioesterase from coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.).

A cDNA for the oleoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) thioesterase (E.C. 3.