Patent ID: 11950563
Assignee: ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC
Field: Other consumer goods (Other fields)
Classification: CPC A  C | IPC A  C

Claim 8:
9. A tobacco plant, or part thereof, comprising a non-transgenic and non-natural mutation in an ethylene responsive factor (ERF) gene, wherein said non-transgenic and non-natural mutation down-regulates the expression or function of said ERF gene, wherein said non-transgenic and non-natural mutation is located within an ERF gene that comprises an endogenous sequence having 100% identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 3, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 38, 48, 49, 52, 53, 54, and 202 to 204, and wherein said non-transgenic and non-natural mutation reduces the nicotine level of said tobacco plant to below 60% of the nicotine level of a control plant when grown in similar growth conditions, wherein said tobacco plant is capable of producing a leaf, when cured, having a USDA grade index value comparable to the USDA grade index value of said control plant, wherein said control plant shares an essentially identical genetic background with said tobacco plant except said non-transgenic and non-natural mutation, and wherein said tobacco plant is a Nicotiana tabacum plant.