In August. 1982. a conference was held at the University of Califor­ nia. Davis. to discuss both molecular and traditional approaches to plant genetic analysis and plant breeding. Papers presented at the meeting were published in Genetic Engineering of Plants: An Agricultural Perspective. A second conference. entitled "Tailoring Genes for Crop Improvement." spon­ sored by the UC-Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the College's Biotechnology Program. was held at Davis in August. 1986. to discuss the notable advances that had been made during the intervening years in the technology for gene modification. transfer. and expression in plants. This volume contains papers that were presented at this meeting and provides readers with examples of how the new experimental strategies are being used to gain a clearer understanding of the biology of the plants we grow for food and fiber; it also discusses how molecular biology approaches are being used to introduce new genes into plants for plant breeding programs. We are grateful to the speakers for their excellent presentations for the conference and extend our sincere thanks to those who contributed manuscripts for this volume.

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Opening Remarks.- Identification and Analysis of Plant Genes.- Genes for the Extensins, an Abundant Class of Proteins.- Molecular Analysis of Plant Plasma Membranes.- Methods and Applications of Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis to Plants.- Plant Gene Structure and Function.- An Analysis of Chromatin Structure and Gene Regulation.- The Small Subunit Genes of Petunia: A Well-Characterized Plant Multigene Family.- Maize Mitochondrial Genes and Cytoplasmic Male Sterility.- Regulation of Gene Expression.- Plant RNA Polymerases: Structures, Regulation, and Genes.- An Analysis of Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Heat Shock Gene Expression.- Molecular Biology of Salinity Stress: Preliminary Studies and Perspectives.- Characterization and Expression of a Wound-Inducible Proteinase Inhibitor II Gene from Potato.- Post-Translational Regulation.- Regulation of Starch Synthesis: Enzymological and Genetic Studies.- Modification of Genes and Gene Expression.- A Strategy Towards Antisense Regulation of Plant Gene Expression.- Modification of Proteins Encoded by Seed Storage Protein Genes.- Expression of Sequences of Tobacco Mosaic Virus in Transgenic Plants and Their Role in Disease Resistance.- Scientific Strategies for the Future.- Visual Assays of Transformation in Plant Cells.- Fate and Expression of Vector DNA in Plant Cells.- Genetic Tools for the Analysis of Gene Expression in Plants.- Roster of Scientific Organizing Committee, Chairmen, Speakers, and Participants.