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Prasad K, Gadeela H, Bommineni PR, Reddy PS, Tyagi W, Yogendra K. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of phytoene desaturase in pigeonpea and groundnut. Funct Integr Genomics 2024; 24:57. [PMID: 38478115 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-024-01336-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 technology, renowned for its ability to induce precise genetic alterations in various crop species, has encountered challenges in its application to grain legume crops such as pigeonpea and groundnut. Despite attempts at gene editing in groundnut, the low rates of transformation and editing have impeded its widespread adoption in producing genetically modified plants. This study seeks to establish an effective CRISPR/Cas9 system in pigeonpea and groundnut through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, with a focus on targeting the phytoene desaturase (PDS) gene. The PDS gene is pivotal in carotenoid biosynthesis, and its disruption leads to albino phenotypes and dwarfism. Two constructs (one each for pigeonpea and groundnut) were developed for the PDS gene, and transformation was carried out using different explants (leaf petiolar tissue for pigeonpea and cotyledonary nodes for groundnut). By adjusting the composition of the growth media and refining Agrobacterium infection techniques, transformation efficiencies of 15.2% in pigeonpea and 20% in groundnut were achieved. Mutation in PDS resulted in albino phenotype, with editing efficiencies ranging from 4 to 6%. Sequence analysis uncovered a nucleotide deletion (A) in pigeonpea and an A insertion in groundnut, leading to a premature stop codon and, thereby, an albino phenotype. This research offers a significant foundation for the swift assessment and enhancement of CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing technologies in legume crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalyani Prasad
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502324, India
| | - Harika Gadeela
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502324, India
| | - Pradeep Reddy Bommineni
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502324, India
| | - Palakolanu Sudhakar Reddy
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502324, India
| | - Wricha Tyagi
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502324, India
| | - Kalenahalli Yogendra
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502324, India.
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Jiang X, Zhang L, Li Y, Long R, Yang Q, Kang J. Functional Characterization of the MsFKF1 Gene Reveals Its Dual Role in Regulating the Flowering Time and Plant Height in Medicago sativa L. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:655. [PMID: 38475501 DOI: 10.3390/plants13050655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Alfalfa (M. sativa), a perennial legume forage, is known for its high yield and good quality. As a long-day plant, it is sensitive to changes in the day length, which affects the flowering time and plant growth, and limits alfalfa yield. Photoperiod-mediated delayed flowering in alfalfa helps to extend the vegetative growth period and increase the yield. We isolated a blue-light phytohormone gene from the alfalfa genome that is an ortholog of soybean FKF1 and named it MsFKF1. Gene expression analyses showed that MsFKF1 responds to blue light and the circadian clock in alfalfa. We found that MsFKF1 regulates the flowering time through the plant circadian clock pathway by inhibiting the transcription of E1 and COL, thus suppressing FLOWERING LOCUS T a1 (FTa1) transcription. In addition, transgenic lines exhibited higher plant height and accumulated more biomass in comparison to wild-type plants. However, the increased fiber (NDF and ADF) and lignin content also led to a reduction in the digestibility of the forage. The key genes related to GA biosynthesis, GA20OX1, increased in the transgenic lines, while GA2OX1 decreased for the inactive GA transformation. These findings offer novel insights on the function of MsFKF1 in the regulation of the flowering time and plant height in cultivated M. sativa. These insights into MsFKF1's roles in alfalfa offer potential strategies for molecular breeding aimed at optimizing flowering time and biomass yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Jiang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
- College of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Normal University, Harbin 150025, China
| | - Lili Zhang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yajing Li
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Ruicai Long
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Qingchuan Yang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
- College of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Normal University, Harbin 150025, China
| | - Junmei Kang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
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Wolabu TW, Mahmood K, Jerez IT, Cong L, Yun J, Udvardi M, Tadege M, Wang Z, Wen J. Multiplex CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of alfalfa FLOWERING LOCUS Ta1 (MsFTa1) leads to delayed flowering time with improved forage biomass yield and quality. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:1383-1392. [PMID: 36964962 PMCID: PMC10281603 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family that is widely cultivated as a forage crop for its high yield, forage quality and related agricultural and economic benefits. Alfalfa is a photoperiod sensitive long-day (LD) plant that can accomplish its vegetative and reproductive phases in a short period of time. However, rapid flowering can compromise forage biomass yield and quality. Here, we attempted to delay flowering in alfalfa using multiplex CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of FLOWERING LOCUS Ta1 (MsFTa1), a key floral integrator and activator gene. Four guide RNAs (gRNAs) were designed and clustered in a polycistronic tRNA-gRNA system and introduced into alfalfa by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Ninety-six putative mutant lines were identified by gene sequencing and characterized for delayed flowering time and related desirable agronomic traits. Phenotype assessment of flowering time under LD conditions identified 22 independent mutant lines with delayed flowering compared to the control. Six independent Msfta1 lines containing mutations in all four copies of MsFTa1 accumulated significantly higher forage biomass yield, with increases of up to 78% in fresh weight and 76% in dry weight compared to controls. Depending on the harvesting schemes, many of these lines also had reduced lignin, acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) content and significantly higher crude protein (CP) and mineral contents compared to control plants, especially in the stems. These CRISPR/Cas9-edited Msfta1 mutants could be introduced in alfalfa breeding programmes to generate elite transgene-free alfalfa cultivars with improved forage biomass yield and quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tezera W. Wolabu
- Institute for Agricultural BiosciencesOklahoma State UniversityOklahomaArdmoreUSA
| | - Kashif Mahmood
- Institute for Agricultural BiosciencesOklahoma State UniversityOklahomaArdmoreUSA
| | - Ivone Torres Jerez
- Institute for Agricultural BiosciencesOklahoma State UniversityOklahomaArdmoreUSA
| | - Lili Cong
- College of Grassland ScienceQingdao Agricultural UniversityQingdaoShandongChina
| | - Jianfei Yun
- Institute for Agricultural BiosciencesOklahoma State UniversityOklahomaArdmoreUSA
| | - Michael Udvardi
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food InnovationThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Million Tadege
- Institute for Agricultural BiosciencesOklahoma State UniversityOklahomaArdmoreUSA
| | - Zengyu Wang
- College of Grassland ScienceQingdao Agricultural UniversityQingdaoShandongChina
| | - Jiangqi Wen
- Institute for Agricultural BiosciencesOklahoma State UniversityOklahomaArdmoreUSA
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Beracochea V, Stritzler M, Radonic L, Bottero E, Jozefkowicz C, Darqui F, Ayub N, Bilbao ML, Soto G. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of SPL13 radically increases lettuce yield. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2023; 42:645-647. [PMID: 36478032 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-022-02952-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Beracochea
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología Y Biología Molecular (IABIMO), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), , Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Margarita Stritzler
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología Y Biología Molecular (IABIMO), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), , Hurlingham, Argentina
- Instituto de Genética (IGEAF), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Laura Radonic
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología Y Biología Molecular (IABIMO), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), , Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Emilia Bottero
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología Y Biología Molecular (IABIMO), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), , Hurlingham, Argentina
- Instituto de Genética (IGEAF), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Cintia Jozefkowicz
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología Y Biología Molecular (IABIMO), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), , Hurlingham, Argentina
- Instituto de Genética (IGEAF), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Flavia Darqui
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología Y Biología Molecular (IABIMO), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), , Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Nicolás Ayub
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología Y Biología Molecular (IABIMO), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), , Hurlingham, Argentina
- Instituto de Genética (IGEAF), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Marisa López Bilbao
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología Y Biología Molecular (IABIMO), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), , Hurlingham, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Soto
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología Y Biología Molecular (IABIMO), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET), , Hurlingham, Argentina.
- Instituto de Genética (IGEAF), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham, Argentina.
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Wang M, Wang H, Li K, Li X, Wang X, Wang Z. Review of CRISPR/Cas Systems on Detection of Nucleotide Sequences. Foods 2023; 12:foods12030477. [PMID: 36766007 PMCID: PMC9913930 DOI: 10.3390/foods12030477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, with the rapid development of biotechnology, the CRISPR/Cas technology in particular has produced many new traits and products. Therefore, rapid and high-resolution detection methods for biotechnology products are urgently needed, which is extremely important for safety regulation. Recently, in addition to being gene editing tools, CRISPR/Cas systems have also been used in detection of various targets. CRISPR/Cas systems can be successfully used to detect nucleic acids, proteins, metal ions and others in combination with a variety of technologies, with great application prospects in the future. However, there are still some challenges need to be addressed. In this review, we will list some detection methods of genetically modified (GM) crops, gene-edited crops and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on CRISPR/Cas systems, hoping to bring some inspiration or ideas to readers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyu Wang
- Key Laboratory on Safety Assessment (Molecular) of Agri-GMO, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Haoqian Wang
- Development Center for Science and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100176, China
| | - Kai Li
- Institute of Quality Standards and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiaoman Li
- Key Laboratory on Safety Assessment (Molecular) of Agri-GMO, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xujing Wang
- Key Laboratory on Safety Assessment (Molecular) of Agri-GMO, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhixing Wang
- Key Laboratory on Safety Assessment (Molecular) of Agri-GMO, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Correspondence:
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Subedi U, Burton Hughes K, Chen G, Hannoufa A, Singer SD. Eliciting Targeted Mutations in Medicago sativa Using CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Genome Editing: A Potential Tool for the Improvement of Disease Resistance. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2659:219-239. [PMID: 37249896 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3159-1_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9) has become a breeding tool of choice for eliciting targeted genetic alterations in crop species as a means of improving a wide range of agronomic traits, including disease resistance, in recent years. With the recent development of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in Medicago sativa (alfalfa), which is an important perennial forage legume grown worldwide, its use for the enhancement of pathogen resistance is almost certainly on the horizon. In this chapter, we present detailed procedures for the generation of a single nonhomologous end-joining-derived indel at a precise genomic locus of alfalfa via CRISPR/Cas9. This method encompasses crucial steps in this process, including guide RNA design, binary CRISPR vector construction, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of alfalfa explants, and molecular assessments of transformed genotypes for transgene and edit identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udaya Subedi
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Kimberley Burton Hughes
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Guanqun Chen
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Abdelali Hannoufa
- London Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada
| | - Stacy D Singer
- Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
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Ul Haq SI, Zheng D, Feng N, Jiang X, Qiao F, He JS, Qiu QS. Progresses of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in forage crops. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 279:153860. [PMID: 36371870 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2022.153860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) mediated-genome editing has evolved into a powerful tool that is widely used in plant species to induce editing in the genome for analyzing gene function and crop improvement. CRISPR/Cas9 is an RNA-guided genome editing tool consisting of a Cas9 nuclease and a single-guide RNA (sgRNA). The CRISPR/Cas9 system enables more accurate and efficient genome editing in crops. In this review, we summarized the advances of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology in plant genome editing and its applications in forage crops. We described briefly about the development of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in plant genome editing. We assessed the progress of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted-mutagenesis in various forage crops, including alfalfa, Medicago truncatula, Hordeum vulgare, Sorghum bicolor, Setaria italica and Panicum virgatum. The potentials and challenges of CRISPR/Cas9 in forage breeding were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Inzimam Ul Haq
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China
| | - Dianfeng Zheng
- College of Coastal Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China
| | - Naijie Feng
- College of Coastal Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China
| | - Xingyu Jiang
- College of Coastal Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China
| | - Feng Qiao
- Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, School of Life Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, Qinghai, 810016, China
| | - Jin-Sheng He
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China
| | - Quan-Sheng Qiu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China; State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China; Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, School of Life Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining, Qinghai, 810016, China; College of Coastal Agricultural Sciences, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524088, China.
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Miller SS, Dornbusch MR, Farmer AD, Huertas R, Gutierrez-Gonzalez JJ, Young ND, Samac DA, Curtin SJ. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) pho2 mutant plants hyperaccumulate phosphate. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac096. [PMID: 35471600 PMCID: PMC9157135 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this article, we describe a set of novel alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plants that hyper-accumulate Phosphate ion (Pi) at levels 3- to 6-fold higher than wild-type. This alfalfa germplasm will have practical applications reclaiming Pi from contaminated or enriched soil or be used in conservation buffer strips to protect waterways from Pi run-off. Hyper-accumulating alfalfa plants were generated by targeted mutagenesis of PHOSPHATE2 (PHO2) using newly created CRISPR/Cas9 reagents and an improved mutant screening strategy. PHO2 encodes a ubiquitin conjugating E2 enzyme (UBC24) previously characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana, Medicago truncatula, and Oryza sativa. Mutations of PHO2 disrupt Pi homeostasis resulting in Pi hyper-accumulation. Successful CRISPR/Cas9 editing of PHO2 demonstrates that this is an efficient mutagenesis tool in alfalfa despite its complex autotetraploid genome structure. Arabidopsis and M. truncatula ortholog genes were used to identify PHO2 haplotypes in outcrossing tetraploid M. sativa with the aim of generating heritable mutations in both PHO2-like genes (PHO2-B and PHO2-C). After delivery of the reagent and regeneration from transformed leaf explants, plants with mutations in all haplotypes of PHO2-B and PHO2-C were identified. These plants were evaluated for morphology, Pi accumulation, heritable transmission of targeted mutations, segregation of mutant haplotypes and removal of T-DNA(s). The Agrobacterium-mediated transformation assay and gene editing reagents reported here were also evaluated for further optimization for future alfalfa functional genomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan S Miller
- United States Department of Agriculture, Plant Science Research Unit, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Melinda R Dornbusch
- United States Department of Agriculture, Plant Science Research Unit, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Andrew D Farmer
- National Center for Genome Resources, Santa Fe, NM 87505, USA
| | | | - Juan J Gutierrez-Gonzalez
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Nevin D Young
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Deborah A Samac
- United States Department of Agriculture, Plant Science Research Unit, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Shaun J Curtin
- United States Department of Agriculture, Plant Science Research Unit, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Center for Plant Precision Genomics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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9
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Nazir R, Mandal S, Mitra S, Ghorai M, Das N, Jha NK, Majumder M, Pandey DK, Dey A. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated genome-editing toolkit to enhance salt stress tolerance in rice and wheat. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2022; 174:e13642. [PMID: 35099818 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The rice and wheat agricultural system is the primary source of food for billions across the world. However, the productivity and long-term sustainability of rice and wheat are threatened by a large number of abiotic stresses, especially salinity stress. Salinity has a significant impact on plant development and productivity and is one of the leading causes of crop yield losses in agricultural soils worldwide. Over the last few decades, several attempts have been undertaken to enhance salinity stress tolerance, most of which have relied on traditional or molecular breeding approaches. These approaches have so far been insufficient in addressing the issues of abiotic stress. However, due to the availability of genome sequences for cereal crops like rice and wheat and the development of genome editing techniques like clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein9 (Cas9), it is now possible to "edit" genes and influence key traits. Here, we review the application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in both rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to develop salinity tolerant cultivars. The CRISPR/Cas genome editing toolkit holds great promise of producing cereal crops tolerant to salt stress to increase agriculture resilience with a strong impact on the environment and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romaan Nazir
- Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
| | - Sayanti Mandal
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Sicon Mitra
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering & Technology (SET), Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Mimosa Ghorai
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Neela Das
- Department of Botany, Rishi Bankim Chandra College, Naihati, West Bengal, India
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering & Technology (SET), Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | | | - Devendra Kumar Pandey
- Department of Biotechnology, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India
| | - Abhijit Dey
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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Dhaliwal SS, Sharma V, Shukla AK, Verma V, Kaur M, Shivay YS, Nisar S, Gaber A, Brestic M, Barek V, Skalicky M, Ondrisik P, Hossain A. Biofortification-A Frontier Novel Approach to Enrich Micronutrients in Field Crops to Encounter the Nutritional Security. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27041340. [PMID: 35209127 PMCID: PMC8877941 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27041340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Globally, many developing countries are facing silent epidemics of nutritional deficiencies in human beings and animals. The lack of diversity in diet, i.e., cereal-based crops deficient in mineral nutrients is an additional threat to nutritional quality. The present review accounts for the significance of biofortification as a process to enhance the productivity of crops and also an agricultural solution to address the issues of nutritional security. In this endeavor, different innovative and specific biofortification approaches have been discussed for nutrient enrichment of field crops including cereals, pulses, oilseeds and fodder crops. The agronomic approach increases the micronutrient density in crops with soil and foliar application of fertilizers including amendments. The biofortification through conventional breeding approach includes the selection of efficient genotypes, practicing crossing of plants with desirable nutritional traits without sacrificing agricultural and economic productivity. However, the transgenic/biotechnological approach involves the synthesis of transgenes for micronutrient re-translocation between tissues to enhance their bioavailability. Soil microorganisms enhance nutrient content in the rhizosphere through diverse mechanisms such as synthesis, mobilization, transformations and siderophore production which accumulate more minerals in plants. Different sources of micronutrients viz. mineral solutions, chelates and nanoparticles play a pivotal role in the process of biofortification as it regulates the absorption rates and mechanisms in plants. Apart from the quality parameters, biofortification also improved the crop yield to alleviate hidden hunger thus proving to be a sustainable and cost-effective approach. Thus, this review article conveys a message for researchers about the adequate potential of biofortification to increase crop productivity and nourish the crop with additional nutrient content to provide food security and nutritional quality to humans and livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salwinder Singh Dhaliwal
- Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141004, India; (S.S.D.); (V.S.); (V.V.); (M.K.); (S.N.)
| | - Vivek Sharma
- Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141004, India; (S.S.D.); (V.S.); (V.V.); (M.K.); (S.N.)
| | | | - Vibha Verma
- Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141004, India; (S.S.D.); (V.S.); (V.V.); (M.K.); (S.N.)
| | - Manmeet Kaur
- Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141004, India; (S.S.D.); (V.S.); (V.V.); (M.K.); (S.N.)
| | - Yashbir Singh Shivay
- Department of Agronomy, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR), New Delhi 110012, India;
| | - Shahida Nisar
- Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141004, India; (S.S.D.); (V.S.); (V.V.); (M.K.); (S.N.)
| | - Ahmed Gaber
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Marian Brestic
- Department of Plant Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia;
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic;
- Correspondence: (M.B.); (A.H.)
| | - Viliam Barek
- Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia;
| | - Milan Skalicky
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic;
| | - Peter Ondrisik
- Department of Plant Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia;
| | - Akbar Hossain
- Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute, Dinajpur 5200, Bangladesh
- Correspondence: (M.B.); (A.H.)
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11
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Singer SD, Burton Hughes K, Subedi U, Dhariwal GK, Kader K, Acharya S, Chen G, Hannoufa A. The CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Modulation of SQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 8 in Alfalfa Leads to Distinct Phenotypic Outcomes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:774146. [PMID: 35095953 PMCID: PMC8793889 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.774146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most widely grown perennial leguminous forage and is an essential component of the livestock industry. Previously, the RNAi-mediated down-regulation of alfalfa SQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 8 (MsSPL8) was found to lead to increased branching, regrowth and biomass, as well as enhanced drought tolerance. In this study, we aimed to further characterize the function of MsSPL8 in alfalfa using CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutations in this gene. We successfully generated alfalfa genotypes with small insertions/deletions (indels) at the target site in up to three of four MsSPL8 alleles in the first generation. The efficiency of editing appeared to be tightly linked to the particular gRNA used. The resulting genotypes displayed consistent morphological alterations, even with the presence of up to two wild-type MsSPL8 alleles, including reduced leaf size and early flowering. Other phenotypic effects appeared to be dependent upon mutational dosage, with those plants with the highest number of mutated MsSPL8 alleles also exhibiting significant decreases in internode length, plant height, shoot and root biomass, and root length. Furthermore, MsSPL8 mutants displayed improvements in their ability to withstand water-deficit compared to empty vector control genotypes. Taken together, our findings suggest that allelic mutational dosage can elicit phenotypic gradients in alfalfa, and discrepancies may exist in terms of MsSPL8 function between alfalfa genotypes, growth conditions, or specific alleles. In addition, our results provide the foundation for further research exploring drought tolerance mechanisms in a forage crop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy D. Singer
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Kimberley Burton Hughes
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Udaya Subedi
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Gaganpreet Kaur Dhariwal
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Kazi Kader
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Surya Acharya
- Lethbridge Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Guanqun Chen
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Abdelali Hannoufa
- London Research and Development Center, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada
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12
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Jozefkowicz C, Gómez C, Odorizzi A, Iantcheva A, Ratet P, Ayub N, Soto G. Expanding the Benefits of Tnt1 for the Identification of Dominant Mutations in Polyploid Crops: A Single Allelic Mutation in the MsNAC39 Gene Produces Multifoliated Alfalfa. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:805032. [PMID: 35046986 PMCID: PMC8763170 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.805032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Most major crops are polyploid species and the production of genetically engineered cultivars normally requires the introgression of transgenic or gene-edited traits into elite germplasm. Thus, a main goal of plant research is the search of systems to identify dominant mutations. In this article, we show that the Tnt1 element can be used to identify dominant mutations in allogamous tetraploid cultivated alfalfa. Specifically, we show that a single allelic mutation in the MsNAC39 gene produces multifoliate leaves (mfl) alfalfa plants, a pivot trait of breeding programs of this forage species. Finally, we discuss the potential application of a combination of preliminary screening of beneficial dominant mutants using Tnt1 mutant libraries and genome editing via the CRISPR/Cas9 system to identify target genes and to rapidly improve both autogamous and allogamous polyploid crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cintia Jozefkowicz
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (INTA-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Genética (IGEAF), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cristina Gómez
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (INTA-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Genética (IGEAF), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ariel Odorizzi
- Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Córdoba, Argentina
| | | | - Pascal Ratet
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, CNRS, Université d’Évry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Orsay, France
- Université de Paris, CNRS, INRAE, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris Saclay (IPS2), Orsay, France
| | - Nicolás Ayub
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (INTA-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Genética (IGEAF), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Soto
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (INTA-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Genética (IGEAF), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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13
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Chen L, He F, Long R, Zhang F, Li M, Wang Z, Kang J, Yang Q. A global alfalfa diversity panel reveals genomic selection signatures in Chinese varieties and genomic associations with root development. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 63:1937-1951. [PMID: 34487430 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an important forage crop worldwide. However, little is known about the effects of breeding status and different geographical populations on alfalfa improvement. Here, we sequenced 220 alfalfa core germplasms and determined that Chinese alfalfa cultivars form an independent group, as evidenced by comparisons of FST values between different subgroups, suggesting that geographical origin plays an important role in group differentiation. By tracing the influence of geographical regions on the genetic diversity of alfalfa varieties in China, we identified 350 common candidate genetic regions and 548 genes under selection. We also defined 165 loci associated with 24 important traits from genome-wide association studies. Of those, 17 genomic regions closely associated with a given phenotype were under selection, with the underlying haplotypes showing significant differences between subgroups of distinct geographical origins. Based on results from expression analysis and association mapping, we propose that 6-phosphogluconolactonase (MsPGL) and a gene encoding a protein with NHL domains (MsNHL) are critical candidate genes for root growth. In conclusion, our results provide valuable information for alfalfa improvement via molecular breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Chen
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Fei He
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ruicai Long
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Mingna Li
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Junmei Kang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qingchuan Yang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
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14
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Confalonieri M, Carelli M, Gianoglio S, Moglia A, Biazzi E, Tava A. CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Targeted Mutagenesis of CYP93E2 Modulates the Triterpene Saponin Biosynthesis in Medicago truncatula. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:690231. [PMID: 34381478 PMCID: PMC8350446 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.690231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
In the Medicago genus, triterpene saponins are a group of bioactive compounds extensively studied for their different biological and pharmaceutical properties. In this work, the CRISPR/Cas9-based approach with two single-site guide RNAs was used in Medicago truncatula (barrel medic) to knock-out the CYP93E2 and CYP72A61 genes, which are responsible for the biosynthesis of soyasapogenol B, the most abundant soyasapogenol in Medicago spp. No transgenic plants carrying mutations in the target CYP72A61 gene were recovered while fifty-two putative CYP93E2 mutant plant lines were obtained following Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Among these, the fifty-one sequenced plant lines give an editing efficiency of 84%. Sequencing revealed that these lines had various mutation patterns at the target sites. Four T0 mutant plant lines were further selected and examined for their sapogenin content and plant growth performance under greenhouse conditions. The results showed that all tested CYP93E2 knock-out mutants did not produce soyasapogenols in the leaves, stems and roots, and diverted the metabolic flux toward the production of valuable hemolytic sapogenins. No adverse influence was observed on the plant morphological features of CYP93E2 mutants under greenhouse conditions. In addition, differential expression of saponin pathway genes was observed in CYP93E2 mutants in comparison to the control. Our results provide new and interesting insights into the application of CRISPR/Cas9 for metabolic engineering of high-value compounds of plant origin and will be useful to investigate the physiological functions of saponins in planta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Confalonieri
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, Lodi, Italy
| | - Maria Carelli
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, Lodi, Italy
| | - Silvia Gianoglio
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Plant Genetics and Breeding, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Andrea Moglia
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Plant Genetics and Breeding, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Elisa Biazzi
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, Lodi, Italy
| | - Aldo Tava
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, Lodi, Italy
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15
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Miladinovic D, Antunes D, Yildirim K, Bakhsh A, Cvejić S, Kondić-Špika A, Marjanovic Jeromela A, Opsahl-Sorteberg HG, Zambounis A, Hilioti Z. Targeted plant improvement through genome editing: from laboratory to field. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2021; 40:935-951. [PMID: 33475781 PMCID: PMC8184711 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-020-02655-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
This review illustrates how far we have come since the emergence of GE technologies and how they could be applied to obtain superior and sustainable crop production. The main challenges of today's agriculture are maintaining and raising productivity, reducing its negative impact on the environment, and adapting to climate change. Efficient plant breeding can generate elite varieties that will rapidly replace obsolete ones and address ongoing challenges in an efficient and sustainable manner. Site-specific genome editing in plants is a rapidly evolving field with tangible results. The technology is equipped with a powerful toolbox of molecular scissors to cut DNA at a pre-determined site with different efficiencies for designing an approach that best suits the objectives of each plant breeding strategy. Genome editing (GE) not only revolutionizes plant biology, but provides the means to solve challenges related to plant architecture, food security, nutrient content, adaptation to the environment, resistance to diseases and production of plant-based materials. This review illustrates how far we have come since the emergence of these technologies and how these technologies could be applied to obtain superior, safe and sustainable crop production. Synergies of genome editing with other technological platforms that are gaining significance in plants lead to an exciting new, post-genomic era for plant research and production. In previous months, we have seen what global changes might arise from one new virus, reminding us of what drastic effects such events could have on food production. This demonstrates how important science, technology, and tools are to meet the current time and the future. Plant GE can make a real difference to future sustainable food production to the benefit of both mankind and our environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kubilay Yildirim
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Sciences, Ondokuzmayıs University, Samsun, Turkey
| | - Allah Bakhsh
- Department of Agricultural Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Nigde, Turkey
| | - Sandra Cvejić
- Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | | | | | | | - Antonios Zambounis
- Department of Deciduous Fruit Trees, Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, ELGO-DEMETER, Naoussa, Greece
| | - Zoe Hilioti
- Institute of Applied Biosciences, CERTH, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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16
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17
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Digital PCR: What Relevance to Plant Studies? BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9120433. [PMID: 33266157 PMCID: PMC7760125 DOI: 10.3390/biology9120433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Digital PCR is a third-generation technology based on the subdivision of the analytical sample into numerous partitions that are amplified individually. This review presents the major applications of digital PCR (dPCR) technology developed so far in the field of plant science. In greater detail, dPCR assays have been developed to trace genetically modified plant components, pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms, and plant species. Other applications have concerned the study of the aspects of structural and functional genetics. Abstract Digital PCR (dPCR) is a breakthrough technology that able to provide sensitive and absolute nucleic acid quantification. It is a third-generation technology in the field of nucleic acid amplification. A unique feature of the technique is that of dividing the sample into numerous separate compartments, in each of which an independent amplification reaction takes place. Several instrumental platforms have been developed for this purpose, and different statistical approaches are available for reading the digital output data. The dPCR assays developed so far in the plant science sector were identified in the literature, and the major applications, advantages, disadvantages, and applicative perspectives of the technique are presented and discussed in this review.
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18
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Wolabu TW, Cong L, Park JJ, Bao Q, Chen M, Sun J, Xu B, Ge Y, Chai M, Liu Z, Wang ZY. Development of a Highly Efficient Multiplex Genome Editing System in Outcrossing Tetraploid Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:1063. [PMID: 32765553 PMCID: PMC7380066 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is an outcrossing tetraploid legume species widely cultivated in the world. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system has been successfully used for genome editing in many plant species. However, the use of CRISPR/Cas9 for gene knockout in alfalfa is still very challenging. Our initial single gRNA-CRISPR/Cas9 system had very low mutagenesis efficiency in alfalfa with no mutant phenotype. In order to develop an optimized genome editing system in alfalfa, we constructed multiplex gRNA-CRISPR/Cas9 vectors by a polycistronic tRNA-gRNA approach targeting the Medicago sativa stay-green (MsSGR) gene. The replacement of CaMV35S promoter by the Arabidopsis ubiquitin promoter (AtUBQ10) to drive Cas9 expression in the multiplex gRNA system led to a significant improvement in genome editing efficiency, whereas modification of the gRNA scaffold resulted in lower editing efficiency. The most effective multiplex system exhibited 75% genotypic mutagenesis efficiency, which is 30-fold more efficient than the single gRNA vector. Importantly, phenotypic change was easily observed in the mutants, and the phenotypic mutation efficiency reached 68%. This highly efficient multiplex gRNA-CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system allowed the generation of homozygous mutants with a complete knockout of the four allelic copies in the T0 generation. This optimized system offers an effective way of testing gene functions and overcomes a major barrier in the utilization of genome editing for alfalfa improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lili Cong
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, OK, United States
- College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jong-Jin Park
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, OK, United States
| | - Qinyan Bao
- College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Miao Chen
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, OK, United States
| | - Juan Sun
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, OK, United States
- College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Bin Xu
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, OK, United States
| | - Yaxin Ge
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, OK, United States
| | - Maofeng Chai
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, OK, United States
- College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhipeng Liu
- College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zeng-Yu Wang
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, OK, United States
- College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
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19
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Wolabu TW, Park JJ, Chen M, Cong L, Ge Y, Jiang Q, Debnath S, Li G, Wen J, Wang Z. Improving the genome editing efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 in Arabidopsis and Medicago truncatula. PLANTA 2020; 252:15. [PMID: 32642859 PMCID: PMC7343739 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-020-03415-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION An improved CRISPR/Cas9 system with the Arabidopsis UBQ10 promoter-driven Cas9 exhibits consistently high mutation efficiency in Arabidopsis and M. truncatula. CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful genome editing technology that has been applied in several crop species for trait improvement due to its simplicity, versatility, and specificity. However, the mutation efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 in Arabidopsis and M. truncatula (Mt) is still challenging and inconsistent. To analyze the functionality of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in two model dicot species, four different promoter-driven Cas9 systems to target phytoene desaturase (PDS) genes were designed. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was used for the delivery of constructed vectors to host plants. Phenotypic and genotypic analyses revealed that the Arabidopsis UBQ10 promoter-driven Cas9 significantly improves the mutation efficiency to 95% in Arabidopsis and 70% in M. truncatula. Moreover, the UBQ10-Cas9 system yielded 11% homozygous mutants in the T1 generation in Arabidopsis. Sequencing analyses of mutation events indicated that single-nucleotide insertions are the most frequent events in Arabidopsis, whereas multi-nucleotide deletions are dominant in bi-allelic and mono-allelic homozygous mutants in M. truncatula. Taken together, the UBQ10 promoter facilitates the best improvement in the CRISPR/Cas9 efficiency in PDS gene editing, followed by the EC1.2 promoter. Consistently, the improved UBQ10-Cas9 vector highly enhanced the mutation efficiency by four-fold over the commonly used 35S promoter in both dicot species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tezera W Wolabu
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - Jong-Jin Park
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
- Genome Editing Naturegenic Inc, 1281 Win Hentschel Boulevard, Kurz Purdue Technology Center Suite E-1251, West Lafayette, IN, 47906, USA
| | - Miao Chen
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
- Guang Dong Ocean University, Faculty of Agricultural Science, #1 Haida Road, Mazhang, Zhanjiang, 524088, Guangdong, China
| | - Lili Cong
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
- College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Changcheng Road 700, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yaxin Ge
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - Qingzhen Jiang
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - Smriti Debnath
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - Guangming Li
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - Jiangqi Wen
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA.
| | - Zengyu Wang
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA.
- College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Changcheng Road 700, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.
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20
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Hrbáčková M, Dvořák P, Takáč T, Tichá M, Luptovčiak I, Šamajová O, Ovečka M, Šamaj J. Biotechnological Perspectives of Omics and Genetic Engineering Methods in Alfalfa. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:592. [PMID: 32508859 PMCID: PMC7253590 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
For several decades, researchers are working to develop improved major crops with better adaptability and tolerance to environmental stresses. Forage legumes have been widely spread in the world due to their great ecological and economic values. Abiotic and biotic stresses are main factors limiting legume production, however, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) shows relatively high level of tolerance to drought and salt stress. Efforts focused on alfalfa improvements have led to the release of cultivars with new traits of agronomic importance such as high yield, better stress tolerance or forage quality. Alfalfa has very high nutritional value due to its efficient symbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, while deep root system can help to prevent soil water loss in dry lands. The use of modern biotechnology tools is challenging in alfalfa since full genome, unlike to its close relative barrel medic (Medicago truncatula Gaertn.), was not released yet. Identification, isolation, and improvement of genes involved in abiotic or biotic stress response significantly contributed to the progress of our understanding how crop plants cope with these environmental challenges. In this review, we provide an overview of the progress that has been made in high-throughput sequencing, characterization of genes for abiotic or biotic stress tolerance, gene editing, as well as proteomic and metabolomics techniques bearing biotechnological potential for alfalfa improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jozef Šamaj
- Department of Cell Biology, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czechia
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21
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Chen H, Zeng Y, Yang Y, Huang L, Tang B, Zhang H, Hao F, Liu W, Li Y, Liu Y, Zhang X, Zhang R, Zhang Y, Li Y, Wang K, He H, Wang Z, Fan G, Yang H, Bao A, Shang Z, Chen J, Wang W, Qiu Q. Allele-aware chromosome-level genome assembly and efficient transgene-free genome editing for the autotetraploid cultivated alfalfa. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2494. [PMID: 32427850 PMCID: PMC7237683 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16338-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Artificially improving traits of cultivated alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), one of the most important forage crops, is challenging due to the lack of a reference genome and an efficient genome editing protocol, which mainly result from its autotetraploidy and self-incompatibility. Here, we generate an allele-aware chromosome-level genome assembly for the cultivated alfalfa consisting of 32 allelic chromosomes by integrating high-fidelity single-molecule sequencing and Hi-C data. We further establish an efficient CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing protocol on the basis of this genome assembly and precisely introduce tetra-allelic mutations into null mutants that display obvious phenotype changes. The mutated alleles and phenotypes of null mutants can be stably inherited in generations in a transgene-free manner by cross pollination, which may help in bypassing the debate about transgenic plants. The presented genome and CRISPR/Cas9-based transgene-free genome editing protocol provide key foundations for accelerating research and molecular breeding of this important forage crop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650223, Kunming, China
- Guangdong Sanjie Forage Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 510630, Guangzhou, China
- Sanjie Institute of Forage, 712100, Yangling, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650204, Kunming, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650223, Kunming, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650204, Kunming, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yongzhi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China
| | - Lingli Huang
- Guangdong Sanjie Forage Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 510630, Guangzhou, China
- Sanjie Institute of Forage, 712100, Yangling, China
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China
| | - Bolin Tang
- Guangdong Sanjie Forage Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 510630, Guangzhou, China
- Sanjie Institute of Forage, 712100, Yangling, China
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China
| | - He Zhang
- BGI-Qingdao, 266555, Qingdao, China
| | - Fei Hao
- Center of Special Environmental Biomechanics & Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650223, Kunming, China
- Guangdong Sanjie Forage Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 510630, Guangzhou, China
- Sanjie Institute of Forage, 712100, Yangling, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650204, Kunming, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Youhan Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, 650223, Kunming, China
| | - Yanbin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaoshuang Zhang
- Guangdong Sanjie Forage Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 510630, Guangzhou, China
- Sanjie Institute of Forage, 712100, Yangling, China
| | - Ru Zhang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China
| | - Yesheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650223, Kunming, China
| | - Yongxin Li
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China
| | - Kun Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China
| | - Hua He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, 650223, Kunming, China
| | - Zhongkai Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China
| | | | - Hui Yang
- Center of Special Environmental Biomechanics & Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China
| | - Aike Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhanhuan Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystem, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jianghua Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, 650223, Kunming, China.
| | - Wen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650223, Kunming, China.
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China.
| | - Qiang Qiu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China.
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Jouanin A, Tenorio-Berrio R, Schaart JG, Leigh F, Visser RG, Smulders MJ. Optimisation of droplet digital PCR for determining copy number variation of α-gliadin genes in mutant and gene-edited polyploid bread wheat. J Cereal Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcs.2019.102903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Hajiahmadi Z, Movahedi A, Wei H, Li D, Orooji Y, Ruan H, Zhuge Q. Strategies to Increase On-Target and Reduce Off-Target Effects of the CRISPR/Cas9 System in Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E3719. [PMID: 31366028 PMCID: PMC6696359 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20153719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 07/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 system (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat-associated protein 9) is a powerful genome-editing tool in animals, plants, and humans. This system has some advantages, such as a high on-target mutation rate (targeting efficiency), less cost, simplicity, and high-efficiency multiplex loci editing, over conventional genome editing tools, including meganucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs). One of the crucial shortcomings of this system is unwanted mutations at off-target sites. We summarize and discuss different approaches, such as dCas9 and Cas9 paired nickase, to decrease the off-target effects in plants. According to studies, the most effective method to reduce unintended mutations is the use of ligand-dependent ribozymes called aptazymes. The single guide RNA (sgRNA)/ligand-dependent aptazyme strategy has helped researchers avoid unwanted mutations in human cells and can be used in plants as an alternative method to dramatically decrease the frequency of off-target mutations. We hope our concept provides a new, simple, and fast gene transformation and genome-editing approach, with advantages including reduced time and energy consumption, the avoidance of unwanted mutations, increased frequency of on-target changes, and no need for external forces or expensive equipment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Hajiahmadi
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht 4199613776, Iran
| | - Ali Movahedi
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
| | - Hui Wei
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Dawei Li
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Yasin Orooji
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, No. 159, Longpan Road, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Honghua Ruan
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Qiang Zhuge
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
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Jaganathan D, Ramasamy K, Sellamuthu G, Jayabalan S, Venkataraman G. CRISPR for Crop Improvement: An Update Review. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:985. [PMID: 30065734 PMCID: PMC6056666 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The availability of genome sequences for several crops and advances in genome editing approaches has opened up possibilities to breed for almost any given desirable trait. Advancements in genome editing technologies such as zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) has made it possible for molecular biologists to more precisely target any gene of interest. However, these methodologies are expensive and time-consuming as they involve complicated steps that require protein engineering. Unlike first-generation genome editing tools, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing involves simple designing and cloning methods, with the same Cas9 being potentially available for use with different guide RNAs targeting multiple sites in the genome. After proof-of-concept demonstrations in crop plants involving the primary CRISPR-Cas9 module, several modified Cas9 cassettes have been utilized in crop plants for improving target specificity and reducing off-target cleavage (e.g., Nmcas9, Sacas9, and Stcas9). Further, the availability of Cas9 enzymes from additional bacterial species has made available options to enhance specificity and efficiency of gene editing methodologies. This review summarizes the options available to plant biotechnologists to bring about crop improvement using CRISPR/Cas9 based genome editing tools and also presents studies where CRISPR/Cas9 has been used for enhancing biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. Application of these techniques will result in the development of non-genetically modified (Non-GMO) crops with the desired trait that can contribute to increased yield potential under biotic and abiotic stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepa Jaganathan
- Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India
| | | | | | | | - Gayatri Venkataraman
- Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India
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25
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Capstaff NM, Miller AJ. Improving the Yield and Nutritional Quality of Forage Crops. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:535. [PMID: 29740468 PMCID: PMC5928394 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Despite being some of the most important crops globally, there has been limited research on forages when compared with cereals, fruits, and vegetables. This review summarizes the literature highlighting the significance of forage crops, the current improvements and some of future directions for improving yield and nutritional quality. We make the point that the knowledge obtained from model plant and grain crops can be applied to forage crops. The timely development of genomics and bioinformatics together with genome editing techniques offer great scope to improve forage crops. Given the social, environmental and economic importance of forage across the globe and especially in poorer countries, this opportunity has enormous potential to improve food security and political stability.
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26
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Fritsche S, Poovaiah C, MacRae E, Thorlby G. A New Zealand Perspective on the Application and Regulation of Gene Editing. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1323. [PMID: 30258454 PMCID: PMC6144285 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
New Zealand (NZ) is a small country with an export-led economy with above 90% of primary production exported. Plant-based primary commodities derived from the pastoral, horticultural and forestry sectors account for around half of the export earnings. Productivity is characterized by a history of innovation and the early adoption of advanced technologies. Gene editing has the potential to revolutionize breeding programmes, particularly in NZ. Here, perennials such as tree crops and forestry species are key components of the primary production value chain but are challenging for conventional breeding and only recently domesticated. Uncertainty over the global regulatory status of gene editing products is a barrier to invest in and apply editing techniques in plant breeding. NZs major trading partners including Europe, Asia and Australia are currently evaluating the regulatory status of these technologies and have not made definitive decisions. NZ is one of the few countries where the regulatory status of gene editing has been clarified. In 2014, the NZ Environmental Protection Authority ruled that plants produced via gene editing methods, where no foreign DNA remained in the edited plant, would not be regulated as GMOs. However, following a challenge in the High Court, this decision was overturned such that NZ currently controls all products of gene editing as GMOs. Here, we illustrate the potential benefits of integrating gene editing into plant breeding programmes using targets and traits with application in NZ. The regulatory process which led to gene editing's current GMO classification in NZ is described and the importance of globally harmonized regulations, particularly to small export-driven nations is discussed.
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27
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Jaganathan D, Ramasamy K, Sellamuthu G, Jayabalan S, Venkataraman G. CRISPR for Crop Improvement: An Update Review. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018. [PMID: 30065734 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The availability of genome sequences for several crops and advances in genome editing approaches has opened up possibilities to breed for almost any given desirable trait. Advancements in genome editing technologies such as zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) has made it possible for molecular biologists to more precisely target any gene of interest. However, these methodologies are expensive and time-consuming as they involve complicated steps that require protein engineering. Unlike first-generation genome editing tools, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing involves simple designing and cloning methods, with the same Cas9 being potentially available for use with different guide RNAs targeting multiple sites in the genome. After proof-of-concept demonstrations in crop plants involving the primary CRISPR-Cas9 module, several modified Cas9 cassettes have been utilized in crop plants for improving target specificity and reducing off-target cleavage (e.g., Nmcas9, Sacas9, and Stcas9). Further, the availability of Cas9 enzymes from additional bacterial species has made available options to enhance specificity and efficiency of gene editing methodologies. This review summarizes the options available to plant biotechnologists to bring about crop improvement using CRISPR/Cas9 based genome editing tools and also presents studies where CRISPR/Cas9 has been used for enhancing biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. Application of these techniques will result in the development of non-genetically modified (Non-GMO) crops with the desired trait that can contribute to increased yield potential under biotic and abiotic stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepa Jaganathan
- Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India
| | - Karthikeyan Ramasamy
- Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India
| | - Gothandapani Sellamuthu
- Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India
| | - Shilpha Jayabalan
- Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India
| | - Gayatri Venkataraman
- Plant Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, India
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