CRISPR-EDITED TOMATOES WITH REDUCED ETHYLENE PRODUCTION
CRISPR-EDITED TOMATOES WITH REDUCED ETHYLENE PRODUCTION
Recent progress in genome editing methods has opened new avenues for reverse genetics studies in plants. One of these is the CRISPR-Cas9 system, which has been used to induce targeted mutations in a variety of organisms.
A Hankyong National University research team described a targeted mutagenesis using Agrobacterium-delivered CRISPR-Cas9 in tomato. This new system uses an Agrobacteriumvector and three guide RNAs for single gene targeting. The team, which was led by Yu Jin Jung, evaluated the system for its mutagenesis frequency and heritability by testing it on the LeMADS-RIN gene of tomato.
Individual events carrying mutations in the LeMADS-RIN gene occurred in 10.6% of the transformed tomato genotypes. Compared with wildtype plants, the edited mutants exhibited more incompletely-ripening fruits and lower ethylene contents. Analysis also revealed that the desired mutant alleles are inheritable and could be retrieved in the succeeding generations.
For more information, read the article in Korean Journal of Horticultural Science & Technology.
