Abstract Detail

Applications of CRISPR technology across the plant tree of life

Yang, Bing [1].

Genome Editing Enables Plants to Resist Diseases.

Engineered CRISPR systems have been engineered into potent biotechnological tools for both basic and applied research. The most promising utilization of CRISPR/Cas9 is for targeted genome editing, leading to precise genetic alterations within any genome of interest, as demonstrated in a plethora of organisms including several important crop species. Bacterial blight (BB) is one of devastating rice diseases in Asia and Africa. The causal agent Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) uses secreted TAL effectors (TALes) to ectopically activate the sucrose transporter SWEET genes of rice, conditioning a state of disease susceptibility. Xoo uses a limited set of TALes to target promoters of three SWEET genes (SWEET11, 13, and 14) in rice. Naturally occurring SWEET variants, with altered promoter TALe binding elements, act as recessive BB resistance genes by interfering with TALe functioning. We used CRISPR/Cas9 to engineer rice lines that have carried multiple mutations in three SWEET gene promoters. The SWEET promoter mutations were introduced into different rice varieties, and the disease evaluation showed that edited SWEET promoters generated robust, broad-spectrum BB resistance. We also developed rice lines that carried knockout mutations individually or in combination in three SWEET genes (SWEET11, 13, and 14). The knockout lines are useful diagnostic tools to determine SWEET-inducing TALes in Xoo isolates and guide the deployment of resistance genes derived from the naturally occurring or genome edited SWEET promoter mutations. Our results demonstrate a route to realize the promising potential of genome editing for crop improvement in agriculture.

1 - University of Missouri, Division of Plant Sciences, 340e Bond Life Science Center, 1201 Rollins St., Columbia, MO, 65211, United States

Keywords:
CRISPR
Gene editing
Rice
Disease resistance.

Presentation Type: Symposium Presentation
Session: SY6, Applications of CRISPR technology across the plant tree of life
Location: /
Date: Friday, July 23rd, 2021
Time: 12:30 PM(EDT)
Number: SY6007
Abstract ID:839
Candidate for Awards:None