1
|
Tian J, Tang Z, Niu R, Zhou Y, Yang D, Chen D, Luo M, Mou R, Yuan M, Xu G. Engineering disease-resistant plants with alternative translation efficiency by switching uORF types through CRISPR. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:1715-1726. [PMID: 38679667 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-024-2588-9] [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: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Engineering disease-resistant plants can be a powerful solution to the issue of food security. However, it requires addressing two fundamental questions: what genes to express and how to control their expressions. To find a solution, we screen CRISPR-edited upstream open reading frame (uORF) variants in rice, aiming to optimize translational control of disease-related genes. By switching uORF types of the 5'-leader from Arabidopsis TBF1, we modulate the ribosome accessibility to the downstream firefly luciferase. We assume that by switching uORF types using CRISPR, we could generate uORF variants with alternative translation efficiency (CRISPR-aTrE-uORF). These variants, capable of boosting translation for resistance-associated genes and dampening it for susceptible ones, can help pinpoint previously unidentified genes with optimal expression levels. To test the assumption, we screened edited uORF variants and found that enhanced translational suppression of the plastic glutamine synthetase 2 can provide broad-spectrum disease resistance in rice with minimal fitness costs. This strategy, which involves modifying uORFs from none to some, or from some to none or different ones, demonstrates how translational agriculture can speed up the development of disease-resistant crops. This is vital for tackling the food security challenges we face due to growing populations and changing climates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Tian
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Centre of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Zhijuan Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Ruixia Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yulu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Dan Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Centre of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Dan Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Centre of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Ming Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Rui Mou
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Meng Yuan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Centre of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| | - Guoyong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhao D, Chen S, Han Y, Liu G, Liu J, Yang Q, Zhang T, Shen J, Fan X, Zhang C, Zhang T, Li Q, Chen C, Liu Q. A CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutant library of seed-preferred genes in rice. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024. [PMID: 38925598 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Dongsheng Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Co-Innovation Centre for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops of Jiangsu Province / Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Siyu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yangshuo Han
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Guanqing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jinyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Qingqing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jilei Shen
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Xiaolei Fan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Changquan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Co-Innovation Centre for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops of Jiangsu Province / Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Co-Innovation Centre for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops of Jiangsu Province / Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Qianfeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Co-Innovation Centre for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops of Jiangsu Province / Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Co-Innovation Centre for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops of Jiangsu Province / Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Qiaoquan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, Co-Innovation Centre for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops of Jiangsu Province / Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology of Jiangsu Province, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sojka J, Šamajová O, Šamaj J. Gene-edited protein kinases and phosphatases in molecular plant breeding. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 29:694-710. [PMID: 38151445 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.11.019] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation, the most common and essential post-translational modification, belongs to crucial regulatory mechanisms in plants, affecting their metabolism, intracellular transport, cytoarchitecture, cell division, growth, development, and interactions with the environment. Protein kinases and phosphatases, two important families of enzymes optimally regulating phosphorylation, have now become important targets for gene editing in crops. We review progress on gene-edited protein kinases and phosphatases in crops using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9). We also provide guidance for computational prediction of alterations and/or changes in function, activity, and binding of protein kinases and phosphatases as consequences of CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing with its possible application in modern crop molecular breeding towards sustainable agriculture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Sojka
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Olga Šamajová
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jozef Šamaj
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang Y, Cui MM, Ke RN, Chen YD, Xie K. C-terminal frameshift mutations generate viable knockout mutants with developmental defects for three essential protein kinases. ABIOTECH 2024; 5:219-224. [PMID: 38974866 PMCID: PMC11224195 DOI: 10.1007/s42994-024-00165-5] [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: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutants are fundamental resources for gene function studies. However, it is difficult to generate viable and heritable knockout mutants for essential genes. Here, we show that targeted editing of the C-terminal sequence of the embryo lethal gene MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASES 1 (OsMPK1) results in weak mutants. This C-terminal-edited osmpk1 mutants displayed severe developmental defects and altered disease resistance but generated tens of viable seeds that inherited the mutations. Using the same C-terminal editing approach, we also obtained viable mutants for a wall-associated protein kinase (Os07g0493200) and a leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinase (Os01g0239700), while the null mutations of these genes were lethal. These data suggest that protein kinase activity could be reduced by introducing frameshift mutations adjacent to the C-terminus, which could generate valuable resources for gene function studies and tune protein kinase activity for signaling pathway engineering. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42994-024-00165-5.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Miao-Miao Cui
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Run-Nan Ke
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Yue-Dan Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Kabin Xie
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Bi Y, Yu Y, Mao S, Wu T, Wang T, Zhou Y, Xie K, Zhang H, Liu L, Chu Z. Comparative transcriptomic profiling of the two-stage response of rice to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola interaction with two different pathogenic strains. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:347. [PMID: 38684939 PMCID: PMC11057074 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-05060-1] [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: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Two-tiered plant immune responses involve cross-talk among defense-responsive (DR) genes involved in pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP)-triggered immunity (PTI), effector-triggered immunity (ETI) and effector-triggered susceptibility (ETS). Bacterial leaf streak (BLS), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc) is an important bacterial disease that causes serious threats to rice yield and quality. Transcriptomic profiling provides an effective approach for the comprehensive and large-scale detection of DR genes that participate in the interactions between rice and Xoc. RESULTS In this study, we used RNA-seq to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in susceptible rice after inoculation with two naturally pathogenic Xoc strains, a hypervirulent strain, HGA4, and a relatively hypovirulent strain, RS105. First, bacterial growth curve and biomass quantification revealed that differential growth occurred beginning at 1 day post inoculation (dpi) and became more significant at 3 dpi. Additionally, we analyzed the DEGs at 12 h and 3 days post inoculation with two strains, representing the DR genes involved in the PTI and ETI/ETS responses, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) functional and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed on the common DEGs, which included 4380 upregulated and 4019 downregulated genes and 930 upregulated and 1383 downregulated genes identified for the two strains at 12 h post inoculation (hpi) and 3 dpi, respectively. Compared to those at 12 hpi, at 3 dpi the number of common DEGs decreased, while the degree of differential expression was intensified. In addition, more disease-related GO pathways were enriched, and more transcription activator-like effector (TALE) putative target genes were upregulated in plants inoculated with HGA4 than in those inoculated with RS105 at 3 dpi. Then, four DRs were randomly selected for the BLS resistance assay. We found that CDP3.10, LOC_Os11g03820, and OsDSR2 positively regulated rice resistance to Xoc, while OsSPX3 negatively regulated rice resistance. CONCLUSIONS By using an enrichment method for RNA-seq, we identified a group of DEGs related to the two stages of response to the Xoc strain, which included four functionally identified DR genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yunya Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Yue Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
- State Key Laboratory of Wheat Breeding, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, China
| | - Shuaige Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Tao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Wheat Breeding, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, China
| | - Tao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Kabin Xie
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- Tancheng Jinghua Seed Co., LTD, Linyi, Shandong, 276100, China
| | - Li Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China.
| | - Zhaohui Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Wheat Breeding, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
He J, Zeng C, Li M. Plant Functional Genomics Based on High-Throughput CRISPR Library Knockout Screening: A Perspective. ADVANCED GENETICS (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2024; 5:2300203. [PMID: 38465224 PMCID: PMC10919289 DOI: 10.1002/ggn2.202300203] [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: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Plant biology studies in the post-genome era have been focused on annotating genome sequences' functions. The established plant mutant collections have greatly accelerated functional genomics research in the past few decades. However, most plant genome sequences' roles and the underlying regulatory networks remain substantially unknown. Clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated systems are robust, versatile tools for manipulating plant genomes with various targeted DNA perturbations, providing an excellent opportunity for high-throughput interrogation of DNA elements' roles. This study compares methods frequently used for plant functional genomics and then discusses different DNA multi-targeted strategies to overcome gene redundancy using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Next, this work summarizes recent reports using CRISPR libraries for high-throughput gene knockout and function discoveries in plants. Finally, this work envisions the future perspective of optimizing and leveraging CRISPR library screening in plant genomes' other uncharacterized DNA sequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianjie He
- Department of BiotechnologyCollege of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of EducationWuhan430074China
| | - Can Zeng
- Department of BiotechnologyCollege of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of EducationWuhan430074China
| | - Maoteng Li
- Department of BiotechnologyCollege of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhan430074China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of EducationWuhan430074China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bravo-Vázquez LA, Méndez-García A, Chamu-García V, Rodríguez AL, Bandyopadhyay A, Paul S. The applications of CRISPR/Cas-mediated microRNA and lncRNA editing in plant biology: shaping the future of plant non-coding RNA research. PLANTA 2023; 259:32. [PMID: 38153530 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04303-z] [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: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION CRISPR/Cas technology has greatly facilitated plant non-coding RNA (ncRNA) biology research, establishing itself as a promising tool for ncRNA functional characterization and ncRNA-mediated plant improvement. Throughout the last decade, the promising genome editing tool clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas; CRISPR/Cas) has allowed unprecedented advances in the field of plant functional genomics and crop improvement. Even though CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing system has been widely used to elucidate the biological significance of a number of plant protein-coding genes, this technology has been barely applied in the functional analysis of those non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that modulate gene expression, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Nevertheless, compelling findings indicate that CRISPR/Cas-based ncRNA editing has remarkable potential for deciphering the biological roles of ncRNAs in plants, as well as for plant breeding. For instance, it has been demonstrated that CRISPR/Cas tool could overcome the challenges associated with other approaches employed in functional genomic studies (e.g., incomplete knockdown and off-target activity). Thus, in this review article, we discuss the current status and progress of CRISPR/Cas-mediated ncRNA editing in plant science in order to provide novel prospects for further assessment and validation of the biological activities of plant ncRNAs and to enhance the development of ncRNA-centered protocols for crop improvement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luis Alberto Bravo-Vázquez
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Campus Querétaro, Av. Epigmenio González, No. 500 Fracc. San Pablo, 76130, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Andrea Méndez-García
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Campus Querétaro, Av. Epigmenio González, No. 500 Fracc. San Pablo, 76130, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Verenice Chamu-García
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Campus Puebla, Atlixcáyotl 5718, Reserva Territorial Atlixcáyotl, 72453, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Alma L Rodríguez
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Campus Querétaro, Av. Epigmenio González, No. 500 Fracc. San Pablo, 76130, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Anindya Bandyopadhyay
- International Rice Research Institute, 4031, Manila, Philippines.
- Reliance Industries Ltd., Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400701, India.
| | - Sujay Paul
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Campus Querétaro, Av. Epigmenio González, No. 500 Fracc. San Pablo, 76130, Querétaro, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Yao L, Wang X, Ke R, Chen K, Xie K. FLASH Genome Editing Pipeline: An Efficient and High-Throughput Method to Construct Arrayed CRISPR Library for Plant Functional Genomics. Curr Protoc 2023; 3:e905. [PMID: 37755326 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.905] [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] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing is a revolutionary technology for plant functional genomics and crop breeding. In this system, the Cas9 nuclease is directed by a guide RNA (gRNA) to cut the DNA target and introduce mutation through error-prone DNA break repair. Owing to its simplicity, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted gene knockout is widely used for high-throughput genetic screening in animal cell cultures and bacteria. However, high-throughput genetic screening using CRISPR/Cas9 is still challenging in plants. We recently established a new approach, named the FLASH genome editing pipeline, to construct an arrayed CRISPR library in plants. In this pipeline, a set of 12 PCR fragments with different lengths (referred to as FLASH tags) are used to index the Cas9/gRNA vectors. Subsequently, a mixture of 12 Agrobacterium strains, in which each strain contained a FLASH-tag indexed vector, was transformed into rice plants. As a result, a unique link between the target gene/gRNA and FLASH tag is generated, which allows reading gRNA information in bacterial strains and gene-edited plants using regular PCR and gel electrophoresis. This protocol includes step-by-step instructions for gRNA design, high throughput assembly of FLASH-tag indexed Cas9/gRNA plasmids, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of 12 indexed plasmids, and fast assignment of target gene information in primary transformants. The arrayed CRISPR library described here is suitable for small- to large-scale genetic screening and allows fast and comprehensive gene function discovery in plants. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Assembly of FLASH-tag-indexed Cas9/gRNA plasmids Basic Protocol 2: Preparation of the Cas9/gRNA plasmid library Basic Protocol 3: Library preparation of Agrobacterium strains and mixing FLASH-tag indexed strains Basic Protocol 4: Grouped transformation and assignments of gRNA information of gene-edited plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lu Yao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaochun Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Current affiliation: Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Runnan Ke
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Kaiyuan Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
- Current affiliation: Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Kabin Xie
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Shi L, Su J, Cho MJ, Song H, Dong X, Liang Y, Zhang Z. Promoter editing for the genetic improvement of crops. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:4349-4366. [PMID: 37204916 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad175] [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: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression plays a fundamental role in the regulation of agronomically important traits in crop plants. The genetic manipulation of plant promoters through genome editing has emerged as an effective strategy to create favorable traits in crops by altering the expression pattern of the pertinent genes. Promoter editing can be applied in a directed manner, where nucleotide sequences associated with favorable traits are precisely generated. Alternatively, promoter editing can also be exploited as a random mutagenic approach to generate novel genetic variations within a designated promoter, from which elite alleles are selected based on their phenotypic effects. Pioneering studies have demonstrated the potential of promoter editing in engineering agronomically important traits as well as in mining novel promoter alleles valuable for plant breeding. In this review, we provide an update on the application of promoter editing in crops for increased yield, enhanced tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and improved quality. We also discuss several remaining technical bottlenecks and how this strategy may be better employed for the genetic improvement of crops in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lu Shi
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Ministry of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Jing Su
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Plant Genome Editing, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Myeong-Je Cho
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
| | - Hao Song
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Plant Genome Editing, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaoou Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Plant Genome Editing, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
- Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210014, China
| | - Ying Liang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Ministry of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Zhiyong Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Ministry of Science and Technology, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Zhang R, Shi PT, Zhou M, Liu HZ, Xu XJ, Liu WT, Chen KM. Rapid alkalinization factor: function, regulation, and potential applications in agriculture. STRESS BIOLOGY 2023; 3:16. [PMID: 37676530 PMCID: PMC10442051 DOI: 10.1007/s44154-023-00093-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Rapid alkalinization factor (RALF) is widespread throughout the plant kingdom and controls many aspects of plant life. Current studies on the regulatory mechanism underlying RALF function mainly focus on Arabidopsis, but little is known about the role of RALF in crop plants. Here, we systematically and comprehensively analyzed the relation between RALF family genes from five important crops and those in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Simultaneously, we summarized the functions of RALFs in controlling growth and developmental behavior using conservative motifs as cues and predicted the regulatory role of RALFs in cereal crops. In conclusion, RALF has considerable application potential in improving crop yields and increasing economic benefits. Using gene editing technology or taking advantage of RALF as a hormone additive are effective way to amplify the role of RALF in crop plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ran Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Peng-Tao Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Min Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Huai-Zeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wen-Ting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Kun-Ming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
He J, Zhang K, Yan S, Tang M, Zhou W, Yin Y, Chen K, Zhang C, Li M. Genome-scale targeted mutagenesis in Brassica napus using a pooled CRISPR library. Genome Res 2023; 33:798-809. [PMID: 37290935 PMCID: PMC10317123 DOI: 10.1101/gr.277650.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The recently constructed mutant libraries of diploid crops by the CRISPR-Cas9 system have provided abundant resources for functional genomics and crop breeding. However, because of the genome complexity, it is a big challenge to accomplish large-scale targeted mutagenesis in polyploid plants. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of using a pooled CRISPR library to achieve genome-scale targeted editing in an allotetraploid crop of Brassica napus A total of 18,414 sgRNAs were designed to target 10,480 genes of interest, and afterward, 1104 regenerated transgenic plants harboring 1088 sgRNAs were obtained. Editing interrogation results revealed that 93 of the 178 genes were identified as mutated, thus representing an editing efficiency of 52.2%. Furthermore, we have discovered that Cas9-mediated DNA cleavages tend to occur at all the target sites guided by the same individual sgRNA, a novel finding in polyploid plants. Finally, we show the strong capability of reverse genetic screening for various traits with the postgenotyped plants. Several genes, which might dominate the fatty acid profile and seed oil content and have yet to be reported, were unveiled from the forward genetic studies. Our research provides valuable resources for functional genomics, elite crop breeding, and a good reference for high-throughput targeted mutagenesis in other polyploid plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianjie He
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Shuxiang Yan
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Mi Tang
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Weixian Zhou
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Yongtai Yin
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Kang Chen
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Maoteng Li
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China;
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430074, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Jeong BR, Jang J, Jin E. Genome engineering via gene editing technologies in microalgae. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 373:128701. [PMID: 36746216 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.128701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas has revolutionized genetic modification with its comparative simplicity and accuracy, and it can be used even at the genomic level. Microalgae are excellent feedstocks for biofuels and nutraceuticals because they contain high levels of fatty acids, carotenoids, and other metabolites; however, genome engineering for microalgae is not yet as developed as for other model organisms. Microalgal engineering at the genetic and metabolic levels is relatively well established, and a few genomic resources are available. Their genomic information was used for a "safe harbor" site for stable transgene expression in microalgae. This review proposes further genome engineering schemes including the construction of sgRNA libraries, pan-genomic and epigenomic resources, and mini-genomes, which can together be developed into synthetic biology for carbon-based engineering in microalgae. Acetyl-CoA is at the center of carbon metabolic pathways and is further reviewed for the production of molecules including terpenoids in microalgae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Byeong-Ryool Jeong
- Department of Life Science, Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
| | - Junhwan Jang
- Department of Life Science, Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
| | - EonSeon Jin
- Department of Life Science, Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea; Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Hu Y, Patra P, Pisanty O, Shafir A, Belew ZM, Binenbaum J, Ben Yaakov S, Shi B, Charrier L, Hyams G, Zhang Y, Trabulsky M, Caldararu O, Weiss D, Crocoll C, Avni A, Vernoux T, Geisler M, Nour-Eldin HH, Mayrose I, Shani E. Multi-Knock-a multi-targeted genome-scale CRISPR toolbox to overcome functional redundancy in plants. NATURE PLANTS 2023; 9:572-587. [PMID: 36973414 PMCID: PMC7615256 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01374-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Plant genomes are characterized by large and complex gene families that often result in similar and partially overlapping functions. This genetic redundancy severely hampers current efforts to uncover novel phenotypes, delaying basic genetic research and breeding programmes. Here we describe the development and validation of Multi-Knock, a genome-scale clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat toolbox that overcomes functional redundancy in Arabidopsis by simultaneously targeting multiple gene-family members, thus identifying genetically hidden components. We computationally designed 59,129 optimal single-guide RNAs that each target two to ten genes within a family at once. Furthermore, partitioning the library into ten sublibraries directed towards a different functional group allows flexible and targeted genetic screens. From the 5,635 single-guide RNAs targeting the plant transportome, we generated over 3,500 independent Arabidopsis lines that allowed us to identify and characterize the first known cytokinin tonoplast-localized transporters in plants. With the ability to overcome functional redundancy in plants at the genome-scale level, the developed strategy can be readily deployed by scientists and breeders for basic research and to expedite breeding efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yangjie Hu
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Priyanka Patra
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, CNRS, INRAE, Lyon, France
| | - Odelia Pisanty
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Anat Shafir
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Zeinu Mussa Belew
- DynaMo Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Jenia Binenbaum
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shir Ben Yaakov
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Bihai Shi
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, CNRS, INRAE, Lyon, France
| | - Laurence Charrier
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Gal Hyams
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yuqin Zhang
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Maor Trabulsky
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Omer Caldararu
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniela Weiss
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Christoph Crocoll
- DynaMo Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Adi Avni
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Teva Vernoux
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, CNRS, INRAE, Lyon, France
| | - Markus Geisler
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Hussam Hassan Nour-Eldin
- DynaMo Center, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Itay Mayrose
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Eilon Shani
- School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Tian Y, Zhong D, Li X, Shen R, Han H, Dai Y, Yao Q, Zhang X, Deng Q, Cao X, Zhu JK, Lu Y. High-throughput genome editing in rice with a virus-based surrogate system. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 65:646-655. [PMID: 36218268 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
With the widespread use of clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease (Cas) technologies in plants, large-scale genome editing is increasingly needed. Here, we developed a geminivirus-mediated surrogate system, called Wheat Dwarf Virus-Gate (WDV-surrogate), to facilitate high-throughput genome editing. WDV-Gate has two parts: one is the recipient callus from a transgenic rice line expressing Cas9 and a mutated hygromycin-resistant gene (HygM) for surrogate selection; the other is a WDV-based construct expressing two single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) targeting HygM and a gene of interest, respectively. We evaluated WDV-Gate on six rice loci by producing a total of 874 T0 plants. Compared with the conventional method, the WDV-Gate system, which was characterized by a transient and high level of sgRNA expression, significantly increased editing frequency (66.8% vs. 90.1%), plantlet regeneration efficiency (2.31-fold increase), and numbers of homozygous-edited plants (36.3% vs. 70.7%). Large-scale editing using pooled sgRNAs targeting the SLR1 gene resulted in a high editing frequency of 94.4%, further demonstrating its feasibility. We also tested WDV-Gate on sequence knock-in for protein tagging. By co-delivering a chemically modified donor DNA with the WDV-Gate plasmid, 3xFLAG peptides were successfully fused to three loci with an efficiency of up to 13%. Thus, by combining transiently expressed sgRNAs and a surrogate selection system, WDV-Gate could be useful for high-throughput gene knock-out and sequence knock-in.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yifu Tian
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
- Center for Advanced Bioindustry Technologies, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Lab, Sanya, 572024, China
| | - Dating Zhong
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xinbo Li
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
- Center for Advanced Bioindustry Technologies, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Lab, Sanya, 572024, China
| | - Rundong Shen
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
- Center for Advanced Bioindustry Technologies, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Lab, Sanya, 572024, China
| | - Han Han
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yuqin Dai
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Qi Yao
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xuening Zhang
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Qi Deng
- Center for Advanced Bioindustry Technologies, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Xuesong Cao
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Jian-Kang Zhu
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
- Center for Advanced Bioindustry Technologies, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Lab, Sanya, 572024, China
- Institute of Advanced Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yuming Lu
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
CRISPR/dCas9-Mediated Gene Silencing in Two Plant Fungal Pathogens. mSphere 2023; 8:e0059422. [PMID: 36655998 PMCID: PMC9942560 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00594-22] [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] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnaporthe oryzae and Ustilaginoidea virens are two filamentous fungal pathogens that threaten rice production worldwide. Genetic tools that permit fast gene deletion and silencing are of great interest for functional genomics of fungal pathogens. As a revolutionary genome editing tool, clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) enable many innovative applications. Here, we developed a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) toolkit using nuclease activity dead Cas9 (dCas9) to silence genes of interest in M. oryzae and U. virens. We optimized the components of CRISPRi vectors, including transcriptional repression domains, dCas9 promoters, and guide RNA (gRNA) promoters. The CRISPRi tool was tested using nine gRNAs to target the promoters of MoATG3, MoATG7, and UvPal1. The results indicated that a single gRNA could direct the dCas9-fused transcriptional repression domain to efficiently silence the target gene in M. oryzae and U. virens. In both fungi, the target genes were repressed >100-fold, and desired phenotypes were observed in CRISPRi strains. Importantly, we showed that multiple genes could be easily silenced using polycistronic tRNA-gRNA in CRISPRi. Furthermore, gRNAs that bind different promoter regions displayed variable repression levels of target genes, highlighting the importance of gRNA design for CRISPRi efficiency. Together, this study provides an efficient and robust CRISPRi tool for targeted gene silencing in M. oryzae and U. virens. Owing to its simplicity and multiplexity, CRISPRi will be a useful tool for gene function discovery in fungal pathogens. IMPORTANCE Many devastating plant diseases are caused by fungal pathogens that evolve rapidly to adapt to host resistance and environmental changes. Therefore, genetic tools that enable fast gene function discovery are needed to study the pathogenicity and stress adaptation of fungal pathogens. In this study, we adopted the CRISPR/Cas9 system to silence genes in Magnaporthe oryzae and Ustilaginoidea virens, which are two dominant fungal pathogens that threaten rice production worldwide. We present a versatile and robust CRISPRi toolkit that represses target gene expression >100-fold using a single gRNA. We also demonstrated that CRISPRi could simultaneously silence multiple genes using the tRNA-gRNA strategy. The CRISPRi technologies described in this study would accelerate the functional genomics of fungal pathogens.
Collapse
|
16
|
Pan C, Li G, Bandyopadhyay A, Qi Y. Guide RNA library-based CRISPR screens in plants: opportunities and challenges. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 79:102883. [PMID: 36603502 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized our ability to read sequence information at the genome and transcriptome levels in a high-throughput manner. However, genetic screening at a large or genomic scale remains challenging in plants. Recently, the RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas nucleases have been optimized for high-throughput functional genomic screens combined with guide RNA (gRNA) libraries in plants. This approach has shown great promise in facilitating genetic screening, directed evolution, and quantitative trait engineering. However, this technology is still in its infancy. In this short review, we describe the recent progress in gRNA library-based CRISPR screens in plants. We provide a critical assessment of the current approaches and emerging delivery methods for CRISPR screens. We also highlight the challenges and present future perspectives on CRISPR screens in plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Changtian Pan
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Gen Li
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | | | - Yiping Qi
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Liu T, Zhang X, Li K, Yao Q, Zhong D, Deng Q, Lu Y. Large-scale genome editing in plants: approaches, applications, and future perspectives. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 79:102875. [PMID: 36610369 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
As a powerful genome editing technology, CRISPR/Cas is revolutionizing both fundamental research and crop breeding, and has now evolved into large-scale editing tools that are efficient, simple, and programmable. With such CRISPR screening technologies, the numbers of genome-edited crops are rapidly increasing. Here, we describe the general workflow of a CRISPR screen in plants, including the selection of appropriate editors, genome-wide guide RNA design, pooled library construction, massive transformation, and high-throughput genotyping. We also discuss applications for the screening of candidate genes, the optimization of spatiotemporal expression, the evolution of protein activities, and the establishment of genome-wide libraries of knockout mutant. After considering the current challenges and limitations, we finally envision a virus-mediated strategy to improve CRISPR screens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianzhen Liu
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xuening Zhang
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201602, China
| | - Kai Li
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Qi Yao
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201602, China
| | - Dating Zhong
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201602, China
| | - Qi Deng
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yuming Lu
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Basu U, Riaz Ahmed S, Bhat BA, Anwar Z, Ali A, Ijaz A, Gulzar A, Bibi A, Tyagi A, Nebapure SM, Goud CA, Ahanger SA, Ali S, Mushtaq M. A CRISPR way for accelerating cereal crop improvement: Progress and challenges. Front Genet 2023; 13:866976. [PMID: 36685816 PMCID: PMC9852743 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.866976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans rely heavily on cereal grains as a key source of nutrients, hence regular improvement of cereal crops is essential for ensuring food security. The current food crisis at the global level is due to the rising population and harsh climatic conditions which prompts scientists to develop smart resilient cereal crops to attain food security. Cereal crop improvement in the past generally depended on imprecise methods like random mutagenesis and conventional genetic recombination which results in high off targeting risks. In this context, we have witnessed the application of targeted mutagenesis using versatile CRISPR-Cas systems for cereal crop improvement in sustainable agriculture. Accelerated crop improvement using molecular breeding methods based on CRISPR-Cas genome editing (GE) is an unprecedented tool for plant biotechnology and agriculture. The last decade has shown the fidelity, accuracy, low levels of off-target effects, and the high efficacy of CRISPR technology to induce targeted mutagenesis for the improvement of cereal crops such as wheat, rice, maize, barley, and millets. Since the genomic databases of these cereal crops are available, several modifications using GE technologies have been performed to attain desirable results. This review provides a brief overview of GE technologies and includes an elaborate account of the mechanisms and applications of CRISPR-Cas editing systems to induce targeted mutagenesis in cereal crops for improving the desired traits. Further, we describe recent developments in CRISPR-Cas-based targeted mutagenesis through base editing and prime editing to develop resilient cereal crop plants, possibly providing new dimensions in the field of cereal crop genome editing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Umer Basu
- Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Syed Riaz Ahmed
- Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology College, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (NIAB-C, PIEAS), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Zunaira Anwar
- Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology College, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (NIAB-C, PIEAS), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Ahmad Ali
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Aqsa Ijaz
- Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology College, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (NIAB-C, PIEAS), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Addafar Gulzar
- Division of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Wadura Sopore, India
| | - Amir Bibi
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Anshika Tyagi
- Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Suresh M. Nebapure
- Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Chengeshpur Anjali Goud
- Institute of Biotechnology, Professor Jayashanker Telangana State Agriculture University, Hyderabad, India
| | - Shafat Ahmad Ahanger
- Division of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Wadura Sopore, India,*Correspondence: Shafat Ahmad Ahanger, ; Sajad Ali, ; Muntazir Mushtaq,
| | - Sajad Ali
- Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea,*Correspondence: Shafat Ahmad Ahanger, ; Sajad Ali, ; Muntazir Mushtaq,
| | - Muntazir Mushtaq
- ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Division of Germplasm Evaluation, Pusa Campus, New Delhi, India,*Correspondence: Shafat Ahmad Ahanger, ; Sajad Ali, ; Muntazir Mushtaq,
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Hu L, Zhai Y, Xu L, Wang J, Yang S, Sun Y, Yu K, He H, Fan C. Precise A∙T to G∙C base editing in the allotetraploid rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) genome. J Cell Physiol 2022; 237:4544-4550. [PMID: 36256845 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.30904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Rapeseed is an important source of oilseed crop in the world. Achieving genetic improvement has always been the major goal in rapeseed production. Single nucleotide substitution is the basis of most genetic variation underpinning important agronomic traits. Nowadays, Cas-base editing acts as an efficient tool to mediate single-base substitution at the target site. In this study, four adenine base editors (ABE) were modified to achieve adenosine base editing at different genome sites in allotetraploid Brassica napus. We designed 18 small guide RNAs to target phytoene desaturase (PDS), acetolactate synthase (ALS), CLAVATA3 (CLV3), CLV2, TRANSPARENT TESTA12 (TT12), carotenoid isomerase (CRTISO), designated de-etiolated-2 (DET2), BRANCHED1 (BRC1), zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP) genes, respectively. Among the four ABE systems, pBGE17 had the highest base-editing efficiency, with an average editing efficiency of 3.51%. Target sequencing results revealed that the editing window ranged from A5 to A8 of the protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) sequence. Moreover, the ABEmax-nCas9NG system with NG PAM was developed, with a base-editing efficiency of 1.22%. These results revealed that ABE system developed in this study could efficiently induce A to G substitution and the ABE-nCas9NG system could broaden editing window in oilseed rape.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Limin Hu
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,College of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Yungu Zhai
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jingzhen Wang
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shangpo Yang
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunxia Sun
- Horticultural College, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Kaidi Yu
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hanzi He
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chuchuan Fan
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Karmakar S, Das P, Panda D, Xie K, Baig MJ, Molla KA. A detailed landscape of CRISPR-Cas-mediated plant disease and pest management. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 323:111376. [PMID: 35835393 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Genome editing technology has rapidly evolved to knock-out genes, create targeted genetic variation, install precise insertion/deletion and single nucleotide changes, and perform large-scale alteration. The flexible and multipurpose editing technologies have started playing a substantial role in the field of plant disease management. CRISPR-Cas has reduced many limitations of earlier technologies and emerged as a versatile toolbox for genome manipulation. This review summarizes the phenomenal progress of the use of the CRISPR toolkit in the field of plant pathology. CRISPR-Cas toolbox aids in the basic studies on host-pathogen interaction, in identifying virulence genes in pathogens, deciphering resistance and susceptibility factors in host plants, and engineering host genome for developing resistance. We extensively reviewed the successful genome editing applications for host plant resistance against a wide range of biotic factors, including viruses, fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, nematodes, insect pests, and parasitic plants. Recent use of CRISPR-Cas gene drive to suppress the population of pathogens and pests has also been discussed. Furthermore, we highlight exciting new uses of the CRISPR-Cas system as diagnostic tools, which rapidly detect pathogenic microorganism. This comprehensive yet concise review discusses innumerable strategies to reduce the burden of crop protection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Priya Das
- ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack 753006, India
| | - Debasmita Panda
- ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack 753006, India
| | - Kabin Xie
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Mirza J Baig
- ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack 753006, India.
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zhang RX, Li BB, Yang ZG, Huang JQ, Sun WH, Bhanbhro N, Liu WT, Chen KM. Dissecting Plant Gene Functions Using CRISPR Toolsets for Crop Improvement. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:7343-7359. [PMID: 35695482 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c01754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The CRISPR-based gene editing technology has become more and more powerful in genome manipulation for agricultural breeding, with numerous improved toolsets springing up. In recent years, many CRISPR toolsets for gene editing, such as base editors (BEs), CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), CRISPR activation (CRISPRa), and plant epigenetic editors (PEEs), have been developed to clarify gene function and full-level gene regulation. Here, we comprehensively summarize the application and capacity of the different CRISPR toolsets in the study of plant gene expression regulation, highlighting their potential application in gene regulatory networks' analysis. The general problems in CRISPR application and the optimal solutions in the existing schemes for high-throughput gene function analysis are also discussed. The CRISPR toolsets targeting gene manipulation discussed here provide new solutions for further genetic improvement and molecular breeding of crops.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Xiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area/College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Bin-Bin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area/College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Zheng-Guang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area/College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jia-Qi Huang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110866, China
| | - Wei-Hang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area/College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Nadeem Bhanbhro
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area/College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Wen-Ting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area/College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Kun-Ming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area/College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Van Huffel K, Stock M, Ruttink T, De Baets B. Covering the Combinatorial Design Space of Multiplex CRISPR/Cas Experiments in Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:907095. [PMID: 35795354 PMCID: PMC9251496 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.907095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Over the past years, CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing has revolutionized plant genetic studies and crop breeding. Specifically, due to its ability to simultaneously target multiple genes, the multiplex CRISPR/Cas system has emerged as a powerful technology for functional analysis of genetic pathways. As such, it holds great potential for application in plant systems to discover genetic interactions and to improve polygenic agronomic traits in crop breeding. However, optimal experimental design regarding coverage of the combinatorial design space in multiplex CRISPR/Cas screens remains largely unexplored. To contribute to well-informed experimental design of such screens in plants, we first establish a representation of the design space at different stages of a multiplex CRISPR/Cas experiment. We provide two independent computational approaches yielding insights into the plant library size guaranteeing full coverage of all relevant multiplex combinations of gene knockouts in a specific multiplex CRISPR/Cas screen. These frameworks take into account several design parameters (e.g., the number of target genes, the number of gRNAs designed per gene, and the number of elements in the combinatorial array) and efficiencies at subsequent stages of a multiplex CRISPR/Cas experiment (e.g., the distribution of gRNA/Cas delivery, gRNA-specific mutation efficiency, and knockout efficiency). With this work, we intend to raise awareness about the limitations regarding the number of target genes and order of genetic interaction that can be realistically analyzed in multiplex CRISPR/Cas experiments with a given number of plants. Finally, we establish guidelines for designing multiplex CRISPR/Cas experiments with an optimal coverage of the combinatorial design space at minimal plant library size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Van Huffel
- Knowledge-based Systems (KERMIT), Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michiel Stock
- Knowledge-based Systems (KERMIT), Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Ruttink
- Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
| | - Bernard De Baets
- Knowledge-based Systems (KERMIT), Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|