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Gionfriddo M, Rhodes T, Whitney SM. Perspectives on improving crop Rubisco by directed evolution. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 155:37-47. [PMID: 37085353 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Rubisco catalyses the entry of almost all CO2 into the biosphere and is often the rate-limiting step in plant photosynthesis and growth. Its notoriety as the most abundant protein on Earth stems from the slow and error-prone catalytic properties that require plants, cyanobacteria, algae and photosynthetic bacteria to produce it in high amounts. Efforts to improve the CO2-fixing properties of plant Rubisco has been spurred on by the discovery of more effective isoforms in some algae with the potential to significantly improve crop productivity. Incompatibilities between the protein folding machinery of leaf and algae chloroplasts have, so far, prevented efforts to transplant these more effective Rubisco variants into plants. There is therefore increasing interest in improving Rubisco catalysis by directed (laboratory) evolution. Here we review the advances being made in, and the ongoing challenges with, improving the solubility and/or carboxylation activity of differing non-plant Rubisco lineages. We provide perspectives on new opportunities for the directed evolution of crop Rubiscos and the existing plant transformation capabilities available to evaluate the extent to which Rubisco activity improvements can benefit agricultural productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Gionfriddo
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia; Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Timothy Rhodes
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Spencer M Whitney
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
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2
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Oliveira-Filho ER, Voiniciuc C, Hanson AD. Adapting enzymes to improve their functionality in plants: why and how. Biochem Soc Trans 2023; 51:1957-1966. [PMID: 37787016 PMCID: PMC10657173 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology creates new metabolic processes and improves existing ones using engineered or natural enzymes. These enzymes are often sourced from cells that differ from those in the target plant organ with respect to, e.g. redox potential, effector levels, or proteostasis machinery. Non-native enzymes may thus need to be adapted to work well in their new plant context ('plantized') even if their specificity and kinetics in vitro are adequate. Hence there are two distinct ways in which an enzyme destined for use in plants can require improvement: In catalytic properties such as substrate and product specificity, kcat, and KM; and in general compatibility with the milieu of cells that express the enzyme. Continuous directed evolution systems can deliver both types of improvement and are so far the most broadly effective way to deliver the second type. Accordingly, in this review we provide a short account of continuous evolution methods, emphasizing the yeast OrthoRep system because of its suitability for plant applications. We then cover the down-to-earth and increasingly urgent issues of which enzymes and enzyme properties can - or cannot - be improved in theory, and which in practice are the best to target for crop improvement, i.e. those that are realistically improvable and important enough to warrant deploying continuous directed evolution. We take horticultural crops as examples because of the opportunities they present and to sharpen the focus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cătălin Voiniciuc
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, U.S.A
| | - Andrew D. Hanson
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, U.S.A
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3
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Gao L, Kantar MB, Moxley D, Ortiz-Barrientos D, Rieseberg LH. Crop adaptation to climate change: An evolutionary perspective. MOLECULAR PLANT 2023; 16:1518-1546. [PMID: 37515323 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
The disciplines of evolutionary biology and plant and animal breeding have been intertwined throughout their development, with responses to artificial selection yielding insights into the action of natural selection and evolutionary biology providing statistical and conceptual guidance for modern breeding. Here we offer an evolutionary perspective on a grand challenge of the 21st century: feeding humanity in the face of climate change. We first highlight promising strategies currently under way to adapt crops to current and future climate change. These include methods to match crop varieties with current and predicted environments and to optimize breeding goals, management practices, and crop microbiomes to enhance yield and sustainable production. We also describe the promise of crop wild relatives and recent technological innovations such as speed breeding, genomic selection, and genome editing for improving environmental resilience of existing crop varieties or for developing new crops. Next, we discuss how methods and theory from evolutionary biology can enhance these existing strategies and suggest novel approaches. We focus initially on methods for reconstructing the evolutionary history of crops and their pests and symbionts, because such historical information provides an overall framework for crop-improvement efforts. We then describe how evolutionary approaches can be used to detect and mitigate the accumulation of deleterious mutations in crop genomes, identify alleles and mutations that underlie adaptation (and maladaptation) to agricultural environments, mitigate evolutionary trade-offs, and improve critical proteins. Continuing feedback between the evolution and crop biology communities will ensure optimal design of strategies for adapting crops to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lexuan Gao
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Michael B Kantar
- Department of Tropical Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Dylan Moxley
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel Ortiz-Barrientos
- School of Biological Sciences and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Loren H Rieseberg
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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4
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Gelder K, Oliveira-Filho ER, García-García JD, Hu Y, Bruner SD, Hanson AD. Directed Evolution of Aerotolerance in Sulfide-Dependent Thiazole Synthases. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:963-970. [PMID: 36920242 PMCID: PMC10127261 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Sulfide-dependent THI4 thiazole synthases could potentially be used to replace plant cysteine-dependent suicide THI4s, whose high protein turnover rates make thiamin synthesis exceptionally energy-expensive. However, sulfide-dependent THI4s are anaerobic or microoxic enzymes and hence unadapted to the aerobic conditions in plants; they are also slow enzymes (kcat < 1 h-1). To improve aerotolerance and activity, we applied continuous directed evolution under aerobic conditions in the yeast OrthoRep system to two sulfide-dependent bacterial THI4s. Seven beneficial single mutations were identified, of which five lie in the active-site cleft predicted by structural modeling and two recapitulate features of naturally aerotolerant THI4s. That single mutations gave substantial improvements suggests that further advance under selection will be possible by stacking mutations. This proof-of-concept study established that the performance of sulfide-dependent THI4s in aerobic conditions is evolvable and, more generally, that yeast OrthoRep provides a plant-like bridge to adapt nonplant enzymes to work better in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen
Van Gelder
- Horticultural
Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Edmar R. Oliveira-Filho
- Horticultural
Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | | | - You Hu
- Chemistry
Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Steven D. Bruner
- Chemistry
Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Andrew D. Hanson
- Horticultural
Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
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5
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Mahmood MA, Naqvi RZ, Rahman SU, Amin I, Mansoor S. Plant Virus-Derived Vectors for Plant Genome Engineering. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020531. [PMID: 36851743 PMCID: PMC9958682 DOI: 10.3390/v15020531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in genome engineering (GE) tools based on sequence-specific programmable nucleases have revolutionized precise genome editing in plants. However, only the traditional approaches are used to deliver these GE reagents, which mostly rely on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation or particle bombardment. These techniques have been successfully used for the past decades for the genetic engineering of plants with some limitations relating to lengthy time-taking protocols and transgenes integration-related regulatory concerns. Nevertheless, in the era of climate change, we require certain faster protocols for developing climate-smart resilient crops through GE to deal with global food security. Therefore, some alternative approaches are needed to robustly deliver the GE reagents. In this case, the plant viral vectors could be an excellent option for the delivery of GE reagents because they are efficient, effective, and precise. Additionally, these are autonomously replicating and considered as natural specialists for transient delivery. In the present review, we have discussed the potential use of these plant viral vectors for the efficient delivery of GE reagents. We have further described the different plant viral vectors, such as DNA and RNA viruses, which have been used as efficient gene targeting systems in model plants, and in other important crops including potato, tomato, wheat, and rice. The achievements gained so far in the use of viral vectors as a carrier for GE reagent delivery are depicted along with the benefits and limitations of each viral vector. Moreover, recent advances have been explored in employing viral vectors for GE and adapting this technology for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Arslan Mahmood
- Agricultural Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), College of Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Jhang Road, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Sialkot, Sialkot 51310, Pakistan
| | - Rubab Zahra Naqvi
- Agricultural Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), College of Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Jhang Road, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Saleem Ur Rahman
- Agricultural Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), College of Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Jhang Road, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Imran Amin
- Agricultural Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), College of Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Jhang Road, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Shahid Mansoor
- Agricultural Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), College of Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Jhang Road, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
- International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 74000, Pakistan
- Correspondence:
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6
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Liu X, Zhang P, Zhao Q, Huang AC. Making small molecules in plants: A chassis for synthetic biology-based production of plant natural products. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 65:417-443. [PMID: 35852486 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant natural products have been extensively exploited in food, medicine, flavor, cosmetic, renewable fuel, and other industrial sectors. Synthetic biology has recently emerged as a promising means for the cost-effective and sustainable production of natural products. Compared with engineering microbes for the production of plant natural products, the potential of plants as chassis for producing these compounds is underestimated, largely due to challenges encountered in engineering plants. Knowledge in plant engineering is instrumental for enabling the effective and efficient production of valuable phytochemicals in plants, and also paves the way for a more sustainable future agriculture. In this manuscript, we briefly recap the biosynthesis of plant natural products, focusing primarily on industrially important terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenylpropanoids. We further summarize the plant hosts and strategies that have been used to engineer the production of natural products. The challenges and opportunities of using plant synthetic biology to achieve rapid and scalable production of high-value plant natural products are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, SUSTech-PKU Institute of Plant and Food Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Peijun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, SUSTech-PKU Institute of Plant and Food Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Qiao Zhao
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Ancheng C Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, SUSTech-PKU Institute of Plant and Food Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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7
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Leong BJ, Hanson AD. Continuous Directed Evolution of a Feedback-Resistant Arabidopsis Arogenate Dehydratase in Plantized Escherichia coli. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:43-50. [PMID: 36534785 PMCID: PMC9872817 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Continuous directed evolution (CDE) is a powerful tool for enzyme engineering due to the depth and scale of evolutionary search that it enables. If suitably controlled and calibrated, CDE could be widely applied in plant breeding and biotechnology to improve plant enzymes ex planta. We tested this concept by evolving Arabidopsis arogenate dehydratase (AtADT2) for resistance to feedback inhibition. We used an Escherichia coli platform with a phenylalanine biosynthesis pathway reconfigured ("plantized") to mimic the plant pathway, a T7RNA polymerase-base deaminase hypermutation system (eMutaT7), and 4-fluorophenylalanine as selective agent. Selection schemes were prevalidated using a known feedback-resistant AtADT2 variant. We obtained variants that had 4-fluorophenylalanine resistance at least matching the known variant and that carried mutations in the ACT domain responsible for feedback inhibition. We conclude that ex planta CDE of plant enzymes in a microbial platform is a viable way to tailor characteristics that involve interaction with small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan J. Leong
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Andrew D. Hanson
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
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8
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Buck S, Rhodes T, Gionfriddo M, Skinner T, Yuan D, Birch R, Kapralov MV, Whitney SM. Escherichia coli expressing chloroplast chaperones as a proxy to test heterologous Rubisco production in leaves. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:664-676. [PMID: 36322613 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Rubisco is a fundamental enzyme in photosynthesis and therefore for life. Efforts to improve plant Rubisco performance have been hindered by the enzymes' complex chloroplast biogenesis requirements. New Synbio approaches, however, now allow the production of some plant Rubisco isoforms in Escherichia coli. While this enhances opportunities for catalytic improvement, there remain limitations in the utility of the expression system. Here we generate, optimize, and test a robust Golden Gate cloning E. coli expression system incorporating the protein folding machinery of tobacco chloroplasts. By comparing the expression of different plant Rubiscos in both E. coli and plastome-transformed tobacco, we show that the E. coli expression system can accurately predict high level Rubisco production in chloroplasts but poorly forecasts the biogenesis potential of isoforms with impaired production in planta. We reveal that heterologous Rubisco production in E. coli and tobacco plastids poorly correlates with Rubisco large subunit phylogeny. Our findings highlight the need to fully understand the factors governing Rubisco biogenesis if we are to deliver an efficient, low-cost screening tool that can accurately emulate chloroplast expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Buck
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
| | - Tim Rhodes
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
| | - Matteo Gionfriddo
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
| | - Tanya Skinner
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
| | - Ding Yuan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
| | - Rosemary Birch
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
| | - Maxim V Kapralov
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Spencer M Whitney
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
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9
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Butt H, Ramirez JLM, Mahfouz M. Synthetic evolution of herbicide resistance using a T7 RNAP-based random DNA base editor. Life Sci Alliance 2022; 5:5/12/e202201538. [PMID: 36171140 PMCID: PMC9526444 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A chimeric fusion of T7 RNAP and deaminase edits the DNA under the T7 promoter in plant cells. It directs the continuous synthetic evolution of OsALS to produce variants with herbicide resistance. Synthetic directed evolution via localized sequence diversification and the simultaneous application of selection pressure is a promising method for producing new, beneficial alleles that affect traits of interest in diverse species; however, this technique has rarely been applied in plants. Here, we designed, built, and tested a chimeric fusion of T7 RNA Polymerase (RNAP) and deaminase to enable the localized sequence diversification of a target sequence of interest. We tested our T7 RNAP–DNA base editor in Nicotiana benthamiana transient assays to target a transgene expressing GFP under the control of the T7 promoter and observed C-to-T conversions. We then targeted the T7 promoter-driven acetolactate synthase sequence that had been stably integrated in the rice genome and generated C-to-T and G-to-A transitions. We used herbicide treatment as selection pressure for the evolution of the acetolactate synthase sequence, resulting in the enrichment of herbicide-responsive residues. We then validated these herbicide-responsive regions in the transgenic rice plants. Thus, our system could be used for the continuous synthetic evolution of gene functions to produce variants with improved herbicide resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haroon Butt
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jose Luis Moreno Ramirez
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Magdy Mahfouz
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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10
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Rao GS, Jiang W, Mahfouz M. Synthetic directed evolution in plants: unlocking trait engineering and improvement. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2021; 6:ysab025. [PMID: 34522785 PMCID: PMC8434914 DOI: 10.1093/synbio/ysab025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic variation accelerates adaptation and resilience and enables the survival of species in their changing environment. Increasing the genetic diversity of crop species is essential to improve their yield and enhance food security. Synthetic directed evolution (SDE) employs localized sequence diversification (LSD) of gene sequence and selection pressure to evolve gene variants with better fitness, improved properties and desired phenotypes. Recently, CRISPR-Cas-dependent and -independent technologies have been applied for LSD to mediate synthetic evolution in diverse species, including plants. SDE holds excellent promise to discover, accelerate and expand the range of traits of the value in crop species. Here, we highlight the efficient SDE approaches for the LSD of plant genes, selection strategies and critical traits for targeted improvement. We discuss the potential of emerging technologies, including CRISPR-Cas base editing, retron editing, EvolvR and prime editing, to establish efficient SDE in plants. Moreover, we cover CRISPR-Cas-independent technologies, including T7 polymerase editor for continuous evolution. We highlight the key challenges and potential solutions of applying SDE technologies to improve the plant traits of the value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gundra Sivakrishna Rao
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, 4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wenjun Jiang
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, 4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Magdy Mahfouz
- Laboratory for Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, 4700 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
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11
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Evolution-aided engineering of plant specialized metabolism. ABIOTECH 2021; 2:240-263. [PMID: 36303885 PMCID: PMC9590541 DOI: 10.1007/s42994-021-00052-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of new traits in living organisms occurs via the processes of mutation, recombination, genetic drift, and selection. These processes that have resulted in the immense biological diversity on our planet are also being employed in metabolic engineering to optimize enzymes and pathways, create new-to-nature reactions, and synthesize complex natural products in heterologous systems. In this review, we discuss two evolution-aided strategies for metabolic engineering-directed evolution, which improves upon existing genetic templates using the evolutionary process, and combinatorial pathway reconstruction, which brings together genes evolved in different organisms into a single heterologous host. We discuss the general principles of these strategies, describe the technologies involved and the molecular traits they influence, provide examples of their use, and discuss the roadblocks that need to be addressed for their wider adoption. A better understanding of these strategies can provide an impetus to research on gene function discovery and biochemical evolution, which is foundational for improved metabolic engineering. These evolution-aided approaches thus have a substantial potential for improving our understanding of plant metabolism in general, for enhancing the production of plant metabolites, and in sustainable agriculture.
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12
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Molla KA, Sretenovic S, Bansal KC, Qi Y. Precise plant genome editing using base editors and prime editors. NATURE PLANTS 2021; 7:1166-1187. [PMID: 34518669 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-021-00991-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The development of CRISPR-Cas systems has sparked a genome editing revolution in plant genetics and breeding. These sequence-specific RNA-guided nucleases can induce DNA double-stranded breaks, resulting in mutations by imprecise non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair or precise DNA sequence replacement by homology-directed repair (HDR). However, HDR is highly inefficient in many plant species, which has greatly limited precise genome editing in plants. To fill the vital gap in precision editing, base editing and prime editing technologies have recently been developed and demonstrated in numerous plant species. These technologies, which are mainly based on Cas9 nickases, can introduce precise changes into the target genome at a single-base resolution. This Review provides a timely overview of the current status of base editors and prime editors in plants, covering both technological developments and biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kutubuddin A Molla
- Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, India.
| | - Simon Sretenovic
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Kailash C Bansal
- The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, Asia-India, New Delhi, India
| | - Yiping Qi
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD, USA.
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13
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Lombardi M, De Gara L, Loreto F. Determinants of root system architecture for future-ready, stress-resilient crops. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2021; 172:2090-2097. [PMID: 33905535 PMCID: PMC8360026 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Climate change hampers food safety and food security. Crop breeding has been boosting superior quantity traits such as yield, but roots have often been overlooked in spite of their role in the whole plant physiology. New evidence is emerging on the relevance of root system architecture in coping with the environment. Here, we review determinants of root system architecture, mainly based on studies on Arabidopsis, and we discuss how breeding for appropriate root architecture may help obtain plants that are better adapted or resilient to abiotic and biotic stresses, more productive, and more efficient for soil and water use. We also highlight recent advances in phenotyping high-tech platforms and genotyping techniques that may further help to understand the mechanisms of root development and how roots control relationships between plants and soil. An integrated approach is proposed that combines phenotyping and genotyping information via bioinformatic analyses and reveals genetic control of root system architecture, paving the way for future research on plant breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Lombardi
- Department of Science and Technology for Humans and the EnvironmentCampus Bio‐Medico University of RomeVia Alvaro del Portillo 21Rome00128Italy
- Department of Biology, Agriculture, and Food SciencesNational Research Council of Italy (CNR‐DISBA)Piazzale Aldo Moro 7Rome00185Italy
| | - Laura De Gara
- Department of Science and Technology for Humans and the EnvironmentCampus Bio‐Medico University of RomeVia Alvaro del Portillo 21Rome00128Italy
| | - Francesco Loreto
- Department of Biology, Agriculture, and Food SciencesNational Research Council of Italy (CNR‐DISBA)Piazzale Aldo Moro 7Rome00185Italy
- Department of BiologyUniversity Federico IIvia CinthiaNaples80126Italy
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14
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Genome engineering for crop improvement and future agriculture. Cell 2021; 184:1621-1635. [PMID: 33581057 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 293] [Impact Index Per Article: 97.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Feeding the ever-growing population is a major challenge, especially in light of rapidly changing climate conditions. Genome editing is set to revolutionize plant breeding and could help secure the global food supply. Here, I review the development and application of genome editing tools in plants while highlighting newly developed techniques. I describe new plant breeding strategies based on genome editing and discuss their impact on crop production, with an emphasis on recent advancements in genome editing-based plant improvements that could not be achieved by conventional breeding. I also discuss challenges facing genome editing that must be overcome before realizing the full potential of this technology toward future crops and food production.
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15
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Dmitriev AA, Novakovskiy RO, Pushkova EN, Rozhmina TA, Zhuchenko AA, Bolsheva NL, Beniaminov AD, Mitkevich VA, Povkhova LV, Dvorianinova EM, Snezhkina AV, Kudryavtseva AV, Krasnov GS, Melnikova NV. Transcriptomes of Different Tissues of Flax ( Linum usitatissimum L.) Cultivars With Diverse Characteristics. Front Genet 2020; 11:565146. [PMID: 33363567 PMCID: PMC7755106 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.565146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexey A Dmitriev
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Roman O Novakovskiy
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena N Pushkova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana A Rozhmina
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Federal Research Center for Bast Fiber Crops, Torzhok, Russia
| | - Alexander A Zhuchenko
- Federal Research Center for Bast Fiber Crops, Torzhok, Russia.,All-Russian Horticultural Institute for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nadezhda L Bolsheva
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Artemy D Beniaminov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir A Mitkevich
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Liubov V Povkhova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Ekaterina M Dvorianinova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | | | - Anna V Kudryavtseva
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - George S Krasnov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nataliya V Melnikova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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16
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The Selection of Gamma-Ray Irradiated Higher Yield Rice Mutants by Directed Evolution Method. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9081004. [PMID: 32784591 PMCID: PMC7464962 DOI: 10.3390/plants9081004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We have succeeded in selecting four higher yield mutants from five gamma-ray irradiated high-yielding Japanese rice varieties using a novel approach. A total of 464 M2 plants which had heavier total panicle weights per plant were first selected from 9801 irradiated M2 plants. Their higher yields were confirmed by yield trials conducted for three years with a six to ten-pairwise replicated plot design. FukuhibikiH6 and FukuhibikiH8 were selected from an irradiated high-yielding variety Fukuhibiki and showed 1.2% to 22.5% higher yield than their original significantly. YamadawaraH3 was selected from an irradiated high-yielding variety Yamadawara and its yield advantages were 2.7% to 3.9%. However, there was no difference in the genotypes of the 96 SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) markers between the higher yield mutants and their respective original varieties. The differences in the measured phenotypical traits between each mutant and its original variety were not constant and the actual differences were marginal. Therefore, the higher yields of the selected mutants were likely to have been caused by physiological traits rather than phenotypical traits. The selection method used in this study is an application of the directed evolution method which has long been commonly used in the substantial improvements of microorganisms and their proteins.
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