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Sadikiel Mmbando G. The Adoption of Genetically Modified Crops in Africa: the Public's Current Perception, the Regulatory Obstacles, and Ethical Challenges. GM CROPS & FOOD 2024; 15:1-15. [PMID: 38651587 PMCID: PMC11042066 DOI: 10.1080/21645698.2024.2345401] [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: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Genetically modified (GM) crops are the most important agricultural commodities that can improve the yield of African smallholder farmers. The intricate circumstances surrounding the introduction of GM agriculture in Africa, however, underscore the importance of comprehending the moral conundrums, regulatory environments, and public sentiment that exist today. This review examines the current situation surrounding the use of GM crops in Africa, focusing on moral conundrums, regulatory frameworks, and public opinion. Only eleven of the fifty-four African countries currently cultivate GM crops due to the wide range of opinions resulting from the disparities in cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. This review proposed that addressing public concerns, harmonizing regulations, and upholding ethical standards will improve the adoption of GM crops in Africa. This study offers ways to enhance the acceptability of GM crops for boosting nutrition and food security globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gideon Sadikiel Mmbando
- Department of Biology, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, University of Dodoma, Dodoma, Tanzania
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2
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Mishra S, Nayak S, Tuteja N, Poosapati S, Swain DM, Sahoo RK. CRISPR/Cas-Mediated Genome Engineering in Plants: Application and Prospectives. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1884. [PMID: 39065411 PMCID: PMC11279650 DOI: 10.3390/plants13141884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Genetic engineering has become an essential element in developing climate-resilient crops and environmentally sustainable solutions to respond to the increasing need for global food security. Genome editing using CRISPR/Cas [Clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated protein (Cas)] technology is being applied to a variety of organisms, including plants. This technique has become popular because of its high specificity, effectiveness, and low production cost. Therefore, this technology has the potential to revolutionize agriculture and contribute to global food security. Over the past few years, increasing efforts have been seen in its application in developing higher-yielding, nutrition-rich, disease-resistant, and stress-tolerant "crops", fruits, and vegetables. Cas proteins such as Cas9, Cas12, Cas13, and Cas14, among others, have distinct architectures and have been used to create new genetic tools that improve features that are important for agriculture. The versatility of Cas has accelerated genomic analysis and facilitated the use of CRISPR/Cas to manipulate and alter nucleic acid sequences in cells of different organisms. This review provides the evolution of CRISPR technology exploring its mechanisms and contrasting it with traditional breeding and transgenic approaches to improve different aspects of stress tolerance. We have also discussed the CRISPR/Cas system and explored three Cas proteins that are currently known to exist: Cas12, Cas13, and Cas14 and their potential to generate foreign-DNA-free or non-transgenic crops that could be easily regulated for commercialization in most countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swetaleena Mishra
- Department of Biotechnology, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar 752050, India;
| | - Subhendu Nayak
- Vidya USA Corporation, Otis Stone Hunter Road, Bunnell, FL 32100, USA;
| | - Narendra Tuteja
- Plant Molecular Biology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi 110067, India;
| | - Sowmya Poosapati
- Plant Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego, CA 92037, USA
| | - Durga Madhab Swain
- MU Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Ranjan Kumar Sahoo
- Department of Biotechnology, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar 752050, India;
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3
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Yang F, Zheng K, Yao Y. China's regulatory change toward genome-edited crops. Trends Biotechnol 2024; 42:801-806. [PMID: 38160083 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.12.008] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
China's newly issued genome-edited crop safety assessment guidelines do not entirely deviate from the existing genetically modified regulatory regimes. However, there is an urgent need to reform the genome-edited regulatory framework based on scientific values and a novel regulatory philosophy that balances diverse values to enhance public trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Yang
- School of Law, China Jiliang University, 310018 Hangzhou, China
| | - Kaili Zheng
- School of Law, China Jiliang University, 310018 Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu Yao
- School of Law, China Jiliang University, 310018 Hangzhou, China.
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4
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Amokrane L, Pokotylo I, Acket S, Ducloy A, Troncoso-Ponce A, Cacas JL, Ruelland E. Phospholipid Signaling in Crop Plants: A Field to Explore. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1532. [PMID: 38891340 PMCID: PMC11174929 DOI: 10.3390/plants13111532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
In plant models such as Arabidopsis thaliana, phosphatidic acid (PA), a key molecule of lipid signaling, was shown not only to be involved in stress responses, but also in plant development and nutrition. In this article, we highlight lipid signaling existing in crop species. Based on open access databases, we update the list of sequences encoding phospholipases D, phosphoinositide-dependent phospholipases C, and diacylglycerol-kinases, enzymes that lead to the production of PA. We show that structural features of these enzymes from model plants are conserved in equivalent proteins from selected crop species. We then present an in-depth discussion of the structural characteristics of these proteins before focusing on PA binding proteins. For the purpose of this article, we consider RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOGUEs (RBOHs), the most documented PA target proteins. Finally, we present pioneering experiments that show, by different approaches such as monitoring of gene expression, use of pharmacological agents, ectopic over-expression of genes, and the creation of silenced mutants, that lipid signaling plays major roles in crop species. Finally, we present major open questions that require attention since we have only a perception of the peak of the iceberg when it comes to the exciting field of phospholipid signaling in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Amokrane
- Unité Génie Enzymatique & Cellulaire, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, UMR CNRS 7025, 60200 Compiègne, France; (L.A.); (I.P.); (S.A.); (A.T.-P.)
| | - Igor Pokotylo
- Unité Génie Enzymatique & Cellulaire, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, UMR CNRS 7025, 60200 Compiègne, France; (L.A.); (I.P.); (S.A.); (A.T.-P.)
- INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), University Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France (J.-L.C.)
| | - Sébastien Acket
- Unité Génie Enzymatique & Cellulaire, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, UMR CNRS 7025, 60200 Compiègne, France; (L.A.); (I.P.); (S.A.); (A.T.-P.)
| | - Amélie Ducloy
- INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), University Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France (J.-L.C.)
| | - Adrian Troncoso-Ponce
- Unité Génie Enzymatique & Cellulaire, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, UMR CNRS 7025, 60200 Compiègne, France; (L.A.); (I.P.); (S.A.); (A.T.-P.)
| | - Jean-Luc Cacas
- INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), University Paris-Saclay, 78000 Versailles, France (J.-L.C.)
| | - Eric Ruelland
- Unité Génie Enzymatique & Cellulaire, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, UMR CNRS 7025, 60200 Compiègne, France; (L.A.); (I.P.); (S.A.); (A.T.-P.)
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5
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Kapoor C, Anamika, Mukesh Sankar S, Singh SP, Singh N, Kumar S. Omics-driven utilization of wild relatives for empowering pre-breeding in pearl millet. PLANTA 2024; 259:155. [PMID: 38750378 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-024-04423-0] [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: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION Pearl millet wild relatives harbour novel alleles which could be utilized to broaden genetic base of cultivated species. Genomics-informed pre-breeding is needed to speed up introgression from wild to cultivated gene pool in pearl millet. Rising episodes of intense biotic and abiotic stresses challenge pearl millet production globally. Wild relatives provide a wide spectrum of novel alleles which could address challenges posed by climate change. Pre-breeding holds potential to introgress novel diversity in genetically narrow cultivated Pennisetum glaucum from diverse gene pool. Practical utilization of gene pool diversity remained elusive due to genetic intricacies. Harnessing promising traits from wild pennisetum is limited by lack of information on underlying candidate genes/QTLs. Next-Generation Omics provide vast scope to speed up pre-breeding in pearl millet. Genomic resources generated out of draft genome sequence and improved genome assemblies can be employed to utilize gene bank accessions effectively. The article highlights genetic richness in pearl millet and its utilization with a focus on harnessing next-generation Omics to empower pre-breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandan Kapoor
- ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India.
| | - Anamika
- ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - S Mukesh Sankar
- ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode, Kerala, 673012, India
| | - S P Singh
- ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Nirupma Singh
- ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
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Wang Y, Yang F, Fu Y, He X, Tian H, Yang L, Wu M, Cao J, Liu J. A point-of-care testing platform for on-site identification of genetically modified crops. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2622-2632. [PMID: 38644672 DOI: 10.1039/d4lc00040d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Genetically modified (GM) food is still highly controversial nowadays. Due to the disparate policies and attitudes worldwide, demands for a rapid, cost-effective and user-friendly GM crop identification method are increasingly significant for import administration, market supervision, etc. However, as the most-recognized methods, nucleic acid-based identification approaches require bulky instruments, long turn-around times and trained personnel, which are only suitable in laboratories. To fulfil the urgent needs of on-site testing, we develop a point-of-care testing platform that is able to identify 12 types of GM crops in less than 40 minutes without using laboratory settings. Our system integrates sample pre-treatment modules in a microfluidic chip, performs DNA amplification via a battery-powered portable kit, and presents results via eye-recognized colorimetric change. A paraffin-based reflow method and a slip plate-based fluid switch are developed to encapsulate and release amplification primers in individual microwells on demand, thus enabling identification of varied targets simultaneously. Our system offers an efficient, affordable and convenient tool for GM crop identification, thus it will not only benefit customs and market administration bureaus, but also satisfy demands of numerous consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of High-Performance Precision Manufacturing, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China.
- Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and System of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, 116024, China
| | - Furui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of High-Performance Precision Manufacturing, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China.
- Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and System of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, 116024, China
| | - Yingyi Fu
- State Key Laboratory of High-Performance Precision Manufacturing, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China.
- Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and System of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, 116024, China
| | - Xin He
- State Key Laboratory of High-Performance Precision Manufacturing, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China.
- Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and System of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, 116024, China
| | - Haowei Tian
- State Key Laboratory of High-Performance Precision Manufacturing, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China.
- Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and System of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, 116024, China
| | - Lili Yang
- Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization of Ministry of Education, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian 116600, China.
| | - Mengxi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of High-Performance Precision Manufacturing, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China.
- Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and System of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, 116024, China
| | - Jijuan Cao
- Key Laboratory of Biotechnology and Bioresources Utilization of Ministry of Education, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian 116600, China.
| | - Junshan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of High-Performance Precision Manufacturing, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China.
- Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and System of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, 116024, China
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7
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Lowe NM, Hall AG, Broadley MR, Foley J, Boy E, Bhutta ZA. Preventing and Controlling Zinc Deficiency Across the Life Course: A Call to Action. Adv Nutr 2024; 15:100181. [PMID: 38280724 PMCID: PMC10882121 DOI: 10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100181] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Through diverse roles, zinc determines a greater number of critical life functions than any other single micronutrient. Beyond the well-recognized importance of zinc for child growth and resistance to infections, zinc has numerous specific roles covering the regulation of glucose metabolism, and growing evidence links zinc deficiency with increased risk of diabetes and cardiometabolic disorders. Zinc nutriture is, thus, vitally important to health across the life course. Zinc deficiency is also one of the most common forms of micronutrient malnutrition globally. A clearer estimate of the burden of health disparity attributable to zinc deficiency in adulthood and later life emerges when accounting for its contribution to global elevated fasting blood glucose and related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Yet progress attenuating its prevalence has been limited due, in part, to the lack of sensitive and specific methods to assess human zinc status. This narrative review covers recent developments in our understanding of zinc's role in health, the impact of the changing climate and global context on zinc intake, novel functional biomarkers showing promise for monitoring population-level interventions, and solutions for improving population zinc intake. It aims to spur on implementation of evidence-based interventions for preventing and controlling zinc deficiency across the life course. Increasing zinc intake and combating global zinc deficiency requires context-specific strategies and a combination of complementary, evidence-based interventions, including supplementation, food fortification, and food and agricultural solutions such as biofortification, alongside efforts to improve zinc bioavailability. Enhancing dietary zinc content and bioavailability through zinc biofortification is an inclusive nutrition solution that can benefit the most vulnerable individuals and populations affected by inadequate diets to the greatest extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola M Lowe
- Center for Global Development, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrew G Hall
- Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA, United States; Department of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Martin R Broadley
- Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, United Kingdom; School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Foley
- HarvestPlus, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Erick Boy
- HarvestPlus, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Zulfiqar A Bhutta
- Center for Global Child Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Center of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
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8
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Zhao L, Zhou X, Kang Z, Peralta-Videa JR, Zhu YG. Nano-enabled seed treatment: A new and sustainable approach to engineering climate-resilient crops. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 910:168640. [PMID: 37989394 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168640] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Under a changing climate, keeping the food supply steady for an ever-increasing population will require crop plants adapted to environmental fluctuations. Genetic engineering and genome-editing approaches have been used for developing climate-resilient crops. However, genetically modified crops have yet to be widely accepted, especially for small-scale farmers in low-income countries and some societies. Nano-priming (seed exposure to nanoparticles, NPs) has appeared as an alternative to the abovementioned techniques. This technique improves seed germination speed, promotes seedlings' vigor, and enhances plant tolerance to adverse conditions such as drought, salinity, temperature, and flooding, which may occur under extreme weather conditions. Moreover, nano-enabled seed treatment can increase the disease resistance of crops by boosting immunity, which will reduce the use of pesticides. This unsophisticated, farmer-available, cost-effective, and environment-friendly seed treatment approach may help crop plants fight climate change challenges. This review discusses the previous information about nano-enabled seed treatment for enhancing plant tolerance to abiotic stresses and increasing disease resistance. Current knowledge about the mechanisms underlying nanomaterial-seed interactions is discussed. To conclude, the review includes research questions to address before this technique reaches its full potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Xiaoding Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhao Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Jose R Peralta-Videa
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yong-Guan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
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Camenzind M, Koller T, Armbruster C, Jung E, Brunner S, Herren G, Keller B. Breeding for durable resistance against biotrophic fungal pathogens using transgenes from wheat. MOLECULAR BREEDING : NEW STRATEGIES IN PLANT IMPROVEMENT 2024; 44:8. [PMID: 38263979 PMCID: PMC10803697 DOI: 10.1007/s11032-024-01451-2] [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: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Breeding for resistant crops is a sustainable way to control disease and relies on the introduction of novel resistance genes. Here, we tested three strategies on how to use transgenes from wheat to achieve durable resistance against fungal pathogens in the field. First, we tested the highly effective, overexpressed single transgene Pm3e in the background of spring wheat cultivar Bobwhite in a long-term field trial over many years. Together with previous results, this revealed that transgenic wheat line Pm3e#2 conferred complete powdery mildew resistance during a total of nine field seasons without a negative impact on yield. Furthermore, overexpressed Pm3e provided resistance to powdery mildew isolates from our worldwide collection when crossed into the elite wheat cultivar Fiorina. Second, we pyramided the four overexpressed transgenes Pm3a, Pm3b, Pm3d, and Pm3f in the background of cultivar Bobwhite and showed that the pyramided line Pm3a,b,d,f was completely resistant to powdery mildew in five field seasons. Third, we performed field trials with three barley lines expressing adult plant resistance gene Lr34 from wheat during three field seasons. Line GLP8 expressed Lr34 under control of the pathogen-inducible Hv-Ger4c promoter and provided partial barley powdery mildew and leaf rust resistance in the field with small, negative effects on yield components which might need compensatory breeding. Overall, our study demonstrates and discusses three successful strategies for achieving fungal disease resistance of wheat and barley in the field using transgenes from wheat. These strategies might confer long-term resistance if applied in a sustainable way. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-024-01451-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Camenzind
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Teresa Koller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cygni Armbruster
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Esther Jung
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Gerhard Herren
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beat Keller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
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10
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Xu X, Sun SK, Zhang W, Tang Z, Zhao FJ. Editing Silicon Transporter Genes to Reduce Arsenic Accumulation in Rice. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:1976-1985. [PMID: 38232111 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Rice is a dominant source of inorganic arsenic (As) exposure for populations consuming rice as a staple food. Decreasing As accumulation in rice grain is important for improving food safety. Arsenite [As(III)], the main form of As in paddy soil porewater, is taken up inadvertently by OsLsi1 and OsLsi2, the two key transporters for silicon (Si) uptake in rice roots. Here, we investigated whether editing OsLsi1 or OsLsi2 can decrease As accumulation in rice grain without compromising grain yield. We used the CRISPR-Cas9 technology to edit the promoter region of OsLsi1 and the C-terminal coding sequence of OsLsi1 and OsLsi2, and we generated a total of 27 mutants. Uptake and accumulation of Si and As were evaluated in both short-term hydroponic experiments and in a paddy field. Deletion of 1.2-2 kb of the OsLsi1 promoter suppressed OsLsi1 expression in roots and Si uptake markedly and did not affect As(III) uptake or grain As concentration. Some of the OsLsi1 and OsLsi2 coding sequence mutants showed large decreases in the uptake of Si and As(III) as well as large decreases in Si accumulation in rice husks. However, only OsLsi2 mutants showed significant decreases (by up to 63%) in the grain total As concentration. Editing OsLsi2 mainly affected the accumulation of inorganic As in rice grain with little effect on the accumulation of dimethylarsenate (DMA). Grain yields of the OsLsi2 mutants were comparable to those of the wild type. Editing OsLsi2 provides a promising way to reduce As accumulation in rice grain without compromising the grain yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejie Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing210095, China
| | - Sheng-Kai Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing210095, China
| | - Wenwen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing210095, China
| | - Zhu Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing210095, China
| | - Fang-Jie Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing210095, China
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11
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Fernández Ríos D, Benítez Candia N, Soerensen MC, Goberna MF, Arrúa AA. Regulatory landscape for new breeding techniques (NBTs): insights from Paraguay. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1332851. [PMID: 38328441 PMCID: PMC10847525 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1332851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Fernández Ríos
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay
| | - Nidia Benítez Candia
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay
| | - María Cristina Soerensen
- Dirección de Comercio Internacional, Dirección General de Planificación, Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, Asunción, Paraguay
| | - María Florencia Goberna
- Coordination of Innovation and Biotechnology, National Directorate of Bioeconomy, Under-Secretariat of Food, Bioeconomy and Regional Development, SAGyP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrea Alejandra Arrúa
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay
- Centro Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo, Paraguay
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12
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Jhu MY, Ellison EE, Sinha NR. CRISPR gene editing to improve crop resistance to parasitic plants. Front Genome Ed 2023; 5:1289416. [PMID: 37965302 PMCID: PMC10642197 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2023.1289416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic plants pose a significant threat to global agriculture, causing substantial crop losses and hampering food security. In recent years, CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) gene-editing technology has emerged as a promising tool for developing resistance against various plant pathogens. Its application in combating parasitic plants, however, remains largely unexplored. This review aims to summarise current knowledge and research gaps in utilising CRISPR to develop resistance against parasitic plants. First, we outline recent improvements in CRISPR gene editing tools, and what has been used to combat various plant pathogens. To realise the immense potential of CRISPR, a greater understanding of the genetic basis underlying parasitic plant-host interactions is critical to identify suitable target genes for modification. Therefore, we discuss the intricate interactions between parasitic plants and their hosts, highlighting essential genes and molecular mechanisms involved in defence response and multilayer resistance. These include host resistance responses directly repressing parasitic plant germination or growth and indirectly influencing parasitic plant development via manipulating environmental factors. Finally, we evaluate CRISPR-mediated effectiveness and long-term implications for host resistance and crop improvement, including inducible resistance response and tissue-specific activity. In conclusion, this review highlights the challenges and opportunities CRISPR technology provides to combat parasitic plants and provides insights for future research directions to safeguard global agricultural productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Yao Jhu
- Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Evan E. Ellison
- Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Neelima R. Sinha
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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13
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Dutta TK, Ray S, Phani V. The status of the CRISPR/Cas9 research in plant-nematode interactions. PLANTA 2023; 258:103. [PMID: 37874380 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04259-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION As an important biotic stressor, plant-parasitic nematodes afflict global crop productivity. Deployment of CRISPR/Cas9 system that selectively knock out host susceptibility genes conferred improved nematode tolerance in crop plants. As an important biotic stressor, plant-parasitic nematodes cause a considerable yield decline in crop plants that eventually contributes to a negative impact on global food security. Being obligate plant parasites, the root-knot and cyst nematodes maintain an intricate and sophisticated relationship with their host plants by hijacking the host's physiological and metabolic pathways for their own benefit. Significant progress has been made toward developing RNAi-based transgenic crops that confer nematode resistance. However, the strategy of host-induced gene silencing that targets nematode effectors is likely to fail because the induced silencing of effectors (which interact with plant R genes) may lead to the development of nematode phenotypes that break resistance. Lately, the CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing system has been deployed to achieve host resistance against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. In these studies, host susceptibility (S) genes were knocked out to achieve resistance via loss of susceptibility. As the S genes are recessively inherited in plants, induced mutations of the S genes are likely to be long-lasting and confer broad-spectrum resistance. A number of S genes contributing to plant susceptibility to nematodes have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, rice, tomato, cucumber, and soybean. A few of these S genes were targeted for CRISPR/Cas9-based knockout experiments to improve nematode tolerance in crop plants. Nevertheless, the CRISPR/Cas9 system was mostly utilized to interrogate the molecular basis of plant-nematode interactions rather than direct research toward achieving tolerance in crop plants. The current standalone article summarizes the progress made so far on CRISPR/Cas9 research in plant-nematode interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tushar K Dutta
- Division of Nematology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India.
| | - Soham Ray
- Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Victor Phani
- Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Dakshin Dinajpur, West Bengal, 733133, India
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14
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Ahmad A, Jamil A, Munawar N. GMOs or non-GMOs? The CRISPR Conundrum. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1232938. [PMID: 37877083 PMCID: PMC10591184 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1232938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas9, the "genetic scissors", is being presaged as a revolutionary technology, having tremendous potential to create designer crops by introducing precise and targeted modifications in the genome to achieve global food security in the face of climate change and increasing population. Traditional genetic engineering relies on random and unpredictable insertion of isolated genes or foreign DNA elements into the plant genome. However, CRISPR-Cas based gene editing does not necessarily involve inserting a foreign DNA element into the plant genome from different species but introducing new traits by precisely altering the existing genes. CRISPR edited crops are touching markets, however, the world community is divided over whether these crops should be considered genetically modified (GM) or non-GM. Classification of CRISPR edited crops, especially transgene free crops as traditional GM crops, will significantly affect their future and public acceptance in some regions. Therefore, the future of the CRISPR edited crops is depending upon their regulation as GM or non-GMs, and their public perception. Here we briefly discuss how CRISPR edited crops are different from traditional genetically modified crops. In addition, we discuss different CRISPR reagents and their delivery tools to produce transgene-free CRISPR edited crops. Moreover, we also summarize the regulatory classification of CRISPR modifications and how different countries are regulating CRISPR edited crops. We summarize that the controversy of CRISPR-edited plants as GM or non-GM will continue until a universal, transparent, and scalable regulatory framework for CRISPR-edited plants will be introduced worldwide, with increased public awareness by involving all stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aftab Ahmad
- Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security (CASAFS), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Amer Jamil
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Nayla Munawar
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
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15
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Pixley KV, Cairns JE, Lopez-Ridaura S, Ojiewo CO, Dawud MA, Drabo I, Mindaye T, Nebie B, Asea G, Das B, Daudi H, Desmae H, Batieno BJ, Boukar O, Mukankusi CTM, Nkalubo ST, Hearne SJ, Dhugga KS, Gandhi H, Snapp S, Zepeda-Villarreal EA. Redesigning crop varieties to win the race between climate change and food security. MOLECULAR PLANT 2023; 16:1590-1611. [PMID: 37674314 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.09.003] [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: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Climate change poses daunting challenges to agricultural production and food security. Rising temperatures, shifting weather patterns, and more frequent extreme events have already demonstrated their effects on local, regional, and global agricultural systems. Crop varieties that withstand climate-related stresses and are suitable for cultivation in innovative cropping systems will be crucial to maximize risk avoidance, productivity, and profitability under climate-changed environments. We surveyed 588 expert stakeholders to predict current and novel traits that may be essential for future pearl millet, sorghum, maize, groundnut, cowpea, and common bean varieties, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. We then review the current progress and prospects for breeding three prioritized future-essential traits for each of these crops. Experts predict that most current breeding priorities will remain important, but that rates of genetic gain must increase to keep pace with climate challenges and consumer demands. Importantly, the predicted future-essential traits include innovative breeding targets that must also be prioritized; for example, (1) optimized rhizosphere microbiome, with benefits for P, N, and water use efficiency, (2) optimized performance across or in specific cropping systems, (3) lower nighttime respiration, (4) improved stover quality, and (5) increased early vigor. We further discuss cutting-edge tools and approaches to discover, validate, and incorporate novel genetic diversity from exotic germplasm into breeding populations with unprecedented precision, accuracy, and speed. We conclude that the greatest challenge to developing crop varieties to win the race between climate change and food security might be our innovativeness in defining and boldness to breed for the traits of tomorrow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin V Pixley
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Texcoco, Mexico.
| | - Jill E Cairns
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | - Chris O Ojiewo
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Inoussa Drabo
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Dakar, Senegal
| | - Taye Mindaye
- Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Baloua Nebie
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Dakar, Senegal
| | - Godfrey Asea
- National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), Kampala, Uganda
| | - Biswanath Das
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Happy Daudi
- Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Naliendele, Tanzania
| | - Haile Desmae
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Dakar, Senegal
| | - Benoit Joseph Batieno
- Institut de l'Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Ousmane Boukar
- International Institute of Tropicl Agriculture (IITA), Kano, Nigeria
| | | | | | - Sarah J Hearne
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Texcoco, Mexico
| | - Kanwarpal S Dhugga
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Texcoco, Mexico
| | - Harish Gandhi
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Sieglinde Snapp
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Texcoco, Mexico
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16
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Ayub N, Soto G. Multiple challenges in the development of commercial crops using CRISPR/Cas technology. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 335:111809. [PMID: 37482301 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111809] [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: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas system is a highly efficient and versatile tool for editing plant genomes, with the potential to accelerate breeding programs and improve the sustainability of food production. Nevertheless, technical limitations delay the rapid spread of the CRISPR/Cas system benefits in agriculture. The natural features of plant species, including reproductive behavior, ploidy levels, genetic diversity, and generation times, can significantly impact the introgression of edited traits into elite germplasms. The production and selection of edited events require the same level of effort as those of their transgenic equivalents. Additionally, edited alleles tend to be recessive or not fully dominant, which differs from dominant transgenic events. To accelerate the introgression of edited events into conventional and transgenic varieties, we suggest utilizing edits on single-copy genes that induce dominant mutations. In the absence of new, simple traits that provide exceptional economic benefits for large companies, like herbicide tolerance in transgenic crops, we propose the emergence of particular public grants for edited variety productions, especially when the introgression shows a high level of technical feasibility. In the context of climate change, these public actions must be taken quickly to alleviate significant reductions in crop production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Ayub
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO, CONICET-INTA), Argentina; Instituto de Genética (IGEAF, INTA), Argentina
| | - Gabriela Soto
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO, CONICET-INTA), Argentina; Instituto de Genética (IGEAF, INTA), Argentina.
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17
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Zhang P, Huang J, Ma Y, Wang X, Kang M, Song Y. Crop/Plant Modeling Supports Plant Breeding: II. Guidance of Functional Plant Phenotyping for Trait Discovery. PLANT PHENOMICS (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2023; 5:0091. [PMID: 37780969 PMCID: PMC10538623 DOI: 10.34133/plantphenomics.0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Observable morphological traits are widely employed in plant phenotyping for breeding use, which are often the external phenotypes driven by a chain of functional actions in plants. Identifying and phenotyping inherently functional traits for crop improvement toward high yields or adaptation to harsh environments remains a major challenge. Prediction of whole-plant performance in functional-structural plant models (FSPMs) is driven by plant growth algorithms based on organ scale wrapped up with micro-environments. In particular, the models are flexible for scaling down or up through specific functions at the organ nexus, allowing the prediction of crop system behaviors from the genome to the field. As such, by virtue of FSPMs, model parameters that determine organogenesis, development, biomass production, allocation, and morphogenesis from a molecular to the whole plant level can be profiled systematically and made readily available for phenotyping. FSPMs can provide rich functional traits representing biological regulatory mechanisms at various scales in a dynamic system, e.g., Rubisco carboxylation rate, mesophyll conductance, specific leaf nitrogen, radiation use efficiency, and source-sink ratio apart from morphological traits. High-throughput phenotyping such traits is also discussed, which provides an unprecedented opportunity to evolve FSPMs. This will accelerate the co-evolution of FSPMs and plant phenomics, and thus improving breeding efficiency. To expand the great promise of FSPMs in crop science, FSPMs still need more effort in multiscale, mechanistic, reproductive organ, and root system modeling. In summary, this study demonstrates that FSPMs are invaluable tools in guiding functional trait phenotyping at various scales and can thus provide abundant functional targets for phenotyping toward crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengpeng Zhang
- School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230036, China
| | - Jingyao Huang
- School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230036, China
| | - Yuntao Ma
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Xiujuan Wang
- The State Key Laboratory for Management and Control of Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Mengzhen Kang
- The State Key Laboratory for Management and Control of Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Youhong Song
- School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230036, China
- Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4350, Australia
- Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4350, Australia
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18
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Kuzma J, Grieger K, Cimadori I, Cummings CL, Loschin N, Wei W. Parameters, practices, and preferences for regulatory review of emerging biotechnology products in food and agriculture. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1256388. [PMID: 37840660 PMCID: PMC10569304 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1256388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper evaluates the U.S. regulatory review of three emerging biotechnology products according to parameters, practices, and endpoints of assessments that are important to stakeholders and publics. First, we present a summary of the literature on variables that are important to non-expert publics in governing biotech products, including ethical, social, policy process, and risk and benefit parameters. Second, we draw from our USDA-funded project results that surveyed stakeholders with subject matter expertise about their attitudes towards important risk, benefit, sustainability, and societal impact parameters for assessing novel agrifood technologies, including biotech. Third, we evaluate the regulatory assessments of three food and agricultural biotechnology case studies that have been reviewed under U.S. regulatory agencies and laws of the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology, including gene-edited soybeans, beef cattle, and mustard greens. Evaluation of the regulatory review process was based on parameters identified in steps 1 and 2 which were deemed important to both publics and stakeholders. Based on this review, we then propose several policy options for U.S. federal agencies to strengthen their oversight processes to better align with a broader range of parameters to support sustainable agrifood products that rely on novel technologies. These policy options include 1) those that would not require new institutions or legal foundations (such as conducting Environmental Impact Statements and/or requiring a minimal level of safety data), 2) those that would require a novel institutional or cross-institutional framework (such as developing a publicly-available website and/or performing holistic sustainability assessments), and 3) those that would require the agencies to have additional legal authorities (such as requiring agencies to review biotech products according to a minimal set of health, environmental, and socio-economic parameters). Overall, the results of this analysis will be important for guiding policy practice and formulation in the regulatory assessment of emerging biotechnology products that challenge existing legal and institutional frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Kuzma
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- School of Public and International Affairs, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Khara Grieger
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- North Carolina Plant Science Initiative, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Ilaria Cimadori
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Christopher L. Cummings
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- Engineering Research and Development Center, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, MS, United States
- Gene Edited Foods Project, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Nick Loschin
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- North Carolina Plant Science Initiative, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Wei Wei
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- North Carolina Plant Science Initiative, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
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19
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Ogawa T, Kato K, Asuka H, Sugioka Y, Mochizuki T, Nishiuchi T, Miyahara T, Kodama H, Ohta D. Multi-omics Analyses of Non-GM Tomato Scion Engrafted on GM Rootstocks. Food Saf (Tokyo) 2023; 11:41-53. [PMID: 37745161 PMCID: PMC10514396 DOI: 10.14252/foodsafetyfscj.d-23-00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Grafting has been widely applied in agricultural production in order to utilize agriculturally valuable traits. The use of genetically modified (GM) plants for grafting with non-GM crops will soon be implemented to generate chimeric plants (transgrafting)*, and the non-GM edible portions thus obtained could fall outside of the current legal regulations. A number of metabolites and macromolecules are reciprocally exchanged between scion and rootstock, affecting the crop properties as food. Accordingly, the potential risks associated with grafting, particularly those related to transgrafting with GM plants, should be carefully evaluated based on scientific evidence. In this study, we prepared a hetero-transgraft line composed of non-GM tomato scion and GM-tobacco rootstock expressing firefly luciferase. We also prepared a homograft line (both rootstock and scion are from non-GM tomato) and a heterograft line (non-GM tobacco rootstock and non-GM tomato scion). The non-GM tomato fruits were harvested from these grafted lines and subjected to comprehensive characterization by multi-omics analysis. Proteomic analysis detected tobacco-derived proteins from both heterograft and hetero-transgraft lines, suggesting protein transfer from the tobacco rootstock to the tomato fruits. No allergenicity information is available for these two tobacco-derived proteins. The transcript levels of the genes encoding two allergenic tomato intrinsic proteins (Sola l 4.0101 and Sola l 4.0201) decreased in the heterograft and hetero-transgraft lines. Several differences were observed in the metabolic profiles, including α-tomatine and nicotine. The accumulation of tobacco-derived nicotine in the tomato fruits of both heterograft and hetero-transgraft lines indicated that the transfer of unfavorable metabolites from rootstock to scion should be assessed as a food safety concern. Further investigations are needed to clarify whether variable environmental conditions and growth periods may influence the qualities of the non-GM edible parts produced by such transgrafted plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Ogawa
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Osaka Metropolitan University,
1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka
Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
| | - Kanae Kato
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka
Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
| | - Harue Asuka
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka
Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
| | - Yumi Sugioka
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka
Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
| | - Tomofumi Mochizuki
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Osaka Metropolitan University,
1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka
Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
| | - Takumi Nishiuchi
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Natural Science and
Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
- Division of Integrated Omics Research, Bioscience Core Facility,
Research Center for Experimental Modeling of Human Disease, Kanazawa University, 13-1
Takaramachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - Taira Miyahara
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, 1-33
Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Kodama
- Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, 1-33
Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
| | - Daisaku Ohta
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Osaka Metropolitan University,
1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka
Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
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20
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Tripathi L, Ntui VO, Tripathi JN, Norman D, Crawford J. A new and novel high-fidelity genome editing tool for banana using Cas-CLOVER. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:1731-1733. [PMID: 37402217 PMCID: PMC10440978 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Leena Tripathi
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)NairobiKenya
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21
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Yadav RK, Tripathi MK, Tiwari S, Tripathi N, Asati R, Chauhan S, Tiwari PN, Payasi DK. Genome Editing and Improvement of Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1456. [PMID: 37511831 PMCID: PMC10381907 DOI: 10.3390/life13071456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome editing aims to revolutionise plant breeding and could assist in safeguarding the global food supply. The inclusion of a 12-40 bp recognition site makes mega nucleases the first tools utilized for genome editing and first generation gene-editing tools. Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) are the second gene-editing technique, and because they create double-stranded breaks, they are more dependable and effective. ZFNs were the original designed nuclease-based approach of genome editing. The Cys2-His2 zinc finger domain's discovery made this technique possible. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are utilized to improve genetics, boost biomass production, increase nutrient usage efficiency, and develop disease resistance. Plant genomes can be effectively modified using genome-editing technologies to enhance characteristics without introducing foreign DNA into the genome. Next-generation plant breeding will soon be defined by these exact breeding methods. There is abroad promise that genome-edited crops will be essential in the years to come for improving the sustainability and climate-change resilience of food systems. This method also has great potential for enhancing crops' resistance to various abiotic stressors. In this review paper, we summarize the most recent findings about the mechanism of abiotic stress response in crop plants and the use of the CRISPR/Cas mediated gene-editing systems to improve tolerance to stresses including drought, salinity, cold, heat, and heavy metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Kumar Yadav
- Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior 474002, India
| | - Manoj Kumar Tripathi
- Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior 474002, India
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior 474002, India
| | - Sushma Tiwari
- Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior 474002, India
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior 474002, India
| | - Niraj Tripathi
- Directorate of Research Services, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur 482004, India
| | - Ruchi Asati
- Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior 474002, India
| | - Shailja Chauhan
- Department of Genetics & Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior 474002, India
| | - Prakash Narayan Tiwari
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior 474002, India
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22
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Choudhary N, Tandi D, Verma RK, Yadav VK, Dhingra N, Ghosh T, Choudhary M, Gaur RK, Abdellatif MH, Gacem A, Eltayeb LB, Alqahtani MS, Yadav KK, Jeon BH. A comprehensive appraisal of mechanism of anti-CRISPR proteins: an advanced genome editor to amend the CRISPR gene editing. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1164461. [PMID: 37426982 PMCID: PMC10328345 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1164461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
The development of precise and controlled CRISPR-Cas tools has been made possible by the discovery of protein inhibitors of CRISPR-Cas systems, called anti-CRISPRs (Acrs). The Acr protein has the ability to control off-targeted mutations and impede Cas protein-editing operations. Acr can help with selective breeding, which could help plants and animals improve their valuable features. In this review, the Acr protein-based inhibitory mechanisms that have been adopted by several Acrs, such as (a) the interruption of CRISPR-Cas complex assembly, (b) interference with target DNA binding, (c) blocking of target DNA/RNA cleavage, and (d) enzymatic modification or degradation of signalling molecules, were discussed. In addition, this review emphasizes the applications of Acr proteins in the plant research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Choudhary
- Department of Biosciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Mody University of Science and Technology, Lakshmangarh, Rajasthan, India
| | - Dipty Tandi
- Department of Biosciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Mody University of Science and Technology, Lakshmangarh, Rajasthan, India
| | - Rakesh Kumar Verma
- Department of Biosciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Mody University of Science and Technology, Lakshmangarh, Rajasthan, India
| | - Virendra Kumar Yadav
- Department of Biosciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Mody University of Science and Technology, Lakshmangarh, Rajasthan, India
| | - Naveen Dhingra
- Department of Agriculture, Medi-Caps University, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Tathagata Ghosh
- Department of Arts, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Mody University of Science and Technology, Lakshmangarh, Rajasthan, India
| | - Mahima Choudhary
- Department of Biosciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Mody University of Science and Technology, Lakshmangarh, Rajasthan, India
| | - Rajarshi K. Gaur
- Department of Biotechnology, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (D.D.U.) Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Magda H. Abdellatif
- Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amel Gacem
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University 20 Août 1955, Skikda, Algeria
| | - Lienda Bashier Eltayeb
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin AbdulAziz University-Al-Kharj, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed S. Alqahtani
- Radiological Sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Sciences (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Krishna Kumar Yadav
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Madhyanchal Professional University, Ratibad, India
- Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences Research Group, Scientific Research Center, Al-Ayen University, Thi-Qar, Nasiriyah, Iraq
| | - Byong-Hun Jeon
- Department of Earth Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Zarate S, Cimadori I, Jones MS, Roca MM, Barnhill-Dilling SK. Assessing agricultural gene editing regulation in Latin America: an analysis of how policy windows and policy entrepreneurs shape agricultural gene editing regulatory regimes. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1209308. [PMID: 37362213 PMCID: PMC10289227 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1209308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
This article explores the new developments and challenges of agricultural Gene Editing (GED) regulation in primarily nine countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Region: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru. As Gene Editing technology develops, Latin America and the Caribbean regulatory regimes struggle to keep pace. Developers and regulators face challenges such as consumer perceptions, intellectual property, R&D funding (private and public), training, environmental and social impact, and access to domestic and international markets. Some Latin America and the Caribbean countries (e.g., Argentina) interpret existing legislation to promulgate regulations for biotechnology and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), while others (e.g., Brazil and Honduras) have specific legislation for Genetically Modified Organisms. In both those cases, often a case-by-case approach is chosen to determine whether a Gene Editing organism is subject to Genetically Modified Organisms regulations or not. Other countries such as Peru have opted to ban the technology due to its perceived resemblance to transgenic Genetically Modified Organisms. After presenting the regulatory landscape for agricultural Gene Editing in Latin America and the Caribbean, this article addresses some of the differences and similarities across the region. Some countries have had more foresight and have dedicated resources to increase capacity and develop regulations (e.g., Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico before 2018) while others struggle with bureaucratic limitations and partisanship of policymaking (e.g., Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Mexico after 2018). We propose that the differences and similarities between these regulatory regimes have emerged in part as a result of policy entrepreneurs (influential individuals actively involved in policy making) taking advantage of policy windows (opportunities for shaping policy and regulation). The third and remaining sections of this study discuss our main findings. Based on 41 semi structured interviews with regulators, scientists, product developers, NGOs and activists, we arrived at three main findings. First, there seems to be a consensus among most regulators interviewed that having harmonized regimes is a positive step to facilitate product development and deployment, leading to commercialization. Second, reducing bureaucracy (e.g., paper work) and increasing flexibility in regulation go hand in hand to expedite the acquisition of key lab materials required by developers in countries with less robust regimes such as Peru and Bolivia. Finally, developing public and private partnerships, fostering transparency, and increasing the involvement of marginalized groups may increase the legitimacy of Gene Editing regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Zarate
- Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Ilaria Cimadori
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Michael S. Jones
- Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, United States
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Greenwood JR, Zhang X, Rathjen JP. Precision genome editing of crops for improved disease resistance. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R650-R657. [PMID: 37279695 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Genome editing (GE) technologies allow rapid trait manipulation in crop plants. Disease resistance is one of the best test cases for this technology because it is usually monogenic and under constant challenge by rapidly evolving pathogens. Classical methods suffer from severe bottlenecks in discovery of new resistance (R) genes and their incorporation into elite varieties, largely because they are identified in landraces and species with limited sexual compatibility, and may last only a few years before losing effectiveness. Most plant R genes encode receptors located externally on the plasma membrane (receptor proteins and receptor kinases) or internally as NOD-like receptors (NLR). Both have well defined molecular interactions with activating pathogen ligands which are virulence proteins known as effectors. As structural data for R-effector interactions accumulate, promising strategies for rational manipulation of binding specificities are emerging. This offers the potential to change elite varieties directly rather than through 10-20 years of crossing. Successful application of GE is already evident in mutation of susceptibility (S) genes required for infection. GE is in its infancy with only four modified organisms grown currently in the US. The Anglosphere and Japan seem more open to deployment of these technologies, with the European Union, Switzerland and New Zealand being notably more conservative. Consumers are not well informed on the differences between GE and classical genetic modification (GM). The possibility that minor GE changes will not be regulated as GM offers the hope that current bottlenecks to resistance breeding can be eased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian R Greenwood
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Xiaoxiao Zhang
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - John P Rathjen
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia.
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25
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Lee S, Enciso-Rodriguez FE, Behling W, Jayakody T, Panicucci K, Zarka D, Nadakuduti SS, Buell CR, Manrique-Carpintero NC, Douches DS. HT-B and S-RNase CRISPR-Cas9 double knockouts show enhanced self-fertility in diploid Solanum tuberosum. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1151347. [PMID: 37324668 PMCID: PMC10264808 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1151347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The Gametophytic Self-Incompatibility (GSI) system in diploid potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) poses a substantial barrier in diploid potato breeding by hindering the generation of inbred lines. One solution is gene editing to generate self-compatible diploid potatoes which will allow for the generation of elite inbred lines with fixed favorable alleles and heterotic potential. The S-RNase and HT genes have been shown previously to contribute to GSI in the Solanaceae family and self-compatible S. tuberosum lines have been generated by knocking out S-RNase gene with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. This study employed CRISPR-Cas9 to knockout HT-B either individually or in concert with S-RNase in the diploid self-incompatible S. tuberosum clone DRH-195. Using mature seed formation from self-pollinated fruit as the defining characteristic of self-compatibility, HT-B-only knockouts produced little or no seed. In contrast, double knockout lines of HT-B and S-RNase displayed levels of seed production that were up to three times higher than observed in the S-RNase-only knockout, indicating a synergistic effect between HT-B and S-RNase in self-compatibility in diploid potato. This contrasts with compatible cross-pollinations, where S-RNase and HT-B did not have a significant effect on seed set. Contradictory to the traditional GSI model, self-incompatible lines displayed pollen tube growth reaching the ovary, yet ovules failed to develop into seeds indicating a potential late-acting self-incompatibility in DRH-195. Germplasm generated from this study will serve as a valuable resource for diploid potato breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Lee
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | | | - William Behling
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Thilani Jayakody
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Kaela Panicucci
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Daniel Zarka
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | | | - C. Robin Buell
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, Institute for Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Norma C. Manrique-Carpintero
- Alliance of Bioversity International and The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Cali, Colombia
| | - David S. Douches
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
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26
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Biswal AK, Hernandez LRB, Castillo AIR, Debernardi JM, Dhugga KS. An efficient transformation method for genome editing of elite bread wheat cultivars. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1135047. [PMID: 37275249 PMCID: PMC10234211 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1135047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
An efficient genetic transformation protocol is necessary to edit genes for trait improvement directly in elite bread wheat cultivars. We used a protein fusion between a wheat growth-regulating factor 4 (GRF4) and its interacting factor (GIF1) to develop a reproducible genetic transformation and regeneration protocol, which we then used to successfully transform elite bread wheat cultivars Baj, Kachu, Morocco, Reedling, RL6077, and Sujata in addition to the experimental cultivar Fielder. Immature embryos were transformed with the vector using particle bombardment method. Transformation frequency increased nearly 60-fold with the GRF4-GIF1-containing vectors as compared to the control vector and ranged from ~5% in the cultivar Kachu to 13% in the cultivar RL6077. We then edited two genes that confer resistance against leaf rust and powdery mildew directly in the aforementioned elite cultivars. A wheat promoter, TaU3 or TaU6, to drive the expression of guide RNA was effective in gene editing whereas the OsU3 promoter failed to generate any edits. Editing efficiency was nearly perfect with the wheat promoters. Our protocol has made it possible to edit genes directly in elite wheat cultivars and would be useful for gene editing in other wheat varieties, which have been recalcitrant to transformation thus far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshaya K. Biswal
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Texcoco, Mexico
| | | | - Ana I. R. Castillo
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Texcoco, Mexico
| | - Juan M. Debernardi
- Plant Transformation Facility, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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27
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Eckerstorfer MF, Dolezel M, Engelhard M, Giovannelli V, Grabowski M, Heissenberger A, Lener M, Reichenbecher W, Simon S, Staiano G, Wüst Saucy AG, Zünd J, Lüthi C. Recommendations for the Assessment of Potential Environmental Effects of Genome-Editing Applications in Plants in the EU. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12091764. [PMID: 37176822 PMCID: PMC10180588 DOI: 10.3390/plants12091764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The current initiative of the European Commission (EC) concerning plants produced using certain new genomic techniques, in particular, targeted mutagenesis and cisgenesis, underlines that a high level of protection for human and animal health and the environment needs to be maintained when using such applications. The current EU biosafety regulation framework ensures a high level of protection with a mandatory environmental risk assessment (ERA) of genetically modified (GM) products prior to the authorization of individual GMOs for environmental release or marketing. However, the guidance available from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for conducting such an ERA is not specific enough regarding the techniques under discussion and needs to be further developed to support the policy goals towards ERA, i.e., a case-by-case assessment approach proportionate to the respective risks, currently put forward by the EC. This review identifies important elements for the case-by-case approach for the ERA that need to be taken into account in the framework for a risk-oriented regulatory approach. We also discuss that the comparison of genome-edited plants with plants developed using conventional breeding methods should be conducted at the level of a scientific case-by-case assessment of individual applications rather than at a general, technology-based level. Our considerations aim to support the development of further specific guidance for the ERA of genome-edited plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael F Eckerstorfer
- Umweltbundesamt-Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Landuse and Biosafety Unit, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marion Dolezel
- Umweltbundesamt-Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Landuse and Biosafety Unit, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Margret Engelhard
- Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Division of Assessment of GMOs/Enforcement of Genetic Engineering Act, Konstantinstr. 110, 53179 Bonn, Germany
| | - Valeria Giovannelli
- ISPRA (Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research), Department for Environmental Monitoring and Protection and for Biodiversity Conservation, Via Vitaliano Brancati, 48, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcin Grabowski
- Ministry of Climate and Environment, Department Nature Conservation, GMO Unit, Wawelska 52/54, 00-922 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Andreas Heissenberger
- Umweltbundesamt-Environment Agency Austria (EAA), Landuse and Biosafety Unit, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Matteo Lener
- ISPRA (Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research), Department for Environmental Monitoring and Protection and for Biodiversity Conservation, Via Vitaliano Brancati, 48, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Wolfram Reichenbecher
- Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Division of Assessment of GMOs/Enforcement of Genetic Engineering Act, Konstantinstr. 110, 53179 Bonn, Germany
| | - Samson Simon
- Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Division of Assessment of GMOs/Enforcement of Genetic Engineering Act, Konstantinstr. 110, 53179 Bonn, Germany
| | - Giovanni Staiano
- ISPRA (Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research), Department for Environmental Monitoring and Protection and for Biodiversity Conservation, Via Vitaliano Brancati, 48, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Anne Gabrielle Wüst Saucy
- Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Biotechnology Section, Soil and Biotechnology Division, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jan Zünd
- Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Biotechnology Section, Soil and Biotechnology Division, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Lüthi
- Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Biotechnology Section, Soil and Biotechnology Division, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
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28
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Kudapa H, Barmukh R, Vemuri H, Gorthy S, Pinnamaneni R, Vetriventhan M, Srivastava RK, Joshi P, Habyarimana E, Gupta SK, Govindaraj M. Genetic and genomic interventions in crop biofortification: Examples in millets. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1123655. [PMID: 36950360 PMCID: PMC10025513 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1123655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Micronutrient malnutrition is a serious threat to the developing world's human population, which largely relies on a cereal-based diet that lacks diversity and micronutrients. Besides major cereals, millets represent the key sources of energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals for people residing in the dryland tropics and drought-prone areas of South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Millets serve as multi-purpose crops with several salient traits including tolerance to abiotic stresses, adaptation to diverse agro-ecologies, higher productivity in nutrient-poor soils, and rich nutritional characteristics. Considering the potential of millets in empowering smallholder farmers, adapting to changing climate, and transforming agrifood systems, the year 2023 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Millets. In this review, we highlight recent genetic and genomic innovations that can be explored to enhance grain micronutrient density in millets. We summarize the advances made in high-throughput phenotyping to accurately measure grain micronutrient content in cereals. We shed light on genetic diversity in millet germplasm collections existing globally that can be exploited for developing nutrient-dense and high-yielding varieties to address food and nutritional security. Furthermore, we describe the progress made in the fields of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics with an emphasis on enhancing the grain nutritional content for designing competitive biofortified varieties for the future. Considering the close genetic-relatedness within cereals, upcoming research should focus on identifying the genetic and genomic basis of nutritional traits in millets and introgressing them into major cereals through integrated omics approaches. Recent breakthroughs in the genome editing toolbox would be crucial for mainstreaming biofortification in millets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himabindu Kudapa
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Telangana, India
| | - Rutwik Barmukh
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Telangana, India
| | - Hindu Vemuri
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Patancheru, Telangana, India
| | - Sunita Gorthy
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Telangana, India
| | | | - Mani Vetriventhan
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Telangana, India
| | - Rakesh K. Srivastava
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Telangana, India
| | - Priyanka Joshi
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Telangana, India
| | - Ephrem Habyarimana
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Telangana, India
| | - S. K. Gupta
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Telangana, India
| | - Mahalingam Govindaraj
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, Telangana, India
- HarvestPlus Program, Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Cali, Colombia
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29
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Qin H, King GJ, Borpatragohain P, Zou J. Developing multifunctional crops by engineering Brassicaceae glucosinolate pathways. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2023:100565. [PMID: 36823985 PMCID: PMC10363516 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Glucosinolates (GSLs), found mainly in species of the Brassicaceae family, are one of the most well-studied classes of secondary metabolites. Produced by the action of myrosinase on GSLs, GSL-derived hydrolysis products (GHPs) primarily defend against biotic stress in planta. They also significantly affect the quality of crop products, with a subset of GHPs contributing unique food flavors and multiple therapeutic benefits or causing disagreeable food odors and health risks. Here, we explore the potential of these bioactive functions, which could be exploited for future sustainable agriculture. We first summarize our accumulated understanding of GSL diversity and distribution across representative Brassicaceae species. We then systematically discuss and evaluate the potential of exploited and unutilized genes involved in GSL biosynthesis, transport, and hydrolysis as candidate GSL engineering targets. Benefiting from available information on GSL and GHP functions, we explore options for multifunctional Brassicaceae crop ideotypes to meet future demand for food diversification and sustainable crop production. An integrated roadmap is subsequently proposed to guide ideotype development, in which maximization of beneficial effects and minimization of detrimental effects of GHPs could be combined and associated with various end uses. Based on several use-case examples, we discuss advantages and limitations of available biotechnological approaches that may contribute to effective deployment and could provide novel insights for optimization of future GSL engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Qin
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
| | - Graham J King
- Southern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Jun Zou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
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30
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Bibliometric Analysis of Functional Crops and Nutritional Quality: Identification of Gene Resources to Improve Crop Nutritional Quality through Gene Editing Technology. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15020373. [PMID: 36678244 PMCID: PMC9865409 DOI: 10.3390/nu15020373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Food security and hidden hunger are two worldwide serious and complex challenges nowadays. As one of the newly emerged technologies, gene editing technology and its application to crop improvement offers the possibility to relieve the pressure of food security and nutrient needs. In this paper, we analyzed the research status of quality improvement based on gene editing using four major crops, including rice, soybean, maize, and wheat, through a bibliometric analysis. The research hotspots now focus on the regulatory network of related traits, quite different from the technical improvements to gene editing in the early stage, while the trends in deregulation in gene-edited crops have accelerated related research. Then, we mined quality-related genes that can be edited to develop functional crops, including 16 genes related to starch, 15 to lipids, 14 to proteins, and 15 to other functional components. These findings will provide useful reference information and gene resources for the improvement of functional crops and nutritional quality based on gene editing technology.
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31
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Omics Profiles of Non-GM Tubers from Transgrafted Potato with a GM Scion. Food Saf (Tokyo) 2023; 11:1-20. [PMID: 36970308 PMCID: PMC10034357 DOI: 10.14252/foodsafetyfscj.d-22-00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
"Transgrafting" is a grafting procedure whereby a transgenic plant body is grafted to a non-transgenic plant body. It is a novel plant breeding technology that allows non-transgenic plants to obtain benefits usually conferred to transgenic plants. Many plants regulate flowering by perceiving the day-length cycle via expression of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) in the leaves. The resulting FT protein is translocated to the shoot apical meristem via the phloem. In potato plants, FT is involved in the promotion of tuber formation. Here we investigated the effects of a genetically modified (GM) scion on the edible parts of the non-GM rootstock by using potato plants transformed with StSP6A, a novel potato homolog of the FT gene. Scions prepared from GM or control (wild-type) potato plants were grafted to non-GM potato rootstocks; these were designated as TN and NN plants, respectively. After tuber harvest, we observed no significant differences in potato yield between TN and NN plants. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that only one gene-with unknown function-was differentially expressed between TN and NN plants. Subsequent proteomic analysis indicated that several members of protease inhibitor families, known as anti-nutritional factors in potato, were slightly more abundant in TN plants. Metabolomic analysis revealed a slight increase in metabolite abundance in NN plants, but we observed no difference in the accumulation of steroid glycoalkaloids, toxic metabolites found in potato. Finally, we found that TN and NN plants did not differ in nutrient composition. Taken together, these results indicate that FT expression in scions had a limited effect on the metabolism of non-transgenic potato tubers.
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32
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Mondal S, Song H, Zhang L, Cao Y. Editorial: Multi-omics and computational biology in horticultural plants: From genotype to phenotype. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1073266. [PMID: 36466270 PMCID: PMC9709487 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1073266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Suvendu Mondal
- Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai, India
| | - Hui Song
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Grassland Resources and Ecology in the Yellow River Delta, College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Liangsheng Zhang
- Genomics and Genetic Engineering Laboratory of Ornamental Plants, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yunpeng Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
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33
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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.
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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
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