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Sustek-Sánchez F, Rognli OA, Rostoks N, Sõmera M, Jaškūnė K, Kovi MR, Statkevičiūtė G, Sarmiento C. Improving abiotic stress tolerance of forage grasses - prospects of using genome editing. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1127532. [PMID: 36824201 PMCID: PMC9941169 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1127532] [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: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Due to an increase in the consumption of food, feed, and fuel and to meet global food security needs for the rapidly growing human population, there is a necessity to obtain high-yielding crops that can adapt to future climate changes. Currently, the main feed source used for ruminant livestock production is forage grasses. In temperate climate zones, perennial grasses grown for feed are widely distributed and tend to suffer under unfavorable environmental conditions. Genome editing has been shown to be an effective tool for the development of abiotic stress-resistant plants. The highly versatile CRISPR-Cas system enables increasingly complex modifications in genomes while maintaining precision and low off-target frequency mutations. In this review, we provide an overview of forage grass species that have been subjected to genome editing. We offer a perspective view on the generation of plants resilient to abiotic stresses. Due to the broad factors contributing to these stresses the review focuses on drought, salt, heat, and cold stresses. The application of new genomic techniques (e.g., CRISPR-Cas) allows addressing several challenges caused by climate change and abiotic stresses for developing forage grass cultivars with improved adaptation to the future climatic conditions. Genome editing will contribute towards developing safe and sustainable food systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferenz Sustek-Sánchez
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Odd Arne Rognli
- Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Nils Rostoks
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
| | - Merike Sõmera
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Kristina Jaškūnė
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, Institute of Agriculture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Akademija, Lithuania
| | - Mallikarjuna Rao Kovi
- Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Gražina Statkevičiūtė
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, Institute of Agriculture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Akademija, Lithuania
| | - Cecilia Sarmiento
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
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Yang R, Liu W, Sun Y, Sun Z, Wu Z, Wang Y, Wang M, Wang H, Bai S, Fu C. LATERAL BRANCHING OXIDOREDUCTASE, one novel target gene of Squamosa Promoter Binding Protein-like 2, regulates tillering in switchgrass. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 235:563-575. [PMID: 35383390 PMCID: PMC9321131 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Strigolactones (SLs) play a critical role in regulating plant tiller number. LATERAL BRANCHING OXIDOREDUCTASE (LBO) encodes an important late-acting enzyme for SL biosynthesis and regulates shoot branching in Arabidopsis. However, little is known about the function of LBO in monocots including switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a dual-purpose fodder and biofuel crop. We studied the function of PvLBO via the genetic manipulation of its expression levels in both the wild-type and miR156 overexpressing (miR156OE ) switchgrass. Co-expression analysis, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), transient dual luciferase assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation-qPCR were all used to determine the activation of PvLBO by miR156-targeted Squamosa Promoter Binding Protein-like 2 (PvSPL2) in regulating tillering of switchgrass. PvLBOtranscripts dramatically declined in miR156OE transgenic switchgrass, and the overexpression of PvLBO in the miR156OE transgenic line produce fewer tillers than the control. Furthermore, we found that PvSPL2 can directly bind to the promoter of PvLBO and activate its transcription, suggesting that PvLBO is a novel downstream gene of PvSPL2. We propose that PvLBO functions as an SL biosynthetic gene to mediate tillering and acts as an important downstream factor in the crosstalk between the SL biosynthetic pathway and the miR156-SPL module in switchgrass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijuan Yang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and CAS Key Laboratory of BiofuelsQingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesQingdao266101China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Wenwen Liu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and CAS Key Laboratory of BiofuelsQingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesQingdao266101China
| | - Ying Sun
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and CAS Key Laboratory of BiofuelsQingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesQingdao266101China
| | - Zhichao Sun
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and CAS Key Laboratory of BiofuelsQingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesQingdao266101China
| | - Zhenying Wu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and CAS Key Laboratory of BiofuelsQingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesQingdao266101China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
| | - Yamei Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and CAS Key Laboratory of BiofuelsQingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesQingdao266101China
| | - Mengqi Wang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and CAS Key Laboratory of BiofuelsQingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesQingdao266101China
| | - Honglun Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine ResearchNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXining810008China
| | - Shiqie Bai
- Sichuan Academy of Grassland ScienceChengdu611731China
| | - Chunxiang Fu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and CAS Key Laboratory of BiofuelsQingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesQingdao266101China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing100049China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine ResearchNorthwest Institute of Plateau BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesXining810008China
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Muguerza MB, Gondo T, Ishigaki G, Shimamoto Y, Umami N, Nitthaisong P, Rahman MM, Akashi R. Tissue Culture and Somatic Embryogenesis in Warm-Season Grasses—Current Status and Its Applications: A Review. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11091263. [PMID: 35567264 PMCID: PMC9101205 DOI: 10.3390/plants11091263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Warm-season grasses are C4 plants and have a high capacity for biomass productivity. These grasses are utilized in many agricultural production systems with their greatest value as feeds for livestock, bioethanol, and turf. However, many important warm-season perennial grasses multiply either by vegetative propagation or form their seeds by an asexual mode of reproduction called apomixis. Therefore, the improvement of these grasses by conventional breeding is difficult and is dependent on the availability of natural genetic variation and its manipulation through breeding and selection. Recent studies have indicated that plant tissue culture system through somatic embryogenesis complements and could further develop conventional breeding programs by micropropagation, somaclonal variation, somatic hybridization, genetic transformation, and genome editing. This review summarizes the tissue culture and somatic embryogenesis in warm-season grasses and focus on current status and above applications including the author’s progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody Ballitoc Muguerza
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, 1-1 Gakuenkibanadai-Nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan; (M.B.M.); (G.I.); (Y.S.); (R.A.)
| | - Takahiro Gondo
- Frontier Science Research Center, University of Miyazaki, 1-1 Gakuenkibanadai-Nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan
- Correspondence:
| | - Genki Ishigaki
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, 1-1 Gakuenkibanadai-Nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan; (M.B.M.); (G.I.); (Y.S.); (R.A.)
| | - Yasuyo Shimamoto
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, 1-1 Gakuenkibanadai-Nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan; (M.B.M.); (G.I.); (Y.S.); (R.A.)
| | - Nafiatul Umami
- Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl Fauna 3, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia;
| | - Pattama Nitthaisong
- Faculty of Agricultural Technology, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520, Thailand;
| | - Mohammad Mijanur Rahman
- Faculty of Agro-Based Industry, Jeli Campus, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli 17600, Kelantan, Malaysia;
| | - Ryo Akashi
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, 1-1 Gakuenkibanadai-Nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan; (M.B.M.); (G.I.); (Y.S.); (R.A.)
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Park JR, Kim EG, Jang YH, Jan R, Farooq M, Ubaidillah M, Kim KM. Applications of CRISPR/Cas9 as New Strategies for Short Breeding to Drought Gene in Rice. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:850441. [PMID: 35283882 PMCID: PMC8908215 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.850441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Recent unpredictable climate change is the main reason for the decline in rice yield. In particular, drought stress is a major constraint in reducing yield and quality for rice at rainfed agriculture areas, such as Asia and South America. CRISPR/Cas9 provides an effective solution for gene function study and molecular breeding due to specific editing of targeted genome sequences. In addition, CRISPR/Cas9 application can significantly reduce the time required to develop new cultivars with improved traits compared to conventional complex and time-consuming breeding. Here, drought-induced gene Oryza sativa Senescence-associated protein (OsSAP) was edited by CRISPR/Cas9. To investigate the possible role of OsSAP in drought stress, genome-editing plants were subjected to drought stress until the soil moisture content reached 20%, and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging efficiency of genome-editing plants were decreased. When the genome-editing plants were subjected to drought stress, survival rate, shoot length, root length, content of chlorophyll number of tiller, and 1,000-grain weight decreased, and more H2O2 and O2 - were detected in leaves. In addition, expression levels of several critical stress-related transcription factors were decreased in the OsSAP genome-editing plant. These results suggest that OsSAP function as a positive regulator during drought stress response in rice. We analyzed the expression of OsSAP and Cas9 in T0 and T1 plants as well as T2 seeds. As the course of generation advancement progressed, Cas9 expression remained stable or weakened but the OsSAP expression was continuously removed from the T0 plant. The coefficient of variation (CV) in both T1 plants and T2 seeds was lower than 5%. Overall, our results suggest that CRISPR/Cas9 could be a novel and important tool for efficiently generating specific and inheritable targeted genome editing in rice, with short breeding cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Ryoung Park
- Division of Plant Biosciences, School of Applied Biosciences, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
- Crop Breeding Division, National Institute of Crop Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju, South Korea
| | - Eun-Gyeong Kim
- Division of Plant Biosciences, School of Applied Biosciences, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Yoon-Hee Jang
- Division of Plant Biosciences, School of Applied Biosciences, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Rahmatullah Jan
- Division of Plant Biosciences, School of Applied Biosciences, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Muhammad Farooq
- Division of Plant Biosciences, School of Applied Biosciences, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Mohammad Ubaidillah
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Jember University, Jember, Indonesia
| | - Kyung-Min Kim
- Division of Plant Biosciences, School of Applied Biosciences, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
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Li C, Brant E, Budak H, Zhang B. CRISPR/Cas: a Nobel Prize award-winning precise genome editing technology for gene therapy and crop improvement. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2021; 22:253-284. [PMID: 33835761 PMCID: PMC8042526 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b2100009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Since it was first recognized in bacteria and archaea as a mechanism for innate viral immunity in the early 2010s, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) has rapidly been developed into a robust, multifunctional genome editing tool with many uses. Following the discovery of the initial CRISPR/Cas-based system, the technology has been advanced to facilitate a multitude of different functions. These include development as a base editor, prime editor, epigenetic editor, and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) and CRISPR activator (CRISPRa) gene regulators. It can also be used for chromatin and RNA targeting and imaging. Its applications have proved revolutionary across numerous biological fields, especially in biomedical and agricultural improvement. As a diagnostic tool, CRISPR has been developed to aid the detection and screening of both human and plant diseases, and has even been applied during the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. CRISPR/Cas is also being trialed as a new form of gene therapy for treating various human diseases, including cancers, and has aided drug development. In terms of agricultural breeding, precise targeting of biological pathways via CRISPR/Cas has been key to regulating molecular biosynthesis and allowing modification of proteins, starch, oil, and other functional components for crop improvement. Adding to this, CRISPR/Cas has been shown capable of significantly enhancing both plant tolerance to environmental stresses and overall crop yield via the targeting of various agronomically important gene regulators. Looking to the future, increasing the efficiency and precision of CRISPR/Cas delivery systems and limiting off-target activity are two major challenges for wider application of the technology. This review provides an in-depth overview of current CRISPR development, including the advantages and disadvantages of the technology, recent applications, and future considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Li
- Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory for Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Eleanor Brant
- Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Hikmet Budak
- Montana BioAgriculture, Inc., Missoula, MT 59802, USA.
| | - Baohong Zhang
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
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Numan M, Khan AL, Asaf S, Salehin M, Beyene G, Tadele Z, Ligaba-Osena A. From Traditional Breeding to Genome Editing for Boosting Productivity of the Ancient Grain Tef [ Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter]. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:628. [PMID: 33806233 PMCID: PMC8066236 DOI: 10.3390/plants10040628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Tef (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) is a staple food crop for 70% of the Ethiopian population and is currently cultivated in several countries for grain and forage production. It is one of the most nutritious grains, and is also more resilient to marginal soil and climate conditions than major cereals such as maize, wheat and rice. However, tef is an extremely low-yielding crop, mainly due to lodging, which is when stalks fall on the ground irreversibly, and prolonged drought during the growing season. Climate change is triggering several biotic and abiotic stresses which are expected to cause severe food shortages in the foreseeable future. This has necessitated an alternative and robust approach in order to improve resilience to diverse types of stresses and increase crop yields. Traditional breeding has been extensively implemented to develop crop varieties with traits of interest, although the technique has several limitations. Currently, genome editing technologies are receiving increased interest among plant biologists as a means of improving key agronomic traits. In this review, the potential application of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) technology in improving stress resilience in tef is discussed. Several putative abiotic stress-resilient genes of the related monocot plant species have been discussed and proposed as target genes for editing in tef through the CRISPR-Cas system. This is expected to improve stress resilience and boost productivity, thereby ensuring food and nutrition security in the region where it is needed the most.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Numan
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA; (M.N.); (M.S.)
| | - Abdul Latif Khan
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, Biotechnology and OMICs Laboratory, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Oman; (A.L.K.); (S.A.)
| | - Sajjad Asaf
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, Biotechnology and OMICs Laboratory, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 616, Oman; (A.L.K.); (S.A.)
| | - Mohammad Salehin
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA; (M.N.); (M.S.)
| | - Getu Beyene
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO 63132, USA;
| | - Zerihun Tadele
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013 Bern, Switzerland;
| | - Ayalew Ligaba-Osena
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA; (M.N.); (M.S.)
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Xu N, Kang M, Zobrist JD, Wang K, Fei SZ. Genetic Transformation of Recalcitrant Upland Switchgrass Using Morphogenic Genes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:781565. [PMID: 35211127 PMCID: PMC8861204 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.781565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is an excellent feedstock for biofuel production. While genetic transformation is routinely done in lowland switchgrass, upland cultivars remain recalcitrant to genetic transformation. Here we report the establishment of an efficient and reproducible transformation protocol for two upland cultivars, 'Summer' and 'Blackwell', by ectopic overexpression of morphogenic genes, Baby boom (Bbm) and Wuschel2 (Wus2). Two auxotrophic Agrobacterium strains, LBA4404Thy- and EHA105Thy-, each harboring the same construct containing ZmBbm, ZmWus2, and a green fluorescence protein (GFP) gene, ZsGreen1, were used to infect immature leaf segments derived from in vitro grown seedlings. The Agrobacterium strains also contain a transformation helper plasmid that carry additional copies of Agrobacterium virulence genes. GFP-expressing calli were identified and selected for regeneration. The highest transformation efficiency of 6% was obtained for the tetraploid cultivar Summer when LBA4404Thy- was used for infection, which is twice of that for the octoploid cultivar Blackwell. LBA4404Thy- consistently outperformed EHA105Thy- on transformation frequency across the two cultivars. Fifteen randomly selected putative transgenic plants of Summer and Blackwell, representing independent callus events, were confirmed as transgenic by the presence of the transgene, ZmAls, and the absence of AtuFtsZ, a chromosomal gene specific to the Agrobacterium strain LBA4404 using polymerase chain reaction. Transgene integration and expression was further confirmed by the detection of GFP in roots, and the resistance to herbicide injury to leaves of selected putative transgenic plants. The ZmBbm and ZmWus2 genes were successfully removed from 40 to 33.3% of the transgenic plants of Summer and Blackwell, respectively, via the Cre-Lox recombination system upon heat treatment of GFP-expressing embryogenic calli. Our successful transformation of recalcitrant upland switchgrass provides a method for gene function analysis and germplasm enhancement via biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuoya Xu
- Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Crop Bioengineering Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Interdepartmental Plant Biology Major, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Minjeong Kang
- Crop Bioengineering Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Interdepartmental Plant Biology Major, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Jacob D. Zobrist
- Crop Bioengineering Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Interdepartmental Genetics and Genomics Major, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Kan Wang
- Crop Bioengineering Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Shui-zhang Fei
- Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Crop Bioengineering Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- *Correspondence: Shui-zhang Fei,
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