Successful genome editing in plant zygotes

March 26, 2019

Applications for plant crops (increased income, disease resistance, improved quality)

A collaborative research team from Japan Tobacco and RIKEN CSRS, together with a joint research group from Tokyo Metropolitan University and Tokushima University, has succeeded in establishing a genome editing method for plant zygotes.

Plant genome editing technology has been proven useful for increased crop yields, disease resistance and improved quality by making it possible to improve the targeting of DNA sequences thought to be desirable for breeding.

For this research, the group established a high-efficiency method for introducing various materials such as genome-editing tools via in vitro fertilization of rice by electro-fusion of isolated gametes followed by the introduction of polyethylene glycol (PEG). This method is notable as a genomeediting tool in that either DNA or ribonucleoproteins can be used and that no marker genes are required to select edited cells.

These results will greatly contribute to the breeding of rice as well as other important crops through genome editing.

Original article

Nature Plants doi:10.1038/s41477-019-0386-z

E. Toda, N. Koiso, A. Takebayashi, M. Ichikawa, T. Kiba, K. Osakabe, Y. Osakabe, H. Sakakibara, N. Kato, T. Okamoto,

"An efficient DNA- and selectable-marker-free genome-editing system using zygotes in rice".

Contact

Minami Matsui

Group Director; Synthetic Genomics Research Group

(Deputy Team Leader; Plant Breeding Innovation Laboratory, RIKEN Baton Zone Program)