Chinese researchers have overcome the reliance of gene-editing technologies on genetic transformation, enabling direct gene editing in rapeseed and cabbage via pollination.

Release Date:

2021-05-28

Recently, the team on stress biology and resistance improvement of oilseed crops at the Oilseed Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, in collaboration with a related team from the Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, has developed a novel gene-editing method. This approach overcomes the reliance of gene-editing technologies on genetic transformation, enabling direct gene editing in rapeseed and cabbage via pollination and yielding mutant lines free of transgenic elements. The findings have been published in the Journal of Plant Biotechnology.

Rapeseed is a typical allopolyploid crop with a complex genome, in which most genes possess multiple homologous sequences. Currently, gene-editing vectors rely primarily on Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation, which can be successfully applied only to a limited number of readily transformable materials. In contrast, their use in the majority of breeding materials that are difficult to transform is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

This new technology enables the simultaneous introduction of gene mutations into multiple homologous sequences in both rapeseed and cabbage. The resulting mutations are stably inherited, and the chromosomal architecture of the mutant lines remains identical to that of the parental lines, eliminating the need for subsequent artificial chromosome doubling. This approach facilitates the rapid accumulation of favorable genetic variants in breeding materials, providing a robust technological platform for developing high-yielding, high-quality, multi‑resistant new cultivars.

This research was supported by projects including the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Source: China Science Daily

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