The traditional process of crop genetic modification is often slow and fraught with challenges, from intricate regulatory requirements to significant financial and technical hurdles. Conventional genome editing techniques typically rely on generating stable transgenic lines that express Cas9/sgRNA modules, necessitating extensive tissue culture—a time- and labor-intensive bottleneck. To overcome these limitations, the scientific community has been actively pursuing genome editing methods that are faster, more cost-effective, and less reliant on complex cultivation practices.
In a development, researchers at Seoul National University have introduced virus-induced genome editing (VIGE) techniques that could redefine crop breeding methodologies. Their findings (DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad233), published on November 17, 2023, in Horticulture Research, present two revolutionary VIGE approaches specifically tailored for economically and nutritionally significant Solanaceous crops. These techniques represent a leap forward in plant genome editing, holding promise for a new era in crop improvement.
The study outlines two innovative VIGE strategies. The first utilizes the tobacco rattle virus (TRV) vector to deliver single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) into a transgenic tomato line expressing Cas9. The second method employs the potato virus X (PVX) vector to simultaneously introduce Cas9 and sgRNAs, entirely eliminating the need for transgenic lines. Both approaches were refined using deep sequencing and heat treatments to enhance genome editing efficiency, yielding mutation rates of 40.3% with TRV and 36.5% with PVX. These results are remarkable not only for their high efficacy but also for the simplicity and resource efficiency of the methods. Successfully applied to key tomato genes, these techniques show potential for widespread use in other Solanaceous crops, underscoring their versatility and impact on plant breeding science.
Lead researcher Byoung-Cheorl Kang emphasized the transformative potential of this breakthrough, stating, "Our development of VIGE methods addresses the longstanding challenges of slow and cumbersome genome editing processes. These new techniques accelerate the editing timeline, making genome editing more efficient and accessible for Solanaceous crops. This achievement paves the way for developing crops with enhanced traits and represents a significant stride towards improving agricultural productivity and global food security."
The novel VIGE approaches herald a new frontier in genetic crop improvement, enabling the rapid introduction of beneficial traits like disease resistance and enhanced nutrition. With their ability to revolutionize traditional breeding methods, these techniques hold immense promise for bolstering agricultural sustainability and addressing global food security challenges. This innovation not only redefines the landscape of plant genome editing but also offers a beacon of hope for a more resilient and sustainable future in food production.
###
References
DOI
10.1093/hr/uhad233
Original Source URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhad233
Funding information
This work was supported by a grant from the ‘New breeding technologies Development Program (Project No. PJ016543012023)’, Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.
About Horticulture Research
Horticulture Research is an open access journal of Nanjing Agricultural University and ranked number one in the Horticulture category of the Journal Citation Reports ™ from Clarivate, 2022. The journal is committed to publishing original research articles, reviews, perspectives, comments, correspondence articles and letters to the editor related to all major horticultural plants and disciplines, including biotechnology, breeding, cellular and molecular biology, evolution, genetics, inter-species interactions, physiology, and the origination and domestication of crops.