Rapid improvement of rice eating and cooking quality through gene editing toward glutelin as target
Yihao Yang, Ziyan Shen, LI You-guang, Chenda Xu, Han Xia, Hao Zhuang, Shengyuan Sun, Min Guo, Changjie Yan
Abstract
Rice eating and cooking quality (ECQ) is a major concern of breeders and consumers, determining market competitiveness worldwide. Rice grain protein content (GPC) is negatively related to ECQ, making it possible to improve ECQ by manipulating GPC. However, GPC is genetically complex and sensitive to environmental conditions; therefore, little progress has been made in traditional breeding for ECQ. Here, we report that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of genes encoding the grain storage protein glutelin rapidly produced lines with downregulated GPC and improved ECQ. Our finding provides a new strategy for improving rice ECQ.
Topics & Concepts
GlutelinQuality (philosophy)BiologyStorage proteinGeneGeneticsEpistemologyPhilosophyCRISPR and Genetic EngineeringGABA and Rice ResearchAnimal Genetics and Reproduction