Scientists Use Cre-lox Gene Switch to Limit Bt Gene Expression in Green Tissues of Rice
November 15, 2017| |
Scientists from Zhejiang University and China National Rice Research Institute developed a modified Cre-lox gene switch to limit the expression of Bt protein in the green tissues of rice. They used two cassettes labeled as KEY and LOCK. KEY has a nuclear-localized Cre recombinase driven by the green-tissue-specific promoter rbcS; while LOCK has a Nos terminator (NosT), which is used to block the expression of the gene of interest (GOI), bounded by two loxP sites.
A complete gene switch system is in place when these two cassettes are pyramided into rice. The Cre recombinase from KEY cuts out loxP-NosT in LOCK and unlocks the GOI in green tissues but keeps it locked in the endosperm. This system was shown in eYFP and Bt expression assays. eYFP and Cre presence was confirmed in rice green plant parts including leaf, sheath, stem, and glume but not in the root, anther or seed of the gene-switch-controlled eYFP hybrids. Aside from the confined expression of the Bt protein in Bt hybrid rice, high resistance to striped stem borers and leaffolders was also observed.
Read the research article in Nature.
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Large US Study Says No Link Between Glyphosate and Cancer
- US Consumers Confused with ‘Organic' and ‘Non-GM' Food Labels, Survey Shows
- Biotech-improved Golden Potatoes Contain Higher Levels of Vitamins A and E
- Scientists Develop Tomatoes with Enhanced Antioxidant Properties through Genetic Engineering
- Indian Prime Minister Discusses Agri Innovations with IRRI Rice Scientists
- Biotechnology for Farmers Welfare and Poverty Reduction
- Wheat Genome Assembly Now Complete
- Discovery Brings Scientists One Step Closer to Crops with Twice the Yields
-
Research Highlights
- Sarcotoxin IA Gene from Flesh Fly Confers Enhanced Resistance to Citrus Canker in Sweet Orange
- Scientists Use Cre-lox Gene Switch to Limit Bt Gene Expression in Green Tissues of Rice
- Lowered Expressions of BnFAD2 and BnFAE1 Improve Seed Nutritional Quality in Rapeseed
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- Australian OGTR Receives Application for Limited and Controlled Release of GM Buffalo Grass
- Silencing of Midgut-Expressed Genes in Lepidopterans through Ingestion of RNAi Expressing Plants
-
Plant
- Researchers Use Viruses as Delivery Vectors for CRISPR-Cas9
- Development of Low Cadmium Elite Indica Rice Cultivars via CRISPR-Cas9
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (March 26, 2025)
- Gene Editing Supplement (March 26, 2025)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet