Development of Low Cadmium Elite Indica Rice Cultivars via CRISPR-Cas9
November 15, 2017| |
Rice grain with excessive cadmium (Cd) is a serious threat to health for people who consume rice as a staple food. However, the development of elite rice cultivars with consistently low Cd content is challenging for conventional breeding approaches. Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center researchers reported the development of new indica rice lines with low Cd accumulation and no transgenes. The team knocked-out the metal transporter gene OsNramp5 using the CRISPR-Cas9 system.
Analysis of the new indica lines showed that Cd concentrations in shoots and roots of the developed mutants were greatly decreased. Furthermore, Cd-contaminated paddy field trials also showed that Cd concentration in the grains of the CRISPR-developed lines was consistently less than 0.05 mg/kg. The plant yield was also not significantly affected in the developed mutants.
This study presents a practical approach to developing low cadmium indica rice cultivars that minimizes contamination risk in grains.
For more information, read the article in Scientific Reports.
| |
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 (October 9, 2024)
- Gene Editing Supplement (September 26, 2024)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet