Biotech Updates

Knock-out of OsAnn3 Decreases Cold Tolerance in Rice

December 20, 2017

Plant annexins are calcium ion-dependent proteins and exist as multigene families in plants. They are involved in the regulation of plant development as well as protection from environmental stresses.

Chunxiu Shen of Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center in China aimed to study the rice annexin gene OsAnn3 and its role in cold tolerance of rice (Oryza sativa). The team knocked-out the annexin gene via the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technique. Mutant plantlets were then successfully obtained. The T1 mutant lines were then screened for cold tolerance phenotypes using the 4∼6°C for 3 days cold treatment.

The results showed that the survival ratio of T1 mutant lines was decreased dramatically compared with the wild type under cold treatment. These results suggest that the OsAnn3 gene is involved in cold tolerance in rice.

For information, read the article in Journal of Plant Biology.