Generating RNA Virus Resistance in Plants by Harnessing the CRISPR Immune System
January 17, 2018| |
The CRISPR-Cas system has been used to develop plants with resistance to DNA virus infections. However, there is no RNA virus control method in plants that uses CRISPR-Cas system to target the viral genome directly.
The team of Tong Zhang from South China Agricultural University reprogrammed the CRISPR-Cas9 system from Francisella novicida to confer molecular immunity against RNA viruses in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) and Arabidopsis plants.
Plants expressing FnCas9 and the sgRNA specific for the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) or tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) exhibited significantly less virus infection symptoms and reduced viral RNA accumulation. Furthermore, in the transgenic virus-targeting plants, the resistance was inheritable and the progenies showed significantly less virus accumulation.
These data reveal that the CRISPR-Cas9 system can be used to produce a plant with stable resistance to RNA viruses, broadening the use of this technology for virus control in agricultural field.
For more on this study, read the article in Plant Biotechnology Journal.
| |
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
- Prices of Food Decline in December 2017
- Northern Corn Leaf Blight Genes Now Identified
- US President Donald Trump Mentions Biotechnology at AFBF Convention
- NRGene Reports First-ever Food Potato Genomes
- SABC and ISCI Release "Cotton Bollworm Management Strategy" for India
- Space Age Plant Breeding Paves the Way for Future Crops
- Study Reveals How Climate Change Alters Plant Growth
-
Research Highlights
- Vietnamese Researchers Analyze Function of Arabidopsis ERF8 Expressed in E. coli
- Biofortification of Beta-carotene in Cassava Enhances Provitamin A Content and Shelf Life
- Generating RNA Virus Resistance in Plants by Harnessing the CRISPR Immune System
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- Wearable Sensors to Measure Water Use in Plants
- Indigo Dye from Genetically Engineered Bacteria
-
Resources
- Trending News on Crop Biotech in 2017
-
Plant
- Development of Glutinous Rice via CRISPR-Cas9 Mutagenesis in Elite Rice Variety
- Researchers Study the Function of FRUCTOKINASE-LIKE PROTEIN 1 in Rice Using 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