CRISPR-Cas9 Unlocks TuMV Resistance in Chinese Cabbage

The turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), a potyvirus, has severely threatened Chinese cabbage crops. Existing research suggests that the eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF) genes, such as eIF(iso)4E, play a pivotal role in TuMV resistance in Arabidopsis.

Researchers at Nanjing Agricultural University used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technique on the Chinese cabbage, specifically the Brassica rapa cultivar "Seoul," to develop plants that are TuMV resistant. This was accomplished by inserting the CRISPR-Cas9 constructs into the cabbage, followed by shoot culturing, root formation, and PCR analysis.

Of the plants regenerated, 86.7% showed the desired Cas9 transgenes. One of the three sgRNAs targeting three eIF(iso)4E genes showed significant editing efficiency. Deep sequencing further confirmed high gene editing efficiency in four specific T0-edited plants. In the T1 generation, new indel patterns were observed and were categorized into single, double, and mosaic patterns, and it was confirmed that the eIF(iso)4E-edited mutant plants were resistant to TuMV. When inoculated with TuMV, wild-type plants displayed clear virus symptoms within a week, while the edited plants with high indel frequency showed resistance.

For more details, read the research results in Horticulture Research.