Researchers Identify Gene Controlling Growth and Development in Bananas
January 15, 2025| |
A study published in Molecular Breeding shows that MaGA20ox2f regulates flowering time and fruit yield in bananas. MaGA20ox2f is the closest homolog to the SD1, a gene that is known to increase yield in rice, in the banana genome.
Previous studies found that two banana GA20 oxidase2 (MaGA20ox2) genes, Ma04g15900 and Ma08g32850, have vital roles in controlling the growth and development of bananas. However, the biological function of each gene has not been understood and studied. As such, the researchers used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to knock out MaGA20ox2f and examine its effects on bananas.
The study showed that the knockout of MaGA20ox2f resulted in delayed flowering by 58 to 61 days and reduced fruit yield by 81.13% and 76.23% compared to the wild-type counterparts under normal conditions. The researchers hypothesized that reduced chlorophyll contents in the leaves and GA1 deficiency in the fruits are key factors behind their delayed flowering and low yields.
For more information, read the abstract from Molecular Breeding.
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