Crop Biotech Update

Gene Editing of Grapes Enhances Aromatic Attributes

January 31, 2024

Scientists gene edited table grapes to produce a muscat flavor in the fruit. This will provide many beneficial properties to the grapes.

Muscat flavor represents distinct aromatic attributes that can be found in certain grape varieties. Grapes with muscat flavor create high levels of monoterpenes, which have antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties.

Researchers from the USDA-Agricultural Research Service used prime editing on Scarlet Royal grapes to modify the VvDXS1 protein, which is the primary cause of making muscat flavor in grapes. The grapevines with mutations had higher monoterpene levels compared to the controlled samples, which shows that the process was a success. The editing efficiency was also greater than 50%, and there were no unintended mutations in the samples.

Read the journal article on Plant Biotechnology for more information.


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