CRISPR Promotes Maturation in Soybeans

A study published in Oil Crop Science showed that knocking out the E4 gene through CRISPR-Cas9 technology promoted maturation in soybeans. Their study showed no potential off-target sites were detected.

Soybean is a crop known for its protein and oil-rich content. However, as a short-day crop, longer days severely affect the growth and production of soybeans. Researchers have successfully utilized gene editing technologies to regulate time and enhance certain genetic traits of soybean varieties.

Hence, Chinese researchers knocked out the endogenous soybean gene E4 through gene editing and utilized Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation to insert the corresponding sgRNA-Cas9 vectors into the soybean variety called “Jack”. The comparative analysis showed early maturity time under short-day and long-day conditions compared to the wild-type crops. The findings of the study offer significant insights into developing soybean varieties adaptable to high-latitude regions.

For more information, read the article from Oil Crop Science.