CRISPR Increases Seed Protein Levels in Rice and Soybean

A study published in New Phytologist shows the effects of overexpression of OsNF-YC4 and GmNF-YC4 in leaf and seed protein content in rice and soybean while reducing starch accumulation. The results of the study provide significant insights into improving the nutritional value of these foods and help address deficiencies in protein intake among people who heavily rely on starchy diets.

CRISPR is one of the most widely used gene editing tools that offers a highly efficient method of gene editing. The authors said that SDN-1 products generally receive higher public acceptance and fewer regulatory barriers worldwide. In this study, the researchers aimed to use an SDN-1 approach with the CRISPR-Cas9 system to boost the expression of target genes and develop transgene-free crops with enhanced traits.

The study found that editing the NF-YC4 promoter resulted in decreased repressor binding and increased NF-YC4 expression, leading to elevated protein and reduced carbohydrate levels in rice and soybean plants. The seed protein content in edited plants was increased by 11-17% in rice and 6-11% in soybean. The authors suggest that future studies can explore the applicability of this approach in modifying other cis-elements to achieve desired gene expression changes.

For more information, read the article from New Phytologist.