Experts from India Use Gene Editing to Fight Rice Dehydration

A study conducted by researchers from the National Insitute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) National Rice Research Insitute (NRRI), and Regional Centre for Biotechnology in India shows that the overexpression of OsDUF2488 provides improved tolerance to dehydration and oxidative stress in rice. The results are published in Plant Biotechnology Journal.

Dehydration poses a serious threat to plant growth by disrupting key cellular functions, particularly mitochondrial respiration, which is crucial for energy production. Rice, in particular, is highly susceptible to water-deficit stress due to its high water demand and highly permeable cuticles, making consistent irrigation crucial for its survival. As a result, dehydration can significantly reduce rice yields. In this study, researchers employed CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology to investigate the role of the stress-responsive gene OsDUF2488 in enhancing rice tolerance to dehydration.

The study showed that the overexpression of OsDUF2488 resulted in improved dehydration tolerance, while the knockout mutants showed hypersensitivity to dehydration. The researchers found that OsDUF2488 helps rice plants survive dehydration by protecting the mitochondria. If combined with OsPrx1.1, these two could work together to break down harmful molecules caused by stress. The findings of the study present a great opportunity to improve the drought tolerance of rice under dehydration conditions.

For more information, read the article from the Plant Biotechnology Journal.