China edits genes to create disease-resistant wheat

China has revealed the mechanism behind gene-edited wheat varieties that are able to fight disease without affecting yield.

In a study published in the journal Nature on February 10, scientists from the Institute of Developmental Genetics and the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences shared how they used gene-editing technology to Generating mutant wheat varieties resistant to powdery mildew.

Powdery mildew is one of the major wheat diseases. According to China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the epidemic affects about 6.67 million hectares of wheat each year in the country, causing severe yield loss, possibly up to 40%.

Pathogens often infect plants through their susceptibility genes. Mutations in such genes can confer disease resistance in wheat, but they often lead to undesirable effects.

A farmer inspects a wheat field in Anhui province, China on

In 2014, a team from the Institute of Developmental Genetics and the Institute of Microbiology developed a wheat cultivar that is resistant to powdery mildew by editing one of the susceptible genes known as the O(o) mildew resistance locus MLO), but it reduces yields, produces small flowers, and causes plants to age prematurely.

After years of research, they finally discovered an MLO mutant called Tamlo-R32 that can maintain disease resistance with growth and yield similar to that of standard wheat varieties.

Researchers have used precision gene editing to bring the advantages of the Tamlo-R32 mutation into major wheat varieties grown in China and create new varieties that are resistant to powdery mildew. white without loss of yield.

Compared with traditional breeding methods, gene editing can greatly shorten the breeding process, showing impressive application prospects in modern agricultural production, said Qiu Jinlong, one of the lead authors of the study. research, emphasis.