Frontiers in Plant Science最新文献

{"title":"Variation analysis and comparison of leaf and fruit traits of triploid hybrid progeny in jujube.","authors":"Jiayuan Xuan, Quanhui Ma, Lixin Ge, Fenfen Yan, Jun Yu, Jiurui Wang, Cuiyun Wu, Mengjun Liu","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1553316","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1553316","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Polyploid hybrid progeny have both ploidy and hybridization effect, and abound in genetic variation of traits, which is an important material for the breeding of excellent new varieties.Ploidy breeding is an important means to improve and cultivate new varieties, which could overcome distant hybridization incompatibility and play a great significance to species evolution and environmental adaptation.Therefore, triploid breeding has a wide range of application value in germplasm innovation and cultivation of excellent new varieties of fruit trees.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In order to reveal the trait characteristics and variation analysis of leaves and fruits of triploid hybrids, the ploidy identifications and SSR analysis were carried out through all progeny, and the leaf, stomata, thorn, fruit quality and other traits were compared and analyzed between the triploid and diploid progeny. The genetic variation of the triploid progeny were further analyzed, which could provide reference for hybrid parents selection, offspring traits prediction, ploidy breeding of jujube.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results indicated that the triploid progeny exhibited significantly higher values for leaf width, straight thorn length, and stomatal length compared to diploid individuals. However, the leaf shape index and stomatal density were significantly lower in triploids than in diploids. Furthermore, a low genetic trend was observed for leaf traits in triploid progeny, while needle prick traits displayed a high genetic trend. In contrast, stomatal width and stomatal density showed moderate to low genetic trends. Significantly, the single fruit weight, single fruit kernel weight and soluble solids content were significantly higher in triploids compared to diploids. However, the kernel index and titratable acid content were significantly lower in triploids than diploids. The genetic trend showed a high inclination towards single fruit weight, fruit length, fruit shape index, kernel transverse diameter and vitamin C content in triploid offspring. The edible rate exhibited a moderate genetic trend, while kernel longitudinal diameter, kernel index, and titratable acid content displayed a low genetic trend.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>First, the occurrence of polypoloid hybrid progeny. Second, triploid hybrid progeny of jujube has typical polypolid traits. Finally, abondance of genetic variations of traits in triploid progeny.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1553316"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11926147/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143691778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel MoClo-mediated intron insertion system facilitates enhanced transgene expression in <i>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</i>.","authors":"Moritz Aschern, Jochem Braad, Alfonsina Milito, David Alzuria, Jae-Seong Yang","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1544873","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1544873","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The <i>Chlamydomonas</i> Modular Cloning (MoClo) toolkit allows for straightforward and flexible construction of genetic modules for gene expression in the microalgal model species, fostering developments in algal biotechnology. Efficiently expressing transgenes from the nuclear genome of <i>C. reinhardtii</i> requires the proper insertion of introns throughout the respective gene, as it can substantially enhance the gene expression. To facilitate synthetic biology approaches in this microalga, we developed a novel strategy for intron insertion into synthetic DNA fragments. Our method aligns with current MoClo standards, and its feasibility is demonstrated by assembling genes of various lengths and successfully expressing them in <i>C. reinhardtii</i>. Examples include enhanced <i>NanoLuc</i> expression with increased intron numbers, a fungal luciferase enabling bioluminescence in <i>C. reinhardtii</i>, and a fungal tryptophan decarboxylase.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1544873"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11925875/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143691857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diversity and composition of soil microbial communities in the rhizospheres of late blight-resistant tomatoes after <i>Phytophthora infestans</i> inoculation.","authors":"Xinyan Zhou, Liyuan Liao, Ken Chen, Yan Yin, Lulu Qiu, Xinni Li, Qingshan Li, Shangdong Yang","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1556928","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1556928","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Late blight caused by the oomycete <i>Phytophthora infestans</i> poses a severe threat to global tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L.) production. While genetic resistance forms the cornerstone of disease control, the mechanisms underlying cultivar-specific resistance, particularly their interactions with rhizosphere microbiomes, remain poorly understood. To elucidate the mechanisms of tomato cultivar resistance to late blight and screen out antagonistic microorganisms against <i>P</i>. <i>infestans</i>, we investigated the microbial compositions in the rhizospheres of tomato cultivars with different late blight-resistance levels under both natural and <i>P. infestans</i>-inoculated conditions. Considerable differences in soil microbial diversity and composition of rhizospheres were found between late blight-resistant and -susceptible tomato cultivars. Under natural conditions, the resistant tomato cultivar exhibited higher bacterial diversity and lower fungal diversity than that of the susceptible cultivar. Additionally, after <i>P. infestans</i> inoculation, both the resistant and susceptible cultivars showed enrichment of microorganisms with potential antagonistic effects in the rhizospheres. Among them, bacterial genera, such as <i>Pseudomonas</i>, <i>Azospirillum</i>, and <i>Acidovorax</i>, and fungal genera, including <i>Phoma</i>, <i>Arthrobotrys</i>, <i>Pseudallescheria</i>, and <i>Pseudolabrys</i>, were enriched in the rhizospheres of the late blight-resistant tomato cultivar. In contrast, bacterial genera, including <i>Flavobacterium</i>, <i>Pseudolabrys</i>, and <i>Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia</i>, and the <i>Trichoderma</i> fungal genus were enriched in the rhizospheres of the late blight-susceptible tomato cultivar. Simultaneously, the enrichment of pathogenic microorganisms, such as <i>Neocosmospora</i> and <i>Plectosphaerella</i>, was also detected in the rhizospheres of the susceptible tomato cultivar. Moreover, no enrichment of pathogenic microorganisms occurred in the late blight-resistant tomato cultivar after <i>P. infestans</i> inoculation. These findings suggest that these traits serve as effective defense mechanisms against pathogen invasion in resistant tomato cultivar. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the rhizosphere microbial community structures in late blight-resistant and -susceptible tomato cultivars under natural conditions and their response following pathogen inoculation. Additionally, potential antagonistic microorganisms against late blight were also identified. The findings offer valuable insights for effective late blight management in tomatoes and contribute to the development of sustainable agricultural practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1556928"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11925920/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143691870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Classification of and detection techniques for RNAi-induced effects in GM plants.","authors":"Cecilia Diaz, Steve U Ayobahan, Samson Simon, Luise Zühl, Andreas Schiermeyer, Elke Eilebrecht, Sebastian Eilebrecht","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1535384","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1535384","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>RNA interference (RNAi) is a biotechnological tool used for gene silencing in plants, with both endogenous and exogenous applications. Endogenous approaches, such as host-induced gene silencing (HIGS), involve genetically modified (GM) plants, while exogenous methods include spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS). The RNAi mechanism hinges on the introduction of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), which is processed into short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that degrade specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs). However, unintended effects on non-target organisms and GM plants are a concern due to sequence homologies or siRNA-induced epigenetic changes. Regulatory bodies such as the EPA and EFSA emphasize the need for comprehensive risk assessments. Detecting unintended effects is complex, often relying on bioinformatic tools and untargeted analyses like transcriptomics and metabolomics, though these methods require extensive genomic data. This review aims to classify mechanisms of RNAi effects induced by short interfering RNA from different sources in plants and to identify technologies that can be used to detect these effects. In addition, practical case studies are summarized and discussed in which previously unintended RNAi effects in genetically modified plants have been investigated. Current literature is limited but suggests RNAi is relatively specific, with few unintended effects observed in GM crops. However, further studies are needed to fully understand and mitigate potential risks, particularly those related to transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) mechanisms, which are less predictable than post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). Particularly the application of untargeted approaches such as small RNA sequencing and transcriptomics is recommended for thorough and comprehensive risk assessments.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1535384"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11925957/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143691866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond salt tolerance: SOS1-13's pivotal role in regulating the immune response to <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> in <i>Solanum phureja</i>.","authors":"Liqin Liang, Xiaona Liu, Liuyan Guo, Liyan Wang, Yuehua Zhao, Yue Wu, Yiqian Chen, Weizhong Liu, Gang Gao","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1553348","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1553348","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong><i>Fusarium oxysporum (FOX)</i> causes severe Fusarium wilt in the potato (<i>Solanum tuberosum</i> group <i>Phureja</i>) annually around the world. As an Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter, SOS1, a member of the salt oversensitive (SOS) signaling pathway plays important role in salt tolerance, but its function in plant disease resistance has been less studied.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The function of the potato <i>SOS1</i> gene (<i>StSOS1-13</i>) responding to the <i>FOX</i> infection was researched by gain- and loss-of-function assays.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>StSOS1-13-overexpressed Arabidopsis differed from WT plants in multiple aspects post-<i>FOX</i> infection. It exhibited less ROS accumulation and cell necrosis in leaves, higher SOD and CAT activities accompanied by reduced MDA content, enhanced root development, increased tolerance to <i>FOX</i> infection, and an accelerated leaf stomatal closure rate along with a reduced stomatal aperture area. Additionally, the ectopic overexpression of <i>StSOS1-13</i> in Arabidopsis induced down-regulation of <i>AtPR12</i>. Conversely, silencing the ortholog gene <i>NbSOS1-13</i> in <i>Nicotiana benthamiana</i> showed more accumulation of ROS, serious cell necrosis, reduced activities of SOD and CAT, significantly increased MDA level, obvious leaf wilting, decreased tolerance to infection, and reduced leaf stomatal closure rate and accelerated stomatal area. Furthermore, the expression of SA and JA response-related genes (<i>NbPR5</i> and <i>NbPR12</i>) was up-regulated in <i>NbSOS1-13</i>-silenced plants.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings suggest that StSOS1-13 may serve as a key hub in the immune response to FOX infection by enhancing the antioxidant defense system, promoting root development to improve water uptake, facilitating leaf stomatal closure to minimize water loss through evaporation, and associating with the SA and JA signaling pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1553348"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11922900/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143669587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling light response of effective quantum efficiency of photosystem II for C₃ and C₄ crops.","authors":"Xiao-Long Yang, Ting An, Zi-Wu-Yin Ye, Hua-Jing Kang, Piotr Robakowski, Zi-Piao Ye, Fu-Biao Wang, Shuang-Xi Zhou","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1478346","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1478346","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Effective quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Φ_PSII) represents the proportion of photons of incident light that are actually used for photochemical processes, which is a key determinant of crop photosynthetic efficiency and productivity. A robust model that can accurately reproduce the nonlinear light response of Φ_PSII (Φ_PSII-<i>I</i>) over the I range from zero to high irradiance levels is lacking. In this study, we tested a Φ_PSII-<i>I</i> model based on the fundamental properties of light absorption and transfer of energy to the reaction centers via photosynthetic pigment molecules. Using a modeling-observation intercomparison approach, the performance of our model versus three widely used empirical Φ_PSII-<i>I</i> models were compared against observations for two C₃ crops (peanut and cotton) and two cultivars of a C₄ crop (sweet sorghum). The results highlighted the significance of our model in (1) its accurate and simultaneous reproduction of light response of both Φ_PSII and the photosynthetic electron transport rate (<i>ETR</i>) over a wide I range from light limited to photoinhibition <i>I</i> levels and (2) accurately returning key parameters defining the light response curves.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1478346"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11922905/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143669594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Amplification-free detection of plant pathogens by improved CRISPR-Cas12a systems: a case study on phytoplasma.","authors":"Joseph R Lagner, Eric A Newberry, Yazmín Rivera, Liyang Zhang, Christopher A Vakulskas, Yiping Qi","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1544513","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1544513","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>CRISPR-based disease detection has the potential to profoundly change how pathogens are detected in plant materials. However, there has been a lack of research directed into improving explicitly the CRISPR components that define these detection assays. To fill this technology gap, we have designed and optimized our CRISPR-Cas12a based detection platform by showcasing its capability of detecting a plant pathogen group of rising importance, <i>Candidatus</i> Phytoplasma. Most assays utilize isothermal pre-amplification steps, which may boost sensitivity yet often lead to false positives. Aiming for a pre-amplification-free assay to maintain accuracy, we screened multiple Cas12a orthologs and variants and found LbCas12a-Ultra to be the most sensitive Cas12a. We further improved the detection system by using stem-loop reporters of various sizes and found 7nt stem-loop significantly outperformed other stem-loop sizes as well as the commonly used linear reporters. When the 7nt stem-loop reporter was combined with the best-performing LbCas12a-Ultra, we found a 10-fold increase in sensitivity over the standard LbCas12a with the linear reporter detection assay. To enhance the coverage of highly diverse phytoplasmas, we tested a multiplex detection method predicted to target nearly 100% of all documented phytoplasma species on NCBI. A lateral flow assay was also developed to accommodate instrument-free detection with the optimized reagents. Our study demonstrates an improved CRISPR-Cas12a detection system that has wide applications for plant pathogen detection and can be easily integrated into almost any other Cas12a-based detection platform for boosted sensitivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1544513"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11924941/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143669632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Arabidopsis MEB3 functions as a vacuolar metal transporter to regulate iron accumulation in roots.","authors":"Kaichiro Endo, Arpan Kumar Basak, Alwine Wilkens, Mohamadreza Mirzaei, Stanislav Kopriva, Kenji Yamada","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1517144","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1517144","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Iron is an essential nutrient for plant photosynthesis and development, but excess iron leads to stress. After absorption from the soil, plants store iron in roots and distribute it to shoots via long-distance transport. The vacuole is involved in iron storage and the maintenance of cellular iron homeostasis, and vacuolar iron transporter (VIT) family proteins have been identified as plant vacuolar iron transporters. However, the contribution of vacuolar iron transporters to overall iron homeostasis in plants is not fully understood. Here, we show that MEMBRANE PROTEIN OF ER BODY 3 (MEB3), a VIT family member, functions as a vacuolar metal transporter for iron distribution in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>. Heterologous expression of Arabidopsis <i>MEB3</i> in yeast vacuolar iron or zinc transporter mutants restored the iron- and zinc-resistance phenotypes of the respective mutants, indicating that MEB3 regulates iron and zinc transport. In Arabidopsis, <i>MEB3</i> was expressed in almost all tissues, albeit to higher levels in roots and seedlings, and MEB3 protein localized to the tonoplast. Iron but not zinc levels were reduced in <i>meb3</i> knockout mutant roots, suggesting that the knockout reduced iron storage capacity in roots. At high iron concentration, <i>meb3</i> mutants accumulated more iron in shoots and less iron in roots than the wild type, indicating impairment of proper iron distribution in <i>meb3</i> mutants. These findings demonstrate that MEB3 is a vacuolar transporter involved in the homeostasis of iron and other metals in plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1517144"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11922923/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143669633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research on the distribution, localization, and morphology of fluorides in the cell walls of tea plant leaves.","authors":"Chunlei Li, Hongmei Xu, Jing Xu, Jinlei Luo, Peizhi Li, Fei Zhao","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1539883","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1539883","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tea plant leaves exhibit fluorine-accumulating properties, and the excessive intake of fluoride (F) via tea consumption may pose health risks to consumers; however, despite the high-F content in tea plant, signs of F toxicity are absent, suggesting the presence of F tolerance mechanisms within tea plant. This study investigated F accumulation in the cell walls and structural composition of cell walls in leaves of two tea plant varieties from tea gardens: <i>Camellia sinensis</i> cv. Nongkangzao, a high-F cultivar, and <i>C. sinensis</i> cv. Pingyang Tezao, a low-F cultivar. The results indicate that cell walls are the primary site of F accumulation in tea leaves, accounting for greater than 80.8% of total F, primarily in a water-soluble form. Furthermore, the F in tea leaf cell walls is predominantly located within pectin polysaccharides. In the leaves of Nongkangzao and Pingyang Tezao, the F in pectin accounted for 83.2% and 89.6% of cell wall F, respectively. The fluoride in the cell wall components shows a significant correlation with the metal elements Al, Ca, Mn, and K. The cell wall modifications show that fluoride is closely associated with the amino and carboxyl groups in pectin. Thus, this study aimed to provide an in-depth analysis of the role of tea plant leaf cell walls in F accumulation. In summary, we hypothesize that F in tea plant may directly bind to the amino and carboxyl groups in pectin, or it may bind together with metal elements at these sites in pectin, thereby being fixed within the cell wall. This prevents fluoride from further entering the cell interior and mitigates its damaging effects on intracellular structures. This may be a key mechanism underlying the F tolerance in tea plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1539883"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11923811/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143669694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unlocking male sterility in horticultural crops through gene editing technology for precision breeding applications: presentation of a case study in tomato.","authors":"Silvia Farinati, Adriana Fernanda Soria Garcia, Samela Draga, Alessandro Vannozzi, Fabio Palumbo, Francesco Scariolo, Giovanni Gabelli, Gianni Barcaccia","doi":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1549136","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fpls.2025.1549136","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant male sterility (MS) refers to the failure of the production of functional anthers, viable pollen grains and/or fertile sperm cells. This feature has great potential in horticultural crops for the exploitation of heterosis through the development of F1 hybrid varieties. MS in plants can occur spontaneously or can be induced artificially by exploiting biotechnological tools, such as the editing of genes involved in spore formation or pollen development. The success of such an approach strongly depends both on preliminary knowledge of the involved genes and on effective procedures for <i>in vitro</i> transfection/regeneration of whole plants. Furthermore, according to previous studies based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology, the efficacy of targeting and the resulting mutation profile are critically influenced by intrinsic factors, such as the CRISPR target primary sequence sites and chromatin signatures, which are often associated with varying levels of chromatin accessibility across different genomic regions. This relationship underscores the complexity of CRISPR-based genome editing and highlights the need to identify a precise suitable target. Our paper reports the results obtained for site-specific <i>in vivo</i> mutagenesis via a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated strategy applied to the <i>MYB80</i> gene, which is a promising target for implementing male sterility in horticultural crops. We highlight the main steps that play a key role in the whole experimental pipeline, which aims at the generation of CRISPR/Cas-edited DNA-free tomato plants. This goal was achieved via protoplast-based technology and by directly delivering a ribonucleoprotein complex consisting of the Cas9 protein and <i>in vitro</i> synthesized single guide RNAs that can target different positions of the gene under investigation. Overall findings and insights are presented and critically discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":12632,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Plant Science","volume":"16 ","pages":"1549136"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11924944/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143669696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}