Enhancing tolerance to Phytophthora spp. in eggplant through DMR6–1 CRISPR/Cas9 knockout

作者：Martina Ferrero, Danila Valentino, A. Milani, Cinzia Comino, Sergio Lanteri, Alberto Acquadro, Andrea Moglia · 发表于：Plant Stress · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1016/j.stress.2024.100691 · 被引用次数：9 · 研究领域：Plant tissue culture and regeneration、Plant Pathogens and Resistance、Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity

• SmDMR6–1 expression is strongly activated after infection by two oomycetes, Phytophthora capsici and Phytophthora infestans . • SmDMR6–1 is involved in the regulation of eggplant responses to biotic stresses. • Knockout of SmDMR6–1 enhances tolerance to P. capsici and P. infestans in eggplant. Agricultural production is affected by the worsening effects of climate change with severe yield losses caused by rising temperatures, water scarcity and consequent modifications in the interactions between crops, pests, and pathogens. The availability of stress-tolerant plants will thus be a key point to guarantee the world food security in the next future. To this purpose, a significant contribution might be provided by the New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), such as CRISPR/Cas9, which allow to insert targeted modifications in the plants’ genomes offering new opportunities for crop improvement. Susceptibility genes encode proteins that pathogens can take advantage of during the colonization process, and their disabling confers a broad-spectrum and long-lasting pathogen tolerance to the plant. Among the S-genes, Downy Mildew Resistance 6 ( DMR6 ) encodes an enzyme involved in Salicylic Acid (SA) degradation, and its inactivation in other Solanaceae species has proven to increase SA levels and confer tolerance to a broad spectrum of pathogens. We identified two orthologs of this gene in eggplant's genome, namely SmDMR6–1 and SmDMR6–2. In the ‘Black Beauty’ cultivar, only SmDMR6–1 expressio...