CRISPR-Based Editing of Wheat to Reduce Immunoreactivity

Researchers used CRISPR to edit gluten-encoding genes of wheat to reduce immunoreactivity. The modification did not affect the quality of the grain protein.

Wheat immunotoxicity is linked to an aberrant response to gluten-derived peptides. Breeding and biotechnology were utilized to minimize immunotoxicity, but they affected the dough quality. That's why the researchers decided to try using CRISPR-Cas9 to address this issue.

The team mutated or deleted the ω- and γ-gliadin gene copies that were abundant in immunoreactive peptides. The findings show that the decrease in ω- and γ-gliadin content did not have an adverse effect on the quality characteristics of dough and grain protein.

For more information, read the journal article on Plant Biotechnology Journal.