Gene Editing Boosts Resistance of Kiwifruit Against Canker Disease

A study published in Plant, Cell & Environment revealed that NbPTR1a confers resistance against Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae biovar 3 (Psa3) infection in kiwifruit. The findings of the study provide valuable insights into the development of Psa3-resistant kiwifruit through gene editing techniques.

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is a bacterial pathogen that causes canker disease, a highly destructive disease affecting kiwifruit plants. Psa infection exhibits various symptoms in kiwifruit, such as dark spots on the leaves, trunk/cane bleeding, and damage to flowers and fruits, which can lead to premature withering and fruit lesions. Hence, the researchers evaluated the impact of overexpressing the NbPTR1a gene in improving the plant's resistance to Psa3.

The study found that transgenic plants expressing NbPTR1a showed moderate to high survival rates and resistance to Psa3, compared to plants expressing AtRPM1. Plants expressing NbPTR1a conferred resistance to Psa3 in both immature tissue culture and mature glasshouse-grown plants. Furthermore, the researchers found no difference in the growth of NbPTR1a transgenic plants and wild-type Hort16A plants.

For more information, read the journal article in Plant, Cell & Environment.