Gene Editing Generates Cabbage with Broad-Spectrum Disease Resistance

A study published in the Journal of Integrative Plant Biology generated novel BPM6 and DMR6 mutants of wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea) with broad-spectrum disease resistance using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. The findings of the study highlight the potential of gene editing as a powerful tool for disease resistance breeding to improve crop resilience and ensure sustainable agricultural production.

Global cole crop production faces major threats from diseases, such as Fusarium wilt, black rot, and clubroot, which have significant effects on crop yields. In this study, the researchers identified BPM6, a gene induced by Fusarium wilt and black rot in B. oleracea, and DMR6 as the target genes for this research.

The researchers successfully knocked out BoBPM6 and BoDMR6 using an optimized CRISPR-Cas9 system, achieving average transformation efficiencies of 5.5% and 8.2% and editing efficiencies of 62.0% and 62.5%, respectively. The results of the study showed that mutant plants showed significantly lower disease indices against Fusarium wilt, black rot, and clubroot infection.

For more information, read the study from the Journal of Integrative Plant Biology.