CRISPR/Cas9 edited of offers ABA and osmotic stress insensitivity by modulation of ROS homeostasis.

The role of Heat Shock Transcription Factor 6 ( & ) in response to abiotic stresses such as ABA, drought, salinity, drought, and osmotic stress is individually well established. Unfortunately, the functional redundancy between the and as well as the consequences of simultaneous editing of both in response to aforementioned stresses remains elusive. Therefore, this study was designed with the aim of addressing whether there is any functional redundancy between and as well as to decipher their role in abiotic stresses tolerance in , by using the CRISPR-Cas9. We have generated the single () as well as double mutants ( and ) of and with higher frequencies of deletion, insertion, and substitution. The phenotypic characterization of generated double and single mutants under abiotic stresses such as ABA, mannitol, and NaCl identified double mutants more tolerant to subjected abiotic stresses than those of their single mutants. It warrants mentioning that we have identified that and also involved in other major ABA responses, including ABA-inhibited seed germination, stomatal movement, and water loss. In addition to the above, the simultaneous editing of and lead to a reduced ROS accumulation, accompanied by increased expression of much abiotic stress and ABA-responsive genes, including involved in regulation of ROS level. In conclusion, these results suggest that and may offer abiotic stress tolerance by regulating the ROS homeostasis in plants.