Hao Yu, Xu Bingqun, Zong Wubei, Li Shengting, Du Duoduo, Chen Miaomiao, Xiao Dongdong, Song Yingang, Guo Xiaotong, Li Weitao, Wu Zeqiang, Zhang Kai, Liao Nan, Hu Dan, Liu Yao-Guang, Guo Jingxin
Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Precise Breeding of Future Crops, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
J Integr Plant Biol. 2025 Sep;67(9):2480-2490. doi: 10.1111/jipb.13926. Epub 2025 May 5.
Soil salinization has emerged as a major threat affecting crop yields. Global warming leads to a massive loss of terrestrial water and makes soils saltier. Cultivating salt-tolerant crops is the major strategy adopted for utilizing these salinized soils. Sea Rice 86 (SR86) is one such elite salt-tolerant rice variety derived from ancient indica rice. However, SR86 has multiple wild traits, such as tallness and strong photoperiod sensitivity (PS), which have limited its application in agricultural production. In this study, we edited 13 genes responsible for 10 traits in SR86 to develop an improved SR86M line by using clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 multiplex-genome-editing technology, high-throughput sequencing, crossing, and progeny selection. Subsequent analysis of SR86M detected nine genes with expected mutations, leading to changes in seven traits, including improvements of plant architecture, plant height and PS decreased, grain number, grain length, fragrance, and nitrogen utilization efficiency increased. The improved agronomic traits in SR86M are similar to modern cultivated rice, along with elite salt tolerance like SR86, indicating suitability for potential cultivation. Our results also reveal the efficiency of multiplex-genome-editing in directional improvement of crop varieties.
土壤盐渍化已成为影响作物产量的主要威胁。全球变暖导致陆地水资源大量流失，使土壤盐碱化加剧。种植耐盐作物是利用这些盐碱化土壤所采用的主要策略。海稻86（SR86）就是这样一种源自古老籼稻的优良耐盐水稻品种。然而，SR86具有多种野生性状，如植株高大和光周期敏感性（PS）强，这限制了其在农业生产中的应用。在本研究中，我们利用成簇规律间隔短回文重复序列（CRISPR）/CRISPR相关蛋白9多重基因组编辑技术、高通量测序、杂交和后代选择，对SR86中负责10个性状的13个基因进行编辑，以培育改良的SR86M品系。随后对SR86M的分析检测到9个具有预期突变的基因，导致7个性状发生变化，包括植株形态改善、株高降低、光周期敏感性降低、粒数增加、粒长增加、有香味以及氮利用效率提高。SR86M改良后的农艺性状与现代栽培水稻相似，同时具备SR86那样的优良耐盐性，表明其适合进行潜在种植。我们的结果还揭示了多重基因组编辑在作物品种定向改良中的效率。
