Zhang ShaoBin, Bu Guang, Jin Hao, Zhang Biao
Department of Physical Education, Baoding University of Technology, BaoDing 071000, China.
Department of Physical Education, Baoding University of Technology, BaoDing 071000, China.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Aug;319(Pt 4):145574. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145574. Epub 2025 Jun 26.
Nucleic acid-guided genome editing is transforming plant breeding by enabling precise modification of metabolic pathways to meet evolving food and nutritional needs. In this study, we applied multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9) editing to improve Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato), a climate-resilient staple, for enhanced starch yield and customized digestibility suited for athletic performance nutrition. We targeted four key starch-related genes: AGPase (ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase), GBSSI (granule-bound starch synthase I), SBEII (starch branching enzyme II), and GPT1 (glucose-6-phosphate translocator). Editing efficiency reached 85 to 92 % across multiple genome copies (homeologs), with no detectable off-target effects. The edited lines showed up to a 20 % increase in total starch and a fivefold reduction in amylose, which is the slowly digestible fraction of starch. This resulted in a high-amylopectin profile associated with rapid glucose release. Transcriptome analysis confirmed the metabolic shifts, including increased expression of GPT1 and sucrose synthase and reduced expression of invertase, which supports improved carbon allocation toward starch biosynthesis. In vitro digestibility and glycemic index (GI) assessments confirmed the functional impact of these traits for glycogen replenishment. Yield performance and drought resilience were retained, confirming agronomic viability. This study highlights the potential of CRISPR-based editing to develop climate-smart, nutritionally functional crops for both health-focused applications and global food security.
核酸引导的基因组编辑正在改变植物育种方式，它能够对代谢途径进行精确修饰，以满足不断变化的食物和营养需求。在本研究中，我们应用多重CRISPR/Cas9（成簇规律间隔短回文重复序列和CRISPR相关蛋白9）编辑技术来改良甘薯（Ipomoea batatas），这是一种适应气候的主食作物，旨在提高淀粉产量并定制适合运动营养的消化率。我们靶向了四个与淀粉相关的关键基因：AGPase（ADP-葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶）、GBSSI（颗粒结合淀粉合酶I）、SBEII（淀粉分支酶II）和GPT1（葡萄糖-6-磷酸转运体）。在多个基因组拷贝（同源基因）中，编辑效率达到85%至92%，且未检测到脱靶效应。编辑后的品系总淀粉含量最多增加了20%，直链淀粉减少了五倍，直链淀粉是淀粉中消化缓慢的部分。这导致了与快速葡萄糖释放相关的高支链淀粉特征。转录组分析证实了代谢变化，包括GPT1和蔗糖合酶的表达增加以及转化酶的表达减少，这支持了碳分配向淀粉生物合成的改善。体外消化率和血糖指数（GI）评估证实了这些性状对糖原补充的功能影响。产量表现和抗旱能力得以保留，证实了农艺可行性。本研究突出了基于CRISPR的编辑技术在开发气候智能型、营养功能型作物方面的潜力，这些作物可用于以健康为重点的应用和全球粮食安全。
