Gene-editing used to determine gene functions for wheat grain traits
The allopolyploid genome (e.g. AABBDD) of wheat hinders its genetic improvement through molecular tools. With the development of genome-editing comes opportunities for expanding wheat genetic diversity. Researcher Eduard Akhunov from Kansas State University and colleagues utilize CRISPR-Cas9, together with mutagenesis, to investigate the role of wheat gene TaGW2 in relation to grain traits.
CRISPR-knockout plants for the gene show increased grain size and weight, indicating a negative regulator function for TaGW2…
