Researchers Use CRISPR-Cas9 to Target Ripening Genes in Tomato
Tomato is a nutritious and economically important crop that depends on shelf life as a marketable quality. The shelf life of tomato is affected by softening, which is important in ripening, flavor development, fruit storage, and transportability of the crop. Softening is dictated by changes in cuticle and cell wall characteristics. To investigate the molecular basis of this trait in tomato, researcher Duoduo Wang from University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom and colleagues used CRISPR-Cas9 to edit genes PL, PG2a, and TBG4, which are all related to fruit ripening in tomato.
