Gene targeting using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated CRISPR-Cas system in rice

Background

The type II clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/ CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system is a novel molecular tool for site-specific genome modification. The CRISPR-Cas9 system was recently introduced into plants by transient or stable transformation.

Findings

Here, we report gene targeting in rice via the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated CRISPR-Cas9 system. Three 20-nt CRISPR RNAs were designed to pair with diverse sites followed by the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) of the rice herbicide resistance gene BEL. After integrating the single-guide RNA (sgRNA) and Cas9 cassette in a single binary vector, transgenic rice plants harboring sgRNA:Cas9 were generated by A. tumefaciens-mediated stable transformation. By analyzing the targeting site on the genome of corresponding transgenic plants, the mutations were determined. The mutagenesis efficiency was varied from ~2% to ~16%. Furthermore, phenotypic analysis revealed that the biallelic mutated transgenic plant was sensitive to bentazon.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that the agricultural trait could be purposely modified by sgRNA:Cas9-induced gene targeting. CRISPR-Cas9 system could be exploited as a powerful tool for trait improvements in crop breeding.     

簇毛麦3V染色体短臂特异分子标记的开发与应用

普通小麦野生近缘物种簇毛麦(Haynaldia villosa L. 2n=14, VV) 3V染色体短臂（3VS）携带抗小麦条锈病基因。开发高密度的3VS特异标记是准确鉴定和追踪3VS、推进抗病基因转移和利用的重要基础。为了开发更多的均匀分布于3VS染色体臂不同区段的分子标记,本研究利用簇毛麦和小麦品种中国春参考基因组序列与基因注释信息,通过比较3VS与3AS、3BS、3DS同源基因序列内含子序列差异,选择同一内含子长度差异大于10%的区域开发了104个跨越内含子(intron targeting, IT)的分子标记,在簇毛麦、簇毛麦-硬粒小麦双二倍体、硬粒小麦中引1286、中国春、普通小麦-簇毛麦二体异附加系DA1V-DA7V、小麦-簇毛麦T3VS·3DL易位系中进行扩增,筛选出3VS特异、扩增条带清晰且稳定性好的IT分子标记43个。为了验证上述标记的有效性,选择位于3VS不同区段的12个标记对［DS3V(3D)×中国春ph1b］的F₃群体中的148个ph1b纯合的单株进行分析,共筛选得到6种类型涉及3VS的结构变异体。进一步利用GISH/FISH技术对上述材料进行鉴定,结果与分子标记结果相吻合,证明利用外源染色体特异分子标记可有效筛选涉及外源染色体结构变异体。     

多位点基因打靶的定点整合效率研究

利用PCR方法从pEGFP-N1中扩增pCMV-EGFP,从人基因组rDNA基因家族靶基因插入位点两侧分别扩增两条基因打靶同源重组引导序列DS1和DS2,将DS1、DS2片段插入pMD19-pCMV-EGFP中,构建成多位点基因打靶载体pMD19-DS2-pCMV-EGFP-DS1.通过脂质体将其转染至HEK293细胞内.通过荧光检测和PCR、测序等方法,检测和评价定点整合效率.试验结果表明,外源基因EGFP在转染细胞中持续稳定表达,EGFP定点整合率约为4%,不经药物筛选大大提高了整合效率,比传统的基因打靶技术提高了4000多倍,为转基因动物研究建立了高效的定点转基因技术.