Browsing by Author "Dijkerman, Alexander"
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- ItemGenome editing in bread wheat using CRISPR/Cas9(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-04) Dijkerman, Alexander; Burger, Johan; Campa, Manuela; Botes, Willem; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Genetics. Institute for Plant Biotechnology.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is one of the most important food crops consumed by humans, providing approximately 20% of the world’s total caloric intake. However, wheat yields must be increased to supply the growing demand of an increasing global population. Traditional breeding techniques will not be sufficient to confront this challenge and improved genetic engineering and molecular-based techniques will be a necessity. The CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associated) technology has emerged as a promising genetic engineering tool for the purposes of plant breeding. The CRISPR/Cas9 system has recently been developed as a DNA-free genome editing technique allowing for a precise and efficient method to genetically improve bread wheat while mitigating regulatory concerns. This study, therefore, aimed to establish CRISPR/Cas9 system in bread wheat and investigate the feasibility of this system in a DNA-free format. To achieve this, ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) were assembled by complexing single guide RNA (sgRNA) sequences targeting regions of a gene involved in the carotenoid pathway to the Cas9 protein. The RNPs were subsequently introduced to immature embryos through biolistic bombardment. Immature embryos were assessed to confirm successful editing of the target genes. No editing was detected in the experimental target. Evidence is provided for successful editing in embryos bombarded with RNPs mediated by a previously validated sgRNA. To establish an efficient method of achieving CRISPR/Cas9 edited wheat plants, a multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 DNA construct was assembled and introduced into wheat tissues through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and particle bombardment. No edits were detected in plantlets that were regenerated on selective media from embryos transformed with Agrobacterium carrying the CRISPR/Cas9 construct. However, indels were detected in pre-initiated calli bombarded with the multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 DNA construct when analysed with the ICE v2 online software. Furthermore, various wheat transformation and regeneration protocols are assessed. Overall, the results provide insights into methods to deliver CRISPR/Cas9 components into bread wheat explant tissue for genome editing. A rapid and accessible method of screening for edits in pooled samples through PCR/RE assays followed by ICE v2 software analyses is demonstrated. Further, a vector delivery method that could circumvent challenging tissue culture procedures through the bombardment of mature embryos is explored. Possible optimisations of CRISPR/Cas delivery systems and experimental design are highlighted for future studies.