In a current study, scientists utilized the CRISPR/Cas9 system for gene modifying to customize the ethylene production path in the high-end Japanese melon (Cucumis melo var. The researchers expected that CmACO1 would be an important gene for boosting the conservation of the melon fruit. In this research study, they chose CmACO1 as a target of gene editing and attempted to present mutations in the gene.
Melon fruits 14 days after harvest (kept at 25 ° C). Credit: University of Tsukuba
For that reason, the scientists anticipated that CmACO1 would be an important gene for enhancing the conservation of the melon fruit. In this research study, they chose CmACO1 as a target of gene editing and attempted to present mutations in the gene. The gathered melons showed no foreign genes and the mutations caused were acquired for at least two generations.
In the non-gene-edited line (wild type), ethylene generation was observed in the fruit 14 days postharvest, the skin turned yellow, and the flesh softened. In the genome-edited mutant, ethylene generation was minimized to one-tenth of that in the wild type, with the skin color remaining green and the fruit staying company. This indicates that introducing CmACO1 mutation via gene editing boosted the service life of the melons. The results of this research study show that gene modifying can add to food loss decrease and improve food security.
Recommendation: “Targeted modification of CmACO1 by CRISPR/Cas9 extends the shelf-life of Cucumis melo var. reticulatus melon” by Satoko Nonaka, Maki Ito and Hiroshi Ezura, 25 May 2023, Frontiers in Genome Editing.DOI: 10.3389/ fgeed.2023.1176125.
This work was supported by Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP), “Technologies for Smart Bio-industry and Agriculture” (funding company: Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution) to HE.
Through CRISPR/Cas9 gene modifying, scientists extended the shelf life of a Japanese melon by reducing ethylene production via the CmACO1 gene, an inheritable change that does not introduce foreign genes.
The plant hormone ethylene, in its gaseous state, has actually long been acknowledged for its ability to accelerate fruit ripening and has a noteworthy influence on shelf-life. In a current research study, scientists used the CRISPR/Cas9 system for gene modifying to customize the ethylene production pathway in the high-end Japanese melon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus “Harukei-3”) to increase its shelf-life.
Their findings were just recently published in the journal Frontiers in Genome Editing.
The enzyme 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase (ACO) is related to the final action of the ethylene production pathway and has numerous homologous genes. The research group has previously demonstrated five CmACO genes (homologous genes of ACO) in the melon genome and shown that the CmACO1 gene is mainly revealed in the collected fruit.