Generation of male-sterile soybean lines with the CRISPR/Cas9 system

• Published in: The Crop journal Vol. 9; no. 6; pp. 1270 - 1277
• Main Authors: Chen, Xiao, Yang, Suxin, Zhang, Yaohua, Zhu, Xiaobin, Yang, Xinjing, Zhang, Chunbao, Li, Haiyan, Feng, Xianzhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-12-2021; KeAi Communications Co., Ltd
• Subjects: CRISPR/Cas9; Gmams; Male sterility; Soybean; Tapetum; Tapetum; Male sterility; Gmams; Soybean; CRISPR/Cas9
• ISSN: 2214-5141; 2214-5141
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cj.2021.05.003

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] provides a rich source of plant protein and oil worldwide. The commercial use of transgenic technology in soybean has become a classical example of the application of biotechnology to crop improvement. Although genetically modified soybeans have achieved commercial success, hybrid soybean breeding is also a potential way to increase soybean yield. Soybean cytoplasmic male-sterile (CMS) lines have been used in three-line hybrid breeding systems, but their application to exploiting soybean heterosis has been limited by rare germplasm resource of sterile lines. The generation of various genetic diversity male-sterile soybean lines will help to overcome the shortcoming. In this study, we used targeted editing of AMS homologs in soybean by CRISPR/Cas9 technology for the first time to generate stable male-sterile lines. Targeted editing of GmAMS1 resulted in a male-sterile phenotype, while editing of GmAMS2 failed to produce male-sterile lines. GmAMS1 functions not only in the formation of the pollen wall but also in the controlling the degradation of the soybean tapetum. CRISPR/Cas9 technology could be used to rapidly produce stable male-sterile lines, providing new sterile-line materials for soybean hybrid breeding systems.