Editing of ORF138 restores fertility of Ogura cytoplasmic male sterile broccoli via mitoTALENs.

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), encoded by the mitochondrial open reading frames (ORFs), has long been used to economically produce crop hybrids. However, the utilization of CMS also hinders the exploitation of sterility and fertility variation in the absence of a restorer line, which in turn narrows the genetic background and reduces biodiversity. Here, we used a mitochondrial targeted transcription activator-like effector nuclease (mitoTALENs) to knock out ORF138 from the Ogura CMS broccoli hybrid.

Epistatic interactions among multiple copies of genes with naturally occurring insertions correlate with flowering time variation in radish.

Brassicaceae crops, which underwent whole-genome triplication during their evolution, have multiple copies of flowering-related genes. Interactions among multiple gene copies may be involved in flowering time regulation; however, this mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, we performed comprehensive, high-throughput RNA sequencing analysis to identify candidate genes involved in the extremely late-bolting (LB) trait in radish.

Oxicam-type nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs enhance -mediated transient transformation in plants.

-mediated transformation is a key innovation for plant breeding, and routinely used in basic researches and applied biology. However, the transformation efficiency is often the limiting factor of this technique. In this study, we discovered that oxicam-type nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including tenoxicam (TNX), increase the efficiency of -mediated transient transformation.

Curing cytoplasmic male sterility via TALEN-mediated mitochondrial genome editing.

Sequence-specific nucleases are commonly used to modify the nuclear genome of plants. However, targeted modification of the mitochondrial genome of land plants has not yet been achieved. In plants, a type of male sterility called cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) has been attributed to certain mitochondrial genes, but none of these genes has been validated by direct mitochondrial gene-targeted modification.

The mitochondrial genome of an asymmetrically cell-fused rapeseed, Brassica napus, containing a radish-derived cytoplasmic male sterility-associated gene.

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is an agronomically important trait whose causative genes are located in the mitochondrial genome. A CMS rapeseed, Brassica napus 'SW18', was made 25 years ago by an asymmetric (or "donor-recipient") cell fusion between B. napus 'Westar' and a CMS radish (Raphanus sativus 'Kosena'), in order to transfer the radish CMS-associated gene without disturbing the rapeseed features.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing of the fatty acid desaturase 2 gene in Brassica napus.

The CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9-mediated genome editing system has been widely applied as a powerful tool for modifying preferable endogenous genes. This system is highly expected to be further applied for the breeding of various agronomically important plant species. Here we report the modification of a fatty acid desaturase 2 gene (FAD2), which encodes an enzyme that catalyzes the desaturation of oleic acid, in Brassica napus cv.

The Restorer-of-fertility-like 2 pentatricopeptide repeat protein and RNase P are required for the processing of mitochondrial orf291 RNA in Arabidopsis.

Eukaryotes harbor mitochondria obtained via ancient symbiosis events. The successful evolution of energy production in mitochondria has been dependent on the control of mitochondrial gene expression by the nucleus. In flowering plants, the nuclear-encoded pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) superfamily proteins are widely involved in mitochondrial RNA metabolism.

The BME3 (Blue Micropylar End 3) GATA zinc finger transcription factor is a positive regulator of Arabidopsis seed germination.

In many plant species, seed dormancy is broken by cold stratification, a pre-chilling treatment of fully imbibed seeds. Although the ecological importance of seed response to cold temperature is well appreciated, the mechanisms underlying the physiological changes during cold stratification is unknown. Here we show that the GATA zinc finger protein expressed in Arabidopsis seeds during cold stratification plays a critical role in germination.

Large-scale screening of Arabidopsis enhancer-trap lines for seed germination-associated genes.

Enhancer trap is a powerful approach for identifying tissue- and stage-specific gene expression in plants and animals. For Arabidopsis research, beta-glucuronidase (GUS) enhancer-trap lines have been created and successfully used to identify tissue-specific gene expression in many plant organs. However, limited applications of these lines for seed germination research have been reported.

Genetic characterization of a pentatricopeptide repeat protein gene, orf687, that restores fertility in the cytoplasmic male-sterile Kosena radish.

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in plants is a maternally inherited inability to produce functional pollen, and is often associated with mitochondrial DNA abnormalities. Specific nuclear loci that suppress CMS, termed as restorers of fertility (Rf), have been identified. Previously, we identified an Rf for the CMS Kosena radish and used genetic analysis to identify the locus and create a contig covering the critical interval.