CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Targeted Mutagenesis of <i>BnaCOL9</i> Advances the Flowering Time of <i>Brassica napus</i> L.
Rapeseed (<i>Brassica napus</i> L.) is one of the most important oil crops in the world. The planting area and output of rapeseed are affected by the flowering time, which is a critical agronomic feature. <i>COL9</i> controls growth and development in many different plant spe...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/23/14944 |
| Summary: | Rapeseed (<i>Brassica napus</i> L.) is one of the most important oil crops in the world. The planting area and output of rapeseed are affected by the flowering time, which is a critical agronomic feature. <i>COL9</i> controls growth and development in many different plant species as a member of the zinc finger transcription factor family. However, <i>BnaCOL9</i> in rapeseed has not been documented. The aim of this study was to apply CRISPR/Cas9 technology to create an early-flowering germplasm resource to provide useful material for improving the early-maturing breeding of rapeseed. We identified four <i>COL9</i> homologs in rapeseed that were distributed on chromosomes A05, C05, A03, and C03. We successfully created quadruple <i>BnaCOL9</i> mutations in rapeseed using the CRISPR/Cas9 platform. The quadruple mutants of <i>BnaCOL9</i> flowered earlier than the wild-type. On the other hand, the flowering time of the <i>BnaCOL9</i> overexpression lines was delayed. An analysis of the expression patterns revealed that these genes were substantially expressed in the leaves and flowers. A subcellular localization experiment demonstrated that <i>BnaCOL9</i> was in the nucleus. Furthermore, we discovered that two key flowering-related genes, <i>BnaCO</i> and <i>BnaFT</i>, were highly elevated in the <i>BnaCOL9</i> mutants, but dramatically downregulated in the <i>BnaCOL9</i> overexpression lines. Our findings demonstrate that <i>BnaCOL9</i> is a significant flowering inhibitor in rapeseed and may be employed as a crucial gene for early-maturing breeding. |
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| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |