Using gene scissors to specifically eliminate individual cell types
Researchers use CRISPR-Kill to prevent the formation of specific organs
during plant development

Date:
April 4, 2022
Source:
Karlsruher Institut fu"r Technologie (KIT)
Summary:
With the help of the CRISPR/Cas molecular scissors,
genetic information in a plant can be modified to make the
latter more robust to pests, diseases, or extreme climatic
conditions. Researchers have now developed this method further
to eliminate the complete DNA of specific cell types and, thus,
prevent their formation during plant development. This will also
help researchers better understand development mechanisms in plants.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
With the help of the CRISPR/Cas molecular scissors, genetic information
in a plant can be modified to make the latter more robust to pests,
diseases, or extreme climatic conditions. Researchers of Karlsruhe
Institute of Technology (KIT) have now developed this method further
to eliminate the complete DNA of specific cell types and, thus, prevent
their formation during plant development. This will also help scientists
better understand development mechanisms in plants. The findings are
presented in Nature Communications.


==========================================================================
By means of molecular scissors, the DNA -- the carrier of genetic
information - - can be modified in plants. So far, the CRISPR/Cas method co-developed in plants by Professor Holger Puchta, molecular biologist at
KIT's Botanical Institute has already been used to specifically insert, exchange or combine genes. The goal is to increase the plant's resistance
to diseases and environmental impacts. CRISPR (stands for Clustered
Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)/Cas are molecular
scissors that can specifically recognize and cut DNA sequences. "We
have studied molecular scissors for plant use for 30 years now. In the beginning, we applied them to modify individual genes. Two years ago,
we were the first worldwide to restructure complete chromosomes," Puchta
says. For his research, the pioneer of genome editing twice received the Advanced Grant of the European Research Council (ERC). "We were able to optimize this method. With CRISPR-Kill, we have reached now an entirely
new level of development: We can eliminate certain plant cell types and
prevent the formation of specific plant organs." Eliminating Secondary
Roots and Petals with CRISPR-Kill The experiments carried out by the
scientists concentrated on secondary roots and petals of the model
plant thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana). "These are classical examples
in biology. Here, we know the genetic program and the cell types that
are important for the formation of these plant organs," the molecular
biologist explains. After the elimination of these cells, CRISPR-Kill
plants no longer formed any petals or secondary roots, whereas the
control plants exhibited normal growth.

Contrary to other methods that eliminate cells with cytotoxins or laser radiation, CRISPR-Kill induces multiple cuts in the genome. A genome
consists of a certain number of chromosomes, on which the individual genes
are arranged in fixed order. "So far, CRISPR/Cas has aimed for exactly one location and has cut once or twice to modify a gene or chromosome," Puchta says. "Now, we have reprogrammed our molecular scissors. They no longer
address the genomic DNA only once, but aim in the respective cell type for
a sequence that is encountered often in the genome and that is essential
for the survival of the cell. In this way, many cuts are induced at the
same time -- too many for the cell to repair them. The cell will die."
Better Understanding Development Processes in Plants The work of the KIT researchers can be classified as fundamental research. "By studying what happens when a certain cell type is eliminated, we learn more about the development processes in plants. How does the plant react? How flexible
is the plant during development? Can we remove parts of plants that
are not necessary in agriculture, for instance?," Puchta adds. In the
long term, food production and pharmaceutical applications might profit
from this technology when the plant is prevented from forming cells that produce toxins, for instance. Moreover, the technology might be applied
in multi-cellular organisms for the specific modification of tissues.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
Karlsruher_Institut_fu"r_Technologie_(KIT). Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Related Multimedia:
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Researchers_use_CRISPR-Kill_to_prevent_the_model_plant_thale_cress_from
forming_secondary_roots ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Angelina Schindele, Fabienne Gehrke, Carla Schmidt, Sarah Ro"hrig,
Annika
Dorn, Holger Puchta. Using CRISPR-Kill for organ specific cell
elimination by cleavage of tandem repeats. Nature Communications,
2022; 13 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29130-w ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220404105735.htm

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