First Successful Targeted Mutagenesis Using CRISPR/Cas9 in Stably Transformed Grain Amaranth Tissue.
Vollmer SK, Stetter MG, Hensel G
Crispr
Grain amaranth has fed people through droughts and poor soils for thousands of years, and this breakthrough means breeders can now precisely tune its traits — faster-growing varieties, higher protein, or better stress tolerance — without decades of traditional crossbreeding.
Amaranth is an ancient grain packed with protein and naturally tough enough to survive heat and drought — but until now, scientists had no reliable way to make precise genetic tweaks to it. This study cracked that problem by successfully using a molecular 'scissors' tool to snip specific genes in amaranth cells, with edits taking hold in nearly half of all attempts. That success rate means researchers can now start systematically improving amaranth the way they've long been able to improve crops like corn or wheat.
Key Findings
CRISPR/Cas9 editing succeeded in up to 49% of transformed amaranth calli (tissue clusters), the first reported stable genome editing in this species.
Edits targeted genes in the betalain biosynthesis pathway — the same pathway responsible for amaranth's vivid red and yellow pigments — confirming precise, targeted mutagenesis.
The study used the CasCADE modular cloning system, establishing a reusable, species-optimised toolkit that other researchers can now build on for amaranth and related orphan crops.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists have for the first time successfully used CRISPR gene editing in grain amaranth, a highly nutritious ancient crop. They achieved targeted genetic changes in up to 49% of edited plant tissue, opening the door to breeding improved varieties of this underutilized but climate-resilient grain.
Abstract Preview
Grain amaranth is a nutritionally rich, stress-tolerant C4 dicot with considerable potential for climate-resilient agriculture; however, efficient and reproducible protocols for stable transformati...
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Species belonging to the genus Amaranthus have been cultivated for their grains for 8,000 years. Amaranth plants are classified as pseudocereals that are grown for their edible starchy seeds, but they are not in the same botanical family as true cereals, such as wheat and rice. Amaranth species t...