Duplicate gene copies were hiding crop stress secrets from scientists
Berman A, Zylberberg I, Mayrose I, Shani E
Crispr
Crops bred to hold up through a drought summer or a late frost in your region depend on scientists first understanding which genes control resilience, and until recently, duplicate 'backup' gene copies were quietly hiding those answers.
Plants often carry multiple identical or near-identical copies of their genes, inherited from ancient whole-genome doublings. When one copy is knocked out in an experiment, a backup copy keeps doing the job, so scientists see no change and can't figure out what the gene does. New editing tools that can knock out several copies at once are finally revealing what these genes control, which gives breeders a clearer map for developing crops that grow better under stress.
Key Findings
Genetic redundancy from duplicated genes is widespread in plant genomes and routinely masks the function of individual genes in traditional experiments.
Multiplex genome editing tools now allow simultaneous disruption of multiple gene-family members, enabling discovery of phenotypes that single-gene knockouts miss.
Combining scalable mutant generation with computational and comparative genomics provides a systematic framework for dissecting redundant gene networks and targeting them in breeding programs.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Many crop plants carry duplicate copies of key genes, which means breaking one copy often has no visible effect because the backup quietly fills in. New tools for editing multiple gene copies at once, and for generating large sets of mutant plants, are finally letting scientists see what these hidden genes actually do, opening faster paths to breeding resilient, high-performing crops.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Navigating genetic redundancy in plant genomes: insights for research and breeding.
Duplicated gene sequences are a prominent and widespread feature of plant genomes, often resulting in genetic redundancy that obscures the functions of individual genes and complicates trait dissec...
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Crop-improvement refers to the systematic enhancement of plant varieties through selective breeding, genetic modification, and biotechnological approaches to develop cultivars with superior agronomic, nutritional, or environmental traits. This field is essential for addressing global food security,
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