Targeted multiplex gene knockouts in Lemna minor using CRISPR/Cas9.
Shojaei Baghini S, Esfahani K, Rad N, Arezoumandi M, Taghipour E
Crispr
PubMedDuckweed — the green film you see floating on ponds — could soon be engineered to grow the proteins used in medicines and food supplements more cheaply and sustainably than current methods allow.
Duckweed is a tiny floating plant that grows incredibly fast and can produce useful proteins, making it a candidate for growing medicines or nutritional supplements. Researchers used a gene-editing tool called CRISPR to switch off two specific genes in duckweed at the same time — a first for this particular species. By removing these genes, scientists can make duckweed produce proteins that are more compatible with the human body, which is crucial for making safe, effective biologics.
Key Findings
The PTG-Cas9 CRISPR system successfully knocked out two glycosyltransferase genes (FucT and XylT) simultaneously in Lemna minor — a first for this duckweed species.
Two fully homozygous edited plant lines (lines 44 and 217) were confirmed, with truncated or absent target proteins verified by western blot analysis.
Four guide RNAs were delivered at once using the plant's own tRNA processing machinery, demonstrating efficient multiplex (multi-gene) editing in a single transformation step.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists successfully used CRISPR gene editing to knock out multiple genes at once in duckweed, a tiny aquatic plant with big potential for producing medicines and proteins. This first-of-its-kind achievement in this species opens the door to engineering duckweed as a cheap, fast-growing biological factory.
Abstract Preview
Lemna minor (commonly known as duckweed) is a fast-growing aquatic plant recognized as a promising green bioreactor for recombinant protein production. Its rapid proliferation, high protein yield, ...
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Lemnoideae is a subfamily of flowering aquatic plants, known as duckweeds, water lentils, or water lenses. They float on or just beneath the surface of still or slow-moving bodies of fresh water and wetlands. Also known as bayroot, they arose from within the arum or aroid family (Araceae), so oft...