selectable-markers
Selectable markers are genes introduced into plant cells during genetic transformation that allow researchers to identify and isolate cells that have successfully incorporated foreign DNA, typically by conferring resistance to an antibiotic or herbicide. They are an essential tool in plant biotechnology, enabling the efficient development of transgenic plants by providing a straightforward means to screen out untransformed cells. This technique underpins much of modern plant genetic engineering, from basic research into gene function to the development of improved crop varieties.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-01-01
Researchers discovered that disabling a specific gene in rice called OsLAT5 makes the plant resistant to a common herbicide-like chemical, methylviologen. This finding offers a simpler, more reliable way to identify successfully gene-edited rice plants during crop improvement work.
Loss of the OsLAT5 gene alone (out of three tested candidates) was sufficient to confer methylviologen resistance in rice seeds, seedlings, and tissue cultures.
Three rice gene targets were tested using CRISPR/Cas9 — OsLAT1, OsLAT5, and OsLAT7 — but only OsLAT5 knockouts showed the desired resistance trait.
The lat5 loss-of-function mutation can function as a selectable marker at the seed germination stage, potentially replacing conventional antibiotic or herbicide resistance marker genes that occupy valuable T-DNA space.
