terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 A DNA-free editing approach to help viticulture sustainability: dual editing of DMR6-1 and DMR6-2 enhances resistance to downy mildew 

A DNA-free editing approach to help viticulture sustainability: dual editing of DMR6-1 and DMR6-2 enhances resistance to downy mildew 

Abstract

The sustainability of viticulture hinges on maintaining quality and yield while reducing pesticide use. Promising strides in this direction involve the development of clones with enhanced disease tolerance, particularly through the knockout of plant susceptibility genes. Knocking out of Downy Mildew Resistant 6 (DMR6) led to increased levels of endogenous salicylic acid (SA), a regulator of immunity, resulting in enhanced tolerance to Downy Mildew (DM) and other diseases in various crops.

Mutations in both DMR6-1 and DMR6-2 genes were introduced into two grapevine cultivars using CRISPR-Cas9 using two methods. In the first case, transgene delivery mediated by A. tumefaciens was employed, while in the second case, we developed a ‘single-cell technology’ for gene editing, creating non-transgenic grapevine mutants through the regeneration of protoplasts previously edited with the CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein.

We tested the susceptibility of single and double mutants to DM through artificial inoculation assays on detached leaves and whole plants. Our findings indicate that a simultaneous mutation in both DMR6-1 and DMR6-2 is needed to significantly enhance resistance to DM, with the double mutant (dmr6-1-dmr6-2) outperforming either single mutant in both cultivars. Elevated levels of endogenous SA were only observed in the double mutant, while single mutation in DMR6-1 or DMR6-2 proved ineffective. Collectively, our data highlight the need for a double knockout to achieve appreciable results against DM-susceptibility.

Currenlty, we are adapting the ‘single-cell technology’ to generate edited vines from various agronomically relevant cultivars. In parallel, we are assessing the performance of plants edited in different susceptibility genes.

DOI:

Publication date: June 13, 2024

Issue: Open GPB 2024

Type: Poster

Authors

Lisa Giacomelli1*, Tieme Zeilmaker2, Oscar Giovannini1, Umberto Salvagnin3, Domenico Masuero1, Pietro Franceschi1, Urska Vrohvsek1, Simone Scintilla4, Jeroen Rouppe van der Voort2, Claudio Moser1

1 Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Italy
2 Enza ZadenEnza Zaden Research & Development B.V., Enkhuizen, The Netherlands  
3 C.I.VIT. Consorzio Innovazione Vite, Trento, Italy
4 Hudson River Biotechnology, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Contact the author*

Keywords

DMR6, grapevine, DNA-free, gene editing, downy mildew, susceptibility gene

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Open GPB | Open GPB 2024

Citation

Related articles…

The influence of soil management practices on functional traits and biodiversity of weed communities in Swiss vineyards

Green cover in vine rows provides many ecological services, but can also negatively impact the crop, depending on the weed species. The composition of a vineyard weed community is influenced by many parameters. Ensuring an evolution of the vine row flora into a desired direction is therefore very complex. A key step towards this goal is to know which factors influence the establishment of the weed community and which types of communities are best suited for vineyards. In this study, we analysed the weed communities of several vineyards in the Lake Geneva region (379 botanical surveys on 117 plots), with the aim to highlight the links between soil management practices (chemical and mechanical weeding, mowing, mulching roll) and phytosociological profiles, biodiversity and selected functional traits (growth forms, life strategies, root depth). T

Mapping aromatic profiles of Chardonnay and Sangiovese wines in grafting combination with new rootstocks

Rootstocks play a key role in the adaptation of grapevine to environmental conditions, affecting phenology, vigour, yield and grape quality.

How do we describe wine imagery? Expertise shapes language usage and multimodal imagery for wine

The acquisition of wine expertise is a multi-faceted and multisensory process with implications for sensory perception, attention, memory, and language production. With the prevalence of the predictive model of brain functioning, one area of burgeoning research interest involves wine mental imagery, since the brain relies on imagined experiences to build predictions for the future. Recent evidence has shown that, for instance, those with higher imagery vividness are more susceptible to wine advertising. However, little is known about the association between mental imagery and other associated cognitive processes, such as the ability to produce words that describe such imagery. 

A research agenda for terroir: an empirical, international expert study

Aim: Terroir is a French concept relating the qualities and quality of agricultural products to their physical and socio-cultural place of origin. It is increasingly used by business and policymakers as a marketing technique to provide economic benefits (e.g. Lenglet, 2014; Wine Australia, 2015), and to potentially preserve cultural heritage (e.g. Bauer, 2009) and the environment (e.g. Bowen, 2010)

Agri-photovoltaics: first experience above Riesling vines

Agri-photovoltaics (apv) describes the dual use of an agricultural area for food production and solar power generation. There are already a number of systems in operation around the world with various crops and under a wide range of different set-ups. In large parts, they still allow mechanical cultivation and other positive side effects of an APV system were observed in addition to the increase in utilization in the form of electricity and food: effects on the water balance and passive protection against extreme weather events.