Knock out of two splice variants of MYB 40 using the gene-editing technique CRISPR/Cas9

doi:10.11686/cyxb2018099

Abstract

Abstract: MYB transcription factors play important roles in various abiotic stress signaling pathways. In a previous study, we found that ZxMYB315 from Zygophyllum xanthoxylum is involved in plant responses to salt and drought stresses. In addition, the ortholog of ZxMYB315 in Arabidopsis, MYB40, has two splice variants, MYB40.1 and MYB40.2. Expression levels of both MYB40.1 and MYB40.2 are affected by salt treatment. However, the functions of these changes in response to abiotic stress are still unclear. In this study, we further analyzed the expression patterns of MYB40.1 and MYB40.2 under salt treatment. In particular, two heterozygous mutations for MYB40.1 and three heterozygous mutations for both MYB40.1 and MYB40.2 were generated using the gene-editing technique CRISPR/Cas9. These mutants now provide a foundation for studying functions and molecular mechanisms of MYB40 in various abiotic stress signaling pathways.

Key words: transcription factor, MYB40.1, MYB40.2, abiotic stress tolerance, CRISPR/Cas9

LI Meng-zhan, YIN Hong-ju, LI Ding-ding, LIU Ya-qi, WANG Suo-min. Knock out of two splice variants of MYB 40 using the gene-editing technique CRISPR/Cas9[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2019, 28(1): 120-127.

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