A new gene-editing system could make it easier for researchers to introduce precise genetic changes into crops such as tomatoes, soybeans and rapeseed. Developed by researchers in China, SmartPE improves prime editing efficiency in several dicot plants, addressing a major limitation of the technique.
SmartPE通过双pegRNA引入RTT错配并叠加顺式调控元件，使番茄、大豆、油菜多位点编辑效率提升至10%–20%，但大豆稳定转化目前仅获嵌合体，机制与田间适用性仍待验证。
An international study investigating why wild tomatoes are more resistant to the tomato leafminer (Phthorimaea absoluta) than cultivated varieties revealed that the secret lies in the spatial structure of a plant defense molecule. The researchers mapped the biochemical origin of this difference and demonstrated that altering four amino acids in a single enzyme is sufficient to alter the structure of the substance and increase its toxicity against the pest. This finding paves the way for creating resistant tomatoes through gene editing.
研究发现野生番茄的filotomatine因分子手性结构对番茄潜叶蛾毒性更强，改动单个酶四个氨基酸即可复现，但尚未进入田间品种验证。
