Overriding Mendelian inheritance in Arabidopsis with a CRISPR toxin-antidote gene drive that impairs pollen germination
Overriding Mendelian inheritance in Arabidopsis with a CRISPR toxin-antidote gene drive that impairs pollen germination
28101L. Yang, J. Bingke, C. Jackson and Q. Wenfeng, bioRxiv, 2023.10.10.561637. 2023-10-11 07:52:15.
Synthetic gene drives, inspired by natural selfish genetic elements, present transformative potential for disseminating traits that benefit humans throughout wild populations, irrespective of potential fitness costs. Here, we constructed a gene drive system called CRISPR-Assisted Inheritance utilizing NPG1 (CAIN), which employs a toxin-antidote mechanism in the male germline to override Mendelian inheritance in plants. Specifically, a gRNA-Cas9 cassette targets the essential No Pollen Germination 1 (NPG1) gene, serving as the toxin to block pollen germination. A recoded, CRISPR-resistant copy of NPG1 serves as the antidote, providing rescue only in pollen cells that carry the drive. To limit potential consequences of inadvertent release, we used self-pollinating Arabidopsis thaliana as a model. The drive demonstrated a robust 88-99% transmission rate over two successive generations, producing minimal resistance alleles that are unlikely to inhibit drive spread. Our study provides a strong basis for rapid genetic modification or suppression of outcrossing plant populations.
