Identification and characterization of off-targets and structural variations in maize events

• Grant number: 23/10920-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Plant Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Arruda
• Grantee: Maria Helena Faustinoni Bruno
• Host Institution: Centro de Biologia Molecular e Engenharia Genética (CBMEG). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The CRISPR/Cas technology enabled the editing of genomes and has already been used for the purpose of genetic improvement in several crops of agricultural interest. However, events generated through technology may present on-target and off-target mutations and even structural alterations. Genetic alterations can alter the expression profile of an organism, so it becomes essential to understand what these variations in the genome caused by gene editing can cause in the expression profile of genes and to understand the occurrence of such events. Maize is one of the most cultivated plants in the world and has great economic importance mainly in human and animal food. With constant climate change, severe drought events are becoming more frequent and it is necessary to develop cultivars that respond more efficiently to these conditions. Previous studies have reported the role of the Oxysterol-binding protein-related protein (ORP) gene as a candidate in drought tolerance. In maize, this same gene was identified as associated with drought tolerance in GWAS studies carried out by our group (data not yet published), evidencing the importance of this gene in the response to water stress. The main objective of this present work is to characterize structural variations and off-target regions of maize events generated by CRISPR/Cas, using the ORP gene as a target and to carry out the functional characterization of this gene and its contribution in the response to water stress.