Efficient allelic replacement in rice by gene editing: A case study of the NRT1.1B gene

Precise replacement of an existing allele in commercial cultivars with an elite allele is a major goal in crop breeding. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the NRT1.1B gene between japonica and indica rice is responsible for the improved nitrogen use efficiency in indica rice. Herein, we precisely replaced the japonica NRT1.1B allele with the indica allele, in just one generation, using CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology. No additional selective pressure was needed to enrich the precise replacement events. This work demonstrates the feasibility of replacing any genes with elite alleles within one generation, greatly expanding our ability to improve agriculturally important traits.