Knocking Out OsAAP11 to Improve Rice Grain Quality Using CRISPR/Cas9 System

The demand for rice grain quality, particularly in terms of eating and cooking quality, is increasingly concerning at present. However, the limited availability of rice-quality-related gene resources and time-consuming and inefficient traditional breeding methods have severely hindered the pace of rice grain quality improvement. Exploring novel methods for improving rice grain quality and creating new germplasms is an urgent problem that needs to be addressed. In this study, an amino-acid-transporter-encoding gene OsAAP11 (Os11g0195600) mainly expressed in endosperm was selected as the target for gene editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system in three japonica genetic backgrounds (Wuyungeng30, Nangeng9108, and Yanggeng158, hereafter referred to as WYG30, NG9108, and YG158). We successfully obtained homozygous osaap11 mutants without transgenic insertion. Subsequently, we conducted comprehensive investigations on the agronomic traits, rice grain quality traits, and transcriptomic analysis of these mutants. The results demonstrate that loss of OsAAP11 function led to a reduced amino acid content and total protein content in grains without affecting the agronomic traits of the plants; meanwhile, it significantly increased the peak viscosity, holding viscosity, and final viscosity values during the cooking process, thereby enhancing the eating and cooking quality. This study not only provides valuable genetic resources and fundamental materials for improving rice grain quality but also provides novel technical support for the rapid enhancement of rice grain quality.