Establishment of a genome-editing system to create fragrant germplasm in sweet sorghum

Sorghum, the fifth largest global cereal crop, comprises various types, such as grain, sweet, forage, and biomass sorghum, delineated by their designated end uses. Among these, sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) stands out for its unique versatility, exceptional abiotic stress tolerance and large biomass serving the multi-purpose of high-sugar forage, syrup, and biofuel production. Despite its significance, functional genomic research and biotechnological breeding in sweet sorghum are still in nascent stages, necessitating more efficient genetic transformation and genome-editing techniques. This study unveils Gaoliangzhe (GZ), an elite sweet sorghum variety for heightened resistance to salinity and drought. Through the establishment of an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation and CRISPR/Cas9-based genome-editing system in GZ, a breakthrough is achieved. Using genome-editing technology, we first produced a fragrant sweet sorghum line by targeting the BETAINE ALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE 2 (SbBADH2) gene. Our results establish a strong foundation for further functional genomic research and biotechnological breeding of sweet-sorghum varieties.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42994-024-00180-6.