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Updated: May 20, 2025

Author Spotlight: Streamlining Rice Breeding with CRISPR/Cas for Obtaining Optimal Phenotypic and Agronomic Traits
Published on: January 3, 2025
The Pentatricopeptide Repeat Protein OsPPR674 Regulates Rice Growth and Drought Sensitivity by Modulating RNA Editing
Jinglei Li1,2, Longhui Zhang2, Chenyang Li2
1Longping Branch, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha 410125, China.
Abstract:
The P-type pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins are crucial for RNA editing and post-transcriptional regulation in plant organelles, particularly mitochondria. This study investigates the role of OsPPR674 in rice, focusing on its function in mitochondrial RNA editing. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated ppr674 mutant and examined its phenotypic and molecular characteristics. The results indicate that ppr674 exhibits reduced plant height, decreased seed-setting rate, and poor drought tolerance. Further analysis revealed that in the ppr674 mutant, RNA editing at the 299th nucleotide position of the mitochondrial ccmC gene (C-to-U conversion) was abolished. REMSAs showed that GST-PPR674 specifically binds to RNA probes targeting this ccmC-299 site, confirming its role in this editing process. In summary, these results suggest that OsPPR674 plays a pivotal role in mitochondrial RNA editing, emphasizing the significance of PPR proteins in organelle function and plant development.
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