Establishment of genome editing technology in a tropical crop, cassava, that feeds 1 billion people worldwide

• Project/Area Number: 16K14832
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Science in genetics and breeding
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Seki Motoaki 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 環境資源科学研究センター, チームリーダー (80281624)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
• Keywords: キャッサバ / ゲノム編集 / 澱粉枝作り酵素 / CRISPR/Cas9 / CRISPR/Cas9システム / 澱粉

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Cassava is a tropical starch crop that plays an important role in food security and improving the livelihood of poor farmers in the world's 1 billion people. In this study, we have targeted the starch branching enzyme gene by the introduction of the CRISPR/Cas9 system for establishing the basis of genome editing technology in cassava. A correlation between the genome editing pattern and the activity of the starch branching enzyme was observed in the plants produced by genome editing, showing the successful genome editing in the starch branching enzyme gene of cassava. In the future, the development of basic and applied research in cassava is expected by the use of the genome editing technology.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

キャッサバは世界の10億人の、食糧安全保障上そして貧農の生活改善上重要な役割を果たしている熱帯のデンプン資源作物である。本研究では、CRISPR/Cas9システム（DNA二本鎖を切断してゲノム配列の任意の場所を削除、置換、挿入することができる画期的な新しい遺伝子改変技術）をキャッサバに導入し澱粉枝作り酵素遺伝子に対象を絞って研究を進め、キャッサバにおける植物ゲノム編集システムの基盤を確立した。今後、キャッサバにおいてゲノム編集技術の活用により基礎研究および応用研究の発展が期待される。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Cassava breeding and agronomy in Asia: 50 years of history and future directions (2020)
  • Author(s): Malik A.I, Kongsil P, Nguyen VA, Ou W, Sholihin, Srean P, Sheela MN, Lopez-Lavalle LAB, Utsumi Y, Lu C, Kittipadakul P, Nguyen HH, Ceballos H, Nguyen TH, Gomez MS, Aiemnaka P, Labarta R, Chen S, Amawan S, Sok S, Youabee L, Seki M, Tokunaga H, Wang W, Li K, Nguyen HA, Nguyen VD, Ham LH and Ishitani M
  • Journal Title: Breeding Science Volume: 70 Issue: 2 Pages: 145-166
  • DOI: 10.1270/jsbbs.18180
  • NAID: 130007833813
  • ISSN: 1344-7610, 1347-3735
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Advancement of Asian Cassava Molecular Breeding towards SDGs. (2018)
  • Author(s): Seki M, Tokunaga H, Utsumi C, Okamoto Y, Moriya E, Vu TA, Sakamoto A, Takei Y, Sakurai T, Endo M, Mikami M, Toki S, Tsuji H, Narangajavana J, Triwitayakorn K, Sojikul P, Nguyen AH, Do QTN, Nguyen DV, Nguyen VA, Le HH, Pham NT, Nguyen HH, Touch B, Srean P, Wongtiem P, Ishitani M and Utsumi Y
  • Journal Title: Proceedings of the 18th Science Council of Asia (SCA) Conference "Role of Science for Society: Strategies towards SDGs in Asia", Dec. 5-7, 2018, Tokyo, Japan Volume: Theme 10 Pages: 6-6
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Formation of Friable Embryogenic Callus in Cassava is Enhanced under Conditions of Reduced Nitrate, Potassium and Phosphate (2017)
  • Author(s): Utsumi, Y., Utsumi, C., Tanaka, M., Ha, T.V., Matsui, A., Takahashi, S. and Seki, M.
  • Journal Title: PLoS ONE Volume: 12 Issue: 8 Pages: e0180736-e0180736
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180736
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] 東南アジア諸国との連携による澱粉作物キャッサバの分子育種 (2017)
  • Author(s): 内海好規, 徳永浩樹, 内海稚佳子, 櫻井哲也，Dong Van Nguyen, Vu Anh Nguyen, Jarunya Narangajavana, Ham Huy Le, 石谷学, 関原明
  • Journal Title: 応用糖質科学 Volume: 7 Pages: 143-146
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] The histone deacetylase inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid alleviates salinity stress in cassava. (2017)
  • Author(s): Patanun, O., Ueda, M., Itouga, M., Kato, Y., Utsumi, Y., Matsui, A., Tanaka, M., Utsumi, C., Sakakibara, H., Yoshida, M., Narangajavana, J., and Seki, M.
  • Journal Title: Front. Plant Sci. Volume: 7 Pages: 2039-2039
  • DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.02039
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] Advancement of Asian Cassava Molecular Breeding (2019)
  • Author(s): Seki, M. and Utsumi, Y.
  • Organizer: COSMIC Workshop “Physiology meets structure - Integrative models for assimilate transport”
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Advancement of Asian Cassava Molecular Breeding by the use of genome editing technologies towards SDGs (2019)
  • Author(s): Utsumi, Y., Tokunaga, H., Utsumi, C., Endo, M., Saika, H., Toki, S., Ishitani, M., Tsuji, H. and Seki, M.
  • Organizer: Inter-project Joint Open Seminar - New prospect of agriculture and bioindustry using genome editing technology -
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Advancement of Asian Cassava Molecular Breeding towards SDGs. (2018)
  • Author(s): Seki M, Tokunaga H, Utsumi C, Okamoto Y, Moriya E, Vu TA, Sakamoto A, Takei Y, Sakurai T, Endo M, Mikami M, Toki S, Tsuji H, Narangajavana J, Triwitayakorn K, Sojikul P, Nguyen AH, Do QTN, Nguyen DV, Nguyen VA, Le HH, Pham NT, Nguyen HH, Touch B, Srean P, Wongtiem P, Ishitani M and Utsumi Y
  • Organizer: The 18th Science Council of Asia (SCA) Conference “Role of Science for Society: Strategies towards SDGs in Asia"
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Overview of RIKEN Cassava Project and Application of Genome Editing Technology to Cassava Research (2017)
  • Author(s): Seki, M.
  • Organizer: The International Symposium on “Current Advances of Genome Editing Technology and its Application in Crop Improvement”
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] 東南アジア諸国との連携による澱粉作物キャッサバの分子育種 (2016)
  • Author(s): 内海好規,内海稚佳子, 武井良郎, 平野智也, 阿部知子, 石谷学, 櫻井哲也, Dong Van Nguyen, Vu Anh Nguyen, Kanokporn Triwitayakorn, Jarunya Narangajavana, Ham Huy Le, 関原明
  • Organizer: 第5回応用糖質フレッシュシンポジウム
  • Place of Presentation: エフピコRiM7 階ものづくり交流館、福山、日本
  • Invited
• [Presentation] キャッサバ（Manihoto esculenta）の澱粉枝作り酵素（Starch Branching Enzyme, SBE）の機能解析 (2016)
  • Author(s): 内海好規,内海稚佳子, 田中真帆, 藤田直子, 中村保典, 関原明
  • Organizer: 日本応用糖質科学会平成28年度大会（第65回）
  • Place of Presentation: 福山大学、福山、日本
• [Remarks] 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所環境資源科学研究センター植物ゲノム発現研究チームホームページ
  • URL: http://www.csrs.riken.jp/jp/labs/pgnrt/index.html
• [Remarks] 理化学研究所環境資源科学研究センター植物ゲノム発現研究チームホームページ
  • URL: http://www.csrs.riken.jp/jp/labs/pgnrt/index.html