Double Mutant Plant Line Enhancing Disease Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Crop pathogens pose a significant threat to global food security due to their impact on yield and quality, and existing chemical controls have harmful environmental and health effects, necessitating the development of disease-resistant plants with enhanced immune responses.
Innovation Solution
A double mutant plant line is created using the CRISPR/Cas gene editing system with impaired NRC4a and NRC4b genes, expressing truncated proteins that exhibit increased defense responses and broad-spectrum disease resistance, particularly in the Solanaceae family, including tomato and tobacco plants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If herbicides and pesticides are used to control pests and protect crops, then crop protection and yield maintenance are improved, but environmental pollution and harmful effects on soil, water, and ecosystem are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the plant's natural immune response into a beneficial defense mechanism by modifying NLR genes. Instead of using external chemical agents that harm the environment, the invention enhances the plant's own immune system to recognize and resist pathogens, thereby protecting crops without environmental pollution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables plants to protect themselves through genetic modification of their immune system. The modified NLR genes allow plants to autonomously detect and respond to pathogen attacks, eliminating the need for external pesticide applications and making the crop protection system self-sufficient.
2Reliability
If NLR genes are modified to enhance defense responses, then disease resistance is improved, but plant growth and development may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by specifically modifying only the NLR immune response genes rather than the entire plant genome. This targeted approach enhances disease resistance in specific immune pathways while leaving other growth-related genes unchanged, thus maintaining normal plant development and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes specific parameters of the immune system by modifying the sensitivity and response threshold of NLR genes. This allows the plant to mount stronger defense responses against pathogens while maintaining balanced growth parameters, achieving both disease resistance and productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention is related to a double mutant plant line that harbors impaired NRC4a (NLR required for cell death) and NRC4b genes. The said double mutant plant has an increased defense response and a reduction in disease levels compared to a non-mutated or a single mutation mutated plant of the same population. This invention is also related to the method for increasing a plant defense response and for reducing plant diseases levels, comprised by (a) configuring one or more nucleic acid sequences to target and impair at least two plant NRC (NLR required for cell death) or NRC ortholog genes, (b) applying a gene editing process utilizing said one or more nucleic acid sequences, (c) obtaining at least one double mutant plant line, harboring two impaired NRC (NLR required for cell death) genes, and (d) growing said plant.