Octoploid strawberry repaired mutated sequences CRISPR/Cas9 edited

Gene editing technology is the main molecular method used to improve plant traits.
Gene editing is more challenging for chromosomal ploidy in octoploid strawberry species than in diploid strawberry (Fragaria sp.). This study used cultivated octoploid strawberry as the research material, targeted the FaMYB9 gene, and transformed strawberry plants.
FaMYB9 is a key transcription factor negatively regulating the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway.
Gene edited line FaMYB9^CRwas heterozygous.
At the seedling age of 3 months, the wild-type (WT) strawberry leaves were elliptical in shape and smooth on the surface, while the FaMYB9^CR line showed wrinkled leaf surfaces.
Scanning electron microscopy observation shows that the surface of the leaves of the FaMYB9^CR was mostly curved with large patches of wax attached.
At the seedling age of 6 months, the leaves of WT and FaMYB9^CR were almost smooth on the surface.
However, scanning electron microscopy showed a small accumulation of wax on the surface of the FaMYB9^CR leaves.
Over the same period, the percentage of FaMYB9 loci harboring the mutant allele decreased from 70 to 20%. These results suggest that the Cas9 gene was continuously playing a role in recognition and cleavage, while the plant itself actively repaired the mutations.
The repair ability was very strong and mutated sequences were restored to wild-type sequences in octoploid strawberry.
This study provides a reference for gene editing research on high-ploidy plant materials.

International Symposium on Biotechnological Tools in Horticulture

Wanmei Jin, Xiangyi Sun, Maofu Li, Hua Wang, Yuan Yang, Yanhui Kang, Pei Sun, Jing Dong, Min Jin

octoploid strawberry, CRISPR/Cas9, repair

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2026.1454.7