Researchers Create A Unique Peanut-shaped Tomato Through Genome Editing

A research group led by Associate Professor Katsuhiro Shiratake of the Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Tokai National University Organization, has conducted joint research with Professor Masaki Ito of Kanazawa University and Dr. Zheng Qingyu of Huazhong Agricultural University (China) . We succeeded in developing a unique peanut-shaped tomato by disrupting the function of the gene for the transcription factor SlMYB3R3, which controls cell division, by genome editing using CRISPR-Cas9 Note 3) . .
We eat vegetables not only for their deliciousness and nutritional intake, but also for the visual enjoyment of vegetables by decorating our dining tables with vegetables of various shapes and colors. Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables among consumers.
In order to deliver tomatoes of various shapes and colors to consumers, it is necessary to identify the genes responsible for shape and color, and to use this information to develop groundbreaking breeding technology. In this study, we identified that SlMYB3R3 is involved in determining the shape of tomato, and revealed that the shape of tomato can be changed by genome editing the gene. Utilization of this technology is expected to make it possible to deliver tomatoes in unprecedented shapes to consumers .
The results of this research were published in the international scientific journal “Journal of Experimental Botany” on December 8, 2022.