Title : From orphan to essential: Leveraging CRISPR technology for pearl millet enhancement
Abstract:
Adverse environmental conditions and a rapidly growing global population present significant challenges to food security worldwide. While conventional crops like rice, wheat, and maize are being explored for genetic manipulation to improve specific traits, "orphan crops" such as millets remain largely untapped. Despite their high nutritional value, resilience to stress, and potential economic benefits for developing countries, these crops have not received the same attention. Developing genetically modified (GM) crops that can thrive under adverse conditions offers a promising alternative; however, the process is laborintensive and time-consuming. Furthermore, the use of GM crops is highly restricted and often faces strong public opposition in many countries, driven by concerns about safety, environmental impact, and ethical issues. CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) system coupled with the Cas nuclease for genome editing, emerges as a potential game-changer as it is considered as a “Non GM” approach. Unlike transgenics, CRISPR allows for precise editing of genes without introducing any foreign DNA, reducing the regulatory hurdles and public resistance, offering a more natural and efficient way to enhance crop traits. By leveraging this technology, it may be possible to address pressing global challenges such as malnutrition, world hunger, and food insecurity, all while promoting sustainable agriculture. For instance, the ectopic expression of a pearl millet drought-responsive gene, PgRAV-04, a member of the B3 transcription factor superfamily, resulted in reduced drought tolerance in transgenic tobacco plants making it a promising candidate for gene editing. By developing a knock-out mutant of PgRAV-04 using CRISPR/Cas9, we aim to create more resilient pearl millet plants that can thrive in extreme drought conditions while preserving their nutritional values. As this non-transgenic approach enhances crop improvement, the technology has all the potential to reach the farmers of areas with adverse climate conditions supporting the production of a future "super crop".
