FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF GENES INVOLVED IN ABIOTIC STRESS TOLERANCE USING CRISPR-BASED APPROACHES IN PLANTS

Abstract

Abiotic stress factors including drought, salinity and extreme temperatures are significant limitations to the global crop productivity and agricultural sustainability. It is critical to explain the genetic processes in uncovering stress tolerance in developing resistant plant varieties. In the current research, a CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing strategy was used to functionally characterise major genes that are involved in plant abiotic stress response. With the help of literature survey and bioinformatic analysis, candidate genes related to stress signalling pathways, such as transcription factors and genes related to the synthesis of osmoprotectants, were selected. Model system Targeted gene editing was done and successful mutations such as deletions and insertions were verified by PCR and sequencing. The stress conditions of controlled drought, salinity and temperature conditions were applied to the edited plant lines to test their phenotype and physiology. There was a strong difference between edited and wild-type plants in terms of growth performance, survival rate as well as stress tolerance. These results suggest that the specific genes have a significant role in the regulation of the abiotic stresses. The article also explains the effectiveness, accuracy, and capability of CRISPR/Cas9 as a potent functional genomics and crop enhancement tool. Altogether, this study is informative in terms of revealing stress-responsive genomic pathways and can offer a perspective of potential targets to be used in the development of climate-resistant crops.