Creation of Novel Glutinous Rice Germplasm of Fuxiangzhan(FXZ) Using Genome Editing

Gene editing is an emerging genetic improvement technology that allows for rapid and precise modification of crop traits. FXZ is a newly developed high-quality, blast-resistant, long-grain indica rice variety with great potential for commercialization. This study aimed to utilize gene editing technology to create FXZ glutinous rice materials rapidly. By screening and optimizing target sequences, the rice granule-bound starch synthase gene (Waxy, Wx) was successfully knocked out using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, resulting in Wx gene knockout mutants. Through progeny agronomic traits evaluation and amylose content determination, the results showed that the amylose content of the knockout materials decreased from 16.3% to approximately 1.67%-1.81%, meeting the criteriaof glutinous rice. Additionally, there were no significant changes observed in plant morphology, yield, and resistance in the mutant plants. This study provides a new approach for the application and promotion of FXZ and enriches the genetic resources of blast-resistant glutinous rice.