Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Recent advancements in molecular tools for plant genetic engineering, particularly CRISPR-based technologies, have created new opportunities for targeted genome editing. However, applying these tools remains challenging in crop species such as sunflower (Helianthus annuus) that lack established and effective transformation pipelines, including transient reagent delivery methods for functional screening and validation of genetic engineering tools. To address this gap, three major reagent delivery platforms, namely protoplast transfection, leaf infiltration, and Agrobacterium-mediated tissue co-culture, were systematically adapted and assessed for use in sunflower seedlings. While each method enabled successful reagent delivery, they differed in their levels of scalability and efficiency. With these platforms, delivery by different Agrobacterium strains and the effectiveness of various reporter gene expression cassettes were compared to define the most experimentally suitable components for different applications in sunflowers. Together, these results establish a foundational toolkit for transient functional testing in sunflower and pave the way for more sophisticated genetic engineering approaches in this agriculturally important oilseed, confectionary seed, and horticultural crop.
Source: Plants
Institution: University of California, Berkeley
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,258
Awards: RESEARCH-PGR: Investigating how internal and external cues coordinate floral organ development and the consequences for plant reproduction, PlantTransform: Defining the Mechanisms Responsible for the Recalcitrance of Cultivated Sunflower to Transformation and Tissue Regeneration, G6823210997, G850878310
OpenAlex ID: W7117474562