CRISPR/Cas9-targeted mutagenesis of the OsROS1 gene induces pollen and embryo sac defects in rice

Abstract

Rice yield and sustainable production are important issues for global food safety (Itoh et al., 2005). Sterility mutants are appropriate materials for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying fertility regulation in rice, and are potential germplasm for production of hybrid seeds. The availability of the rice whole genome sequence enabled fine mapping and cloning of the key genes underlying the sterility trait, and shed insights into the development of male and female gametophytes in the past decade, but our understanding on the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying fertility remains limited.