Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:

Superior field performance of waxy corn engineered using CRISPR–Cas9

Nature Biotechnology volume 38, pages 579–581 (2020)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

We created waxy corn hybrids by CRISPR–Cas9 editing of a waxy allele in 12 elite inbred maize lines, a process that was more than a year faster than conventional trait introgression using backcrossing and marker-assisted selection. Field trials at 25 locations showed that CRISPR-waxy hybrids were agronomically superior to introgressed hybrids, producing on average 5.5 bushels per acre higher yield.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Waxy gene deletion in elite inbreds using CRISPR–Cas9.
Fig. 2: Amylopectin content and grain yield of CRISPR-wx hybrids compared with the TI-wx counterparts.

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

All data supporting the findings of this study are available in the article and its Supplementary Information files. Sequencing data are available in the SRA database in BioProject PRJNA597019. Plasmid accession numbers are MN294713 (Plasmid 1), MN294714 (Plasmid 2), MN294715 (Plasmid 3), MN294716 (Plasmid 4), MN294717 (Plasmid 5), MN294718 (Plasmid 6) and MN294719 (Plasmid2_Waxy-CR2). Upon request, maize lines can be provided under an applicable material transfer agreement to academic investigators for noncommercial research.

References

  1. Shure, M., Wessler, S. & Fedoroff, N. Cell 35, 225–233 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Nelson, O. & Pan, D. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 46, 475–496 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Schwatz, D. & Whistler, R. L. in Food Science and Technology (eds BeMiller, J. & Whistler, R.) 1–10 (Academic, 2009).

  4. Fan, L. et al. PLoS ONE 4, e7612 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Dong, L. et al. Plant Biotechnol. J. 17, 1853–1855 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Svitashev, S. et al. Plant Physiol. 169, 931–945 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Lowe, K. et al. In Vitro Cell Dev. Biol. Plant 54, 240–252 (2018).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Chilcoat, D., Liu, Z. B. & Sander, J. Prog. Mol. Biol. Transl. Sci. 149, 27–46 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Shi, J. et al. Plant Biotechnol. J. 15, 207–216 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Zastrow-Hayes, G. et al. Plant Genome 8, 1–15 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Young, J. et al. Sci. Rep. 9, 6729 (2019).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Tang, X. et al. Genome Biol. 19, 84 (2018).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Hahn, F. & Nekrasov, V. Plant Cell Rep. 38, 437–441 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Li, J. et al. Plant Biotechnol. J. 17, 858–868 (2019).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gao, H. et al. Plant J. 61, 176–187 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. McCleary, B. V., Solah, V. & Gibson, T. S. J. Cereal Sci. 20, 51–58 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Gilmour, A. R., Thompson, R. & Cullis, B. R. Biometrics 51, 1440–1450 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Cullis, B. R. et al. Biometrics 54, 1–18 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Gilmour, A. R. et al. ASReml User Guide 3.0. (VSN International, 2009).

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank D. O’Neil, A. Carzoli, G. Zastrow-Hayes and their teams for nucleic acid analysis and sequencing; L. Church, K. Simcox and their team for greenhouse plant care and nusery seed production; and S. Basu, S. Betts and D. Bubeck for providing project support. We are grateful to J. Shi, S. Betts, G. May and M. Fedorova for critical review of this manuscript.

Author information

Author notes

  1. H. Renee Lafitte

    Present address: Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, Seattle, WA, USA

  2. A. Mark Cigan

    Present address: Genus Research, DeForest, WI, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research and Development, Corteva Agriscience, Johnston, IA, USA

    Huirong Gao, Mark J. Gadlage, H. Renee Lafitte, Brian Lenderts, Meizhu Yang, Megan Schroder, Jeffry Farrell, Kay Snopek, Dave Peterson, Lanie Feigenbutz, Spencer Jones, Grace St Clair, Melissa Rahe, Nathalie Sanyour-Doyel, Chenna Peng, Lijuan Wang, Joshua K. Young, Mary Beatty, Brian Dahlke, Jan Hazebroek, Thomas W. Greene, A. Mark Cigan, N. Doane Chilcoat & R. Bob Meeley

Authors
  1. Huirong Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mark J. Gadlage
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. Renee Lafitte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Brian Lenderts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Meizhu Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Megan Schroder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jeffry Farrell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Kay Snopek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Dave Peterson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Lanie Feigenbutz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Spencer Jones
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Grace St Clair
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Melissa Rahe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. Nathalie Sanyour-Doyel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  15. Chenna Peng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  16. Lijuan Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  17. Joshua K. Young
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  18. Mary Beatty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  19. Brian Dahlke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  20. Jan Hazebroek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  21. Thomas W. Greene
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  22. A. Mark Cigan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  23. N. Doane Chilcoat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  24. R. Bob Meeley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

R.B.M., H.G., A.M.C., N.D.C. and T.W.G. designed edits. M.J.G. selected inbred lines. H.G., B.L., M.Y., M.S., J.F., K.S., D.P., L.F., S.J., G.St.C., M.R., N.S.-D., C.P., L.W., J.K.Y., M.B. and J.H. conducted the transformation and molecular analysis experiments. M.J.G., H.R.L. and B.D. conducted field trials and analyzed data. H.G., M.J.G. and N.D.C. wrote the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Huirong Gao.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

This work was funded by Corteva Agriscience, a for-profit agricultural technology company, as part of its research and development program. All authors were employees of Corteva Agriscience at the time of their contributions to this work. Patents have been filed related to this work.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary Figs. 1–8 and Tables 1–7.

Reporting Summary

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gao, H., Gadlage, M.J., Lafitte, H.R. et al. Superior field performance of waxy corn engineered using CRISPR–Cas9. Nat Biotechnol 38, 579–581 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-020-0444-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-020-0444-0

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing: Translational Research

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Translational Research newsletter — top stories in biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma.

Get what matters in translational research, free to your inbox weekly. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Translational Research