title: Induction of targeted, heritable mutations in barley and Brassica oleracea using RNA-guided Cas9 nuclease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The RNA-guided Cas9 system represents a flexible approach for genome editing in plants. This method can create specific mutations that knock-out or alter target gene function. It provides a valuable tool for plant research and offers opportunities for crop improvement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We investigate the use and target specificity requirements of RNA-guided Cas9 genome editing in barley (Hordeum vulgare) and Brassica oleracea by targeting multicopy genes. In barley, we target two copies of HvPM19 and observe Cas9-induced mutations in the first generation of 23 % and 10 % of the lines, respectively. In B. oleracea, targeting of BolC.GA4.a leads to Cas9-induced mutations in 10 % of first generation plants screened. In addition, a phenotypic screen identifies T0 plants with the expected dwarf phenotype associated with knock-out of the target gene. In both barley and B. oleracea stable Cas9-induced mutations are transmitted to T2 plants independently of the T-DNA construct. We observe off-target activity in both species, despite the presence of at least one mismatch between the single guide RNA and the non-target gene sequences. In barley, a transgene-free plant has concurrent mutations in the target and non-target copies of HvPM19.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrate the use of RNA-guided Cas9 to generate mutations in target genes of both barley and B. oleracea and show stable transmission of these mutations thus establishing the potential for rapid characterisation of gene function in these species. In addition, the off-target effects reported offer both potential difficulties and specific opportunities to target members of multigene families in crops.
authors.affiliation: John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, NR4 7UH, UK. tom.lawrenson@jic.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lawrenson
authors.affiliation: John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, NR4 7UH, UK. oluwaseyi.shorinola@jic.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Oluwaseyi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Shorinola
authors.affiliation: John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, NR4 7UH, UK. nicola.stacey@jic.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stacey
authors.affiliation: Western Barley Genetics Alliance, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA6150, Australia. C.Li@murdoch.edu.au.
authors.forename: Chengdao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, NR4 7UH, UK. lars.ostergaard@jic.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Østergaard
authors.affiliation: The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich Research Park, Colney, NR4 7UH, UK. nicola.patron@sainsbury-laboratory.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Patron
authors.affiliation: John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, NR4 7UH, UK. cristobal.uauy@jic.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Cristobal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Uauy
authors.affiliation: John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, NR4 7UH, UK. wendy.harwood@jic.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Harwood
mesh_terms: D001937:Brassica / Q000235:genetics; D064113:CRISPR-Cas Systems / Q000235:genetics*; D018390:Gene Targeting; D018745:Genome, Plant; D001467:Hordeum / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D017393:RNA Editing / Q000235:genetics*; D000094704:RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems
chemical_list: D000094704:RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems