Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) are increasingly
used as a tool for genome editing in a variety of organisms. Chinese
researchers led by Fu-jun Wang of Guangxi University and Chinese Academy of
Agriculture Sciences have previously cloned the TALE-coding gene avrXa23
from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae and developed an AvrXa23-based assembly
system for TALENs.

Now, the team used this AvrXa23-based TALENs system to induce mutations in
the rice ethylene response factor (ERF) transcription factor, OsERF922, to
test the efficiency of the system. A pair of TALENs (T-KJ9/KJ10) was
assembled and was then used for transformation.

The team observed a 15% mutagenesis frequency in positively transformed rice
calli and obtained two mutant plants with nucleotide deletion or insertion
at the target region. This study shows that the AvrXa23-based TALENs system
can be used for site-specific genome editing in rice.



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