Day-length sensitivity in crops limits their range of cultivation, making
modifications in photo period response critical for domestication. The
flowering repressor, SELF-PRUNING5G (SP5G), expression is highly induced
during long days in wild species, but not in cultivated tomato because of
cis-regulatory variation.

Sebastian Soyk from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in USA, together with a
team of scientists from various research institutions, used CRISPR/Cas9 to
generate mutations in SP5G in tomato in hopes of manipulating photoperiod
response. CRISPR/Cas9-engineered mutations in SP5G caused rapid flowering
and enhanced the compact determinate growth habit of field tomatoes,
resulting in a quick burst of flower production, thus, early yield.

The study found that pre-existing variation in SP5G facilitated the
expansion of cultivated tomato beyond its origin, and they provide a
compelling demonstration of the power of gene editing to rapidly improve
yield traits in crop breeding.



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