Plant annexins are calcium ion-dependent proteins and exist as multigene
families in plants. They are involved in the regulation of plant
development as well as protection from environmental stresses.

Chunxiu Shen of Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center in China aimed to study
the rice annexin gene OsAnn3 and its role in cold tolerance of rice (Oryza
sativa). The team knocked-out the annexin gene via the CRISPR-Cas9 genome
editing technique. Mutant plantlets were then successfully obtained. The T1
mutant lines were then screened for cold tolerance phenotypes using the
4?­6??C for 3 days cold treatment.

The results showed that the survival ratio of T1 mutant lines was decreased
dramatically compared with the wild type under cold treatment. These
results suggest that the OsAnn3 gene is involved in cold tolerance in rice.



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