Creation of fragrant peanut using CRISPR/Cas9

Lulu Xue, Pengyu Qu, Huanhuan Zhao, Han Liu, Bingyan Huang, Xiaobo Wang, Zhongxin Zhang, Xiaodong Dai, Li Qin, Wenzhao Dong, Lei Shi, Xinyou Zhang

Journal of Integretive Plant Biology; First published: 14 February 2025 

https://doi.org/10.1111/jipb.13864

Graphical Abstract

Targeted knockout of the betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase genes AhBADH1 and AhBADH2 using CRISPR/Cas9 produced peanut mutant lines with significantly elevated 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline levels and a strong aroma, marking the first creation of fragrant peanut lines.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important food and oil crop valued for its oil-rich kernel, high protein content, and diverse nutritional components, making it a staple raw material in the food industry. Fragrance is an essential trait influencing both the initial appeal and flavor quality of food products. For instance, fragrant rice has gained global popularity due to its appealing aroma. The fragrance trait in rice is regulated by the BADH2 gene, which encodes betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (BADH) (Chen et al., 2008). In non-fragrant rice, BADH2 catalyzes the conversion of γ-aminobutyraldehyde (GABald) to γ-aminobutyric acid. When BADH2 function is disrupted, GABald is redirected to form Δ-1-pyrroline and the subsequent 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP), the key compound contributing to rice fragrance (Okpala et al., 2019).

See https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jipb.13864