Researchers Pinpoint Gene that Could Help Cucumbers Survive Climate Change

A study published in Transgenic Research reported that a gene called CsUBL5 could be used to enhance cucumbers' resilience to climate change. CsUBL5 is a promoter gene; thus it controls the expression of other genes. In this study, researchers found that the CsUBL5 promoter could be used to drive the expression of genes that make cucumbers more resistant to pests, diseases, and drought.

Cucumbers are a popular vegetable globally. However, with the impacts of climate change, cucumbers are becoming more vulnerable to pests, diseases, and extreme weather events. This concern led the scientists at Kasetsart University in Thailand to assess if CsUBL5 promoter works well in transgene expression and genome editing in cucumber.

The findings showed that CsUBL5 promoter effectively controlled the transgene expression in these plants, and their expressions under treatments were consistent with the predicted cis-elements, with some exceptions. Furthermore, a deletion construct can improve genome editing efficiency in cucumber when driving Cas9 expression.

Read the research article in Transgenic Research.

https://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=20307