What is it about?
Genetic manipulation of the LYCOPENE β-CYCLASE gene led to modifications in carotenoid and phytohormone contents resulting in growth, yield and developmental phenotypes in tobacco and tomato. Our proposed strategy pave the way to design a new generation of more resilient crops in Solanaceae and hopefully in other plant species.
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Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Our strategy shows that a single gene manipulation of a key gene in the carotenoid pathway confers enhanced growth, biomass and yield and stress tolerance in tobacco and tomato. Thus, being a promising strategy to develop a new generation of more resilient crops.
Perspectives
With our strategy we expect to engage more and more scientists to look deeper into the functions and applications of carotenoids beyond biofortification. Bigger efforts to understand and explore new functions of carotenoids would allow us to unlock their full potential beyond biofortification.
Juan Camilo Moreno Beltran
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Are carotenoids the true colors of crop improvement?, New Phytologist, December 2022, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/nph.18660.
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