Biomics

The PDS gene encoding the enzyme phytoene desaturase plays an important role in the synthesis of carotenoids in plant cells and is of great interest in genome editing as a selective marker. Knockout (inactivation) of this gene leads to loss of pigmentation (albinism) and dwarfism, which allows for visual selection of edited plants. A significant amount of data has been accumulated on the role of the PDS gene in carotenoid synthesis, as well as on its use in genome editing as a selective marker. To date, the knockout and functional study of the PDS gene has been carried out in many plant species, including representatives of the Solanaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Musaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae families, etc., while in a number of other economically significant crops the role of this gene is not validated yet, which underscores the importance of its further analysis to improve genetic editing methods.

phytoene desaturase, PDS, CRISPR/Cas9, albinism, knockout, genome editing, model gene

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