Involvement of DNA mismatch repair systems to create genetic diversity in plants for speed breeding programs

Abstract

Genetic diversity is crucial for crop improvement and the variation occurred in genetic architecture regulates the plant adaptation to environmental stresses and productivity. The crop improvement largely depends on the variation that exists in the compatible genotypes within the same species that accelerate the breeding procedure. Populations with high allelic variability are more easily adaptable to changing environmental conditions. Some of the existing methods and the possibility of exploiting DNA mismatch repair system showed potentiality to create variability in different crops. The mutation or suppression of DNA mismatch gene MSH1 in Arabidopsis, sorghum, tomato resulted in altered phenotypes. Mutations in MSH2, MSH6, MSH7 resulted in altered phenotypes with agronomically important phenotypes in potato, rice, soybean. The backcrossing of msh1 mutants with wild type restored MSH1gene in Sorghum and Arabidopsis resulted in superior phenotype with higher biomass and yield. Targeting the MSH1 by gene editing approach in rice has created indels in whole genome that lead to genome reorganization. The disruption of the DNA mismatch repair mechanism could create mutations different from other conventional methods and potentially create genetic variability required for crop improvement for higher productivity.