Dual-layer engineering of herbicide resistance in crops

Genome editing generates herbicide-resistant crops with enhanced agronomic value, but strategies focusing solely on the engineering of protein-coding sequences can compromise the durability and stability of the desired traits. Writing in Nature Plants, Zhang and colleagues describe an engineering strategy that combines structure-guided protein design with gene expression optimization to generate herbicide-tolerant alleles in crops.

By analyzing the crystal structure of rice 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (OsHPPD) bound to the herbicide mesotrione, the authors designed enzyme variants that had reduced herbicide sensitivity while preserving enzymatic activity, as verified in vitro and in rice lines overexpressing the mutant alleles. The mutations were introduced directly into the endogenous OsHPPD locus using prime editing, resulting in moderate herbicide resistance.

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