Investigate and apply the S gene strategy to mitigate the clubroot disease in canola by advanced genome editing technology

甘蓝型油菜(Brassica napus L.)作物不断受到根瘤病的威胁，它会降低油菜籽的含油量和种子重量，从而显著影响油菜籽的质量。在适当的轮作条件下种植抗丛根病品种仍然是控制该病的最有效的解决方案。然而，目前可用的CR品种携带单一的、特定于小种的显性R基因，这种基因不能提供持久的抗性，并且很容易随着病原菌种群的变化而分解。一种新的基于易感基因(S)的替代策略被提出，因为它们在田间具有耐用性的潜力。与传统育种不同，通过精确的基因组编辑工具，引入定点突变来扰乱S基因，可以很容易地获得抗病能力。在这个拟议的项目中，我们将研究丛枝病抗性/敏感性的分子和细胞机制，并寻找新的S基因。随后，我们将利用先进的基因组编辑和纳米技术来操纵油菜中的这些S基因，并培育出具有增强抗丛根病能力的无转基因植株。这项研究将加快育种进程，从而降低油菜产业在新品种选育方面的投资成本。最终，该项目产生的知识、种质、分子标记和纳米颗粒介导的基因组编辑工具将加快育种周期，并使加拿大油菜籽行业受益。

The canola (Brassica napus L.) crop is continually threatened by the clubroot disease, which significantly affects canola seed quality by reducing oil content and seed weight. Growing clubroot-resistant (CR) cultivars in appropriate rotations remains the most effective solution to control this disease. However, currently available CR varieties carry a single, race-specific, dominant R gene, which cannot provide durable resistance and are easily broken down with a shift in the pathogen population. A new alternative strategy based on susceptibility (S) genes has been proposed as they have the potential to be durable in the field. Different from conventional breeding, disease resistance can be easily conferred by introducing site-specific mutations to disrupt S genes via a precise genome-editing tool. In this proposed project, we will investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms of clubroot resistance/susceptibility and identify novel S genes. Subsequently, we will utilize advanced genome editing and nanotechnology to manipulate these S genes in canola and generate transgene-free plants with enhanced clubroot resistance. This study will expedite the breeding process and, consequently, reduce the investment costs to the canola industry in the breeding of new cultivars. Eventually, the knowledge, germplasm, molecular markers and nanoparticle-mediated genome editing tools generated from this project will accelerate breeding cycles and benefit the Canadian canola industry.