Responsables scientifiques : Benoit POINSSOT, INRAE, Institut Agro Dijon, Université Bourgogne Europe – UMR 1347 Agroécologie
Partenaires : Pere MESTRE (INRAE Colmar), Olivier ZEKRI (Pépinières Mercier, Novatech)
Durée : 48 months
Plants encounter various microorganisms, ranging from beneficial mutualistic microbes to harmful pathogens. Regulation of these interactions is crucial, as it influences plant growth and health. In this context, grapevine is subject to numerous pathogens such as Plasmopara viticola (downy mildew), Erysiphe necator (powdery mildew), Botrytis cinerea (gray mold), and Phyllosticta ampelicida (black rot), which cause significant losses, leading to an important use of chemicals that can harm the human health and the environment. To support the agroecological transition, the alternative strategies focus on new resistant grapevine varieties, the use of biomolecules as « Plant Defense Stimulator » (PDS), and harnessing plant-associated microbial communities. However, resistance gene erosion and theemergence of secondary diseases have been observed on grapevine varieties obtained by classical breeding. Furthermore, even if PDS shows promising lab results, it is still limited in the vineyard.
Nevertheless, these strategies are still hopeful since genome editing could accelerate them by targeting genes involved in plant-microorganism interactions.
In this context, VINEDITING aims to obtain NGT1 edited grapevine varieties with beneficial traits adapted to the agroecological transition. To achieve resistance to pathogens, we will target GLYI-4 (Glyoxalase I-4), EDR1 (Enhanced Disease Resistance 1,) and LYKs (LysM receptor-like kinase) genes.
The edited plants will be monitored for their resistance to a large panel of cryptogamic pathogens to produce plants with an enlarged tolerance and thus limit the emergence of secondary diseases. Beyond evaluation of disease resistance, we will also assess the impact of editing on beneficial interactions with Rhizophagus irregularis and Trichoderma spp. Finally, we will monitor the efficacy of PDS on the edited plants to obtain new grapevine varieties adapted to agroecological solutions.
To be ranked as NGT1 plants, these new grapevine varieties need to be “transgene-free”. However, since transgene elimination by crossbreeding is impossible in hybrid grapevine varieties due to their vegetative multiplication, we will develop a self-removable transgene vector compatible with NGT1 legislation. This new vector will be obtained by combining a counter-selection technique and Cas9 PAM-less transgene excision from RB to LB sequences to minimize nucleic scar and prevent chimeric plants. Finally, the project VINEDITING will produce edited grapevine varieties that avoid the limitations existing on classical resistant grapevine varieties while allowing an agroecological transition in order to give back advantage to the French grapevine industry.