Prof. Sean Cutler and colleagues at the University of California, Riverside have engineered a system and methods to induce gene expression in plants and organisms, including mammals, using the chemical compound mandipropamid. Using the PYR/PYL/HAB1 promoter system, the PYR1/HAB1 system is reprogrammed to be activated with mandipropamid. When the PYR1/HAB1 system dimerizes through chemical-induced dimerization (CID) with mandipropamid, the system functions as a control switch for gene expression.
This technology has been demonstrated to advantageously accelerate citrus breeding. It may be applied to improve CAR T-cell therapy and agricultural crops.
Fig 1: UCR’s PYR1/HAB1 system is programmed through chemical-induced dimerization (CID) initiated by mandipropamid to function as a switch for agrochemical control of gene expression.
Website
Potential Applications
- Engineered switches for agrochemical control of gene expression in crops
- “On-demand” flowering to accelerate breeding
Contact Information
Name: Grace Yee
Email: grace.yee@ucr.edu
Phone: 951-827-2212