Determination of the resistance and gene expression levels of tomato genotypes obtained by CRISPR/CAS9 technology against broomrape (Phelipanche spp.)

Root parasitic weeds, broomrapes (Phelipanche spp. / Orobanche spp.), attach to the host root, thereby directly accessing the nutrients and water of the host plant. Phelipanche aegyptiaca and Phelipanche ramosa are species that cause significant economic losses in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The germination of these species depends on strigolactones, which are phytohormones secreted by the roots of the host plant. In this study, we utilized the genotypes 18nt and 186nt, which have undergone an 18-nucleotide deletion and a 186-nucleotide deletion, respectively, by modifying the Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase 7 (SICCD7) gene in the first exon using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique. The deletions are in-frame (not knock-out) with 6 and 62 amino acid at the N terminal of the protein. The study aimed to evaluate the resistance of these genotypes against P. aegyptiaca through Petri dish, hydroponic, and pot experiments, as well as to assess the expression of the CCD7, CCD8, and Betacarotene genes via RT-qPCR, and t