Waxy Editing: Old Meets New

Abstract

The Waxy (Wx) gene that governs amylose synthesis is an old but widely used target in improving the quality of starchy crops. New genome-editing strategies are being deployed to create beneficial Wx alleles with finely tuned amylose content (AC). Precise targeting must be combined with traditional approaches to develop healthier and high-quality breeding lines.

Keywords: Wx gene; amylose; genome editing; glycemic index; quality improvement.