Sunday Evening News 453 - Week 49 - 2025
Weekly report on genetic engineering, genome editing, biotechnology and legal regulation.
November 2025-12-01 - 2025-12-07
Press Releases - Media / Presse- und Medienberichte
Council of the EU: New genomic techniques: Council and Parliament strike deal to boost the competitiveness and
sustainability of our food systems
EU-Parliament: New genomic techniques: deal to support the green transition in farming
EU-Commission: Commission welcomes provisional agreement on new genomic techniques for plants
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/de/ip_25_2912
EU-Commission: Supporting innovation in the EU bioeconomy through intellectual property protection -
Challenges and opportunities for agricultural biotechnology - Final Report
DFG: DFG begrüßt EU-Übereinkunft zu neuen Züchtungstechniken
https://www.dfg.de/de/service/presse/pressemitteilungen/2025/pressemitteilung-nr-40
WGG: Stellungnahme zur Einigung im Trilog-Verfahren zur Regulierung der Neuen Genomischen Techniken (NGT)
in der Europäischen Union
https://www.wggev.de/pm-einigung-rat-parlament-trilog-zu-ngt-pflanzen/
Ahne P.: So sinkt das Misstrauen gegenüber der Gentechnik nicht
Bockholt K.: EU-Einigung bei Gentechnik: Das sagen Forscher, Landwirte, Züchter, Händler
Informationsdienst Gentechnik: EU-Kompromiss: Gentechnik im Essen verstecken
https://www.keine-gentechnik.de/nachricht/eu-plan-gentechnik-im-essen-verstecken
dpa: Was hat die EU zum Thema Gentechnik entschieden?
Häusling M.: Neue Gentechnik - ausverhandelt Miserables Trilog-Ergebnis: Vorsorgeprinzip ausgehebelt – Umwelt- und
Verbraucherschutz massiv gefährdet, kein Patentverbot
https://www.martin-haeusling.eu/presse-medien/pressemitteilungen/3277-neue-gentechnik-trilog.html
Edelbrock L.: REWE, dm, Alnatura Call For Continuation Of Labelling For NGT Products
EU-SAGE: European Scientists welcome the EU Trilogue Provisional Agreement on New Genomic Techniques
https://www.eu-sage.eu/news/European_Scientists_welcome_the_EU_Trilogue
ALLEA Welcomes Provisional EU Agreement on New Genomic Techniques
https://allea.org/allea-welcomes-provisional-eu-agreement-on-new-genomic-techniques/
Dahm J.: NGT trilogue agreement: What happens next
https://table.media/agrifood/topic-of-the-day/ngt-trilogue-agreement-what-happens-next
Mackenzie L.: EU paves way for more designer plants
https://www.politico.eu/article/crops-agriculture-genetically-modified-organisms-europe/
Hairsine K.with DPA, AFP, AP: EU agrees to relax regulations around gene-edited crops
https://www.dw.com/en/eu-agrees-to-relax-regulations-around-gene-edited-crops/a-75008573
GM Watch: Bad deal reached on new GMO deregulation file in EU trilogue
IFOMEU: AGREEMENT OF NGT TRILOGUE POSES A BIG RISK TO EUROPEAN FOOD SOVEREINGTY: PARLIAMENT MUST
ACT TO RECTIFY THIS
InfoGM: NGT regulations: trilogue of the deaf under pressure from Denmark
https://infogm.org/en/ngt-regulations-trilogue-of-the-deaf-under-pressure-from-denmark/
Only some selected press releases or media reports are listed here. The daily up-date of the press releases and
media reports are ►here: November week 49
Publications – Publikationen
Sharma S, Saroha NK, Sehrawat A, Tang G, Singh D ., Teotia S (2025): Emerging tools in plant genome editing.
Front. Genome Ed. 7:1588089 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fgeed.2025.1588089
Plant genome editing has undergone a transformative shift with the advent of advanced molecular tools, offering unprecedented levels of precision, flexibility and efficiency in modifying genetic material. While classical site-directed nucleases such as ZFNs, TALENs and CRISPR-Cas9 have revolutionized genome engineering by enabling targeted mutagenesis and gene knockouts, the landscape is now rapidly evolving with the emergence of novel systems that go beyond the conventional double strand break (DSB)-mediated approaches. Advanced and recent tools include LEAPER, SATI, RESTORE, RESCUE, ARCUT, SPARDA, helicase-based approaches like HACE and Type IV-A CRISPR system, and transposon-based techniques like TATSI and piggyBac. These tools unlock previously inaccessible avenues of genome and transcriptome modulation. Some of these technologies allow DSB-free editing of DNA, precise base substitutions and RNA editing without altering the genomic DNA, a significant advancement for regulatory approval and for species with complex genomes or limited regeneration capacity. While LEAPER, RESCUE and RESTORE are the new advents in the RNA editing tool, SATI allows DSB-free approach for DNA editing, ARCUT offers less off-target and cleaner DNA repairs and Type IV-A CRISPR system induces gene silencing rather than editing. The transposon-based approaches include TATSI, piggyBac and TnpB, and helicases are used in HACE and Type IV-A CRISPR system. The prokaryotic Argonaute protein is used in SPARDA tool as an endonuclease to edit DNA. The transient and reversible nature of RNA editing tools such as RESTORE and LEAPER introduces a new layer of epigenetics-like control in plant systems, which could be harnessed for tissue-specific and environmentally-responsive trait expression. Simultaneously, innovations like ARCUT and SPARDA utilize chemically-guided editing, minimizing reliance on biological nucleases and reducing off-target risks. Their modularity and programmability are enabling gene function studies, synthetic pathway designs and targeted trait stacking. These advances represent a novel synthesis of genome engineering and systems biology, positioning plant genome editing not just as a tool of modification but as a platform for designing adaptive and intelligent crops, tailored to future environmental and nutritional challenges. Although, many of these recent tools remain to be applied on plant systems, they are proven to be effective elsewhere and hold a great potential to be effective in creating climate-resilient crops.
Papatriantafyllou, M. (2025): Making corn sweet. Nat. Plants (2025): | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-025-02195-3
Zheng, Z., Chen, Q., Yan, Y. et al. (2025): Comparative and phylogenetic study on the chloroplast genomes of CMS with
the cytoplasm of Aegilops ovata and its maintainer line in wheat. BMC Genomics (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-025-12334-x
Background: Aegilops ovata a wild relative of wheat. As a valuable genetic source, it can be used for wheat breeding and improvement. However, the interspecific variation, evolutionary mechanism and phylogenetic relationship of the chloroplast genome from the nucleoplasmic hybrid between Ae. ovata and wheat are still unclear.
Results: In this study, the CMS line (Ae.ovata)-Xinong1376 and its maintainer line Xinong1376 were used as the materials. We compared their phenotypes. The anthers of (Ae.ovata)-Xinong1376 were indehiscent and lighter in color at the late stage of microspore development, and the male gametophytes lacked starch. The abortion appeared at binucleate stage. Subsequently, we assembled and compared the chloroplast genomes of the CMS line (Ae. ovata)-Xinong1376 and its maintainer line Xinong1376 via high-throughput sequencing technology for the first time. The data revealed the cp. genome was 136,170 bp long for the CMS (Ae.ovata)-Xinong1376 and 135,885 bp for common wheat Xinong1376, with typical quadripartite structures. The unique genes consisted of 66 protein-coding genes, 4 rRNA genes, and 27 tRNA genes. There were similar gene categories and numbers between (Ae.ovata)-Xinong1376 and Xinong1376, but different codon preferences. 186 possible SSRs were found in (Ae.ovata)-Xinong1376, and 183 possible SSRs in Xinong1376. Single nucleotide repeats are more abundant in SSRs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that (Ae.ovata)-Xinong1376 was the most closely related to Ae. ovata, and Xinong1376 was the most closely related to common wheat. We identified two highly variable regions, and 20 nonsynonymous mutations through sequence comparison of two lines. In addition, the chlorophyll level was relatively low in the male sterile line (Ae.ovata)-Xinong1376, and correspondingly, most of 12 genes selected were downregulated via qRT–PCR.
Conclusions: Our study provides valuable information on the chloroplast genome of the male sterile line with the cytoplasm of Ae.ovata and its maintainer line, evolutionary implications for the scientific community, and novel perspective on the exploration of wheat CMS.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12864-025-12334-x
Dang, X., Wang, W., Liu, J. et al. (2025): Identification of candidate gene controlling TSSL via BSA-seq and fine mapping
and germplasm innovation in rice. BMC Genomics | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-025-12378-z
Stigma exsertion ratio (SER) of rice male sterile line directly affects the hybrid rice F1 seed production, while SER was directly affected by the total of stigma and style length (TSSL). To improve the F1 seed production, it is necessary to identify the genes or quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling TSSL. In this study, we used the 7001 S with short TSSL, Zitai S with long TSSL and F2 to preliminarily map the QTL controlling TSSL to a 2.71 Mb interval using BSA-seq method. Based on the known SSR marker and newly designed InDel markers, the target region was further narrowed down to a 58.2 kb interval between TSL25 and TSL128 on chromosome 3. Gene knockout experiment was used to confirm Os03g0407400 (GS3) as a candidate gene controlling TSSL. Furthermore, according to the sequence alignment difference in the coding region of GS3 between 7001 S and Zitai S, the marker M1 was developed and revealed to be closely linked to TSSL. Combining fertility identification and molecular marker-assisted selection, a fertility-stable near-isogenic line (NIL) of C815S with long TSSL was created. It was found through small-scale F1 seed production combination trials that the outcrossing seed setting ratio of combination NIL-C815S × R919 was 39.31%, and the yield of the F1 seeds harvested from the female parents in the unit area was 237.50 g, which were both higher than that of the combination C815S × R919. These results laid a foundation for further research on the TSSL trait in rice and enriched its molecular regulatory network.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12864-025-12378-z
Porandla, M., Dhondi, P., Lingampelly, A. et al. (2025): Molecular insights into the genetic diversity of Curcuma longa L.: a
comparative study with RAPD, ISSR and SCOT markers. Discov. Plants 2, 345 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44372-025-00423-w
Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), a perennial medicinal plant cultivated globally, possesses significant economic importance. This study employed molecular markers, including RAPD, ISSR, and SCoT to examine genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships among turmeric cultivars. The study utilized 10 RAPD, 13 ISSR, and 13 SCoT markers, which generated 77, 78, and 126 amplified alleles, respectively. A total of 281 alleles were produced, comprising 243 polymorphic and 38 monomorphic alleles, with an overall polymorphism percentage of 86.47%. Amplicon sizes ranged from 100 to 3000 base pairs. RAPD markers exhibited the highest polymorphism rate (89.25%), followed by SCoT (84.22%) and ISSR (82.05%). The Polymorphic Information Content (PIC), employed to assess each marker’s discriminatory power, ranged from 0.16 (ISSR07) to 0.84 (S6). Mean PIC values were 0.46 for RAPD, 0.43 for ISSR, and 0.47 for SCoT markers. A dendrogram constructed using the UPGMA method, based on combined marker data, revealed two distinct clusters: a major cluster comprising 11 cultivars and a minor cluster consisting of 3 cultivars. Pitamber and Rajendra Sonia were identified as the most closely related cultivars(au: 79, bp: 58; edge #: 1), while PTS55 and Salem varieties exhibited the least similarity. SCoT markers delivered the highest efficiency in Curcuma longadiversity analysis (MI = 3.50), RAPD offered broader polymorphism coverage (MI = 2.89), and ISSR excelled in detecting highly specific loci (MI = 2.10). Combining top-performing primers across systems provides a powerful, precise, and comprehensive approach for germplasm characterization, breeding, and conservation. These findings enhance our understanding of turmeric’s genetic variability, providing valuable insights for crop improvement strategies, germplasm characterization and future plant breeding initiatives.=
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44372-025-00423-w
Batta S., Siddappa S., Sharma N., Singh R. et al. (2025): CRISPR-Cas9 mediated editing of starch branching enzyme,
SBE2 gene in potato for enhanced resistant starch for health benefits. Front. Genome Ed., Sec. Genome Editing in Plants, Volume 7 - 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fgeed.2025.1686412
Potato is an important vegetatively propagated, starch-rich tuber crop. High amylose potatoes containing more resistant starch offer healthier food alternatives. However, the resistant starch content is low in most cultivated potato varieties. In this study, targeted mutation of the starch branching enzyme2 (SBE2.1 & SBE2.2 isoforms) had been done in the commercially significant potato cultivar, Kufri Chipsona-I using Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9 system) to develop high-amylose potato lines. SBE2 is one of the key enzymes involved in amylopectin biosynthesis, a starch component. Two isoforms, SBE2.1 & SBE2.2, were mutated using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing. After Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation, fifty transformed lines were generated on herbicide Basta selection medium, out of which 70% were found positive for bar and Cas9 genes. Overall, six mutant lines, viz. K301, K302, K303, K304, K305, K306, derived from distinct events, exhibited deletions and substitutions in the target exons. The CRISPR-Cas9 edited K304 potato line exhibited both insertion–deletion (indel) and substitution mutations in three out of the four selected targets across both genes, and was therefore identified as the most efficiently edited line. The harvested tubers from SBE2.1 & SBE2.2 mutant K304 line showed the highest amylose (95.91%) and resistant starch content (8.69 g/100 g). Evaluation of starch using X-ray crystallography (XRD) illustrated an altered crystallinity index (CI%) in all six mutant events in comparison to the wild study. Furthermore, 1H-NMR study demonstrated a substantial decline in branch chain elongation in amylopectin, and thus a low degree of branching in a range of 1.15%–3.66% was reported in mutant lines, relative to the wild type (5.46%). The present study demonstrated the efficacy of CRISPR-Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of starch biosynthetic genes to develop high-amylose potato lines with elevated resistant starch content for improved health benefits.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genome-editing/articles/10.3389/fgeed.2025.1686412/full
Yan J., Zhou Z., Gatehouse A.M.R., Ma W., Gao Y. (2025): Potato expressing Cry1C and Cry2A confers resistance to
Phthorimaea operculella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Pest Management Science https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.70403
BACKGROUND: As the third most important global food crop, potato plays a vital role in ensuring food security and poverty alleviation. However, its production is severely threatened by the potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella; PTM), a destructive pest that damages foliage during growth and bores into tubers during storage, causing yield losses of 85–100% under severe infestations. Traditional reliance on chemical pesticides poses challenges such as environmental pollution, pesticide residues, and increased production costs, highlighting the need for sustainable alternatives.
RESULT: In this study, Cry1C and Cry2A genes were expressed in potato cultivar E3 via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, generating single-copy transgenic lines with high gene expression. Bioassays showed that PTM larvae feeding on transgenic leaves exhibited significantly elevated mortality (>35.4%), with the Cry1C-2 line achieving 60.4% mortality within 24 h. Notably, the highest-expressing Cry1C and Cry2A transgenic lines caused 100% larval mortality within 4 and 7 days, respectively, demonstrating complete lethality against PTM. Histological analysis confirmed that Bt proteins induced midgut epithelial cell lysis and peritrophic membrane disruption, directly leading to insect death.
CONCLUSION: This study is the first to demonstrate that Cry2A expression in potato confers resistance to PTM. It provides novel genetic resources for insect-resistant potato breeding and proposes a gene pyramiding strategy to delay the onset of resistance evolution in pest populations. Future research should focus on evaluating field resistance durability and investigating potential synergistic effects between Cry1C/Cry2A and other Bt proteins to develop multi-target pest management systems. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.
https://scijournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ps.70403
Mikac K.M., Dominguez-Davila J.H., Powley M.J., Barclay S.et al. (2025): Helicoverpa zea selected on Bt corn have wing shapes
better suited to long distance flight. Environmental Entomology, nvaf117, https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaf117
Evolution of resistance within insects to pest control has resulted in changes to the organism’s morphotype, including changes in wing shape. Both geometric morphometric and finite element method (FEM) were used to examine wing changes in Helicoverpa zea sampled from 4 different Bt corn treatments in North and South Carolina, United States. The 4 treatments were pure-stand non-Bt corn (treatment 1); pure-stand Bt corn with 2 toxins (Cry1Ab and Cry1F; treatment 2); pure-stand Bt corn with 3 toxins (Cry1Ab, Cry1F, and Vip3A; treatment 3); and seed blended Bt corn with 80% containing 3 toxins (Cry1AB, Cry1F, and Vip3A) and 20% having no toxins (treatment 5). Geometric morphometric analyses revealed significant wing shape differences in both female and male moths were driven by moderately selected moths (treatments 2 and 5). Male and female moths, especially from treatment 5, had longer and more slender forewing shape conducive for longer distance flight. FEM modeling of the flight potential in both male and female H. zea revealed that the highest wing elastic deformation values for wind speed, indicating the most impact on wing structure, occurred for treatment 2> treatment 1> treatment 3> treatment 5. Wing elastic deformation was significantly more pronounced in female than male moths. In conclusion, we found that one generation of selection on Bt corn in the field could induce H. zea wing phenotypes more conducive for potential long-distance dispersal and should be further investigated by directly testing the impact on migratory flight. Our study contributes to the growing body of evidence that selection of H. zea on Bt crops may influence adult dispersal behavior.
https://academic.oup.com/ee/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ee/nvaf117/8328228
Bashir, S., Zargar, S.M. & Husaini, A.M. (2026): Epigenetic-modifications induced by plant-microbial interactions modulate
plant immunity, Defense-response and mutualistic associations. Mol Biol Rep 53, 86 | https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-025-11253-0
Plants live in intricate ecological niches where they are in continual contact with a wide variety of microorganisms, including both beneficial symbionts and dangerous diseases. For plants to survive and be healthy, they must be able to discriminate between these various microorganisms and deploy the proper defenses. Recent studies show that epigenetic processes, in addition to traditional signaling pathways, are essential for regulating how plants react to microbial interactions. The comprehensive summary examines how epigenetic changes control plant immunity by regulating pattern-triggered immunity (PTI), effector-triggered immunity (ETI), systemic acquired resistance (SAR), and defense priming. Additionally, we explore the role that these epigenetic variables play in the establishment and maintenance of mutualistic relationships with beneficial microbes such as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and rhizobia. The paper also highlights how chromatin-based regulatory mechanisms and non-coding RNA (ncRNA) networks, such as microRNAs, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), facilitate two-way communication between microorganisms and plants. Recent developments in high-throughput sequencing and functional genomics have revealed the plasticity and memory capacity of the plant epigenome, providing intriguing opportunities for crop enhancement. Researchers are exploring the ability of epigenome editing techniques, such as synthetic transcriptional regulators and CRISPR-dCas9-based systems, to accurately modify stress-responsive genes. This review highlights the potential of epigenetic engineering as a sustainable strategy for enhancing plant immunity, stress tolerance, and symbiotic efficiency by elucidating the epigenetic frameworks that regulate interactions between microbes and plants.(Fig. 1).
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11033-025-11253-0
Davoodi, P., Razmkabir, M. (2025): Multi-Genome-Wide association studies provide new insights into the genetic
architecture of Varroa resistance in honeybees. BMC Genomics | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-025-12191-8
Background:The Varroa destructor represents one of the most significant global threats to honeybee colonies. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) play a crucial role in identifying genetic markers associated with Varroa resistance in honeybees. Six scenarios of genome-wide association studies (additive, dominance, and epistatic for each case‒control and quantitative approach) were implemented to analyze SNP markers associated with hygienic behavior in worker bees.
Results: In additive GWAS (case‒control), 10 SNPs were identified, whereas additive GWAS (quantitative) revealed 23 SNPs. For the dominance GWAS, 2 SNPs were found in the case‒control study, and 13 SNPs were found in the quantitative analysis. Moreover, the epistatic GWAS (case‒control) identified 10 paired SNPs, and the epistasis GWAS (quantitative) revealed 13 paired SNPs associated with uncapping behavior. These scenarios, along with some overlapping findings, highlighted unique SNPs. The results demonstrate that the type of data definition and genetic model used significantly influence the identification of SNPs associated with the uncapping trait. Additionally, combining multiple methods enhances SNP detection and provides deeper insights into the genetic architecture of Varroa resistance. The identified SNPs were distributed across the genome and presented distinct features from the perspective of minor allele frequency across different models. Furthermore, enrichment analysis revealed that genes related to these SNPs are predominantly involved in pathways related to the stress response and immunity.
Conclusions: Together, our research provides new insights into the genetics underlying varroa resistance in honeybees. By leveraging genomic data and different GWAS models, this study contributes significantly to the understanding of the genetic architecture of varroa resistance.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12864-025-12191-8
EFSA
GMO Panel (2025): Assessment of genetically modified maize DP202216 × NK603 × DAS-40278-9 (application GMFF-2022-6232).
EFSA Journal, 23(12), e9746 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9746
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9746
GMO Panel (2025): Assessment of genetically modified cotton GHB614 × T304-40 × GHB119 × COT102 (application EFSA-GMO-ES-
2017-147). EFSA Journal, 23(12), e9752 | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9752
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9752
GMO Panel (2025): Assessment of genetically modified cotton T304-40 × GHB119 × COT102 (application EFSA-GMO-BE-2018-155).
EFSA Journal, 23(12), e9753. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9753
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9753