Abstract
Cut DNA ends in plants may recombine to form novel molecules. We asked whether CRISPR-Cas9 expression in plants could induce nonhomologous recombination between diverse and heterologous broken DNA ends. We induced two breaks separated by 2.3 or by 8.5 kilobases leading to duplication of the intervening DNA and meiotic transmission of the 2.3kb duplication. Two or more dsDNA breaks in nonhomologous chromosomes led to ligation of breakpoints consistent with chromosome arm translocations. Screening 881 primary transformants we obtained 195 PCR products spanning independent, expected translocation junctions involving ends produced by cutting different loci. Sequencing indicated a true positive rate of 84/91 and demonstrated the occurrence of different junction alleles. A majority of the resulting structures would be deleterious and none were transmitted meiotically. Ligation of interchromosomal, heterologous dsDNA ends suggest that the CRISPR-Cas9 can be used to engineer plant genes and chromosomes in vivo.
Significance Statement We explored how genome editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 could provide new ways to tailor novel genomic combinations and arrangements. We show that distant cut ends often precisely come together, that cuts in different chromosomes can result in translocations, and that two cuts within a chromosome often result in the duplication of the intervening segment. Formation of multiple structures with precise junctions will enable engineered rearrangements that can be predicted with accuracy.
