Targeted knockout of a host peroxisomal peptidase confers field resistance to maize lethal necrosis
gene in the susceptible elite line CML536 from SSA conferred resistance comparable to KS23-6 in field trials conducted in Naivasha, Kenya. This knockout specifically blocked MCMV accumulation without affecting SCMV. The edited lines showed no yield penalty or agronomic defects under disease-free conditions. Our findings uncover a mechanistic link between a peroxisomal enzyme and viral susceptibility. They also establish a rapid, scalable gene editing strategy for incorporating MLN resistance into elite germplasm, offering a model for combating similar viral diseases in staple crops globally.
Authors
- Ann Murithi
- Kent Brink (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4395-9740)
- Yoseph Beyene (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7221-2617)
- Kanwarpal S. Dhugga (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2477-3422)
- Prasanna M. Boddupalli
- Kevin D. Simcox (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0683-7034)
- Fengzhong Lu
- Amos Alakonya
- Marc C. Albertsen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3058-2366)
- Craig Hastings (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0993-6062)
- Neal Gutterson
- Zhengyu Wen
- Kevin V. Pixley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4068-7436)
- Jeffry D. Sander (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4370-3182)
- Sabrina Humbert
- Mary Beatty (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2195-8731)
- James Karanja
- Larisa Ryan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3459-288X)
- Emily Wu
- Heather Cartwright (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6639-5808)
- Víctor Llaca (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4822-2924)
- Deping Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1809-2233)
- Maria Fedorova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3093-3819)
- Mark Jones (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9946-9463)
- Veronica Ogugo
- Michael Olsen
- Alyssa DeLeon
- Kevin Fengler
- Stephen Mugo
- Grace Woollums
- Robert Meeley
- Kassandra Breckenridge
- Mark Jung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2312-1353)
- Shawn Thatcher
- Lisa Marshall
- Barbara Mazur
- Ning Wang
- Katherine Thilges
- Todd Jones
- Erik Ohlson
- L M Suresh
Institutions
- United States Department of Agriculture (US)
- Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KE)
- Corteva (United States) (US)
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (BD)
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (KE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2026-04-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2535202123
- Primary Topic
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation