Dry pea seeds are rich in plant protein and dietary fibre, but their use in foods is limited by the bitter saponins they contain. In this study, researchers, including a member of the PeaCE team, use a CRISPR gene editing technology to develop saponin‑free peas.
Keywords
- CRISPR/Cas9
- Dry peas
- Gene editing / Genome editing
- Saponin
Research Highlights
- Pea seeds are nutritious but contain saponins, which create a bitter taste and limit their use
- CRISPR* technology (a gene-editing technology that lets scientists make precise changes to DNA) targets the PsBAS1 gene, reducing saponins by 99.8%
- Saponin-free peas have reduced bitterness and the potential for better-tasting varieties
Editorial Reflections
A key takeaway from this study is the successful development of saponin‑free peas through precise gene editing. This breakthrough suggests that similar approaches could potentially be applied to other saponin‑rich crops, improving flavours and expanding their use in nutritious, protein‑rich foods.
Le PeaCE project aims to improve the resilience of pulse crops, like field peas, which naturally fix nitrogen and have a lower carbon footprint. Using advanced genetic tools, the team is developing peas with greater drought and disease resistance to encourage wider adoption in crop rotations and substantially reduce GHG emissions. A contributing author from the team is:
Food for Thought: Read the full article here. Looking ahead, if saponin‑free peas became widely available, would you choose them as a consumer? Why or why not?
References
Hodgins, C. L., Salama, E. M., Kumar, R., Zhao, Y., Roth, S. A., Cheung, I. Z., Chen, J., Arganosa, G. C., Warkentin, T. D., Bhowmik, P., Ham, B.‑K., & Ro, D.‑K. (2024). Creating saponin‑free yellow pea seeds by CRISPR/Cas9‑enabled mutagenesis on β‑amyrin synthase. Plant Direct, 8(1), e563. https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.563
