Overview
- Using CRISPR/Cas9, the team disabled the SlBADH1 and SlBADH2 genes, elevating 2‑acetyl‑1‑pyrroline, the compound associated with a buttered‑popcorn scent.
- Edited tomatoes in the Alisa Craig background retained key agronomic and nutritional traits, including flowering time, plant height, fruit weight, sugars, organic acids, and vitamin C.
- Study authors report that SlBADH2 plays the predominant role in regulating 2‑AP accumulation, with SlBADH1 also contributing.
- The research, conducted at Xianghu Laboratory in Zhejiang with Chinese and Australian collaborators, was published in the peer‑reviewed Journal of Integrative Agriculture.
- The group is working to transfer the fragrance trait into elite commercial cultivars to enhance flavor complexity and potential market value.