Abstract

Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) plants contain toxic compounds that limit the use of this crop as a feed. In this study, the main toxin addressed is ricin. The problem of the ricin detoxification is solved by different approaches, but the used treatments often degrade feed quality. CRISPR/Cas9 editing of the ricin gene may be a perspective approach to produce ricin-free plants. The upstream ricin gene region was sequenced and analyzed with nine different Ricinus communis varieties. The region consists of a part with transcription regulatory elements and a signal peptide coding part. Single nucleotide polymorphic sites were found in both parts of the region. These were mutations of various types: deletions/inserts, transitions and transversion. In the coding part, transitions were found only. Two silent and one missense mutation has been detected. In the article, a ratio of transition and transversion, as well as a possible role of the described mutations in the studied region structure and function are discussed. The optimal target sequence for CRISPR/Cas9 editing of ricin gene was considered.