Genome editing of the rutin-degrading enzyme gene FtRDE2 reduces seed bitterness in Tartary buckwheat.

Disruption of the FtRDE2 gene via CRISPR/Cas9 reduces seed bitterness in Tartary buckwheat by eliminating rutinosidase activity.

• Why it matters: Seed bitterness limits the global adoption of Tartary buckwheat, a climate-resilient pseudocereal, and understanding its genetic basis can facilitate crop improvement.
• What they did: Researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 to create two independent ftrde2 mutant lines, which showed no rutinosidase activity, stable rutin levels, and delayed quercetin accumulation compared to wild-type controls.
• The result: Sensory evaluation confirmed that flour from mutant lines was less bitter than wild-type flour, indicating genome editing's potential to reduce seed bitterness in Tartary buckwheat.