METHODS FOR INCREASING POWDERY MILDEW RESISTANCE IN CANNABIS

Abstract

The present invention discloses a modified Cannabis plant exhibiting enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (PM). The aforementioned modified Cannabis plant comprises a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele comprising a genomic modification selected from an indel of 14 bp at position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof. The present invention further discloses methods for production of the modified Cannabis plant using genome modification.

Description

REFERENCE TO AN ELECTRONIC SEQUENCE LISTING

The contents of the electronic sequence listing (6000150040 Sequence listing.xml; Size: 1.11 MB; and Date of Creation: Sep. 13, 2022) is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to conferring pathogen resistance in Cannabis plants. More particularly, the current invention pertains to producing fungal resistant Cannabis plants by controlling genes conferring susceptibility to such pathogens.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cannabis is one of the oldest domesticated plants with evidence of being used by a vast array of ancient cultures. It is thought to have originated from central Asia from which it was spread by humans to China, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. Thus, Cannabis has been bred by many different cultures for various uses such as food, fiber and medicine since the dawn of agricultural societies. In the last few decades, Cannabis breeding has stopped as it became illegal and non-economic to do so. With the recent legislation converting Cannabis back to legality, there is a growing need for the implementation of new and advanced breeding techniques in future Cannabis breeding programs. This will allow speeding up the long process of classical breeding and accelerate reaching new and genetically improved Cannabis varieties for fiber, food and medicine products. Developing and implementing molecular biology tools to support the breeders, will allow creating new fungal resistant traits and tracking the movement of such desired traits across breeders germplasm.

Currently, breeding of Cannabis plants is mostly done by small Cannabis growers. There is very limited if any molecular tools supporting or leading the breeding process. Traditional Cannabis breeding is done by mixing breeding material with hope to find the desired traits and phenotypes by random crosses. These methods have allowed the construction of the leading Cannabis varieties on the market today. As the cultivation of Cannabis intensifies in protected structures such as greenhouses and closed growth chambers, such an environment encourages the prevalence of certain diseases, with the lead cause being fungi.

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. Powdery mildew diseases are caused by many different species of fungi in the order Erysiphales, with Podosphaera xanthii being the most commonly reported cause. Powdery mildew is one of the easier plant diseases to identify, as its symptoms are quite distinctive. Infected plants display white powdery spots on the leaves and stems. The lower leaves are the most affected, but the mildew can appear on any above-ground part of the plant. As the disease progresses, the spots get larger and denser as large numbers of asexual spores are formed, and the mildew may spread up and reduce the length of the plant.

Powdery mildew grows well in environments with high humidity and moderate temperatures. Greenhouses provide an ideal moist, temperate environment for the spread of the disease. This causes harm to agricultural and horticultural practices where powdery mildew may thrive in a greenhouse setting. In an agricultural or horticultural setting, the pathogen can be controlled using chemical methods, bio organic methods, and genetic resistance. It is important to be aware of powdery mildew and its management as the resulting disease can significantly reduce important crop yields.

MLO proteins function as negative regulators of plant defense to powdery mildew disease. Loss-of-function mlo alleles in barley, Arabidopsis and tomato have been reported to lead to broad-spectrum and durable resistance to the fungal pathogen causing powdery mildew.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,211,433 and 6,576,814 describe modulating the expression of Mlo genes in Maize by producing transgenic plants comprising mutation-induced recessive alleles of maize Mlo. However, such methods require genetically modifying the plant genome, particularly transforming plants with external foreign genes that enhance disease resistance.

US2018208939 discloses the generation of mutant wheat lines with mutations inactivating MLO alleles which confer heritable resistance to powdery mildew fungus.

Cannabis cultivation has always suffered from fungal diseases due to high humidity growing conditions in growth rooms or greenhouses.

In view of the above there is a heightened immediate need for the development of Cannabis plants that carry genetic resistance to fungal diseases, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for fungicide use in the cultivation of Cannabis. In addition, there is a need for non-GMO, advanced breeding programs of Cannabis for food, medicine and fiber (Hemp) production.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore one object of the present invention to disclose a modified Cannabis plant exhibiting enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (PM), wherein said modified plant comprises a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele, said mutated allele comprising a genomic modification selected from an indel of 14 bp at position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined above, wherein said indel comprises a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele, or a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said Csmlo1 mutant allele is at least one of: (a) comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele; (b) confers an enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a wild type CsMLO1 allele having a nucleic acid sequence with at least 80% sequence identity to a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:882 and/or to a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1; (c) comprising a deletion of 14 bp at position 389 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a combination thereof; and (d) generated using genome editing.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said plant has decreased expression levels of Mlo1 protein, relative to a Cannabis plant lacking said mutated Csmlo1 allele.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said genome modification is generated via introduction (a) Cas DNA and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 and any combination thereof, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 and any combination thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said PM is selected from the group consisting of Golovinomyces cichoracearum, Golovinomyces ambrosiae and a mixture thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose a progeny plant, plant part, plant seed, tissue culture of regenerable cells, protoplasts, callus or plant cell of a modified plant as defined in any of the above.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said modified plant comprises a targeted genome modification conferring reduced expression of a Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) gene as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking said targeted genome modification, said targeted genome modification generates a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele comprising a deletion of a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction thereof as compared to the wild type CsMLO1 allele comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO:1, or a combination thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose a method for producing a modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, said method comprises introducing using targeted genome modification, at least one genomic modification conferring reduced expression of at least one Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) allele as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking said targeted genome modification, said genomic modification generates a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele comprising an indel of 14 bp at a position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882 or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, comprises at least one step of: (a) introducing a loss of function mutation into said CsMLO1 allele using targeted genome modification; (b) introducing an expression vector comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a plant optimized Cas9 endonuclease and gRNA targeted to at least one CsMLO1 allele, said gRNA nucleotide sequence targeting said CsMLO1 allele is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof; (c) introducing and co-expressing in a Cannabis plant Cas9 and gRNA targeted to CsMLO1 gene and screening for induced targeted mutations conferring reduced expression of said CsMLO1 gene; (d) selecting a plant resistant to powdery mildew from plants comprising mutated Csmlo1 allele, said selected plant is characterized by enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a CsMLO1 nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:882; (e) regenerating a plant carrying said genomic modification; and (f) screening said regenerated plants for a plant resistant to powdery mildew.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein at least one of the following holds true: (a) said indel comprises a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction thereof; (b) said modified plant has decreased levels of at least one Mlo protein as compared to wild type Cannabis plant; (c) said genome modification is introduced using CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) gene (CRISPR/Cas), Transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN), Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN), meganuclease or any combination thereof; (d) said genetic modification in said CsMLO1 is generated in planta via introduction of a construct comprising (a) Cas DNA and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof, and any combination thereof, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof, and any combination thereof; (e) said powdery mildew is selected from the group of species consisting of Golovinomyces cichoracearum, Golovinomyces ambrosiae and a mixture thereof; (f) said Cannabis plant is selected from the group of species that includes, but is not limited to, Cannabis sativa (C. sativa), C. indica, C. ruderalis and any hybrid or cultivated variety of the genus Cannabis; (g) said Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele, or a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof; (h) said Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele; (i) said mutated Csmlo1 allele confers an enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a wild type CsMLO1 allele having a nucleic acid sequence at least 80% sequence identity to a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:882 and/or to a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1; and (j) said mutated allele comprising a deletion of 14 bp at position 389 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a combination thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose a method for conferring powdery mildew resistance to a Cannabis plant comprising producing a plant according to the method as defined in any of the above.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose a plant, plant part, plant cell, tissue culture or a seed obtained or obtainable by the method as defined in any of the above.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose a method for identifying a Cannabis plant with resistance to powdery mildew, said method comprises steps of: (a) screening the genome of said Cannabis plant for a mutated Csmlo1 allele, said mutated allele comprises a genomic modification selected from an indel of 14 bp at a position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882 or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof; (b) optionally, regenerating plants carrying said genetic modification; and (c) optionally, screening said regenerated plants for a plant resistant to powdery mildew.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose an isolated polynucleotide sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:882-886, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence or any combination thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose use of the polynucleotide sequence as defined in any of the above, for generating, identifying and/or screening for a Cannabis plant comprising within its genome mutant Csmlo allele conferring resistance to PM, wherein the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:883, SEQ ID NO:882 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises a wild type CsMLO1 allele, and the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:884, SEQ ID NO:885 and SEQ ID NO:886 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises a mutant Csmol1 allele.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose a detection kit for determining the presence or absence of a mutant Csmlo1 allele in a Cannabis plant, said kit comprising at least one of the isolated polynucleotide sequence as defined in any of the above, said kit is useful for identifying a Cannabis plant with enhanced resistance to powdery mildew, wherein the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:883, SEQ ID NO:882 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises a wild type CsMLO1 allele, and the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:884, SEQ ID NO:885 and SEQ ID NO:886 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises a mutant Csmol1 allele.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose a method of determining the presence of a mutant Csmlo1 allele in a Cannabis plant using the isolated polynucleotide sequence as defined in any of the above, comprising assaying said Cannabis plant for at least one of the presence of an indel comprising a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883, an insertion at position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele, a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose a method for down regulation of Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) gene, which comprises utilizing the isolated polynucleotide sequence as defined in any of the above, by steps of utilizing the nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof, and a combination thereof, for introducing a loss of function mutation into said CsMLO1 gene using targeted genome modification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Exemplary non-limited embodiments of the disclosed subject matter will be described, with reference to the following description of the embodiments, in conjunction with the figures. The figures are generally not shown to scale and any sizes are only meant to be exemplary and not necessarily limiting. Corresponding or like elements are optionally designated by the same numerals or letters.

FIGS. 1A-C is presenting a photographic illustration of an infected Cannabis plant leaf exhibiting PM symptoms of white powdery spots on the leaves (FIG. 1A), an enlarged view (×4) of fungal asexual spore-carrying bodies (conidia) of Golovinomyces cichoracearum on Cannabis leaf tissue (FIG. 1B), and a microscopic imaging of Golovinomyces cichoracearum spores (FIG. 1C);

FIG. 2A-B is schematically presenting WT plant cell penetrated by the fungal appressorium leading to haustorium establishment and infection by secondary hyphae (FIG. 2A), and mlo knockout plant cell into which the fungal spores are incapable of penetrating (FIG. 2B);

FIG. 3 is schematically presenting CRISPR/Cas9 mode of action as depicted by Xie, Kabin, and Yinong Yang. “RNA-guided genome editing in plants using a CRISPR—Cas system.” Molecular plant 6.6 (2013): 1975-1983;

FIG. 4A-D is photographically presenting GUS staining after transient transformation of Cannabis axillary buds (FIG. 4A), leaves (FIG. 4B), calli (FIG. 4C), and cotyledons (FIG. 4D);

FIG. 5 is presenting regenerated Cannabis tissue;

FIG. 6 is photographically presenting PCR detection of Cas9 DNA in shoots of Cannabis plants transformed using biolistics;

FIG. 7A-B is illustrating in vitro cleavage activity of CRISPR/Cas9; a scheme of genomic area targeted for editing is shown in FIG. 7A, and a gel showing digestion of PCR amplicon containing the gRNA sequence by RNP complex containing Cas9 and gene specific gRNA is shown in FIG. 7B;

FIG. 8 is presenting a schematic illustration of a DNA plasmid containing a plant codon optimized Cas9 nuclease from Streptococcus pyogenes (pcoSpCas9) and sgRNA sequences used for transformation, as embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 9 schematically presents genomic localization of sgRNAs used for targeting CsMLO1 first exon, as embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 10 presents genomic nucleotide sequence of the first exon (exon 1) of wild type CsMLO1 targeted by three gRNA sequences;

FIG. 11 presents amino acid sequence of the first exon (exon 1) of wild type CsMLO1;

FIG. 12 photographically presents detection of CsMLO1 PCR products showing length variation as a result of Cas9-mediated genome editing;

FIG. 13 schematically presents genome edited CsMLO1 DNA fragments produced by the present invention; and

FIG. 14 schematically presents nucleic acid sequence comparison of WT CsMLO1 and genome edited Csmlo1_d14i1 fragments produced by the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The present invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the present invention is not unnecessarily obscured.

The present invention provides a modified Cannabis plant exhibiting enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (PM), wherein the plant comprises a targeted genome modification conferring reduced expression of at least one Cannabis MLO (CsMLO) allele as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking said targeted genome modification.

The present invention is aimed at showing that lack of mildew resistance loci 0 (MLO) genes in Cannabis is correlated with resistance to PM. It is herein disclosed that MLO deletions are likely to increase PM resistance in Cannabis. According to further aspects of the invention, lack of certain MLO genes is used as markers for pathogen resistance and may accelerate breeding for more resistant Cannabis lines.

According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a modified Cannabis plant exhibiting enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (PM), wherein said modified plant comprises a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele, said mutated allele comprising a genomic modification selected from an indel of 14 bp at position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the indel comprises a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele, or a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the mutated Csmlo1 allele confers an enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a wild type CsMLO1 allele having a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:882 and/or having a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or a functional variant thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the functional variant has at least 80% sequence identity to the corresponding CsMLO1 nucleotide sequence.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the mutated allele comprising a deletion of 14 bp at position 389 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a combination thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the mutated Csmlo1 allele is generated using genome editing.

It is further within the scope of the present invention to provide, a modified Cannabis plant exhibiting enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (PM), wherein said modified plant comprises a targeted genome modification conferring reduced expression of a Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) gene as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking said targeted genome modification, said targeted genome modification generates a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele comprising a deletion of a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction thereof as compared to the wild type CsMLO1 allele comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO:1, or a combination thereof.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for producing a modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above is provided. The method comprises introducing using targeted genome modification, at least one genomic modification conferring reduced expression of at least one Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) allele as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking said targeted genome modification, said genomic modification generates a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele comprising an indel of 14 bp at a position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882 or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof.

According to further aspects of the present invention, a method of determining the presence of a mutant Csmlo1 allele in a Cannabis plant is provided. The method comprising assaying the Cannabis plant for at least one of the presence of an indel comprising a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883, an insertion at position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele, a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof.

It is further within the scope to provide a method for identifying a Cannabis plant with resistance to powdery mildew, said method comprises steps of: (a) screening the genome of said Cannabis plant for a mutated Csmlo1 allele, said mutated allele comprises a genomic modification selected from an indel of 14 bp at a position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882 or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof; (b) optionally, regenerating plants carrying said genetic modification; and (c) optionally, screening said regenerated plants for a plant resistant to powdery mildew.

It is further within the scope of the present invention to provide a method for down regulation of Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) gene, which comprises utilizing the nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof, and a combination thereof, for introducing a loss of function mutation into said CsMLO1 gene using targeted genome modification.

The present invention further provides an isolated amino acid sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:882-886, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence or any combination thereof.

It is also within the scope to disclose a use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 883-886, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 for generating, identifying and/or screening for a Cannabis plant comprising within its genome mutant Csmlo allele conferring resistance to PM.

It is also within the scope to disclose a use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence or any combination thereof for targeted genome modification of Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) gene.

According to further aspects, the present invention provides a detection kit for determining the presence or absence of a mutant Csmlo1 allele in a Cannabis plant, comprising a nucleic acid fragment comprising a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:882-886, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence or any combination thereof.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the targeted genome modification is in a CsMLO allele having a wild type genomic nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of CsMLO1 having a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or a functional variant thereof, CsMLO2 having a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:4 or a functional variant thereof and CsMLO3 having a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:7 or a functional variant thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the functional variant has at least 75%, preferably 80% sequence identity to the corresponding CsMLO nucleotide sequence.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the modified Cannabis plant has decreased expression levels of at least one Mlo protein, relative to a Cannabis plant lacking the at least one genome modification.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the genome modification is introduced using mutagenesis, small interfering RNA (siRNA), microRNA (miRNA), artificial miRNA (amiRNA), DNA introgression, endonucleases or any combination thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the genetic modification is introduced using targeted genome modification, preferably said genetic modification is introduced using an endonuclease.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the genome modification is introduced using guide RNA, e.g. single guide RNA (sgRNA) designed and targeted to mutate CsMLO1 gene, said sgRNA nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the modified Cannabis plant comprises at least one mutated CsMLO1 allele comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:875, a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:877, a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:880 or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of said at least one mutated CsMLO1 allele or a combination thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the modified Cannabis plant comprises at least one silencing mutation, a knockdown mutation, a knockout mutation, a loss of function mutation or any combination thereof in at least one gene or allele selected from the group consisting of CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention the mutated CsMLO1 allele comprises a deletion having a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO.:876, SEQ ID NO.:879 or SEQ ID NO.:881.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the mutated CsMLO1 allele confers an enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a wild type CsMLO1 allele sequence.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the wild type CsMLO1 allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:873, SEQ ID NO:876, SEQ ID NO:879 or SEQ ID NO:881. According to a further embodiment of the present invention the present invention provides modified Cannabis plant exhibiting enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (PM) compared to wild type Cannabis plant, wherein the modified plant comprises a genetic modification conferring reduced expression of at least one Cannabis MLO (CsMLO) allele. The present invention further provides methods for producing the aforementioned modified Cannabis plant using genome editing or modification techniques.

Powdery mildew (PM) is a major fungal disease that threatens thousands of plant species. Powdery mildew is commonly controlled by frequent applications of fungicides, having negative effects on the environment, and leading to additional costs for growers. To reduce the amount of chemicals required to control this pathogen, the development of resistant crop varieties is a priority.

It is herein acknowledged that PM pathogenesis is associated with up-regulation of specific MLO genes during early stages of infection, causing down-regulation of plant defense pathways. These up-regulated genes are responsible for PM susceptibility (S-genes) and their knock-out cause durable and broad-spectrum resistance.

As the Cannabis legal market is expanding worldwide, this agricultural crop will gradually move from indoor growing facilities to simple low cost greenhouses to enable mass production at reduced operational costs. One of the major challenges facing this transition is the lack of compatible genetics (strains) adapted for green house growth and more specifically genetic fungal resistances. Cannabis susceptibility to fungal diseases results in damages and losses to the grower and forces the widespread use of fungicides. Excessive fungicide use poses health threats to Cannabis consumers.

To date, there are no fungal disease resistant Cannabis varieties on the market. Classical breeding programs dedicated to the end of creating fungal disease resistant Cannabis varieties are virtually impossible due to limited genetic variation, legal constraints on import and export of genetic material and limited academic knowledge and gene banks involved is such projects. In addition, traditional breeding is a long process with low rates of success and certainty, as it is based on trial and error.

The solution proposed by the current invention is using genome editing such as the CRISPR/Cas system in order to create fungal disease resistant Cannabis varieties. Breeding using genome editing allows a precise and significantly shorter breeding process in order to achieve these goals with a much higher success rate. Thus genome editing, has the potential to generate improved varieties faster and at a lower cost. By using genome editing to generate Powdery Mildew (PM) resistant Cannabis varieties, the current disclosure will allow growers worldwide to supply a safer product to Cannabis consumers.

It is further noted that using genome editing is considered as non GMO by the Israeli regulator and in the US, the USDA has already classified a dozen of genome edited plant as non regulated and non GMO (https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2018/03/28/secretary-perdue-issues-usda-statement-plant-breeding-innovation).

The Cannabis industry's value chain is based on a steady supply of high quality consistent product. Due to lack of suitable genetics adapted for intensive agriculture production, most growing methods are based on cloning as a mean of vegetative propagation in order to ensure genetic consistency of the plant material. These methods are outdated, expensive and not fit for purpose.

The lack of Cannabis strains that are disease resistant, stable and uniform, pose a threat to the ability of supplying the industry with the raw material needed to support itself.

Legal limitations and outdated breeding techniques significantly hamper the efforts of generating new and improved Cannabis varieties fit for intensive agriculture.

Cannabis legalization in certain countries has increased significantly the number of Cannabis growers and area used for growing. One possible solution is moving growing Cannabis into greenhouses (protected growing facilities) like the vegetable industry has been doing for the last few decades. Unlike the vegetable industry, Cannabis is based on vegetative propagation while vegetables are grown through seeds. In addition, Cannabis growers are using Cannabis strains that were bred for indoor cultivation and are now using those for their greenhouse operations. This situation is obviously not ideal and causes many logistic issues for the growers. For example, since Cannabis plants require short days for the induction of flowering, growers install darkening curtains in the greenhouse to control day length for the plants. This artificial darkening results in increased humidity in the greenhouse thus creating optimal conditions for fungal pathogens to spread and thrive. These conditions force growers to intensively use fungicides to control pathogen populations. With strict regulatory constraints in place across the legalized states, these conditions pose a great challenge for sustainable Cannabis production and consumer health.

The next step for the Cannabis industry is the adoption and use of hybrid seeds for propagation, which is common practice in the conventional seed industry (from field crops to vegetables). In addition, breeding for basic agronomic traits that are completely lacking in currently available Cannabis varieties (with an emphasis on disease resistances) will significantly increase grower's productivity. This will allow growing and supplying high quality raw material for the Cannabis industry.

In order to generate a reproducible product, Cannabis growers are currently using vegetative propagation (cloning or tissue culture). However, in conventional agricultural, genetic stability of field crops and vegetables is maintained by using F1 hybrid seeds. These hybrids are generated by crossing homozygous parental lines.

Currently, breeding of Cannabis plants is mostly done by small Cannabis growers. There is very limited if any molecular tools supporting or leading the breeding process. Traditional Cannabis breeding is done by mixing breeding material with hope to find the desired traits and phenotypes by random crosses.

The present invention provides for the first time enhanced resistant Cannabis plants to fungal diseases. The current invention disclose the generation of non-transgenic Cannabis plant resistant to the powdery mildew fungal disease, using the genome editing technology, e.g., the CRISPR/Cas9 tool. The generated mutations can be readily introduced into elite or locally adapted Cannabis lines rapidly, with relatively minimal effort and investment.

As used herein the term “about” denotes ±25% of the defined amount or measure or value.

As used herein the term “similar” denotes a correspondence or resemblance range of about ±20%, particularly ±15%, more particularly about ±10% and even more particularly about ±5%.

A “plant” as used herein refers to any plant at any stage of development, particularly a seed plant. The term “plant” includes the whole plant or any parts or derivatives thereof, such as plant cells, seeds, plant protoplasts, plant cell tissue culture from which tomato plants can be regenerated, plant callus or calli, meristematic cells, microspores, embryos, immature embryos, pollen, ovules, anthers, fruit, flowers, leaves, cotyledons, pistil, seeds, seed coat, roots, root tips and the like.

The term “plant cell” used herein refers to a structural and physiological unit of a plant, comprising a protoplast and a cell wall. The plant cell may be in a form of an isolated single cell or a cultured cell, or as a part of higher organized unit such as, for example, plant tissue, a plant organ, or a whole plant.

The term “plant cell culture” as used herein means cultures of plant units such as, for example, protoplasts, regenerable cells, cell culture, cells, cells in plant tissues, pollen, pollen tubes, ovules, embryo sacs, zygotes and embryos at various stages of development, leaves, roots, root tips, anthers, meristematic cells, microspores, flowers, cotyledons, pistil, fruit, seeds, seed coat or any combination thereof.

The term “plant material” or “plant part” used herein refers to leaves, stems, roots, root tips, flowers or flower parts, fruits, pollen, egg cells, zygotes, seeds, seed coat, cuttings, cell or tissue cultures, or any other part or product of a plant or a combination thereof.

A “plant organ” as used herein means a distinct and visibly structured and differentiated part of a plant such as a root, stem, leaf, flower, flower bud, or embryo.

The term “Plant tissue” as used herein means a group of plant cells organized into a structural and functional unit. Any tissue of a plant in planta or in culture is included. This term includes, but is not limited to, whole plants, plant organs, plant seeds, tissue culture, protoplasts, meristematic cells, calli and any group of plant cells organized into structural and/or functional units. The use of this term in conjunction with, or in the absence of, any specific type of plant tissue as listed above or otherwise embraced by this definition is not intended to be exclusive of any other type of plant tissue.

As used herein, the term “progeny” or “progenies” refers in a non limiting manner to offspring or descendant plants. According to certain embodiments, the term “progeny” or “progenies” refers to plants developed or grown or produced from the disclosed or deposited seeds as detailed inter alia. The grown plants preferably have the desired traits of the disclosed or deposited seeds, i.e. reduced expression of at least one CsMLO gene.

The term “Cannabis” refers hereinafter to a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. Cannabis is an annual, dioecious, flowering herb that includes, but is not limited to three different species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis. The term also refers to hemp. Cannabis plants produce a group of chemicals called cannabinoids. Cannabinoids, terpenoids, and other compounds are secreted by glandular trichomes that occur most abundantly on the floral calyxes and bracts of female Cannabis plants.

As used herein the term “genetic modification” or “genomic modification” refers hereinafter to genetic manipulation or modulation, which is the manipulation of an organism's genes using biotechnology. It also refers to a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer of genes within and across species, targeted mutagenesis and genome editing technologies to produce improved organisms. According to main embodiments of the present invention, modified Cannabis plants with increased resistance to PM are generated using genome editing mechanism. This technique enables to achieve in planta modification of specific genes that relate to and/or control the infection of powdery mildew in the Cannabis plant.

The term “genome editing”, or “genome/genetic modification” or “genome engineering” generally refers hereinafter to a type of genetic engineering in which DNA is inserted, deleted, modified or replaced in the genome of a living organism. Unlike previous genetic engineering techniques that randomly insert genetic material into a host genome, genome editing targets the insertions to site specific locations.

It is within the scope of the present invention that the common methods for such editing use engineered nucleases, or “molecular scissors”. These nucleases create site-specific double-strand breaks (DSBs) at desired locations in the genome. The induced double-strand breaks are repaired through nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination (HR), resulting in targeted mutations (‘edits’). Families of engineered nucleases used by the current invention include, but are not limited to: meganucleases, zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector-based nucleases (TALEN), and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas9) system.

Reference is now made to exemplary genome editing terms used by the current disclosure:

Genome Editing Glossary
Cas = CRISPR-associated genes
Cas9, Csn1 = a CRISPR-associated protein containing two nuclease
domains, that is programmed by small RNAs to cleave DNA
crRNA = CRISPR RNA
dCAS9 = nuclease-deficient Cas9
DSB = Double-Stranded Break
gRNA = guide RNA
HDR = Homology-Directed Repair
HNH = an endonuclease domain named for characteristic histidine
and asparagine residues
Indel = insertion and/or deletion
NHEJ = Non-Homologous End Joining
PAM = Protospacer-Adjacent Motif
RuvC = an endonuclease domain named for an E. coli protein involved in
DNA repair
sgRNA = single guide RNA
tracrRNA, trRNA = trans-activating crRNA
TALEN = Transcription-Activator Like Effector Nuclease
ZFN = Zinc-Finger Nuclease

It is noted that it is within the scope of the current invention that the term gRNA also refers to or means single guide RNA (sgRNA).

According to specific aspects of the present invention, the CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) genes are used for the first time for generating genome modification in targeted genes in the Cannabis plant. It is herein acknowledged that the functions of CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) genes are essential in adaptive immunity in select bacteria and archaea, enabling the organisms to respond to and eliminate invading genetic material. These repeats were initially discovered in the 1980s in E. coli. Without wishing to be bound by theory, reference is now made to a type of CRISPR mechanism, in which invading DNA from viruses or plasmids is cut into small fragments and incorporated into a CRISPR locus comprising a series of short repeats (around 20 bps). The loci are transcribed, and transcripts are then processed to generate small RNAs (crRNA, namely CRISPR RNA), which are used to guide effector endonucleases that target invading DNA based on sequence complementarity.

According to further aspects of the invention, Cas protein, such as Cas9 (also known as Csn1) is required for gene silencing. Cas9 participates in the processing of crRNAs, and is responsible for the destruction of the target DNA. Cas9's function in both of these steps relies on the presence of two nuclease domains, a RuvC-like nuclease domain located at the amino terminus and a HNH-like nuclease domain that resides in the mid-region of the protein. To achieve site-specific DNA recognition and cleavage, Cas9 is complexed with both a crRNA and a separate trans-activating crRNA (tracrRNA or trRNA), that is partially complementary to the crRNA. The tracrRNA is required for crRNA maturation from a primary transcript encoding multiple pre-crRNAs. This occurs in the presence of RNase III and Cas9.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is herein acknowledged that during the destruction of target DNA, the HNH and RuvC-like nuclease domains cut both DNA strands, generating double-stranded breaks (DSBs) at sites defined by a 20-nucleotide target sequence within an associated crRNA transcript. The HNH domain cleaves the complementary strand, while the RuvC domain cleaves the noncomplementary strand.

It is further noted that the double-stranded endonuclease activity of Cas9 also requires that a short conserved sequence, (2-6 nucleotides) known as protospacer-associated motif (PAM), follows immediately 3′- of the crRNA complementary sequence.

According to further aspects of the invention, a two-component system may be used by the current invention, combining trRNA and crRNA into a single synthetic single guide RNA (sgRNA) for guiding targeted gene alterations.

It is further within the scope that Cas9 nuclease variants include wild-type Cas9, Cas9D10A and nuclease-deficient Cas9 (dCas9).

Reference is now made to FIG. 3 schematically presenting an example of CRISPR/Cas9 mechanism of action as depicted by Xie, Kabin, and Yinong Yang. “RNA-guided genome editing in plants using a CRISPR—Cas system.” Molecular plant 6.6 (2013): 1975-1983. As shown in this figure, the Cas9 endonuclease forms a complex with a chimeric RNA (called guide RNA or gRNA), replacing the crRNA—transcrRNA heteroduplex, and the gRNA could be programmed to target specific sites. The gRNA—Cas9 should comprise at least 15-base-pairing (gRNA seed region) without mismatch between the 5′-end of engineered gRNA and targeted genomic site, and a motif called protospacer-adjacent motif or PAM that follows the base-pairing region in the complementary strand of the targeted DNA. The commonly-used Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpCas9) recognizes the PAM sequence 5′-NGG-3′ (where “N” can be any nucleotide base).

Other Cas variants and their PAM sequences (5′ to 3′) within the scope of the current invention include NmeCas9 (isolated from Neisseria meningitides) recognizing NNNNGATT, StCas9 (isolated from Streptococcus thermophiles) recognizing NNAGAAW, TdCas9 (isolated from Treponema denticola) recognizing NAAAAC, SaCas9 (isolated from Staphylococcus aureus) recognizing NNGRRT or NGRRT or NGRRN and TBN (Cas-phi).

The term “meganucleases” as used herein refers hereinafter to endodeoxyribonucleases characterized by a large recognition site (double-stranded DNA sequences of 12 to 40 base pairs); as a result this site generally occurs only once in any given genome. Meganucleases are therefore considered to be the most specific naturally occurring restriction enzymes.

The term “protospacer adjacent motif” or “PAM” as used herein refers hereinafter to a 2-6 base pair DNA sequence immediately following the DNA sequence targeted by the Cas9 nuclease in the CRISPR bacterial adaptive immune system. PAM is a component of the invading virus or plasmid, but is not a component of the bacterial CRISPR locus. PAM is an essential targeting component which distinguishes bacterial self from non-self DNA, thereby preventing the CRISPR locus from being targeted and destroyed by nuclease.

The term “Next-generation sequencing” or “NGS” as used herein refers hereinafter to massively, parallel, high-throughput or deep sequencing technology platforms that perform sequencing of millions of small fragments of DNA in parallel. Bioinformatics analyses are used to piece together these fragments by mapping the individual reads to the reference genome.

The term “gene knockdown” as used herein refers hereinafter to an experimental technique by which the expression of one or more of an organism's genes is reduced. The reduction can occur through genetic modification, i.e. targeted genome editing or by treatment with a reagent such as a short DNA or RNA oligonucleotide that has a sequence complementary to either gene or an mRNA transcript. The reduced expression can be at the level of RNA or at the level of protein. It is within the scope of the present invention that the term gene knockdown also refers to a loss of function mutation and/or gene knockout mutation in which an organism's genes is made inoperative or nonfunctional.

The term “gene silencing” or “silence” or silencing” as used herein refers hereinafter to the regulation of gene expression in a cell to prevent the expression of a certain gene. Gene silencing can occur during either transcription or translation. In certain aspects of the invention, gene silencing is considered to have a similar meaning as gene knockdown. When genes are silenced, their expression is reduced. In contrast, when genes are knocked out, they are completely not expressed. Gene silencing may be considered a gene knockdown mechanism since the methods used to silence genes, such as RNAi, CRISPR, or siRNA, generally reduce the expression of a gene by at least 70% but do not completely eliminate it. In some embodiments of the present invention, gene silencing by targeted genome modification results in non-functional gene products, such as transcripts or proteins, for example non-functional CsMLO1 exon 1 fragments.

The term “microRNAs” or “miRNAs” refers hereinafter to small non-coding RNAs that have been found in most of the eukaryotic organisms. They are involved in the regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in a sequence specific manner. MiRNAs are produced from their precursors by Dicer-dependent small RNA biogenesis pathway. MiRNAs are candidates for studying gene function using different RNA-based gene silencing techniques. For example, artificial miRNAs (amiRNAs) targeting one or several genes of interest is a potential tool in functional genomics.

The term “in planta” means in the context of the present invention within the plant or plant cells. More specifically, it means introducing CRISPR/Cas complex into plant material comprising a tissue culture of several cells, a whole plant, or into a single plant cell, without introducing a foreign gene or a mutated gene. It also used to describe conditions present in a non-laboratory environment (e.g. in vivo).

As used herein, the term “powdery mildew” or “PM” refers hereinafter to fungi that are obligate, biotrophic parasites of the phylum Ascomycota of Kingdom Fungi. The diseases they cause are common, widespread, and easily recognizable. Infected plants display white powdery spots on the leaves and stems Infection by the fungus is favored by high humidity but not by free water. Powdery mildew fungi tend to grow superficially, or epiphytically, on plant surfaces. During the growing season, hyphae are produced preferably on both upper and lower leaf surfaces. Infections can also occur on stems, flowers, or fruit. Specialized absorption cells, termed haustoria, extend into the plant epidermal cells to obtain nutrition.

Powdery mildew fungi can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction is via chasmothecia (cleistothecium), a type of ascocarp where the genetic material recombines. Within each ascocarp are several asci. Under optimal conditions, ascospores mature and are released to initiate new infections Conidia (asexual spores) are also produced on plant surfaces during the growing season. They develop either singly or in chains on specialized hyphae called conidiophores. Conidiophores arise from the epiphytic hyphae, or in the case of endophytic hyphae, the conidiophores emerge through leaf stomata. It should be noted that powdery mildew fungi must be adapted to their hosts to be able to infect them. The present invention provides for the first time Cannabis plants with enhanced resistance or tolerance to PM disease. The enhanced resistance to PM is generated by genome editing techniques targeted at silencing at least one Cannabis Mildew Locus O (MLO) gene. The modified resulted Cannabis plant exhibits enhanced resistance to PM as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking the targeted modification.

The term “MLO” or “Mlo” or “mlo” refers hereinafter to the Mildew Locus O (MLO) gene family encoding for plant-specific proteins harboring several transmembrane domains, topologically reminiscent of metazoan G-protein coupled receptors. It is within the scope of the present invention that specific homologs of the MLO family act as susceptibility genes towards PM fungi. It is emphasized that the present invention provides for the first time the identification of MLO orthologous alleles in the Cannabis plant. Three Cannabis MLO alleles or genes (i.e. MLO1, MLO2, MLO3) have been herein identified, namely CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3.

The term “orthologue” as used herein refers hereinafter to one of two or more homologous gene sequences found in different species.

The term “functional variant” or “functional variant of a nucleic acid or protein sequence” as used herein, for example with reference to SEQ ID NOs: 1, 2 or 3 refers to a variant gene sequence or part of the gene sequence which retains the biological function of the full non-variant allele (e.g. CsMLO allele) and hence has the activity of modulating response to PM. A functional variant also comprises a variant of the gene of interest encoding a polypeptide which has sequence alterations that do not affect function of the resulting protein, for example in non-conserved residues. Also encompassed is a variant that is substantially identical, i.e. has only some sequence variations, for example in non-conserved residues, to the wild type nucleic acid sequences of the alleles as shown herein and is biologically active.

The term “variety” or “cultivar” used herein means a group of similar plants that by structural features and performance can be identified from other varieties within the same species.

The term “allele” used herein means any of one or more alternative or variant forms of a gene or a genetic unit at a particular locus, all of which alleles relate to one trait or characteristic at a specific locus. In a diploid cell of an organism, alleles of a given gene are located at a specific location, or locus (loci plural) on a chromosome. Alternative or variant forms of alleles may be the result of single nucleotide polymorphisms, insertions, inversions, translocations or deletions, or the consequence of gene regulation caused by, for example, by chemical or structural modification, transcription regulation or post-translational modification/regulation. An allele associated with a qualitative trait may comprise alternative or variant forms of various genetic units including those mat are identical or associated with a single gene or multiple genes or their products or even a gene disrupting or controlled by a genetic factor contributing to the phenotype represented by the locus. According to further embodiments, the term “allele” designates any of one or more alternative forms of a gene at a particular locus. Heterozygous alleles are two different alleles at the same locus. Homozygous alleles are two identical alleles at a particular locus. A wild type allele is a naturally occurring allele. In the context of the current invention, the term allele refers to the three identified Cannabis MLO genes, namely CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3 having the genomic nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 1, 2 or 3, respectively.

As used herein, the term “locus” (loci plural) means a specific place or places or region or a site on a chromosome where for example a gene or genetic marker element or factor is found. In specific embodiments, such a genetic element is contributing to a trait.

As used herein, the term “homozygous” refers to a genetic condition or configuration existing when two identical or like alleles reside at a specific locus, but are positioned individually on corresponding pairs of homologous chromosomes in the cell of a diploid organism.

Conversely, as used herein, the term “heterozygous” means a genetic condition or configuration existing when two different or unlike alleles reside at a specific locus, but are positioned individually on corresponding pairs of homologous chromosomes in the cell of a diploid organism. In specific embodiments, the tomato plants of the present invention comprise heterozygous configuration of the genetic markers associated with the high yield characteristics.

The term “corresponding” or “corresponding to” or “corresponding to nucleotide sequence” or “corresponding to position” as used herein, refers in the context of the present invention to sequence homology or sequence identity. These terms relate to two or more nucleic acid or protein sequences, that are the same or have a specified percentage of amino acid residues or nucleotides that are the same, when compared and aligned for maximum correspondence, as measured using one of the available sequence comparison algorithms or by visual inspection. If two sequences, which are to be compared with each other, differ in length, sequence identity preferably relates to the percentage of the nucleotide residues of the shorter sequence, which are identical with the nucleotide residues of the longer sequence. As used herein, the percent of identity or homology between two sequences is a function of the number of identical positions shared by the sequences, taking into account the number of gaps, and the length of each gap, which needs to be introduced for optimal alignment of the two sequences. The comparison of sequences and determination of identity percent between two sequences can be accomplished using a mathematical algorithm as known in the relevant art. According to further aspects of the invention, the term “corresponding to the nucleotide sequence” or “corresponding to position”, refers to variants, homologues and fragments of the indicated nucleotide sequence, which possess or perform the same biological function or correlates with the same phenotypic characteristic of the indicated nucleotide sequence.

Another indication that two nucleic acid sequences are substantially identical or that a sequence is “corresponding to the nucleotide sequence” is that the two molecules hybridize to each other under stringent conditions. High stringency conditions, such as high hybridization temperature and low salt in hybridization buffers, permits only hybridization between nucleic acid sequences that are highly similar, whereas low stringency conditions, such as lower temperature and high salt, allows hybridization when the sequences are less similar.

In other embodiments of the invention, such substantially identical sequences refer to polynucleotide or amino acid sequences that share at least about 80% similarity, preferably at least about 90% similarity, alternatively, about 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% similarity to the indicated polynucleotide or amino acid sequences.

According to other aspects of the invention, the term “corresponding” refers also to complementary sequences or base pairing such that when they are aligned antiparallel to each other, the nucleotide bases at each position in the sequences will be complementary. The degree of complementarity between two nucleic acid strands may vary.

As used herein, the phrase “genetic marker” or “molecular marker” or “biomarker” refers to a feature in an individual's genome e.g., a nucleotide or a polynucleotide sequence that is associated with one or more loci or trait of interest In some embodiments, a genetic marker is polymorphic in a population of interest, or the locus occupied by the polymorphism, depending on context. Genetic markers or molecular markers include, for example, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), indels (i.e. insertions deletions), simple sequence repeats (SSRs), restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAFDs), cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers, Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) markers, and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) or combinations thereof, among many other examples such as the DNA sequence per se. Genetic markers can, for example, be used to locate genetic loci containing alleles on a chromosome that contribute to variability of phenotypic traits. The phrase “genetic marker” or “molecular marker” or “biomarker” can also refer to a polynucleotide sequence complementary or corresponding to a genomic sequence, such as a sequence of a nucleic acid used as a probe or primer.

As used herein, the term “germplasm” refers to the totality of the genotypes of a population or other group of individuals (e.g., a species). The term “germplasm” can also refer to plant material; e.g., a group of plants that act as a repository for various alleles. Such germplasm genotypes or populations include plant materials of proven genetic superiority; e.g., for a given environment or geographical area, and plant materials of unknown or unproven genetic value; that are not part of an established breeding population and that do not have a known relationship to a member of the established breeding population.

The terms “hybrid”, “hybrid plant” and “hybrid progeny” used herein refers to an individual produced from genetically different parents (e.g., a genetically heterozygous or mostly heterozygous individual).

As used herein, “sequence identity” or “identity” in the context of two nucleic acid or polypeptide sequences makes reference to the residues in the two sequences that are the same when aligned for maximum correspondence over a specified comparison window. When percentage of sequence identity is used in reference to proteins, it is recognized that residue positions which are not identical often differ by conservative amino acid substitutions, where amino acid residues are substituted for other amino acid residues with similar chemical properties (e.g., charge or hydrophobicity) and therefore do not change the functional properties of the molecule. The term further refers hereinafter to the amount of characters which match exactly between two different sequences. Hereby, gaps are not counted and the measurement is relational to the shorter of the two sequences.

It is further within the scope that the terms “similarity” and “identity” additionally refer to local homology, identifying domains that are homologous or similar (in nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence). It is acknowledged that bioinformatics tools such as BLAST, SSEARCH, FASTA, and HMMER calculate local sequence alignments which identify the most similar region between two sequences. For domains that are found in different sequence contexts in different proteins, the alignment should be limited to the homologous domain, since the domain homology is providing the sequence similarity captured in the score. According to some aspects the term similarity or identity further includes a sequence motif, which is a nucleotide or amino-acid sequence pattern that is widespread and has, or is conjectured to have, a biological significance. Proteins may have a sequence motif and/or a structural motif, a motif formed by the three-dimensional arrangement of amino acids which may not be adjacent.

As used herein, the terms “nucleic acid”, “nucleic acid sequence”, “nucleotide”, “nucleic acid molecule” or “polynucleotide” are intended to include DNA molecules (e.g., cDNA or genomic DNA), RNA molecules (e.g., mRNA), natural occurring, mutated, synthetic DNA or RNA molecules, and analogs of the DNA or RNA generated using nucleotide analogs. It can be single-stranded or double-stranded. Such nucleic acids or polynucleotides include, but are not limited to, coding sequences of structural genes, anti-sense sequences, and non-coding regulatory sequences that do not encode mRNAs or protein products. These terms also encompass a gene. The term “gene”, “allele” or “gene sequence” is used broadly to refer to a DNA nucleic acid associated with a biological function. Thus, genes may include introns and exons as in the genomic sequence, or may comprise only a coding sequence as in cDNAs, and/or may include cDNAs in combination with regulatory sequences. Thus, according to the various aspects of the invention, genomic DNA, cDNA or coding DNA may be used. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid is cDNA or coding DNA.

The terms “peptide”, “polypeptide” and “protein” are used interchangeably herein and refer to amino acids in a polymeric form of any length, linked together by peptide bonds.

According to other aspects of the invention, a ‘modified” or a “mutant” plant is a plant that has been altered compared to the naturally occurring wild type (WT) plant. Specifically, the endogenous nucleic acid sequences of each of the MLO homologs in Cannabis (nucleic acid sequences CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3) have been altered compared to wild type sequences using mutagenesis and/or genome editing methods as described herein. This causes inactivation of the endogenous Mlo genes and thus disables Mlo function. Such plants have an altered phenotype and show resistance or increased resistance to PM compared to wild type plants. Therefore, the resistance is conferred by the presence of at least one mutated endogenous CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3 genes in the Cannabis plant genome which has been specifically targeted using targeted genome modification.

According to further aspects of the present invention, the increased resistance to PM is not conferred by the presence of transgenes expressed in Cannabis.

It should be noted that nucleic acid sequences of wild type alleles are designated using capital letters namely CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3. Mutant mlo nucleic acid sequences use non-capitalization. Cannabis plants of the invention are modified plants compared to wild type plants which comprise and express mutant mlo alleles.

It is further within the scope of the current invention that mlo mutations that down-regulate or disrupt functional expression of the wild-type Mlo sequence may be recessive, such that they are complemented by expression of a wild-type sequence.

A mlo mutant phenotype according to the invention is characterized by the exhibition of an increased resistance against PM. In other words, a mlo mutant according to the invention confers resistance to the pathogen causing PM, which is identified as described inter alia.

It is further noted that a wild type Cannabis plant is a plant that does not have any mutant Mlo alleles.

Main aspects of the invention involve targeted mutagenesis methods, specifically genome editing, and exclude embodiments that are solely based on generating plants by traditional breeding methods. In a further embodiment of the current invention, as explained herein, the disease resistant trait is not due to the presence of a transgene.

The inventors have generated mutant Cannabis lines with mutations inactivating at least one CsMLO homoeoallele which confer heritable resistance to powdery mildew. In this way no functional CsMLO protein is made. Thus, the invention relates to these mutant Cannabis lines and related methods.

According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a modified Cannabis plant exhibiting enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (PM) compared to wild type Cannabis plant. The Cannabis plant of the present invention comprises a genetic modification conferring reduced expression of at least one Cannabis MLO (CsMLO) allele.

It is within the scope of the present invention that the CsMLO allele is selected from the group consisting of CsMLO1 having a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or a fragment or a functional variant thereof, CsMLO2 having a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:4 or a fragment or a functional variant thereof and CsMLO3 having a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:7 or a fragment or a functional variant thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the functional variant has at least 75% sequence identity to the CsMLO nucleotide sequence.

It is within the scope of the current invention that genome editing can be achieved using sequence-specific nucleases (SSNs) and results in chromosomal changes, such as nucleotide deletions, insertions or substitutions at specified genetic loci. Non limiting examples of SSNs include zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), TAL effector nucleases (TALENs) and, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) system.

Non limiting examples Cas proteins used by the present invention include Csn1, Cpf1 Cas9, Cas12, Cas13, Cas14, CasX and any combination thereof.

According to further aspects of the invention, Cannabis plant resistant to the powdery mildew fungal pathogen using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology is generated, which is based on the Cas9 DNA nuclease guided to a specific DNA target by a single guide RNA (sgRNA).

It is herein acknowledged that wild-type alleles of MILDEW RESISTANT LOCUS 0 (Mlo), which encodes a membrane-associated protein with seven transmembrane domains, confer susceptibility to fungi causing the powdery mildew disease. Therefore, homozygous loss-of-function mutations (mlo) result in resistance to powdery mildew.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, in planta modification of specific genes that relate to and/or control the infection of powdery mildew in the Cannabis plant is achieved for the first time by the present invention, i.e. the Cannabis MLO genes (CsMLO). More specifically, but not limited to, the use of gene editing technologies, for example the CRISPR/Cas technology (e.g. Cas9 or Cpf1), in order to generate knockout alleles of genes (i.e. MLO genes) controlling the resistance to powdery mildew (PM) is disclosed for the Cannabis plant. The above in planta modification can be based on alternative gene editing technologies such as Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFN's), Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN's), RNA silencing (amiRNA etc.) and/or meganucleases.

The loss of function mutation may be a deletion or insertion (“indels”) with reference the wild type CsMLO allele sequence. The deletion may comprise 1-20 or more, for example 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or 20 nucleotides or more in one or more strand. The insertion may comprise 1-20 or more, for example 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or 20 or more nucleotides in one or more strand.

The plant of the invention includes plants wherein the plant is heterozygous for the each of the mutations. In a preferred embodiment however, the plant is homozygous for the mutations. Progeny that is also homozygous can be generated from these plants according to methods known in the art.

It is further within the scope that variants of a particular CsMLO nucleotide or amino acid sequence according to the various aspects of the invention will have at least about 50%-99%, for example at least 75%, for example at least 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 92%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% or more sequence identity to that particular non-variant CsMLO nucleotide sequence of the CsMLO allele as shown in SEQ ID NO 1, 2 or 3. Sequence alignment programs to determine sequence identity are well known in the art.

Also, the various aspects of the invention encompass not only a CsMLO nucleic acid sequence or amino acid sequence, but also fragments thereof. By “fragment” is intended a portion of the nucleotide sequence or a portion of the amino acid sequence and hence of the protein encoded thereby. Fragments of a nucleotide sequence may encode protein fragments that retain the biological activity of the native protein and hence act to modulate responses to PM.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the herein newly identified Cannabis MLO locus (CsMLO) have been targeted using the triple sgRNA strategy.

According to further embodiments of the present invention, DNA introduction into the plant cells can be done by Agrobacterium infiltration, virus based plasmids for delivery of the genome editing molecules and mechanical insertion of DNA (PEG mediated DNA transformation, biolistics, etc.).

In addition, it is within the scope of the present invention that the Cas9 protein is directly inserted together with a gRNA (ribonucleoprotein-RNP's) in order to bypass the need for in vivo transcription and translation of the Cas9+gRNA plasmid in planta to achieve gene editing.

It is also possible to create a genome edited plant and use it as a rootstock. Then, the Cas protein and gRNA can be transported via the vasculature system to the top of the plant and create the genome editing event in the scion.

It is within the scope of the present invention that the usage of CRISPR/Cas system for the generation of PM resistant Cannabis plants, allows the modification of predetermined specific DNA sequences without introducing foreign DNA into the genome by GMO techniques.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, this is achieved by combining the Cas nuclease (e.g. Cas9, Cpf1 and the like) with a predefined guide RNA molecule (gRNA). The gRNA is complementary to a specific DNA sequence targeted for editing in the plant genome and which guides the Cas nuclease to a specific nucleotide sequence (for example see FIG. 3). The predefined gene specific gRNA's are cloned into the same plasmid as the Cas gene and this plasmid is inserted into plant cells. Insertion of the aforementioned plasmid DNA can be done, but not limited to, using different delivery systems, biological and/or mechanical, e.g. Agrobacterium infiltration, virus based plasmids for delivery of the genome editing molecules and mechanical insertion of DNA (PEG mediated DNA transformation, biolistics, etc.).

It is further within the scope of the present invention that upon reaching the specific predetermined DNA sequence, the Cas9 nuclease cleaves both DNA strands to create double stranded breaks leaving blunt ends. This cleavage site is then repaired by the cellular non homologous end joining DNA repair mechanism resulting in insertions or deletions which eventually create a mutation at the cleavage site. For example, it is acknowledged that a deletion form of the mutation consists of at least 1 base pair deletion. As a result of this base pair deletion the gene coding sequence is disrupted and the translation of the encoded protein is compromised either by a premature stop codon or disruption of a functional or structural property of the protein. Thus DNA is cut by the Cas9 protein and re-assembled by the cell's DNA repair mechanism.

It is further within the scope that resistance to PM in Cannabis plants is produced by generating gRNA with homology to a specific site of predetermined genes in the Cannabis genome i.e. MLO genes, sub cloning this gRNA into a plasmid containing the Cas9 gene, and insertion of the plasmid into the Cannabis plant cells. In this way site specific mutations in the MLO genes are generated thus effectively creating non-active molecules, resulting in inability of powdery mildew and similar organisms of infecting the genome edited plant.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1A-C schematically present Cannabis plant infected by the fungal pathogen Golovinomyces cichoracearum, causal agent of the Powdery Mildew disease. More specifically this figure shows (A) Cannabis plant leaf exhibiting PM symptoms (B) Fungal asexual spore-carrying bodies (conidia) of Golovinomyces cichoracearum on Cannabis leaf tissue, and (C) microscopic view of Golovinomyces cichoracearum spores.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2A-B schematically presenting PM resistance suggested mode of action. This figure shows (A) a WT plant cell penetrated by the PM fungus (100). More particularly, a WT plant cell 10 is infected by PM spore 20 producing germ tubes 30 and penetrated by the PM fungal appressorium 40 which then leads to haustorium 50 establishment and infection by secondary hyphae; and (B) an mlo knockout cell 15 rendering fungal spores incapable of penetrating the plant cell (200).

According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a modified Cannabis plant exhibiting enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (PM), wherein said modified plant comprises a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele, said mutated allele comprising a genomic modification selected from an indel of 14 bp at position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the indel comprises a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele, or a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the mutated Csmlo1 allele confers an enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a wild type CsMLO1 allele having a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:882 and/or having a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or a functional variant thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the functional variant has at least 80% sequence identity to the corresponding CsMLO1 nucleotide sequence.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the mutated allele comprising a deletion of 14 bp at position 389 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a combination thereof.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the mutated Csmlo1 allele is generated using genome editing.

It is further within the scope of the present invention to provide, a modified Cannabis plant exhibiting enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (PM), wherein said modified plant comprises a targeted genome modification conferring reduced expression of a Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) gene as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking said targeted genome modification, said targeted genome modification generates a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele comprising a deletion of a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction thereof as compared to the wild type CsMLO1 allele comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO:1, or a combination thereof.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for producing a modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above is provided. The method comprises introducing using targeted genome modification, at least one genomic modification conferring reduced expression of at least one Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) allele as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking said targeted genome modification, said genomic modification generates a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele comprising an indel of 14 bp at a position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882 or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof.

According to further aspects of the present invention, a method of determining the presence of a mutant Csmlo1 allele in a Cannabis plant is provided. The method comprising assaying the Cannabis plant for at least one of the presence of an indel comprising a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883, an insertion at position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele, a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof.

It is further within the scope to provide a method for identifying a Cannabis plant with resistance to powdery mildew, said method comprises steps of: (a) screening the genome of said Cannabis plant for a mutated Csmlo1 allele, said mutated allele comprises a genomic modification selected from an indel of 14 bp at a position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882 or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof; (b) optionally, regenerating plants carrying said genetic modification; and (c) optionally, screening said regenerated plants for a plant resistant to powdery mildew.

It is further within the scope of the present invention to provide a method for down regulation of Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) gene, which comprises utilizing the nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof, and a combination thereof, for introducing a loss of function mutation into said CsMLO1 gene using targeted genome modification.

The present invention further provides an isolated amino acid sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:882-886, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence or any combination thereof.

It is also within the scope to disclose a use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 883-886, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 for generating, identifying and/or screening for a Cannabis plant comprising within its genome mutant Csmlo allele conferring resistance to PM.

It is also within the scope to disclose a use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence or any combination thereof for targeted genome modification of Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) gene.

According to further aspects, the present invention provides a detection kit for determining the presence or absence of a mutant Csmlo1 allele in a Cannabis plant, comprising a nucleic acid fragment comprising a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:882-886, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence or any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose a modified Cannabis plant exhibiting enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (PM), wherein said plant comprises a targeted genome modification conferring reduced expression of at least one Cannabis MLO (CsMLO) allele as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking said targeted genome modification.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined above, wherein said targeted genome modification is in a CsMLO allele having a wild type genomic nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of CsMLO1 having a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or a functional variant thereof, CsMLO2 having a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:4 or a functional variant thereof and CsMLO3 having a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:7 or a functional variant thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said functional variant has at least 80% sequence identity to the corresponding CsMLO nucleotide sequence.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said genetic modification is introduced using targeted genome modification, preferably said genetic modification is introduced using an endonuclease.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above wherein said targeted genome modification is introduced using CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) gene (CRISPR/Cas), Transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN), Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN), meganuclease or any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above wherein said Cas gene is selected from the group consisting of Cas3, Cas4, Cas5, Cas5e (or CasD), Cas6, Cas6e, Cas6f, Cas7, Cas8a1, Cas8a2, Cas8b, Cas8c, Cas9, Cas10, Cast10d, Cas12, Cas13, Cas14, CasX, CasF, CasG, CasH, Csy1, Csy2, Csy3, Cse1 (or CasA), Cse2 (or CasB), Cse3 (or CasE), Cse4 (or CasC), Csc1, Csc2, Csa5, Csn1, Csn2, Csm2, Csm3, Csm4, Csm5, Csm6, Cmr1, Cmr3, Cmr4, Cmr5, Cmr6, Cpf1, Csb1, Csb2, Csb3, Csx17, Csx14, Csx10, Csx16, CsaX, Csx3, Csz1, Csx15, Csf1, Csf2, Csf3, Csf4, and Cu1966, bacteriophages Cas such as CasΦ (to (Cas-phi) and any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said plant comprises a recombinant DNA construct, said recombinant DNA construct comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a plant optimized Cas9 endonuclease, wherein said plant optimized Cas9 endonuclease is capable of binding to and creating a double strand break in a genomic target sequence of said plant genome.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said DNA construct further comprises sgRNA targeted to at least one CsMLO allele selected from the group consisting of CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said sgRNA is targeted to mutate CsMLO1 gene, said sgRNA nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said plant comprises at least one mutated CsMLO1 allele comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:875, a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:877, a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:880, a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of said at least one mutated CsMLO1 allele and a combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said mutation is a silencing mutation, a knockdown mutation, a knockout mutation, a loss of function mutation or any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said genome modification is an insertion, deletion, indel or substitution.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said mutated CsMLO1 allele comprises a deletion having a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO.:876, SEQ ID NO.:879 or SEQ ID NO.:881.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said mutated allele confers an enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a wild type CsMLO1 allele sequence.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said wild type CsMLO1 allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:873, SEQ ID NO:876, SEQ ID NO:879 or SEQ ID NO:881.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above wherein said genome modification is an induced mutation in the coding region of said allele, a mutation in the regulatory region of said allele, a mutation in a gene downstream in the MLO pathogen response pathway and/or an epigenetic factor.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above wherein said genome modification is generated in planta.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above wherein said targeted genome modification is generated in planta via introduction of a construct comprising (a) Cas DNA and sgRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:10-SEQ ID NO:870 and any combination thereof, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and sgRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:10-870 and any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above wherein said targeted genome modification in said CsMLO1 is generated in planta via introduction of a construct comprising (a) Cas DNA and sgRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:10-SEQ ID NO:286 and any combination thereof, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and sgRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:10-286 and any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above wherein said targeted genome modification in said CsMLO2 is generated in planta via introduction of a construct comprising (a) Cas DNA and sgRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:287-SEQ ID NO:625 and any combination thereof, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and sgRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:287-625 and any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said targeted genome modification in said CsMLO3 is generated in planta via introduction of a construct comprising (a) Cas DNA and sgRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:626-SEQ ID NO:870 and any combination thereof, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:626-870 and any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said sgRNA sequence comprises a 3′ Protospacer Adjacent Motif (PAM) selected from the group consisting of NGG (SpCas), NNNNGATT (NmeCas9), NNAGAAW (StCas9), NAAAAC (TdCas9), NNGRRT (SaCas9) and TBN (Cas-phi),

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said construct is introduced into the plant cells via Agrobacterium infiltration, virus based plasmids for delivery and/or expression of the genome editing molecules or mechanical insertion such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) mediated DNA transformation, electroporation or gene gun biolistics.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said PM is selected from the group consisting of Golovinomyces cichoracearum, Golovinomyces ambrosiae and a mixture thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said Cannabis plant is selected from the group of species that includes, but is not limited to, Cannabis sativa (C. sativa), C. indica, C. ruderalis and any hybrid or cultivated variety of the genus Cannabis.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said Cannabis plant does not comprise a transgene.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose a modified Cannabis plant, progeny plant, plant part or plant cell as defined in any of the above.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose a plant part, plant cell or plant seed of a modified plant as defined in any of the above.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose a tissue culture of regenerable cells, protoplasts or callus obtained from the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein said plant genotype is obtainable by deposit under accession number with NCIMB Aberdeen AB21 9YA, Scotland, UK.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose a method for producing a modified Cannabis plant with increased resistance to powdery mildew (PM) comprising introducing using targeted genome modification, at least one genomic modification conferring reduced expression of at least one Cannabis MLO (CsMLO) allele as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking said targeted genome modification.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said method comprises steps of introducing a targeted genome modification to at least one CsMLO allele having a wild type genomic nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of CsMLO1 comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or a functional variant thereof, CsMLO2 comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:4 or a functional variant thereof and CsMLO3 comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:7 or a functional variant thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said functional variant has at least 80% sequence identity to the said CsMLO nucleotide sequence.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said method comprises steps of introducing a loss of function mutation into at least one of CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO2 nucleic acid sequence.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said method comprises steps of introducing a deletion mutation into the first exon of CsMLO1 genomic sequence to produce a mutated CsMLO1 allele comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:875, a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:877, a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:880, a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of said at least one mutated CsMLO1 allele and a combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said modified plant has decreased levels of at least one Mlo protein as compared to wild type Cannabis plant.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said modified plant has decreased levels of at least one Mlo protein as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a wild type CsMLO1 allele sequence comprising a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:873, SEQ ID NO:876, SEQ ID NO:879 or SEQ ID NO:881.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said genome modification is introduced using CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) gene (CRISPR/Cas), Transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN), Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN), meganuclease or any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said Cas gene is selected from the group consisting of Cas3, Cas4, Cas5, Cas5e (or CasD), Cas6, Cas6e, Cas6f, Cas7, Cas8a1, Cas8a2, Cas8b, Cas8c, Cas9, Cas10, Cast10d, Cas12, Cas13, Cas14, CasX, CasF, CasG, CasH, Csy1, Csy2, Csy3, Cse1 (or CasA), Cse2 (or CasB), Cse3 (or CasE), Cse4 (or CasC), Csc1, Csc2, Csa5, Csn1, Csn2, Csm2, Csm3, Csm4, Csm5, Csm6, Cmr1, Cmr3, Cmr4, Cmr5, Cmr6, Cpf1, Csb1, Csb2, Csb3, Csx17, Csx14, Csx10, Csx16, CsaX, Csx3, Csz1, Csx15, Csf1, Csf2, Csf3, Csf4, and Cu1966, bacteriophages Cas such as CasΦ (Cas-phi) and any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, comprising steps of introducing an expression vector comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a plant optimized Cas9 endonuclease and sgRNA targeted to at least one CsMLO allele selected from the group consisting of CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3.

It is a further object of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said sgRNA nucleotide sequence targeting CsMLO1 is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, comprising steps of introducing and co-expressing in a Cannabis plant Cas9 and sgRNA targeted to at least one of CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3 genes and screening for induced targeted mutations in at least one of CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3 genes.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, comprising steps of screening for induced targeted mutations in at least one of CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3 genes comprising obtaining a nucleic acid sample from a transformed plant and carrying out nucleic acid amplification and optionally restriction enzyme digestion to detect a mutation in at least one of CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said nucleic acid amplification for screening induced targeted mutations in CsMLO1 genomic sequence uses primers having nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 871 and SEQ ID NO: 872.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, further comprising steps of assessing PCR fragments or amplicons amplified from the transformed plants using a gel electrophoresis based assay.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, further comprising steps of confirming the presence of a mutation by sequencing the at least one of CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3 nucleic acid fragment or amlicon.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said mutation is in the coding region of said allele, a mutation in the regulatory region of said allele, a mutation in a gene downstream in the MLO pathogen response pathway or an epigenetic factor.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said mutation is selected from the group consisting of a silencing mutation, a knockdown mutation, a knockout mutation, a loss of function mutation and any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said mutation is an insertion, deletion, indel or substitution mutation.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said mutation is a deletion in the first exon of CsMLO1, said deletion comprises nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.:876, SEQ ID NO.:879 or SEQ ID NO.:881.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, further comprising steps of selecting a plant resistant to powdery mildew from transformed plants comprising mutated at least one of CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3 nucleic acid fragment.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said selected plant is characterized by enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a CsMLO1 nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:873.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said genetic modification in said CsMLO1 is generated in planta via introduction of a construct comprising (a) Cas DNA and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:10-SEQ ID NO:286 and any combination thereof, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:10-286 and any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said genetic modification in said CsMLO2 is generated in planta via introduction of a construct comprising (a) Cas DNA and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:287-SEQ ID NO:625 and any combination thereof, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:287-625 and any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said genetic modification in said CsMLO3 is generated in planta via introduction of a construct comprising (a) Cas DNA and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:626-SEQ ID NO:870 and any combination thereof, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:626-870 and any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said gRNA nucleotide sequence comprises a 3′ Protospacer Adjacent Motif (PAM), said PAM is selected from the group consisting of: NGG (SpCas), NNNNGATT (NmeCas9), NNAGAAW (StCas9), NAAAAC (TdCas9), NNGRRT (SaCas9) and TBN (Cas-phi).

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said construct is introduced into the plant cells using Agrobacterium infiltration, virus based plasmids for delivery of the genome editing molecules by or mechanical insertion such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) mediated DNA transformation, electroporation or gene gun biolistics.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, further comprising steps of regenerating a plant carrying said genomic modification.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, further comprising steps of screening said regenerated plants for a plant resistant to powdery mildew.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose a method for conferring resistance to powdery mildew to a Cannabis plant comprising producing a plant as defined in any of the above.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose a plant, plant part, plant cell, tissue culture or a seed obtained or obtainable by the method as defined in any of the above.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said PM is selected from the group consisting of Golovinomyces cichoracearum, Golovinomyces ambrosiae and a mixture thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said Cannabis plant is selected from the group of species that includes, but is not limited to, Cannabis sativa (C. sativa), C. indica, C. ruderalis and any hybrid or cultivated variety of the genus Cannabis.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose a method for producing a modified Cannabis plant with increased resistance to powdery mildew compared to a Cannabis wild type plant using targeted genome modification comprising introducing at least one genetic modification conferring reduced expression of at least one Cannabis MLO (CsMLO) allele, said method comprises steps of: (a) identifying at least one Cannabis MLO (CsMLO) orthologous allele; (b) sequencing genomic DNA of said at least one identified CsMLO; (c) synthetizing at least one guide RNA (gRNA) comprising a nucleotide sequence complementary to said at least one identified CsMLO; (d) transforming Cannabis plant cells with a construct comprising (a) Cas nucleotide sequence and said gRNA, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and said gRNA; (e) screening the genome of said transformed plant cells for induced targeted mutations in at least one of said CsMLO alleles comprising obtaining a nucleic acid sample from said transformed plant and carrying out nucleic acid amplification and optionally restriction enzyme digestion to detect a mutation in said at least one of said CsMLO allele; (f) confirming the presence of said genetic mutation in the genome of said plant cells by sequencing said at least one CsMLO allele; (g) regenerating plants carrying said genetic modification; and (h) screening said regenerated plants for a plant resistant to powdery mildew.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said method comprises steps of introducing a targeted genome modification to at least one CsMLO allele having a wild type genomic nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of CsMLO1 comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or a functional variant thereof, CsMLO2 comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:4 or a functional variant thereof and CsMLO3 comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:7 or a functional variant thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said functional variant has at least 80% sequence identity to the said CsMLO nucleotide sequence.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said plant has decreased levels of at least one Mlo protein.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, further comprising steps of introducing into said plant sgRNA targeted to mutate CsMLO1 gene, said sgRNA nucleotide sequence is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said nucleic acid amplification for screening induced targeted mutations in CsMLO1 genomic sequence uses primers having nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 871 and SEQ ID NO: 872.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said plant comprises at least one mutated CsMLO1 allele comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:875, a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:877, a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:880, a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of said at least one mutated CsMLO1 allele and a combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said mutation is a silencing mutation, a knockdown mutation, a knockout mutation, a loss of function mutation or any combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said mutated CsMLO1 allele comprises a deletion having a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO.:876, SEQ ID NO.:879 or SEQ ID NO.:881.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said mutated allele confers an enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a wild type CsMLO1 allele sequence.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said wild type CsMLO1 allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:873, SEQ ID NO:876, SEQ ID NO:879 or SEQ ID NO:881.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose a method of determining the presence of a mutant CsMLO1 nucleic acid in a Cannabis plant comprising assaying said Cannabis plant with primers having nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 871 and SEQ ID NO: 872.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose a method for determining the presence or absence of a mutant CsMLO1 nucleic acid or polypeptide in a Cannabis plant comprising detecting the presence or absence of a deletion of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO.:876, SEQ ID NO.:879 or SEQ ID NO.:881.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose a method for identifying a Cannabis plant with resistance to powdery mildew, said method comprises steps of: (a) screening the genome of said Cannabis plant for induced targeted mutations in at least one of CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and/or CsMLO3 alleles having a wild type genomic nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of CsMLO1 comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or a functional variant thereof, CsMLO2 comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:4 or a functional variant thereof and CsMLO3 comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:7 or a functional variant thereof; (b) confirming the presence of said genetic mutation in the genome of said plant cells by sequencing said at least one CsMLO allele; (c) regenerating plants carrying said genetic modification; and (d) screening said regenerated plants for a plant resistant to powdery mildew.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said screening for the presence of mutated CsMLO1 allele is carried out using a primer pair having nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 871 and SEQ ID NO: 872.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said method comprises steps of screening for the presence of mutated CsMLO1 allele comprising a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:875, a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:877, a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:880, a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of said at least one mutated CsMLO1 allele and a combination thereof.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said method comprises steps of screening said Cannabis plant for the presence of a deletion in CsMLO1 comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.:876, SEQ ID NO.:879 and SEQ ID NO.:881.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:873, SEQ ID NO:876, SEQ ID NO:879 and SEQ ID NO:881 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises wild type CsMLO1 nucleic acid, and the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:875, SEQ ID NO:877 and SEQ ID NO:880, optionally in combination with the absence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:876, SEQ ID NO:879 and SEQ ID NO:881 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises a mutant CsMLO1 nucleic acid.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein said Cannabis plant comprising a mutant CsMLO1 nucleic acid is characterized by enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising said wild type CsMLO1 nucleic acid.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose an isolated nucleotide sequence of a primer or primer pair having at least 75% sequence identity to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 and SEQ ID NO:10-873, 875, 876, 877, 879, 880 and 881.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose an isolated amino acid sequence having at least 75% sequence similarity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:3, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:874, SEQ ID NO:878 and SEQ ID NO:887.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:871 and SEQ ID NO:872 as a primer or primer pair for identifying or screening for a Cannabis plant comprising within its genome mutant CsMLO1 nucleic acid and/or polypeptide.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:871 and SEQ ID NO:872 as a primer or primer pair for identifying or screening for a Cannabis plant resistance to powdery mildew.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:873, SEQ ID NO:875, SEQ ID NO:876, SEQ ID NO:877, SEQ ID NO:879, SEQ ID NO:880 and SEQ ID NO:881 for identifying and/or screening for a Cannabis plant with comprising within its genome mutant CsMLO1 nucleic acid and/or polypeptide, wherein, the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:873, SEQ ID NO:876, SEQ ID NO:879 and SEQ ID NO:881 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises wild type CsMLO1 nucleic acid, and the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:875, SEQ ID NO:877 and SEQ ID NO:880, optionally in combination with the absence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:876, SEQ ID NO:879 and SEQ ID NO:881 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises a mutant CsMLO1 nucleic acid.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the use as defined in any of the above, wherein said Cannabis plant comprising a mutant CsMLO1 nucleic acid is characterized by enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising said wild type CsMLO1 nucleic acid.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:10-870 and any combination thereof for targeted genome modification of at least one Cannabis MLO (CsMLO) allele.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:10-286 and any combination thereof for targeted genome modification of Cannabis CsMLO1 allele.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 and any combination thereof for targeted genome modification of Cannabis CsMLO1 allele.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:287-625 and any combination thereof for targeted genome modification of Cannabis CsMLO2 allele.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:626-870 and any combination thereof for targeted genome modification of Cannabis CsMLO3.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose a detection kit for determining the presence or absence of a mutant CsMLO1 nucleic acid nucleic acid or polypeptide in a Cannabis plant comprising a primer selected from SEQ ID NO:871 and SEQ ID NO:872.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the detection kit as defined in any of the above, wherein said kit further comprising primers or nucleic acid fragments for detection of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:873, SEQ ID NO:875, SEQ ID NO:876, SEQ ID NO:877, SEQ ID NO:879, SEQ ID NO:880 and SEQ ID NO:881.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose the detection kit as defined in any of the above, wherein said kit is useful for identifying a Cannabis plant resistant to powdery mildew.

It is a further aspect of the present invention to disclose a modified Cannabis plant exhibiting enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (PM), wherein the modified plant comprises a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele, the mutated allele comprising a genomic modification selected from an indel of 14 bp at position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined above, wherein the indel comprises a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of the mutated Csmlo1 allele, or a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of the mutated Csmlo1 allele.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the mutated Csmlo1 allele confers an enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a wild type CsMLO1 allele having a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:882 and/or having a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or a functional variant thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the functional variant has at least 80% sequence identity to the corresponding CsMLO1 nucleotide sequence.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the mutated allele comprising a deletion of 14 bp at position 389 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the plant has decreased expression levels of Mlo1 protein, relative to a Cannabis plant lacking the mutated Csmlo1 allele.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the mutated Csmlo1 allele is generated using mutagenesis, small interfering RNA (siRNA), microRNA (miRNA), artificial miRNA (amiRNA), DNA introgression, endonucleases or any combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the plant comprises a DNA construct, the DNA construct comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a plant optimized Cas9 endonuclease, wherein the plant optimized Cas9 endonuclease is capable of binding to and creating a double strand break in a genomic target sequence of the plant genome.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the DNA construct further comprises gRNA targeted to at least one CsMLO1 allele.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the gRNA has a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the genome modification is a silencing mutation, a knockdown mutation, a knockout mutation, a loss of function mutation or any combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the genome modification is an insertion, deletion, indel or substitution.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the genome modification is an induced mutation in the coding region of the allele, a mutation in the regulatory region of the allele, a mutation in a gene downstream in the MLO pathogen response pathway and/or an epigenetic factor.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the genome modification is generated via introduction (a) Cas DNA and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 and any combination thereof, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 and any combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the Cannabis plant does not comprise a transgene.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose a modified Cannabis plant, progeny plant, plant part or plant cell as defined in any of the above.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose a plant part, plant cell or plant seed of a modified plant as defined in any of the above.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose a tissue culture of regenerable cells, protoplasts or callus obtained from the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the plant genotype is obtainable by deposit under accession number with NCIMB Aberdeen AB21 9YA, Scotland, UK.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose a modified Cannabis plant exhibiting enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (PM), wherein the modified plant comprises a targeted genome modification conferring reduced expression of a Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) gene as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking the targeted genome modification, the targeted genome modification generates a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele comprising a deletion of a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction thereof as compared to the wild type CsMLO1 allele comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO:1, or a combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, wherein the mutated allele comprising a deletion of 14 bp at position 389 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose a method for producing a modified Cannabis plant as defined in any of the above, the method comprises introducing using targeted genome modification, at least one genomic modification conferring reduced expression of at least one Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) allele as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking the targeted genome modification, the genomic modification generates a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele comprising an indel of 14 bp at a position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882 or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined above, comprises steps of introducing a loss of function mutation into the CsMLO1 allele using targeted genome modification.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the indel comprises a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of the mutated Csmlo1 allele, or a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of the mutated Csmlo1 allele.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the mutated Csmlo1 allele confers an enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a wild type CsMLO1 allele having a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:882 and/or having a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1 or a functional variant thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the functional variant has at least 80% sequence identity to the corresponding CsMLO1 nucleotide sequence.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the mutated allele comprising a deletion of 14 bp at position 389 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the modified plant has decreased levels of at least one Mlo protein as compared to wild type Cannabis plant.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, comprising steps of introducing an expression vector comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a plant optimized Cas9 endonuclease and gRNA targeted to at least one CsMLO1 allele.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the gRNA nucleotide sequence targeting the CsMLO1 allele is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, comprising steps of introducing and co-expressing in a Cannabis plant Cas9 and gRNA targeted to CsMLO1 gene and screening for induced targeted mutations conferring reduced expression of the CsMLO1 gene.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the genomic modification is in the coding region of the allele, a mutation in the regulatory region of the allele, a mutation in a gene downstream in the MLO pathogen response pathway or an epigenetic factor.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the genomic modification is selected from the group consisting of a silencing mutation, a knockdown mutation, a knockout mutation, a loss of function mutation and any combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the genomic modification is an insertion, deletion, indel or substitution mutation.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, further comprising steps of selecting a plant resistant to powdery mildew from plants comprising mutated Csmlo1 allele.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the selected plant is characterized by enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a CsMLO1 nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:882.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the genetic modification in the CsMLO1 is generated in planta via introduction of a construct comprising (a) Cas DNA and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof, and any combination thereof, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof, and any combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, further comprising steps of regenerating a plant carrying the genomic modification.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, further comprising steps of screening the regenerated plants for a plant resistant to powdery mildew.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined a method for conferring powdery mildew resistance to a Cannabis plant comprising producing a plant according to the method as defined in any of the above.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose a plant, plant part, plant cell, tissue culture or a seed obtained or obtainable by the method as defined in any of the above.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose a method of determining the presence of a mutant Csmlo1 allele in a Cannabis plant comprising assaying the Cannabis plant for at least one of the presence of an indel comprising a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883, an insertion at position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of the mutated Csmlo1 allele, a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose a method for identifying a Cannabis plant with resistance to powdery mildew, the method comprises steps of: (a) screening the genome of the Cannabis plant for a mutated Csmlo1 allele, the mutated allele comprises a genomic modification selected from an indel of 14 bp at a position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882 or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof; (b) optionally, regenerating plants carrying the genetic modification; and (c) optionally, screening the regenerated plants for a plant resistant to powdery mildew.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the genomic modification is a loss of function mutation.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the indel comprises a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction and/or a complementary sequence thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of the mutated Csmlo1 allele, or a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the method comprises steps of screening the Cannabis plant for the presence of a deletion in CsMLO1 gene comprising a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, the deletion comprising a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the method as defined in any of the above, wherein the modified Cannabis plant comprising a mutant Csmlo1 nucleic acid conferring enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a wild type CsMLO1 nucleic acid.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose a method for down regulation of Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) gene, which comprises utilizing the nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof, and a combination thereof, for introducing a loss of function mutation into the CsMLO1 gene using targeted genome modification.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose an isolated amino acid sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:882-886, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence or any combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 883-886, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 for generating, identifying and/or screening for a Cannabis plant comprising within its genome mutant Csmlo allele conferring resistance to PM.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the use as defined in any of the above, wherein the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:883, SEQ ID NO:882 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises a wild type CsMLO1 allele, and the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:884, SEQ ID NO:885 and SEQ ID NO:886 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises a mutant Csmol1 allele.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose use of a nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence or any combination thereof for targeted genome modification of Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) gene.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose a detection kit for determining the presence or absence of a mutant Csmlo1 allele in a Cannabis plant, comprising a nucleic acid fragment comprising a sequence selected from SEQ ID NO:882-886, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence or any combination thereof.

It is another aspect of the present invention to disclose the detection kit as defined above, wherein the kit is useful for identifying a Cannabis plant with enhanced resistance to powdery mildew.

In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be implemented in practice, a plurality of preferred embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the following examples.

EXAMPLE 1

Exemplified Method for Production of Powdery Mildew Resistant Cannabis Plants by Genome Editing

Production of powdery mildew resistant Cannabis lines may be achieved by at least one of the following breeding/cultivation schemes:

Scheme 1:

• • line stabilization by self pollination
  • Generation of F6 parental lines
  • Genome editing of parental lines
  • Crossing edited parental lines to generate an F1 hybrid PM resistant plant

Scheme 2:

• • Identifying genes of interest
  • Designing gRNA
  • Transformation of plants with Cas9+gRNA constructs
  • Screening and identifying editing events
  • Genome editing of parental lines

It is noted that line stabilization may be performed by the following:

• • Induction of male flowering on female (XX) plants
  • Self pollination

According to some embodiments of the present invention, line stabilization requires 6 self-crossing (6 generations) and done through a single seed descent (SSD) approach.

F1 hybrid seed production: Novel hybrids are produced by crosses between different Cannabis strains.

According to a further aspect of the current invention, shortening line stabilization is performed by Doubled Haploids (DH). More specifically, the CRISPR-Cas9 system is transformed into microspores to achieve DH homozygous parental lines. A doubled haploid (DH) is a genotype formed when haploid cells undergo chromosome doubling. Artificial production of doubled haploids is important in plant breeding. It is herein acknowledged that conventional inbreeding procedures take six generations to achieve approximately complete homozygosity, whereas doubled haploidy achieves it in one generation.

It is within the scope of the current invention that genetic markers specific for Cannabis are developed and provided by the current invention:

• • Sex markers—molecular markers are used for identification and selection of female vs male plants in the herein disclosed breeding program
  • Genotyping markers—germplasm used in the current invention is genotyped using molecular markers, in order to allow a more efficient breeding process and identification of the MLO editing event.

It is further within the scope of the current invention that allele and genetic variation is analysed for the Cannabis strains used.

Reference is now made to optional stages that have been used for the production of powdery mildew resistant Cannabis plants by genome editing:

Stage 1: Identifying Cannabis sativa (C. sativa) MLO orthologues, Three MLO orthologues have herein been identified in C. sativa, namely CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3. These homologous genes have been sequenced and mapped. CsMLO1 has been found to be located on chromosome 5 between position 58544241 bp and position 58551241 bp and has a genomic sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1. The CsMLO1 gene has a coding sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 and it encodes an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:3.

CsMLO2 has been found to be located on chromosome 3 between position 92616000 bp and position 92629000 bp and has a genomic sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:4. The CsMLO2 gene has a coding sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:5 and it encodes an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:6.

CsMLO3 has been found to be located on Chromosome 5 between position 23410000 bp and position 23420000 bp and has a genomic sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:7. The CsMLO3 gene has a coding sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:8 and it encodes an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:9.

Stage 2: Designing and synthesizing gRNA molecules corresponding to the sequence targeted for editing, i.e. sequences of each of the genes CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3. It is noted that the editing event is preferably targeted to a unique restriction site sequence to allow easier screening for plants carrying an editing event within their genome. According to some aspects of the invention, the nucleotide sequence of the gRNAs should be completely compatible with the genomic sequence of the target gene. Therefore, for example, suitable gRNA molecules should be constructed for different MLO homologues of different Cannabis strains.

Reference is now made to Tables 1, 2 and 3 presenting gRNA molecules constructed for silencing CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and CsMLO3, respectively. In Tables 1, 2 and 3 the term ‘PAM’ refers to protospacer adjacent motif, which is a 2-6 base pair DNA sequence immediately following the DNA sequence targeted by the Cas9 nuclease in the CRISPR bacterial adaptive immune system. The CsMLO genomic DNA sense strand is marked as “1”, and the antisense strand is marked as “−1”.

TABLE 1
CsMLO1 targeted gRNA sequences
Position
on				SEQ
SEQ ID				ID
NO: 1	Strand	Sequence	PAM	NO
30	1	GTGAGTGAATGAGAGCAAGA	AGG	10
59	-1	ATTCCGATTTCGAATTCAGA	TGG	11
67	1	AATCCATCTGAATTCGAAAT	CGG	12
76	1	GAATTCGAAATCGGAATGAG	TGG	13
79	1	TTCGAAATCGGAATGAGTGG	CGG	14
82	1	GAAATCGGAATGAGTGGCGG	TGG	15
88	1	GGAATGAGTGGCGGTGGAGA	AGG	16
99	1	CGGTGGAGAAGGTGAGTCCT	TGG	17
105	-1	CCATGTGGGAGTATACTCCA	AGG	18
116	1	CCTTGGAGTATACTCCCACA	TGG	19
119	-1	ACGACGGCGACGATCCATGT	GGG	20
120	-1	GACGACGGCGACGATCCATG	TGG	21
135	-1	GACGATGACAGAGCAGACGA	CGG	22
159	-1	ACGCTCCGCGGCGAGAGAAA	TGG	23
165	1	CGTCGCCATTTCTCTCGCCG	CGG	24
171	-1	ATAGTGGAGAAGACGCTCCG	CGG	25
187	1	GAGCGTCTTCTCCACTATCT	CGG	26
187	-1	TCAAAACCTGACCGAGATAG	TGG	27
192	1	TCTTCTCCACTATCTCGGTC	AGG	28
220	-1	AGGCCTCGTATAGAGGCTTC	TGG	29
227	-1	TTCTGCAAGGCCTCGTATAG	AGG	30
228	1	GAACCAGAAGCCTCTATACG	AGG	31
240	-1	CTCCTCCTTGATCTTCTGCA	AGG	32
246	1	CGAGGCCTTGCAGAAGATCA	AGG	33
249	1	GGCCTTGCAGAAGATCAAGG	AGG	34
264	1	CAAGGAGGAGTTGATGCTTT	TGG	35
265	1	AAGGAGGAGTTGATGCTTTT	GGG	36
292	-1	TTGTGTTCTGCGAAACAGTG	AGG	37
332	-1	AGATTGTCGACCAAAGAAGC	AGG	38
333	1	GTTTTGCGTACCTGCTTCTT	TGG	39
355	-1	GATGAGGGCGCTTACAAGGG	AGG	40
358	-1	CCTGATGAGGGCGCTTACAA	GGG	41
359	-1	TCCTGATGAGGGCGCTTACA	AGG	42
369	1	CCCTTGTAAGCGCCCTCATC	AGG	43
370	-1	AATCATTAGCTTCCTGATGA	GGG	44
371	-1	GAATCATTAGCTTCCTGATG	AGG	45
405	-1	AGAGCCGGAGATGTGATGAG	AGG	46
412	1	TCAACCTCTCATCACATCTC	CGG	47
420	-1	AAGAAGGCGTCTGAAAGAGC	CGG	48
436	-1	CAGTGGAAGTTTCTTCAAGA	AGG	49
453	-1	GCAATAACCCAAATGAGCAG	TGG	50
456	1	AGAAACTTCCACTGCTCATT	TGG	51
457	1	GAAACTTCCACTGCTCATTT	GGG	52
474	1	TTTGGGTTATTGCGCTCATA	AGG	53
501	-1	ACAACAACAACTAAAGATAT	GGG	54
502	-1	AACAACAACAACTAAAGATA	TGG	55
521	1	TTAGTTGTTGTTGTTTTTTT	AGG	56
522	1	TAGTTGTTGTTGTTTTTTTA	GGG	57
523	1	AGTTGTTGTTGTTTTTTTAG	GGG	58
570	1	TATAAATATACTTTCCCAAA	AGG	59
571	1	ATAAATATACTTTCCCAAAA	GGG	60
573	-1	TAAAGCGAATAGTCCCTTTT	GGG	61
574	-1	TTAAAGCGAATAGTCCCTTT	TGG	62
657	-1	ATGCTTCAACGGAATAAAAG	GGG	63
658	-1	AATGCTTCAACGGAATAAAA	GGG	64
659	-1	CAATGCTTCAACGGAATAAA	AGG	65
668	-1	CAAATGGTGCAATGCTTCAA	CGG	66
684	-1	CGAAGATAAAGATATGCAAA	TGG	67
708	-1	AAGTGACATGGACAATGGCT	AGG	68
713	-1	ACAGAAAGTGACATGGACAA	TGG	69
720	-1	TGAGAACACAGAAAGTGACA	TGG	70
744	1	TGTGTTCTCACTGTTGTGTT	TGG	71
747	1	GTTCTCACTGTTGTGTTTGG	AGG	72
755	1	TGTTGTGTTTGGAGGTGTAA	AGG	73
779	-1	GAGAGAGAAGCATATGAATT	TGG	74
860	1	TACACAACTAGATACGTCAA	TGG	75
869	1	AGATACGTCAATGGAAACGT	TGG	76
870	1	GATACGTCAATGGAAACGTT	GGG	77
873	1	ACGTCAATGGAAACGTTGGG	AGG	78
910	1	GAGAGTTATGACACTGAACA	AGG	79
937	-1	TTCTATAATATTGTCAAAAG	TGG	80
978	-1	TAAGCGATTCATATGTTAGA	AGG	81
1017	1	TGTTCTTAAGTCTAAGAAAA	AGG	82
1039	-1	CCTTAATGAACGCGTGTTGA	TGG	83
1050	1	CCATCAACACGCGTTCATTA	AGG	84
1062	1	GTTCATTAAGGACCACTTTT	TGG	85
1063	1	TTCATTAAGGACCACTTTTT	GGG	86
1063	-1	CTTTACCAAAACCCAAAAAG	TGG	87
1069	1	AAGGACCACTTTTTGGGTTT	TGG	88
1090	1	GGTAAAGACTCAGCTCTACT	AGG	89
1094	1	AAGACTCAGCTCTACTAGGC	TGG	90
1098	1	CTCAGCTCTACTAGGCTGGC	TGG	91
1140	-1	ATAATCCTAATTCAGAACTT	TGG	92
1146	1	AGTATCCAAAGTTCTGAATT	AGG	93
1159	1	CTGAATTAGGATTATTCTTA	TGG	94
1174	-1	ATATCAAGAGAATAAGAAAA	CGG	95
1214	-1	AACGTTCTCAAAATAGAAAG	TGG	96
1267	-1	CTCCAAAGGCTCAGTATCAA	TGG	97
1276	1	CTCCATTGATACTGAGCCTT	TGG	98
1281	-1	GTGATGGAGAAAATCTCCAA	AGG	99
1297	-1	ATGTCCTAGTTTTCATGTGA	TGG	100
1304	1	TTCTCCATCACATGAAAACT	AGG	101
1327	1	ACATTTTTGTGCACATGTTA	AGG	102
1349	1	GAGCTAGCTAACATTAACAT	TGG	103
1356	1	CTAACATTAACATTGGAAAC	AGG	104
1379	-1	GGGGAAAAAGAATCAAATCA	TGG	105
1398	-1	AAAAGCATGCTGTTCACAAG	GGG	106
1399	-1	CAAAAGCATGCTGTTCACAA	GGG	107
1400	-1	ACAAAAGCATGCTGTTCACA	AGG	108
1446	-1	CATGGTCGCATAATCTGATT	TGG	109
1460	1	AATCAGATTATGCGACCATG	CGG	110
1464	-1	CATGATGAATCCTAACCGCA	TGG	111
1465	1	GATTATGCGACCATGCGGTT	AGG	112
1476	1	CATGCGGTTAGGATTCATCA	TGG	113
1520	1	TTACTTATAAATTACTAGAA	TGG	114
1563	1	CTTTTTTTCTTTTCACTAAA	TGG	115
1603	1	TTGTATTCTAGACTCACTGC	AGG	116
1604	1	TGTATTCTAGACTCACTGCA	GGG	117
1605	1	GTATTCTAGACTCACTGCAG	GGG	118
1674	1	GATGATTTCAAGAAAGTTGT	TGG	119
1675	1	ATGATTTCAAGAAAGTTGTT	GGG	120
1681	1	TCAAGAAAGTTGTTGGGATA	AGG	121
1691	1	TGTTGGGATAAGGTAACCCT	TGG	122
1696	-1	GAAAATAGACTGTCAACCAA	GGG	123
1697	-1	AGAAAATAGACTGTCAACCA	AGG	124
1777	1	TTCTTTTAAGTCTACTGTAT	CGG	125
1792	-1	AAAAGCTAAAAGGTCAATCT	AGG	126
1802	-1	ACTGCAGCCAAAAAGCTAAA	AGG	127
1806	1	AGATTGACCTTTTAGCTTTT	TGG	128
1816	1	TTTAGCTTTTTGGCTGCAGT	TGG	129
1825	1	TTGGCTGCAGTTGGTACCTT	TGG	130
1826	1	TGGCTGCAGTTGGTACCTTT	GGG	131
1830	-1	AGATGACCACAAAAACCCAA	AGG	132
1835	1	TTGGTACCTTTGGGTTTTTG	TGG	133
1863	1	TTCTTGTTGCTGAATGTTAA	TGG	134
1910	-1	ATCACTTAGATCTTGAGTTA	TGG	135
1926	1	ACTCAAGATCTAAGTGATAT	TGG	136
1958	-1	CAAAGAACCAGACTGATTAC	GGG	137
1959	-1	ACAAAGAACCAGACTGATTA	CGG	138
1962	1	GCAGAATCCCGTAATCAGTC	TGG	139
1999	1	CTTCAAGTGTGTCATCTCTT	TGG	140
2033	-1	GCTTATTTGAAACTATAATT	TGG	141
2101	-1	GTGGAGGCAGAGTAAGGAAT	TGG	142
2107	-1	AGAAAAGTGGAGGCAGAGTA	AGG	143
2117	-1	CTCCAACCATAGAAAAGTGG	AGG	144
2120	-1	TTTCTCCAACCATAGAAAAG	TGG	145
2122	1	ACTCTGCCTCCACTTTTCTA	TGG	146
2126	1	TGCCTCCACTTTTCTATGGT	TGG	147
2148	1	GAGAAAATTATACTCCAAGT	TGG	148
2151	-1	TCCAATTCCTTACACCAACT	TGG	149
2155	1	TTATACTCCAAGTTGGTGTA	AGG	150
2161	1	TCCAAGTTGGTGTAAGGAAT	TGG	151
2203	1	TCACTAGAATGCAATCAACA	AGG	152
2204	1	CACTAGAATGCAATCAACAA	GGG	153
2244	-1	AATTTTTTTAATCAGAATTC	TGG	154
2293	-1	TAAAAGTAAACTAAATTTCT	TGG	155
2347	-1	ATGTAAATTATGTTCTATAT	AGG	156
2380	-1	GATCCAATTGAATTATCTTA	AGG	157
2388	1	ACACCTTAAGATAATTCAAT	TGG	158
2406	1	ATTGGATCTTACTCCTTGTT	TGG	159
2408	-1	GCCTCATTGTAGTCCAAACA	AGG	160
2418	1	TCCTTGTTTGGACTACAATG	AGG	161
2453	-1	ATCTTGGTTTGAGTATTGAG	AGG	162
2469	-1	ATATAAATAATGAATGATCT	TGG	163
2497	-1	CAAAGAAGTTTAATACACAC	TGG	164
2516	1	TATTAAACTTCTTTGTTGTA	TGG	165
2559	1	TTTTGTCAATGTTTTGTGAT	TGG	166
2597	1	TAATAATGTGTTATATTTGC	AGG	167
2601	1	AATGTGTTATATTTGCAGGC	TGG	168
2616	1	CAGGCTGGCACACATaTTTC	TGG	169
2640	-1	CTCAATAAACTCACAAAGAA	AGG	170
2709	1	CATGTTTCATTGTTCTTGCA	TGG	171
2750	1	CATTTTAAGTATCATACTGA	TGG	172
2774	1	GAAAGAGATAAAATACAGAG	AGG	173
2775	1	AAAGAGATAAAATACAGAGA	GGG	174
2783	1	AAAATACAGAGAGGGAGAAT	CGG	175
2784	1	AAATACAGAGAGGGAGAATC	GGG	176
2817	1	TTTAACACAATTTTGTAAAT	AGG	177
2824	1	CAATTTTGTAAATAGGCAAA	TGG	178
2837	1	AGGCAAATGGACAGCTAAGA	AGG	179
2852	-1	TGTTCAATTAATTCTAAATT	TGG	180
2875	1	TTAATTGAACAACATGACCT	AGG	181
2881	-1	AAATTGCACAATATTTACCT	AGG	182
2950	1	TAAATGTAGAGTCATGAGTC	AGG	183
2951	1	AAATGTAGAGTCATGAGTCA	GGG	184
2973	1	GTAGAAATTTGCACCTAGAC	AGG	185
2975	-1	CACCTTAAAACCACCTGTCT	AGG	186
2976	1	GAAATTTGCACCTAGACAGG	TGG	187
2984	1	CACCTAGACAGGTGGTTTTA	AGG	188
2987	1	CTAGACAGGTGGTTTTAAGG	TGG	189
3011	1	ACTTCTCATCTCCAAGTCTT	AGG	190
3011	-1	CATACATATCACCTAAGACT	TGG	191
3046	-1	ATGTATATCACAACAGCAAA	AGG	192
3083	-1	TTAAAAGAAAAAACAACAAG	TGG	193
3114	1	TAAATAGCTTCTACTTGCCG	TGG	194
3115	1	AAATAGCTTCTACTTGCCGT	GGG	195
3120	-1	ATGCTCCAGTTTAGTGCCCA	CGG	196
3126	1	ACTTGCCGTGGGCACTAAAC	TGG	197
3147	1	GGAGCATGTCATTACTCAGT	TGG	198
3184	1	GAGAAACATGTAGCAATAGA	AGG	199
3212	-1	AACCAAAAGTGATCATCTGA	TGG	200
3221	1	AGCCATCAGATGATCACTTT	TGG	201
3242	-1	ATCAGGAAGAGGACAATCTG	GGG	202
3243	-1	AATCAGGAAGAGGACAATCT	GGG	203
3244	-1	GAATCAGGAAGAGGACAATC	TGG	204
3253	-1	TGATGAAATGAATCAGGAAG	AGG	205
3259	-1	AAAGGATGATGAAATGAATC	AGG	206
3277	-1	TCTCAAATGAATTTTGGAAA	AGG	207
3283	-1	ACGCAATCTCAAATGAATTT	TGG	208
3305	1	TTGAGATTGCGTTTTTCTTC	TGG	209
3312	1	TGCGTTTTTCTTCTGGATAT	TGG	210
3320	1	TCTTCTGGATATTGGTAAGC	TGG	211
3343	-1	TGGTAGAAGTAGAAGCAGAG	TGG	212
3363	-1	AATAACAATTTGTTCTTTTT	TGG	213
3411	1	ATCTTCTTTTCTGTGTATCT	AGG	214
3441	1	TTCATTTAACTCCTGTATAA	TGG	215
3441	-1	ACGAACGTGTCCCATTATAC	AGG	216
3442	1	TCATTTAACTCCTGTATAAT	GGG	217
3472	-1	TTTACCCAATGACAAGTCTT	GGG	218
3473	-1	TTTTACCCAATGACAAGTCT	TGG	219
3478	1	ATTGTCCCAAGACTTGTCAT	TGG	220
3479	1	TTGTCCCAAGACTTGTCATT	GGG	221
3541	-1	TAAAATAAAAGTTTCGTACT	TGG	222
3570	-1	GAACACCCTAAAGCACAACA	TGG	223
3575	1	TTTTTACCATGTTGTGCTTT	AGG	224
3576	1	TTTTACCATGTTGTGCTTTA	GGG	225
3588	1	GTGCTTTAGGGTGTTCATTC	AGG	226
3622	-1	GTGTGACAATGGCATAGAGC	GGG	227
3623	-1	TGTGTGACAATGGCATAGAG	CGG	228
3633	-1	TCAACGCACCTGTGTGACAA	TGG	229
3636	1	GCTCTATGCCATTGTCACAC	AGG	230
3681	1	ATAATTTAATAAGTTCTAAA	AGG	231
3689	1	ATAAGTTCTAAAAGGAAAGT	AGG	232
3720	-1	CATTCCACAAGATTTTATTA	TGG	233
3727	1	CTGACCATAATAAAATCTTG	TGG	234
3743	1	CTTGTGGAATGATTTGAAGA	TGG	235
3744	1	TTGTGGAATGATTTGAAGAT	GGG	236
3773	1	TTACAAGAAAGCCATATTTG	AGG	237
3773	-1	TTGCATGCGCTCCTCAAATA	TGG	238
3789	1	TTTGAGGAGCGCATGCAAGT	AGG	239
3802	1	TGCAAGTAGGAATTGTTAAT	TGG	240
3803	1	GCAAGTAGGAATTGTTAATT	GGG	241
3812	1	AATTGTTAATTGGGCTCAGA	AGG	242
3827	1	TCAGAAGGTCAAGAAAAAGA	AGG	243
3828	1	CAGAAGGTCAAGAAAAAGAA	GGG	244
3849	1	GGATTTAAAGCAGCCCTCAT	TGG	245
3851	-1	GCCAGCACCGGAACCAATGA	GGG	246
3852	-1	AGCCAGCACCGGAACCAATG	AGG	247
3855	1	AAAGCAGCCCTCATTGGTTC	CGG	248
3861	1	GCCCTCATTGGTTCCGGTGC	TGG	249
3863	-1	GCCTGAGCCTGAGCCAGCAC	CGG	250
3867	1	ATTGGTTCCGGTGCTGGCTC	AGG	251
3873	1	TCCGGTGCTGGCTCAGGCTC	AGG	252
3879	1	GCTGGCTCAGGCTCAGGCTC	AGG	253
3884	1	CTCAGGCTCAGGCTCAGGCT	CGG	254
3885	1	TCAGGCTCAGGCTCAGGCTC	GGG	255
3891	1	TCAGGCTCAGGCTCGGGATC	AGG	256
3903	1	TCGGGATCAGGCTCTACTCC	TGG	257
3910	-1	GTATCAGAAATTGGTTGACC	AGG	258
3919	-1	GCAGAACCAGTATCAGAAAT	TGG	259
3924	1	GGTCAACCAATTTCTGATAC	TGG	260
3938	1	TGATACTGGTTCTGCATCTG	TGG	261
3939	1	GATACTGGTTCTGCATCTGT	GGG	262
3950	1	TGCATCTGTGGGAATTCAGC	TGG	263
3951	1	GCATCTGTGGGAATTCAGCT	GGG	264
3973	-1	TGCTCTGGCTTTGATGCTTT	GGG	265
3974	-1	CTGCTCTGGCTTTGATGCTT	TGG	266
3988	-1	TTAGAGTCATCACTCTGCTC	TGG	267
4058	1	GAAGACATAAGTCTACCCTT	AGG	268
4062	-1	CTAGTAGTAGTATTACCTAA	GGG	269
4063	-1	ACTAGTAGTAGTATTACCTA	AGG	270
4088	-1	ATCCCAGCACAGCTGGAAAG	TGG	271
4095	-1	ATTTCTAATCCCAGCACAGC	TGG	272
4096	1	TTGCCACTTTCCAGCTGTGC	TGG	273
4097	1	TGCCACTTTCCAGCTGTGCT	GGG	274
4132	1	AATTCTTCTGTCATATATTA	TGG	275
4138	1	TCTGTCATATATTATGGCTG	TGG	276
4141	1	GTCATATATTATGGCTGTGG	TGG	277
4142	1	TCATATATTATGGCTGTGGT	GGG	278
4160	-1	GTCTTGTCCATAAAAGACTT	AGG	279
4164	1	GACTGTACCTAAGTCTTTTA	TGG	280
4188	-1	TTATATAATATATTGATCAA	AGG	281
4267	1	CTTCTTTCTTCTTATTATCA	TGG	282
4280	1	ATTATCATGGTACATCCTTT	TGG	283
4284	-1	TTCACTATTCAGTTACCAAA	AGG	284
4312	1	AGTGAATACGTGTAGTCTCA	TGG	285
4313	1	GTGAATACGTGTAGTCTCAT	GGG	286

TABLE 2
CsMLO2 targeted gRNA sequences
Position
on				SEQ
SEQ ID				ID
NO: 4	Strand	Sequence	PAM	NO
1977	-1	GTATGAATATGAAATTAAGT	TGG	287
2044	-1	AGAGAGAGAGAGACAGAGAG	TGG	288
2117	-1	TTGAAATTGGGATGGAGATG	TGG	289
2125	-1	ATTCTGTTTTGAAATTGGGA	TGG	290
2129	-1	GTAAATTCTGTTTTGAAATT	GGG	291
2130	-1	TGTAAATTCTGTTTTGAAAT	TGG	292
2153	-1	GTTAGAATGAAAAGTTTGAT	GGG	293
2154	-1	AGTTAGAATGAAAAGTTTGA	TGG	294
2211	1	TATAATCAATTATTCCCAAG	TGG	295
2214	-1	TAAATATAAATAGGCCACTT	GGG	296
2215	-1	ATAAATATAAATAGGCCACT	TGG	297
2223	-1	TAGTGATCATAAATATAAAT	AGG	298
2278	1	AAAATTAAATTAAAAGAAGA	TGG	299
2281	1	ATTAAATTAAAAGAAGATGG	CGG	300
2284	1	AAATTAAAAGAAGATGGCGG	TGG	301
2291	1	AAGAAGATGGCGGTGGCTAG	CGG	302
2294	1	AAGATGGCGGTGGCTAGCGG	AGG	303
2322	1	CTTTAGAACAAACACCAACA	TGG	304
2323	1	TTTAGAACAAACACCAACAT	GGG	305
2325	-1	ACTACGGCCACAGCCCATGT	TGG	306
2329	1	ACAAACACCAACATGGGCTG	TGG	307
2341	-1	TACCAAAACAAGACAAACTA	CGG	308
2350	1	GGCCGTAGTTTGTCTTGTTT	TGG	309
2371	-1	GATTATGTGCTCAATAATAA	TGG	310
2393	1	GAGCACATAATCCATCTCAT	TGG	311
2393	-1	GGTATACCTTGCCAATGAGA	TGG	312
2398	1	CATAATCCATCTCATTGGCA	AGG	313
2414	-1	TGAGATTAATATATATAATT	GGG	314
2415	-1	GTGAGATTAATATATATAAT	TGG	315
2473	1	CATTTAATTATTTAAATTAA	TGG	316
2474	1	ATTTAATTATTTAAATTAAT	GGG	317
2495	1	GGTATTTTTTTTTTTTTTAG	TGG	318
2535	1	ACGAGCTCTTTATGAATCGT	TGG	319
2551	1	TCGTTGGAAAAGATCAAATC	AGG	320
2576	-1	AAAATGGGTATTCATTAATT	GGG	321
2577	-1	AAAAATGGGTATTCATTAAT	TGG	322
2591	-1	TTAAAAAAAAAAACAAAAAT	GGG	323
2656	1	TTTGATAGAGCTTATGTTAT	TGG	324
2657	1	TTGATAGAGCTTATGTTATT	GGG	325
2658	1	TGATAGAGCTTATGTTATTG	GGG	326
2680	1	GTTCATATCGTTGTTACTAA	CGG	327
2683	1	CATATCGTTGTTACTAACGG	TGG	328
2684	1	ATATCGTTGTTACTAACGGT	GGG	329
2703	-1	GATATACAAATATTTGAGAT	CGG	330
2726	1	ATTTGTATATCTGAGAAAAT	TGG	331
2729	1	TGTATATCTGAGAAAATTGG	AGG	332
2730	1	GTATATCTGAGAAAATTGGA	GGG	333
2736	1	CTGAGAAAATTGGAGGGACA	TGG	334
2751	-1	TCTTCTTGTTCTTTATTACA	AGG	335
2777	1	CAAGAAGAGAAATTGAATAA	AGG	336
2778	1	AAGAAGAGAAATTGAATAAA	GGG	337
2779	1	AGAAGAGAAATTGAATAAAG	GGG	338
2817	1	TCGAACATGAAAGTAACAGT	CGG	339
2827	1	AAGTAACAGTCGGAGATTGC	TGG	340
2839	-1	ACCGTCGCCGGACTCTAAAA	AGG	341
2843	1	TTGCTGGCCTTTTTAGAGTC	CGG	342
2849	1	GCCTTTTTAGAGTCCGGCGA	CGG	343
2851	-1	GACACTAGCAGCACCGTCGC	CGG	344
2865	1	GCGACGGTGCTGCTAGTGTC	CGG	345
2873	-1	CGGCCGCCGCCAAAATTCGC	CGG	346
2875	1	TGCTAGTGTCCGGCGAATTT	TGG	347
2878	1	TAGTGTCCGGCGAATTTTGG	CGG	348
2881	1	TGTCCGGCGAATTTTGGCGG	CGG	349
2885	1	CGGCGAATTTTGGCGGCGGC	CGG	350
2886	1	GGCGAATTTTGGCGGCGGCC	GGG	351
2893	-1	TTCAGCACACTTATCAGTCC	CGG	352
2908	1	GACTGATAAGTGTGCTGAAA	AGG	353
2978	1	GTCTTTCTTATCCTTTTATT	TGG	354
2978	-1	GACGAATATGTCCAAATAAA	AGG	355
3000	-1	CTCCTATAATATTATATGTT	TGG	356
3009	1	GTCCAAACATATAATATTAT	AGG	357
3051	-1	AAATATATAAATTTAAAGGT	TGG	358
3055	-1	AACTAAATATATAAATTTAA	AGG	359
4125	1	AAATTATATACATATATGAA	TGG	360
4168	1	ATATATATAATTATAATTTC	AGG	361
4169	1	TATATATAATTATAATTTCA	GGG	362
4187	-1	ATACCATCCGCCGAAACAAA	TGG	363
4188	1	AGGGCAAGTTCCATTTGTTT	CGG	364
4191	1	GCAAGTTCCATTTGTTTCGG	CGG	365
4195	1	GTTCCATTTGTTTCGGCGGA	TGG	366
4230	1	GCATATTTTTATCTTTGTGT	TGG	367
4249	-1	TCATGATGCAGTAGAGAACA	TGG	368
4272	1	CTGCATCATGACTATGTTTT	TGG	369
4273	1	TGCATCATGACTATGTTTTT	GGG	370
4284	1	TATGTTTTTGGGCAGACTTA	AGG	371
4404	-1	AATTTATATATAATTATTTA	GGG	372
4405	-1	CAATTTATATATAATTATTT	AGG	373
4428	1	TATATAAATTGATTCCCAGA	TGG	374
4429	1	ATATAAATTGATTCCCAGAT	GGG	375
4431	-1	ATGCTTCCAACTTCCCATCT	GGG	376
4432	-1	AATGCTTCCAACTTCCCATC	TGG	377
4436	1	TTGATTCCCAGATGGGAAGT	TGG	378
4445	1	AGATGGGAAGTTGGAAGCAT	TGG	379
4446	1	GATGGGAAGTTGGAAGCATT	GGG	380
4452	1	AAGTTGGAAGCATTGGGAAA	AGG	381
4476	-1	ACCATGTGAGAATTGATATT	CGG	382
4486	1	GCCGAATATCAATTCTCACA	TGG	383
4548	1	CTTAATTTTAATTTTTCTAT	AGG	384
4551	1	AATTTTAATTTTTCTATAGG	TGG	385
4649	-1	CTATATGACATATTTGATGG	TGG	386
4652	-1	TAACTATATGACATATTTGA	TGG	387
4742	1	AATTATAAGAGCATCTTTAT	TGG	388
4749	1	AGAGCATCTTTATTGGACAC	CGG	389
4757	-1	TAGAAAGTGTTAAATATCAC	CGG	390
4844	-1	TATTGGTATAATTAAGTATC	AGG	391
4861	-1	CTTACCAATTATATTATTAT	TGG	392
4868	1	TATACCAATAATAATATAAT	TGG	393
4903	1	ATTTATAAGAAGTATATATA	TGG	394
4904	1	TTTATAAGAAGTATATATAT	GGG	395
4923	1	TGGGAGTTAGAATTAAGTAA	AGG	396
4997	-1	CTCGCAAATCTGAATCTTTC	TGG	397
5009	1	CAGAAAGATTCAGATTTGCG	AGG	398
5010	1	AGAAAGATTCAGATTTGCGA	GGG	399
5023	1	TTTGCGAGGGACACTTCTTT	TGG	400
5045	1	GAAGAAGACATTTAAGTTTC	TGG	401
5058	-1	CCATATTAGGAAAGGGTGTT	TGG	402
5065	-1	TTACTATCCATATTAGGAAA	GGG	403
5066	-1	CTTACTATCCATATTAGGAA	AGG	404
5069	1	CCAAACACCCTTTCCTAATA	TGG	405
5071	-1	GGGATCTTACTATCCATATT	AGG	406
5091	-1	AAGTAAAAAGTGGGTAAAAA	GGG	407
5092	-1	AAAGTAAAAAGTGGGTAAAA	AGG	408
5100	-1	AATATAAAAAAGTAAAAAGT	GGG	409
5101	-1	GAATATAAAAAAGTAAAAAG	TGG	410
5149	-1	ATATAAGTGCATGGATATAG	TGG	411
5158	-1	TATTAATAGATATAAGTGCA	TGG	412
5233	-1	CATATTTATATGCATGTGAA	AGG	413
5253	1	TGCATATAAATATGTTTGCA	TGG	414
5269	1	TGCATGGTTTTTATACATCG	TGG	415
7159	1	TATATATATAATATTTTTTT	TGG	416
7213	-1	TTAATTAATAATTAAAGAGC	AGG	417
7238	1	ATTAATTAATTATTTTTCGC	AGG	418
7282	-1	AAAGTTAAATAATCAACTTT	AGG	419
7302	1	GATTATTTAACTTTGAGACA	TGG	420
7313	1	TTTGAGACATGGATTTATAA	TGG	421
7373	1	ATTATAGCTGTAGAGATATT	TGG	422
7387	-1	TAAGTATTATTAAAAATACA	AGG	423
8017	-1	GAATGAGAATAGGAATAGAA	TGG	424
8027	-1	ATAGGAATGGGAATGAGAAT	AGG	425
8039	-1	ATAGGAATAGAAATAGGAAT	GGG	426
8040	-1	TATAGGAATAGAAATAGGAA	TGG	427
8045	-1	GAAAATATAGGAATAGAAAT	AGG	428
8057	-1	GTTGAGAGGAATGAAAATAT	AGG	429
8071	-1	CACAGAGGCGTTTGGTTGAG	AGG	430
8079	-1	AATAGGCCCACAGAGGCGTT	TGG	431
8083	1	CTCTCAACCAAACGCCTCTG	TGG	432
8084	1	TCTCAACCAAACGCCTCTGT	GGG	433
8086	-1	ACAAGATAATAGGCCCACAG	AGG	434
8096	-1	TTAATACATAACAAGATAAT	AGG	435
8150	1	ATCAATAACTAAATTAATTG	AGG	436
8177	1	TTATAACAATTAATAATTTC	AGG	437
8186	1	TTAATAATTTCAGGCACATT	TGG	438
8198	-1	AAATTTTTGATGGCTTTGAG	GGG	439
8199	-1	CAAATTTTTGATGGCTTTGA	GGG	440
8200	-1	TCAAATTTTTGATGGCTTTG	AGG	441
8208	-1	TTTGAAAGTCAAATTTTTGA	TGG	442
8255	1	ATCTCTAGAAGAAGATTTCA	AGG	443
8265	1	GAAGATTTCAAGGTCGTTGT	AGG	444
8272	1	TCAAGGTCGTTGTAGGAATC	AGG	445
8345	-1	ATTAAAATAAGTCATCATTT	GGG	446
8346	-1	AATTAAAATAAGTCATCATT	TGG	447
8399	1	TAATAATTATTATTTTGTTT	TGG	448
8427	1	TCAATCTCAGTCCTCCTATT	TGG	449
8427	-1	ACAGCGAAGAACCAAATAGG	AGG	450
8430	-1	ACCACAGCGAAGAACCAAAT	AGG	451
8440	1	TCCTATTTGGTTCTTCGCTG	TGG	452
8465	1	TTCTTACTCTTCAATACCCA	TGG	453
8470	-1	AATAATAAAATGCTCACCAT	GGG	454
8471	-1	TAATAATAAAATGCTCACCA	TGG	455
8500	-1	GGATGCATTGAAATAATTAA	TGG	456
8521	-1	AATCTAAACTGTGATAATTA	GGG	457
8522	-1	AAATCTAAACTGTGATAATT	AGG	458
8566	-1	TTGACATATATGCACACGTT	TGG	459
8605	1	TATATTTTTGTTTTTATTAT	TGG	460
8618	-1	AAATGTAAACAAATTCATTA	TGG	461
8631	1	ATAATGAATTTGTTTACATT	TGG	462
8636	1	GAATTTGTTTACATTTGGAC	AGG	463
8640	1	TTGTTTACATTTGGACAGGC	TGG	464
8655	1	CAGGCTGGTATTCTTATCTT	TGG	465
8670	-1	CTTACAATTAGAGGAATAAA	AGG	466
8679	-1	ATATTAGTACTTACAATTAG	AGG	467
8820	-1	GATTGTTTGAATTTTATTTT	TGG	468
8907	-1	GTTTACAGTAAAACTTTAAA	AGG	469
8932	-1	AATTAGCCCAATTTTTTTCA	CGG	470
8936	1	TAAACTACCGTGAAAAAAAT	TGG	471
8937	1	AAACTACCGTGAAAAAAATT	GGG	472
9001	-1	CTCTTTTATTTTTTAAGAAG	AGG	473
9053	1	TATTATAAATAAATTATGTT	AGG	474
9065	1	ATTATGTTAGGTGATCCTAT	TGG	475
9068	1	ATGTTAGGTGATCCTATTGG	TGG	476
9069	1	TGTTAGGTGATCCTATTGGT	GGG	477
9069	-1	GTAATTTCGTCCCCACCAAT	AGG	478
9070	1	GTTAGGTGATCCTATTGGTG	GGG	479
9101	1	ACAAGTGATTATAACAAAGA	TGG	480
9102	1	CAAGTGATTATAACAAAGAT	GGG	481
9103	1	AAGTGATTATAACAAAGATG	GGG	482
9123	1	GGGCTAAGAATTCAAGAAAG	AGG	483
9138	1	GAAAGAGGAGAAGTTGTAAA	AGG	484
9149	1	AGTTGTAAAAGGAGTGCCTG	TGG	485
9154	-1	TCGTCCCCAGGTTGGACCAC	AGG	486
9159	1	GGAGTGCCTGTGGTCCAACC	TGG	487
9160	1	GAGTGCCTGTGGTCCAACCT	GGG	488
9161	1	AGTGCCTGTGGTCCAACCTG	GGG	489
9162	-1	AGAAAAGGTCGTCCCCAGGT	TGG	490
9166	-1	AACCAGAAAAGGTCGTCCCC	AGG	491
9175	1	AACCTGGGGACGACCTTTTC	TGG	492
9177	-1	GTGGGCGGTTGAACCAGAAA	AGG	493
9192	-1	GGTAGAGAATAAGGCGTGGG	CGG	494
9195	-1	TAAGGTAGAGAATAAGGCGT	GGG	495
9196	-1	ATAAGGTAGAGAATAAGGCG	TGG	496
9201	-1	AGTTAATAAGGTAGAGAATA	AGG	497
9213	-1	GGAAGAGGACGAAGTTAATA	AGG	498
9227	1	TATTAACTTCGTCCTCTTCC	AGG	499
9228	-1	ATTGATTATGTACCTGGAAG	AGG	500
9234	-1	ATTTTGATTGATTATGTACC	TGG	501
9254	1	TAATCAATCAAAATCAGCCT	TGG	502
9260	-1	GGTGCATTATAGAATTTCCA	AGG	503
9281	-1	TCAATGTATTCATTTTAAGG	GGG	504
9282	-1	ATCAATGTATTCATTTTAAG	GGG	505
9283	-1	CATCAATGTATTCATTTTAA	GGG	506
9284	-1	GCATCAATGTATTCATTTTA	AGG	507
9308	-1	TTGAGTGCTAAAACAAGTAA	GGG	508
9309	-1	TTTGAGTGCTAAAACAAGTA	AGG	509
9350	1	TTTAGTCAAATTTTTTCTCA	TGG	510
10632	-1	TCCATGCAAAGAACGCAAGC	TGG	511
10642	1	TCCAGCTTGCGTTCTTTGCA	TGG	512
10648	1	TTGCGTTCTTTGCATGGACT	TGG	513
10649	1	TGCGTTCTTTGCATGGACTT	GGG	514
10753	1	TTAATTTTTCAGTATGAATT	TGG	515
10785	1	TTGCTTTCATGAACATGTTG	AGG	516
10791	1	TCATGAACATGTTGAGGATG	TGG	517
10809	1	TGTGGTTATCAGAATCACCA	TGG	518
10810	1	GTGGTTATCAGAATCACCAT	GGG	519
10811	1	TGGTTATCAGAATCACCATG	GGG	520
10815	-1	ATATCTGTATACAGACCCCA	TGG	521
10922	-1	AAATAAAAATTAAATATTAA	TGG	522
10958	1	GTAAAAATTTCTAACACCGT	TGG	523
10963	-1	CCCTGATGATCATGATCCAA	CGG	524
10973	1	ACCGTTGGATCATGATCATC	AGG	525
10974	1	CCGTTGGATCATGATCATCA	GGG	526
10993	-1	TGACGTAGCTGCACAGAATC	TGG	527
11016	-1	AACAAGGGCGTAGAGAGGGA	GGG	528
11017	-1	TAACAAGGGCGTAGAGAGGG	AGG	529
11020	-1	GTGTAACAAGGGCGTAGAGA	GGG	530
11021	-1	TGTGTAACAAGGGCGTAGAG	AGG	531
11031	-1	TGTAATTACTTGTGTAACAA	GGG	532
11032	-1	GTGTAATTACTTGTGTAACA	AGG	533
11159	-1	AGATTTTATATATTTAATTA	GGG	534
11160	-1	TAGATTTTATATATTTAATT	AGG	535
11524	-1	CGGACTATATTTTAATTAAA	AGG	536
11544	-1	TAATTAAATAAAATTCTAAA	CGG	537
11580	1	TAAAAAATATTGTCATAGTT	TGG	538
11581	1	AAAAAATATTGTCATAGTTT	GGG	539
11782	1	TATATATATGACACAACAGA	TGG	540
11783	1	ATATATATGACACAACAGAT	GGG	541
11800	-1	GTTGAATATAGTTGGTTTCA	TGG	542
11808	-1	ACTTTGTCGTTGAATATAGT	TGG	543
11824	1	TATATTCAACGACAAAGTAG	CGG	544
11827	1	ATTCAACGACAAAGTAGCGG	AGG	545
11839	-1	TGAGTGGTGCCAGTTGCGGA	GGG	546
11840	-1	CTGAGTGGTGCCAGTTGCGG	AGG	547
11841	1	TAGCGGAGGCCCTCCGCAAC	TGG	548
11843	-1	GGGCTGAGTGGTGCCAGTTG	CGG	549
11855	-1	TGATGTGCTTTCGGGCTGAG	TGG	550
11863	-1	TTGGTGTTTGATGTGCTTTC	GGG	551
11864	-1	TTTGGTGTTTGATGTGCTTT	CGG	552
11881	1	GCACATCAAACACCAAAACA	AGG	553
11882	-1	CTGACCCCGCCGCCTTGTTT	TGG	554
11884	1	CATCAAACACCAAAACAAGG	CGG	555
11887	1	CAAACACCAAAACAAGGCGG	CGG	556
11888	1	AAACACCAAAACAAGGCGGC	GGG	557
11889	1	AACACCAAAACAAGGCGGCG	GGG	558
11910	-1	GTCGTCGGCCGGCTTGACAG	CGG	559
11913	1	CAGTGACGCCGCTGTCAAGC	CGG	560
11921	-1	GATGTGTGGGTGTCGTCGGC	CGG	561
11925	-1	ATGTGATGTGTGGGTGTCGT	CGG	562
11934	-1	ACCGGGGACATGTGATGTGT	GGG	563
11935	-1	GACCGGGGACATGTGATGTG	TGG	564
11944	1	ACCCACACATCACATGTCCC	CGG	565
11950	-1	GTGGCGCAAGAGGTGGACCG	GGG	566
11951	-1	AGTGGCGCAAGAGGTGGACC	GGG	567
11952	-1	TAGTGGCGCAAGAGGTGGAC	CGG	568
11957	-1	TGCGGTAGTGGCGCAAGAGG	TGG	569
11960	-1	CACTGCGGTAGTGGCGCAAG	AGG	570
11969	-1	CTGCTGCCTCACTGCGGTAG	TGG	571
11974	1	CTTGCGCCACTACCGCAGTG	AGG	572
11975	-1	GGCTGTCTGCTGCCTCACTG	CGG	573
11996	-1	AGCGCCTTGGGGAGTTTTGG	AGG	574
11999	-1	TTGAGCGCCTTGGGGAGTTT	TGG	575
12003	1	ACAGCCTCCAAAACTCCCCA	AGG	576
12007	-1	ATCAAAGTTTGAGCGCCTTG	GGG	577
12008	-1	CATCAAAGTTTGAGCGCCTT	GGG	578
12009	-1	CCATCAAAGTTTGAGCGCCT	TGG	579
12020	1	CCAAGGCGCTCAAACTTTGA	TGG	580
12033	1	ACTTTGATGGCGCCACTGAA	CGG	581
12034	-1	ATCTGTCTCCCACCGTTCAG	TGG	582
12036	1	TTGATGGCGCCACTGAACGG	TGG	583
12037	1	TGATGGCGCCACTGAACGGT	GGG	584
12059	-1	TGGTGGTGGTGAGATGGAGA	TGG	585
12065	-1	CGGCCGTGGTGGTGGTGAGA	TGG	586
12073	1	TCTCCATCTCACCACCACCA	CGG	587
12073	-1	TCGCGAAGCGGCCGTGGTGG	TGG	588
12076	-1	CGGTCGCGAAGCGGCCGTGG	TGG	589
12079	-1	CCTCGGTCGCGAAGCGGCCG	TGG	590
12085	-1	AGGAACCCTCGGTCGCGAAG	CGG	591
12090	1	CCACGGCCGCTTCGCGACCG	AGG	592
12091	1	CACGGCCGCTTCGCGACCGA	GGG	593
12096	-1	ATGATGAGAGGAGGAACCCT	CGG	594
12105	-1	ATTATTACTATGATGAGAGG	AGG	595
12108	-1	ATTATTATTACTATGATGAG	AGG	596
12150	1	TAAAAATCAGCAAATTGAAT	TGG	597
12151	1	AAAAATCAGCAAATTGAATT	GGG	598
12162	1	AATTGAATTGGGACAAATAA	TGG	599
12181	1	ATGGAACAACATCATCTTCA	TGG	600
12188	1	AACATCATCTTCATGGAGAT	CGG	601
12204	-1	GGTTTGAGGAGGAAGCTCAT	TGG	602
12215	-1	CTTAATGTAGTGGTTTGAGG	AGG	603
12218	-1	TTTCTTAATGTAGTGGTTTG	AGG	604
12225	-1	AGCTTGATTTCTTAATGTAG	TGG	605
12267	1	TGATCAATCAGCAGCAGCAC	AGG	606
12272	1	AATCAGCAGCAGCACAGGTG	AGG	607
12284	-1	TTAATTTCATGGTGGGGCGG	CGG	608
12287	-1	ATATTAATTTCATGGTGGGG	CGG	609
12290	-1	CCAATATTAATTTCATGGTG	GGG	610
12291	-1	TCCAATATTAATTTCATGGT	GGG	611
12292	-1	GTCCAATATTAATTTCATGG	TGG	612
12295	-1	TGTGTCCAATATTAATTTCA	TGG	613
12301	1	CCCCACCATGAAATTAATAT	TGG	614
12326	1	ACAGAGATTTCTCTTTTGAA	CGG	615
12350	-1	CTCTCTCGTCATCAAACGCT	GGG	616
12351	-1	TCTCTCTCGTCATCAAACGC	TGG	617
12376	1	CGAGAGAGAATTCCGTTATT	TGG	618
12377	-1	TTAACATTATAACCAAATAA	CGG	619
12392	1	TATTTGGTTATAATGTTAAT	CGG	620
12396	1	TGGTTATAATGTTAATCGGA	CGG	621
12411	1	TCGGACGGTTCTCATTGTCT	CGG	622
12423	-1	TCTAGCTCGTTGATCATCAG	AGG	623
12499	-1	ATAATTAAACCGCTCATTAT	TGG	624
12501	1	TAAGCAGCTCCAATAATGAG	CGG	625

TABLE 3
CsMLO3 targeted gRNA sequences
Position
on				SEQ
SEQ ID				ID
NO: 7	Strand	Sequence	PAM	NO
777	1	TGAAACTCAAACTAAAATCA	AGG	626
801	-1	TCTAACAGTTGGTATCAGAG	CGG	627
812	-1	ATATATAAATGTCTAACAGT	TGG	628
860	1	ATATGTTTAAGTATTAACTG	CGG	629
894	1	TATATACACTATATAACTTA	AGG	630
915	-1	GCTCAAGAATCAATGGCTGG	AGG	631
918	-1	GAAGCTCAAGAATCAATGGC	TGG	632
922	-1	GTTTGAAGCTCAAGAATCAA	TGG	633
944	-1	TTGCAGATCAAAGCTTATGT	GGG	634
945	-1	CTTGCAGATCAAAGCTTATG	TGG	635
957	1	CACATAAGCTTTGATCTGCA	AGG	636
958	1	ACATAAGCTTTGATCTGCAA	GGG	637
965	1	CTTTGATCTGCAAGGGAAAC	TGG	638
974	1	GCAAGGGAAACTGGTTGATG	TGG	639
975	1	CAAGGGAAACTGGTTGATGT	GGG	640
982	1	AACTGGTTGATGTGGGTAAT	CGG	641
983	1	ACTGGTTGATGTGGGTAATC	GGG	642
998	-1	TAAAGAGAGTTGAGAGAGCG	AGG	643
1014	1	CTCTCTCAACTCTCTTTAGA	TGG	644
1044	1	TGTTATGAACAGAATGAGTG	AGG	645
1051	1	AACAGAATGAGTGAGGAGCT	CGG	646
1052	1	ACAGAATGAGTGAGGAGCTC	GGG	647
1053	1	CAGAATGAGTGAGGAGCTCG	GGG	648
1066	-1	CACCTATAAATATAGGGTCT	CGG	649
1072	-1	GTATCTCACCTATAAATATA	GGG	650
1073	-1	AGTATCTCACCTATAAATAT	AGG	651
1075	1	GACCGAGACCCTATATTTAT	AGG	652
1096	-1	TAATGTGGCACAGATACTGA	TGG	653
1111	-1	AAATATTCTGACAATTAATG	TGG	654
1138	1	AATATTTTGACAATTAATTC	AGG	655
1151	1	TTAATTCAGGAAATCAAATC	AGG	656
1183	-1	ATTATGTAATATTCTATATA	TGG	657
4585	1	GTTCTCACTATCAGTTATTA	TGG	658
4595	1	TCAGTTATTATGGTTATTTA	TGG	659
4615	1	TGGTTATTTATCTTTTTTAG	TGG	660
4634	-1	CCTGAAGGGCTTTTTGTGTT	TGG	661
4645	1	CCAAACACAAAAAGCCCTTC	AGG	662
4648	-1	CTTCTCAAGCGCTTCCTGAA	GGG	663
4649	-1	TCTTCTCAAGCGCTTCCTGA	AGG	664
4670	1	GCGCTTGAGAAGATTAAATT	AGG	665
4736	1	TTATTAGTATTTTTTTTTTT	TGG	666
4751	1	TTTTTTGGTCTAATTTTAAT	TGG	667
4752	1	TTTTTGGTCTAATTTTAATT	GGG	668
4802	1	TGTTGCAGAGCTTATGCTAT	TGG	669
4803	1	GTTGCAGAGCTTATGCTATT	GGG	670
4842	-1	ATATGTCAGCAATGTAATCT	TGG	671
4870	-1	CAAGTGTTTGCTGCACTTTT	TGG	672
4882	1	CAAAAAGTGCAGCAAACACT	TGG	673
4897	-1	TCTTCATTTTGGTATGGGCA	AGG	674
4902	-1	TTTTCTCTTCATTTTGGTAT	GGG	675
4903	-1	TTTTTCTCTTCATTTTGGTA	TGG	676
4908	-1	TAGCCTTTTTCTCTTCATTT	TGG	677
4916	1	ATACCAAAATGAAGAGAAAA	AGG	678
4922	1	AAATGAAGAGAAAAAGGCTA	AGG	679
4945	-1	TAATCAATTGTTTTTGATTT	TGG	680
5012	1	TGTAATTATGTCTTAATGAT	AGG	681
5033	1	GGACGTATACTAAAAGTGTG	TGG	682
5078	1	AATGAGTTCTGAATTTTTGA	AGG	683
5098	1	AGGACTTTTTGAATATTGTA	TGG	684
5139	1	TAATATAAAATTAATATATA	TGG	685
5181	1	TGATTTGTGTGTTTTGTGTG	AGG	686
5187	1	GTGTGTTTTGTGTGAGGTGC	AGG	687
5188	1	TGTGTTTTGTGTGAGGTGCA	GGG	688
5214	1	AGTTCTTTAGTGTCTAAATA	TGG	689
5215	1	GTTCTTTAGTGTCTAAATAT	GGG	690
5232	-1	CAAATATGAAGATATGAAGC	TGG	691
5249	1	TCATATCTTCATATTTGTCT	TGG	692
5268	-1	TAGTAATGCAATATATAATA	TGG	693
5285	1	TATATATTGCATTACTACCT	TGG	694
5291	-1	TTTGGTTCTGCCAATAGCCA	AGG	695
5292	1	TGCATTACTACCTTGGCTAT	TGG	696
5309	-1	AACTTAAAAACTACTCACTT	TGG	697
5361	1	CATATTCTATAAAATTAATA	TGG	698
5401	1	TTGAATTGCAGATGAGAAAA	TGG	699
5410	1	AGATGAGAAAATGGAAAGTT	TGG	700
5411	1	GATGAGAAAATGGAAAGTTT	GGG	701
5414	1	GAGAAAATGGAAAGTTTGGG	AGG	702
5450	1	ATTGAGTACATATATAGTAA	CGG	703
5537	1	TTGTATAATTAATTATTTTT	TGG	704
5563	1	CACTACAACTTATCTAACTC	AGG	705
6711	-1	ATCTTTACATTCTTACTTTT	TGG	706
6785	1	TATATAAATATTCAATCAAA	TGG	707
6789	1	TAAATATTCAATCAAATGGT	TGG	708
6811	-1	CTTGTAAATCTAAATCTCTC	AGG	709
6837	1	TTTACAAGAGACACATCATT	TGG	710
6859	1	GAAGAAGACATTTGAACATT	TGG	711
6873	-1	TCCAAAGTGAAATTGGTGAT	TGG	712
6880	-1	CTTACAATCCAAAGTGAAAT	TGG	713
6883	1	GCCAATCACCAATTTCACTT	TGG	714
6927	-1	TTGTTTTCTTCTCTATAATA	AGG	715
6973	1	TCAAAAGTTTTTTATTATAT	AGG	716
7030	1	TTCTTGTTTATCAAATGATC	AGG	717
7055	1	TGCTTTTTCAGACAATTCTT	CGG	718
7056	1	GCTTTTTCAGACAATTCTTC	GGG	719
7069	1	ATTCTTCGGGTCAGTCACTA	AGG	720
7089	1	AGGTTGATTACATGACACTG	AGG	721
7094	1	GATTACATGACACTGAGGCA	TGG	722
7105	1	ACTGAGGCATGGATTTGTAA	TGG	723
7126	1	GGTATGTTGCACAATGATCT	TGG	724
7137	1	CAATGATCTTGGCCTGAAAA	TGG	725
7138	-1	TGTAATTTGAAGCCATTTTC	AGG	726
7203	1	AGCTATGCTTTTCCCATTTC	AGG	727
7204	-1	GAGCCAAATGTGCCTGAAAT	GGG	728
7205	-1	GGAGCCAAATGTGCCTGAAA	TGG	729
7212	1	TTTCCCATTTCAGGCACATT	TGG	730
7226	-1	TCAAATCTTGTTTCACTTTC	TGG	731
7272	1	CATCAGCAAATCACTTGATC	AGG	732
7291	1	CAGGATTTTGTAGTAATTGT	TGG	733
7292	1	AGGATTTTGTAGTAATTGTT	GGG	734
7323	-1	ATATTATAAGCTGATTTCAA	AGG	735
7419	-1	CGGCAACGAACCAAATTACT	GGG	736
7420	1	ATATATGCAGCCCAGTAATT	TGG	737
7420	-1	ACGGCAACGAACCAAATTAC	TGG	738
7439	-1	GTTGGACAGTAGAAACAATA	CGG	739
7457	-1	CAATAACTTACCATATGTGT	TGG	740
7458	1	TTTCTACTGTCCAACACATA	TGG	741
7519	-1	CAACATTTCAGTCACTGAAA	TGG	742
7549	1	GTTGTTCTTTTTTAATTAAC	AGG	743
7568	1	CAGGAATATACTCTTATTTG	TGG	744
7583	-1	CTTACAATCAAAGGTAGAAA	TGG	745
7592	-1	TGTGTTGTACTTACAATCAA	AGG	746
7660	-1	TTCCACACATTAGCAAATGT	GGG	747
7661	-1	TTTCCACACATTAGCAAATG	TGG	748
7669	1	GTCCCACATTTGCTAATGTG	TGG	749
7699	1	TTGTGATATATAAGATGAAT	AGG	750
7715	1	GAATAGGCTACTCCTTTTAT	AGG	751
7716	1	AATAGGCTACTCCTTTTATA	GGG	752
7716	-1	CCATTTGAAAACCCTATAAA	AGG	753
7727	1	CCTTTTATAGGGTTTTCAAA	TGG	754
7741	-1	ATTTAGGAATAAGATGAATG	GGG	755
7742	-1	AATTTAGGAATAAGATGAAT	GGG	756
7743	-1	GAATTTAGGAATAAGATGAA	TGG	757
7757	-1	GACATACCATGTTAGAATTT	AGG	758
7762	1	CTTATTCCTAAATTCTAACA	TGG	759
7788	-1	AAAAACCCAACACTGGAAAG	TGG	760
7793	1	TGTGTGCCACTTTCCAGTGT	TGG	761
7794	1	GTGTGCCACTTTCCAGTGTT	GGG	762
7795	-1	ACAGGTCAAAAACCCAACAC	TGG	763
7813	-1	AAATTTGTAGATTTTGAAAC	AGG	764
7849	-1	CCAAATATCGGAAAATTTGT	GGG	765
7850	-1	GCCAAATATCGGAAAATTTG	TGG	766
7860	1	CCCACAAATTTTCCGATATT	TGG	767
7861	-1	AATCTCACAAGGCCAAATAT	CGG	768
7872	-1	ACATTTGAAAGAATCTCACA	AGG	769
7892	1	ATTCTTTCAAATGTCACGTT	CGG	770
7900	1	AAATGTCACGTTCGGTCCTG	TGG	771
7905	-1	AACGACCTTTCAGAGACCAC	AGG	772
7911	1	TCGGTCCTGTGGTCTCTGAA	AGG	773
7935	-1	CGTTTGGGCCTGAAAAGTGT	GGG	774
7936	-1	ACGTTTGGGCCTGAAAAGTG	TGG	775
7938	1	TCGTTATACCCACACTTTTC	AGG	776
7950	-1	TTAATACACTCCTCACGTTT	GGG	777
7951	1	ACTTTTCAGGCCCAAACGTG	AGG	778
7951	-1	CTTAATACACTCCTCACGTT	TGG	779
7991	1	AGTCTCACATTGCTAATGTA	TGG	780
8020	1	ATTGTGATATATAAAATGAA	TGG	781
8021	1	TTGTGATATATAAAATGAAT	GGG	782
8038	-1	TAAAACTAATTGGCTGTGGG	AGG	783
8041	-1	TCTTAAAACTAATTGGCTGT	GGG	784
8042	-1	ATCTTAAAACTAATTGGCTG	TGG	785
8048	-1	GGTTTTATCTTAAAACTAAT	TGG	786
8069	-1	ATTTAGGGATAAGATGAATG	GGG	787
8070	-1	AATTTAGGGATAAGATGAAT	GGG	788
8071	-1	GAATTTAGGGATAAGATGAA	TGG	789
8084	-1	ATTAAGCATGTTAGAATTTA	GGG	790
8085	-1	GATTAAGCATGTTAGAATTT	AGG	791
8144	1	CAAATTGCAGATAATATTAC	TGG	792
8147	1	ATTGCAGATAATATTACTGG	TGG	793
8148	1	TTGCAGATAATATTACTGGT	GGG	794
8180	1	TCAAGTAATCATAACAAAGA	TGG	795
8181	1	CAAGTAATCATAACAAAGAT	GGG	796
8202	1	GGATTAAGCATTCAAGAGAG	AGG	797
8210	1	CATTCAAGAGAGAGGAGATG	TGG	798
8217	1	GAGAGAGGAGATGTGGTAAA	AGG	799
8228	1	TGTGGTAAAAGGTGCACCAT	TGG	800
8233	-1	TCATCTCCTGGTTGAACCAA	TGG	801
8238	1	GGTGCACCATTGGTTCAACC	AGG	802
8245	-1	AACCAGAAGAGGTCATCTCC	TGG	803
8254	1	AACCAGGAGATGACCTCTTC	TGG	804
8256	-1	TAGGCCGTCCGAACCAGAAG	AGG	805
8259	1	GGAGATGACCTCTTCTGGTT	CGG	806
8263	1	ATGACCTCTTCTGGTTCGGA	CGG	807
8275	-1	ATGAGAAAGAGCATTAATTT	AGG	808
8301	-1	TAAGTACCTGAAAGAGAACA	AGG	809
8306	1	CATTCACCTTGTTCTCTTTC	AGG	810
8413	1	AAAATGATATCTTTTCTGCT	TGG	811
8429	1	TGCTTGGTACTAATTAATGC	TGG	812
8487	-1	TACTGTACTCCATGCAAAAA	AGG	813
8489	1	TTCAACTTGCCTTTTTTGCA	TGG	814
8531	-1	TGCCTTGAAACCAAAAATCA	AGG	815
8532	1	ATTTGACTTTCCTTGATTTT	TGG	816
8540	1	TTCCTTGATTTTTGGTTTCA	AGG	817
8559	1	AAGGCAATAAAATTATTACA	TGG	818
8624	-1	TTCGTGGAAGCAAGTGTTCA	AGG	819
8640	-1	TGATATCTTCAATTTTTTCG	TGG	820
8669	1	TATCATCATAAGAATTTCAA	TGG	821
8670	1	ATCATCATAAGAATTTCAAT	GGG	822
8671	1	TCATCATAAGAATTTCAATG	GGG	823
8805	1	TTCTCTTTTTCTTTCTTACT	AGG	824
8819	-1	AACTGCATAGAACTTGTATG	AGG	825
8853	-1	TGTGTGACAAGAGCATATAG	AGG	826
8866	1	TCTATATGCTCTTGTCACAC	AGG	827
8893	-1	GATGATAATGATGATTTAGA	AGG	828
8954	1	ATTTGATCATATATTACAGA	TGG	829
8955	1	TTTGATCATATATTACAGAT	GGG	830
8956	1	TTGATCATATATTACAGATG	GGG	831
8980	-1	ACTCTGTCATTGAAAATTAC	TGG	832
9013	1	TAGCAACAGCATTAAAGAAC	TGG	833
9027	-1	TGTTCTTGGTTTTGGCTGAA	TGG	834
9035	-1	GTGTTTTTTGTTCTTGGTTT	TGG	835
9041	-1	TCGGTTGTGTTTTTTGTTCT	TGG	836
9059	1	CAAAAAACACAACCGAAATT	CGG	837
9060	-1	GCGAGTTTGTCTCCGAATTT	CGG	838
9082	-1	GTTGCAGGCCTACTTGAGAA	TGG	839
9085	1	CAAACTCGCCATTCTCAAGT	AGG	840
9097	-1	ATGCCATATGTTGGAGTTGC	AGG	841
9105	1	AGGCCTGCAACTCCAACATA	TGG	842
9106	-1	ACTGGAGACATGCCATATGT	TGG	843
9124	-1	TAATTTTGCAGCAGATGAAC	TGG	844
9156	1	TACAGAAGCACAGCAACTGA	TGG	845
9165	1	ACAGCAACTGATGGATACTA	TGG	846
9175	1	ATGGATACTATGGTTCTCCG	AGG	847
9181	-1	TTTTCGACATTAGACATCCT	CGG	848
9213	1	AACGATTACTATGAGCCTGA	AGG	849
9214	1	ACGATTACTATGAGCCTGAA	GGG	850
9217	-1	TTGGGAGATGGTGTCCCTTC	AGG	851
9229	-1	GATGGTCCATTGTTGGGAGA	TGG	852
9234	1	GGGACACCATCTCCCAACAA	TGG	853
9235	-1	GCTGCAGATGGTCCATTGTT	GGG	854
9236	-1	TGCTGCAGATGGTCCATTGT	TGG	855
9247	-1	TGTATTTCACTTGCTGCAGA	TGG	856
9284	1	GAATAACTATGAAGTTGAGA	AGG	857
9296	1	AGTTGAGAAGGATATAAGTG	AGG	858
9300	1	GAGAAGGATATAAGTGAGGA	AGG	859
9311	1	AAGTGAGGAAGGACAGCCAA	TGG	860
9316	-1	GAGCTTGGTTCCTGAACCAT	TGG	861
9317	1	GGAAGGACAGCCAATGGTTC	AGG	862
9331	-1	TTTTGCTGTGAGGAGGAGCT	TGG	863
9338	-1	GACCTCATTTTGCTGTGAGG	AGG	864
9341	-1	CTTGACCTCATTTTGCTGTG	AGG	865
9347	1	CTCCTCCTCACAGCAAAATG	AGG	866
9368	-1	CCTAAATGAGAAGTGAGATA	AGG	867
9379	1	CCTTATCTCACTTCTCATTT	AGG	868
9450	1	CTTTATTTCTTATTATCTTT	TGG	869
9498	1	AATATGTATAAGCTTGAATT	TGG	870

Reference is made to Table 4 summarizing sequences relating to WT CsMLO within the scope of the current invention.

TABLE 4
WT CsMLO sequence table
Sequence type
characterization	CsMLO1	CsMLO2	CsMLO3
Genomic	SEQ ID NO: 1	SEQ ID NO: 4	SEQ ID NO: 7
sequence
Coding	SEQ ID NO: 2	SEQ ID NO: 5	SEQ ID NO: 8
sequence
(CDS)
Amino acid	SEQ ID NO: 3	SEQ ID NO: 6	SEQ ID NO: 9
sequence
gRNA	SEQ ID NO: 10-	SEQ ID NO: 287-	SEQ ID NO: 626-
sequence	SEQ ID NO: 286	SEQ ID NO: 625	SEQ ID NO: 870
	(Table 1)	(Table 2)	(Table 3)

The above gRNA molecules have been cloned into suitable vectors and their sequence has been verified. In addition different Cas9 versions have been analyzed for optimal compatibility between the Cas9 protein activity and the gRNA molecule in the Cannabis plant.

Stage 3: Transforming Cannabis plants using Agrobacterium or biolistics (gene gun) methods. For Agrobacterium and bioloistics a DNA plasmid carrying (Cas9+gene specific gRNA) can be used. A vector containing a selection marker, Cas9 gene and relevant gene specific gRNA's is constructed. For biolistics, Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes carrying (Cas9 protein+gene specific gRNA) are used. RNP complexes are created by mixing the Cas9 protein with relevant gene specific gRNA's.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, transformation of various Cannabis tissues was performed using particle bombardment of:

• • DNA vectors
  • Ribonucleoprotein complex (RNP's) According to further embodiments of the present invention, transformation of various Cannabis tissues was performed using Agrobacterium (Agrobacterium tumefaciens) by:
  • Regeneration-based transformation
  • Floral-dip transformation
  • Seedling transformation

Transformation efficiency by A. tumefaciens has been compared to the bombardment method by transient GUS transformation experiment. After transformation, GUS staining of the transformants has been performed.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4A-D photographically presenting GUS staining after transient transformation of the following Cannabis tissues (A) axillary buds (B) leaf (C) calli, and (D) cotyledons.

FIG. 4 demonstrates that various Cannabis tissues have been successfully transiently transformed using biolistics system. Transformation has been performed into calli, leaves, axillary buds and cotyledons of Cannabis.

According to further embodiments of the present invention, additional transformation tools were used in Cannabis, including, but not limited to:

• • Protoplast PEG transformation
  • Extend RNP use
  • Directed editing screening using fluorescent tags
  • Electroporation

Stage 4: Regeneration in tissue-culture. When transforming DNA constructs into the plant, antibiotics is used for selection of positive transformed plants. An improved regeneration protocol was herein established for the Cannabis plant.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5 presenting regeneration of Cannabis tissue. In this figure, arrows indicate new meristem emergence.

Stage 5: Selection of positive transformants. Once regenerated plants appear in tissue culture, DNA is extracted from leaf sample of the transformed plant and PCR is performed using primers flanking the edited region. PCR products are then digested with enzymes recognizing the restriction site near the original gRNA sequence. If editing event occurred, the restriction site will be disrupted and the PCR product will not be cleaved. No editing event will result in a cleaved PCR product.

Reference is now made to FIG. 6 showing PCR detection of Cas9 DNA in shoots of transformed Cannabis plants. DNA extracted from shoots of plants transformed with Cas9 using biolistics. This figure shows that three weeks post transformation, Cas9 DNA was detected in shoots of transformed plants.

Screening for CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing events has been performed by at least one of the following analysis methods:

• • Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP)
  • Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)
  • PCR fragment analysis
  • Fluorescent-tag based screening
  • High resolution melting curve analysis (HRMA)

Reference is now made to FIG. 7 presenting results of in vitro analysis of CRISPR/Cas9 cleavage activity. FIG. 7A schematically shows the genomic area targeted for editing (PAM is marked in red) and amplified by the reverse and forward designed primers FIG. 7B photographically presents a gel showing successful digestion of the resulted PCR amplicon containing the gene specific gRNA sequence, by RNP complex containing Cas9. The analysis included the following steps:

• • 1) Amplicon was isolated from two exemplified Cannabis strains by primers flanking the sequence of the gene of interest targeted by the predesigned sgRNA.
  • 2) RNP complex was incubated with the isolated amplicon.
  • 3) The reaction mix was then loaded on agarose gel to evaluate Cas9 cleavage activity at the target site.

Stage 6: Selection of transformed Cannabis plants presenting resistance to PM by establishing a protocol adapted for Cannabis. It is within the scope that different gRNA promoters were tested in order to maximize editing efficiency.

Example 2

Identifying powdery mildew (PM) pathogen specific for Cannabis Powdery Mildew is one of the most destructive fungal pathogens infecting Cannabis. It is an obligate biotroph that can vascularize into the plant tissue and remain invisible to a grower. Under ideal conditions, powdery mildew has a 4-7 days post inoculation (dpi) window where it remains invisible as it builds a network internally in the plant. It is herein acknowledged that the powdery mildew vascularized network in Cannabis is detectable with a PCR DNA based test prior to conidiospore generation. At later stages, powdery mildew infection and conidiospore generation results in rapid spreading of the fungus to other plants. This tends to emerge and sporulate within 2 weeks into flowering thus destroying very mature crops with severe economic consequences. DNA based tools could facilitate early detection and rapid removal of infected plant materials or screening of incoming clones.

To date, there are no fungal disease resistant Cannabis varieties on the market. Golovinomyces cichoracearum is known for causing PM on several Cucurbits and on Cannabis (Pepin et al., 2018). In order to identify the specific fungi type affecting Cannabis, a molecular analysis has been performed. Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) DNA of PM samples obtained from Cannabis strains growing in our greenhouse has been isolated and sequenced. The term Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) as used hereinafter refers to the spacer DNA region situated between the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and large-subunit rRNA genes in the chromosome or the corresponding transcribed region in the polycistronic rRNA precursor transcript. It is herein acknowledged that the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region is considered to have the highest probability of successful identification for the broadest range of fungi, with the most clearly defined barcode gap between inter- and intraspecific variation. Thus ITS is proposed for adoption as the primary fungal barcode marker, namely as potential DNA marker or finger print for fungi (Schoch C. L. et al, PNAS, 2012 109 (16) 6241-6246). The results of the molecular analysis of PM isolated from Cannabis revealed that Golovinomyces ambrosiae or Golovinomyces cichoracearum are the cause of the disease.

A further achievement of the present invention is the establishment of an inoculation assay and index for Cannabis, or in other words establishment of bio-assay for powdery mildew inoculation in Cannabis. Such an assay establishment may include:

• • Development of susceptibility index
  • Designing a protocol by testing different inoculation approaches at several plant developmental stages

Example 3

Production of Genome-Edited Cannabis MLO (CsMLO) Genes

Three single guide RNAs (sgRNA) targeting the first exon (exon 1) of the CsMLO1 gene were designed and synthesized. These sgRNAs include sgRNA having nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:17 (first guide), SEQ ID NO:43 (second guide) and SEQ ID NO:50 (third guide) starting at position 99, 369 and 453 of SEQ ID NO:1. The predicted Cas9 cleavage sites directed by these guide RNAs were designed to overlap with the nucleic acid recognition site of the restriction enzymes: Hinf1, BseLI and BtsI for the first, second and third gRNA, respectively (see FIG. 9). Transformation was performed using a DNA plasmid such as a plant codon optimized Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (pcoSpCas9) plasmid presented in FIG. 8. The plasmid contained the plant codon optimized SpCas9 and the above mentioned at least one sgRNA.

About two months post transformation, leaves from mature plants were sampled, and their DNA was extracted and digested with the suitable enzymes. Digested genomic DNA was used as a template for PCR using a primer pair flanking the 5′ and 3′ ends of the first exon of CsMLO1. The forward primer (fwd) (5-GAGTGGAACTAGAAGAAATGC-3) comprises a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:871, and the reverse primer (rev) (5-CCCTCCAAACACAACAGTGA-3) comprises a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:872 (see FIG. 9 and FIG. 10). As shown in FIG. 10, the aforementioned primer pair (marked with arrows) generates a 778 bp amplicon comprising the entire exon 1 of CsMLO1, having a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:873 (nucleotide positions 4-782 of SEQ ID NO:1). In FIG. 10 the three gRNA sequences used to target exon 1 of CsMLO1 genomic sequence are underlined. The translation initiation codon ATG (encoding Methionine amino acid) is marked with a square. FIG. 11 presents the amino acid sequence of CsMLO1 first exon as set forth in SEQ ID NO:874.

Reference is now made to FIG. 12 photographically presenting detection of CsMLO1 PCR products showing length variation (i.e. truncated fragments) as a result of Cas9-mediated genome editing. DNA from plants two months post transformation was used as a template for the PCR using primers having nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:871 and SEQ ID NO:872. DNA fragments shorter than the expected WT 780 bp amplicon were obtained by the PCR reaction and subcloned into a sequencing plasmid and sequenced. The sequencing results are described below.

It can be seen in FIG. 12 that WT or non-edited PCR products result in a 780 bp band, while DNA extracted from edited plants exhibit a shorter band than the expected 780 bp WT exon 1 length, i.e. samples 1 and 2 show a 450 bp fragment and samples 3 and 4 show a 350 bp fragment.

FIG. 13 schematically presents sequences of WT and genome edited CsMLO1 DNA fragments obtained for the first time by the present invention. In this figure, sgRNA sequences are underlined. sgRNA having nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:17 (first guide) with Hinf1 restriction site appears on the left hand of exon 1, and sgRNA having nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:50 (third guide) with BtsI restriction site appears on the right hand of exon 1 fragments. PAM sequences (NGG) are in marked italics and bold and are circled. ATG codon position is marked with a square.

The sequencing results show that three CsMLO1 exon 1 genome edited fragments were achieved by the present invention.

Reference is now made to Table 5 summarizing sequences relating to mutated (genome edited) exon 1 fragments of CsMLO1 achieved by the current invention.

TABLE 5
Sequences of mutated CsMLO1 exon 1
		65-L4 (Δ447)	65-L5 (Δ373)	85-4 (Δ456)
	Exon 1 of WT	fragment of	fragment of	fragment of
Sequence type	CsMLO1	CsMLO1	CsMLO1	CsMLO1
Genomic sequence	SEQ ID NO: 873	SEQ ID NO: 875	SEQ ID NO: 877	SEQ ID NO: 880
(Position in SEQ	(nucleic acid 4-782	(deletion of nucleic	(deletion of nucleic	(deletion of nucleic
ID NO: 1)	in SEQ ID NO: 1)	acid 109-556 in	acid 128-501 in	acid 96-552 in
	(FIG. 10)	SEQ ID NO: 1)	SEQ ID NO: 1)	SEQ ID NO: 1)
		(FIG. 13)	(FIG. 13)	(FIG. 13)
Deleted nucleic		SEQ ID NO: 876	SEQ ID NO: 879	SEQ ID NO: 881
acid sequence
Amino acid	SEQ ID NO: 874	SEQ ID NO: 887	SEQ ID NO: 878	No amino-acid
sequence	(FIG. 11)	MS	MSGGGEGE	sequence is
				produced
gRNA sequence	SEQ ID NO: 17,
targeted to Exon	SEQ ID NO: 43
1 of CsMLO1	and SEQ ID NO:
	50 (Table 1)

The resulted mutated CsMLO1 fragments include the following:

• • (1) Fragment 1: CsMLO1 fragment marked as 65-L4 Δ447 comprises a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:875 (about 330 bp). This fragment contains a deletion of 447 bp (position 109-556 of SEQ ID NO:1) having a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:876. It should be noted that this fragment encodes a two amino acid peptide (SEQ ID NO:887, as shown in Table 5). The short CsMLO1 exon 1 peptide generated by the targeted genome editing is expected to result is a non-functional, silenced CsMLO1 gene or allele.
  • (2) Fragment 2: CsMLO1 fragment marked as 65-L5 Δ373 comprises a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:877 (about 405 bp). This fragment contains a deletion of 373 bp (position 128-501 of SEQ ID NO:1) having a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:879. It should be noted that this fragment encodes a short peptide of eight amino acids (SEQ ID NO:878, as shown in Table 5). Such a short exon 1 fragment is expected to result in a non-functional CsMLO1 allele.
  • (3) Fragment 3: CsMLO1 fragment marked as 85-4 Δ456 comprises a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:880 (about 320 bp). This fragment contains a deletion of 456 bp (position 96-552 of SEQ ID NO:1) having a nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:881. It is emphasized that fragment 3 was edited such that it lacks the ATG translation start codon, therefore no translated protein is generated. The resulted truncated CsMLO1 gene/protein is expected to be non-functional.

The genome-edited CsMLO1 truncated fragments of the present invention are characterized by deletion of significant parts of the first exon sequence of CsMLO1 gene. Thus these genome edited fragments produce truncated CsMLO1 proteins. The truncated proteins lack significant part of the Open Reading Frame (ORF), e.g. absent of the translation start codon or significant part of exon-1 protein encoding sequence, and therefore would be non-functional.

Example 4

Production of Mutated Csmlo1 Gene by Genome Editing Events

This example presents the production of new genome editing events within CsMLO1 gene. A mutated Csmlo1 allele has been generated encompassing at least one of the following genome editing events within CsMLO1 gene:

• • 1. indel_d14-14 pb deletion (bp 389-402 of SEQ ID NO:1) having SEQ ID NO:883
  • 2. i1-1 bp insertion of A (bp 482-483 of SEQ ID NO:1)

As compared to the WT CsMLO1_378-500 fragment of SEQ ID NO:1 having a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:882, the mutated Csmlo1 allele may comprise one or more of the following mutated DNA fragments:

• • Csmlo1_d14i1 encompassing the above identified deletion and insertion events, comprising a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886.
  • Csmlo1_d14 encompassing the above identified deletion event, comprising a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884.
  • Csmlo1_i1 encompassing the above identified insertion event, comprising a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885.

The sequence of the mutated DNA fragments Csmlo1_d14i, Csmlo1_d14, Csmlo1_i1, as well as the presence of a deletion indel_d14 and/or insertion i1 provided by the present invention, is useful to identify and generate Cannabis plants with mutated alleles of MLO1 gene, desirable for the production of Cannabis plants with PM resistance.

Reference is now made to FIG. 14, schematically presenting sequence comparison (homology) between WT CsMLO1_378-500 fragment of SE ID NO:1, having a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:882, and genome edited Csmlo1_d14i1 fragment, having a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886. In this figure, the deleted nucleic acids within Csmlo1_d14i1 fragment are marked with dashed line, and the inserted nucleotide (A) is underlined and marked in bold. The gRNA designed to target the deletion region (having a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:43) comprises BslI restriction site and is marked with a square having a continuous line. The gRNA designed to target the insertion region (having a nucleotide sequence complementary to the nucleotide sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:50) comprises BtsI restriction site and is marked with a square having a dashed line. PAM sequence regions are marked in bold and italics.

As shown in this figure, specific genome editing events within CsMLO1 gene are generated by the present invention resulting in mutated Csmlo1 alleles (such as alleles comprising Csmlo1_d14, Csmlo1_i1 and Csmlo1_d14i1 fragments). According to one embodiment, a mutated Csmlo allele comprising a deletion of 14 bp (having SEQ ID NO:883) at position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882 is produced (Csmlo allele containing Csmlo1_d14 fragment). According to a further embodiment, a mutated Csmlo allele comprising a nucleic acid insertion of A at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882 is produced (Csmlo allele containing Csmlo1_i1 fragment). According to yet another embodiment, a mutated Csmlo allele comprising a deletion of 14 bp (having SEQ ID NO:883) at position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882 in combination with a nucleic acid insertion of A at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882 (Csmlo allele containing Csmlo1_d14i1 fragment) is produced.

The genome editing events herein described introduce mutations that silence or significantly reduce CsMLO1 gene expression or function in the plant.

By silencing genes encoding MLO proteins (e.g. CsMLO1, CsMLO2 and/or CsMLO3) in Cannabis, plants with enhanced resistance to Powdery Mildew disease, can be produced. These PM resistant plants are highly desirable for the medical Cannabis industry since usage of chemical agents to control pathogen diseases is significantly reduced or avoided.

Claims

1. A modified Cannabis plant exhibiting enhanced resistance to powdery mildew (PM), wherein said modified plant comprises a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele, said mutated allele comprising a genomic modification selected from an indel of 14 bp at position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof.

2. The modified Cannabis plant according to claim 1, wherein said indel comprises a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction thereof.

3. The modified Cannabis plant according to claim 1, wherein said Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele, or a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof.

4. The modified Cannabis plant according to claim 1, wherein said Csmlo1 mutant allele is at least one of: a. comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele;b. confers an enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a wild type CsMLO1 allele having a nucleic acid sequence with at least 80% sequence identity to a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:882 and/or to a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1;c. comprising a deletion of 14 bp at position 389 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a combination thereof; andd. generated using genome editing.

5. The modified Cannabis plant according to claim 1, wherein said plant has decreased expression levels of Mlo1 protein, relative to a Cannabis plant lacking said mutated Csmlo1 allele.

6. The modified Cannabis plant according to claim 1, wherein said genome modification is generated via introduction (a) Cas DNA and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 and any combination thereof, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 and any combination thereof.

7. The modified Cannabis plant according to claim 1, wherein said PM is selected from the group consisting of Golovinomyces cichoracearum, Golovinomyces ambrosiae and a mixture thereof.

8. A progeny plant, plant part, plant seed, tissue culture of regenerable cells, protoplasts, callus or plant cell of a modified plant according to claim 1.

9. The modified Cannabis plant according to claim 1, wherein said modified plant comprises a targeted genome modification conferring reduced expression of a Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) gene as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking said targeted genome modification, said targeted genome modification generates a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele comprising a deletion of a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction thereof as compared to the wild type CsMLO1 allele comprising a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO:1, or a combination thereof.

10. A method for producing a modified Cannabis plant according to claim 1, said method comprises introducing using targeted genome modification, at least one genomic modification conferring reduced expression of at least one Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) allele as compared to a Cannabis plant lacking said targeted genome modification, said genomic modification generates a mutated Cannabis mlo1 (Csmlo1) allele comprising an indel of 14 bp at a position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882 or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof.

11. The method according to claim 10, comprises at least one step of: a. introducing a loss of function mutation into said CsMLO1 allele using targeted genome modification;b. introducing an expression vector comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a plant optimized Cas9 endonuclease and gRNA targeted to at least one CsMLO1 allele, said gRNA nucleotide sequence targeting said CsMLO1 allele is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof;c. introducing and co-expressing in a Cannabis plant Cas9 and gRNA targeted to CsMLO1 gene and screening for induced targeted mutations conferring reduced expression of said CsMLO1 gene;d. selecting a plant resistant to powdery mildew from plants comprising mutated Csmlo1 allele, said selected plant is characterized by enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a CsMLO1 nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:882;e. regenerating a plant carrying said genomic modification; andf. screening said regenerated plants for a plant resistant to powdery mildew.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the following holds true: a. said indel comprises a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883 or a fraction thereof;b. said modified plant has decreased levels of at least one Mlo protein as compared to wild type Cannabis plant;c. said genome modification is introduced using CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) gene (CRISPR/Cas), Transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN), Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN), meganuclease or any combination thereof;d. said genetic modification in said CsMLO1 is generated in planta via introduction of a construct comprising (a) Cas DNA and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof, and any combination thereof, or (b) a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising Cas protein and gRNA sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof, and any combination thereof;e. said powdery mildew is selected from the group of species consisting of Golovinomyces cichoracearum, Golovinomyces ambrosiae and a mixture thereof;f. said Cannabis plant is selected from the group of species that includes, but is not limited to, Cannabis sativa (C. sativa), C. indica, C. ruderalis and any hybrid or cultivated variety of the genus Cannabis; g. said Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, or a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele, or a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof;h. said Csmlo1 mutant allele comprises a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele;i. said mutated Csmlo1 allele confers an enhanced resistance to powdery mildew as compared to a Cannabis plant comprising a wild type CsMLO1 allele having a nucleic acid sequence at least 80% sequence identity to a sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:882 and/or to a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:1; andj. said mutated allele comprising a deletion of 14 bp at position 389 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a nucleic acid insertion at position 482-483 of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a combination thereof.

13. A method for conferring powdery mildew resistance to a Cannabis plant comprising producing a plant according to the method of claim 10.

14. A plant, plant part, plant cell, tissue culture or a seed obtained or obtainable by the method of claim 10.

15. A method for identifying a Cannabis plant with resistance to powdery mildew, said method comprises steps of: a. screening the genome of said Cannabis plant for a mutated Csmlo1 allele, said mutated allele comprises a genomic modification selected from an indel of 14 bp at a position corresponding to position 12 of SEQ ID NO: 882 or a fraction thereof, or a nucleic acid insertion at position corresponding to position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, or a combination thereof;b. optionally, regenerating plants carrying said genetic modification; andc. optionally, screening said regenerated plants for a plant resistant to powdery mildew.

16. An isolated polynucleotide sequence having at least 80% sequence identity to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:882-886, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence or any combination thereof.

17. Use of the polynucleotide sequence according to claim 16, for generating, identifying and/or screening for a Cannabis plant comprising within its genome mutant Csmlo allele conferring resistance to PM, wherein the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:883, SEQ ID NO:882 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises a wild type CsMLO1 allele, and the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:884, SEQ ID NO:885 and SEQ ID NO:886 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises a mutant Csmol1 allele.

18. A detection kit for determining the presence or absence of a mutant Csmlo1 allele in a Cannabis plant, said kit comprising at least one of the isolated polynucleotide sequence according to claim 16, said kit is useful for identifying a Cannabis plant with enhanced resistance to powdery mildew, wherein the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:883, SEQ ID NO:882 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises a wild type CsMLO1 allele, and the presence of at least one nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:884, SEQ ID NO:885 and SEQ ID NO:886 indicates that the Cannabis plant comprises a mutant Csmol1 allele.

19. A method of determining the presence of a mutant Csmlo1 allele in a Cannabis plant using the isolated polynucleotide sequence according to claim 16, comprising assaying said Cannabis plant for at least one of the presence of an indel comprising a nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:883, an insertion at position 104-105 of SEQ ID NO: 882, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:884, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:885, a nucleic acid sequence corresponding to the sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:886, or a homologue having at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleic acid sequence of said mutated Csmlo1 allele, a complementary sequence thereof, or any combination thereof.

20. A method for down regulation of Cannabis MLO1 (CsMLO1) gene, which comprises utilizing the isolated polynucleotide sequence according to claim 16, by steps of utilizing the nucleotide sequence as set forth in at least one of SEQ ID NO:43 and SEQ ID NO:50 or a complementary sequence thereof, and a combination thereof, for introducing a loss of function mutation into said CsMLO1 gene using targeted genome modification.