CRISPR-Cas9-Mediated Crop Genome Editing: From Basic Research to Breeding Applications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64229/e5whn229Keywords:
CRISPR-Cas9, Genome Editing, Crop Breeding, Functional Genomics, Agricultural Biotechnology, Food SecurityAbstract
The advent of CRISPR-Cas9 technology has catalyzed a paradigm shift in plant biology and agricultural biotechnology. This revolutionary genome-editing tool, derived from a prokaryotic adaptive immune system, offers unprecedented precision, efficiency, and versatility in modifying crop genomes. This review systematically charts the journey of CRISPR-Cas9 from a foundational research tool to a powerful driver of modern crop breeding. We begin by elucidating the fundamental mechanisms of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, including the engineering of Cas9 variants and the development of diverse delivery methods such as Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. We then explore its extensive applications in basic plant research, highlighting its role in functional genomics through targeted gene knockouts, transcriptional regulation, and epigenetic modifications. The core of this article focuses on the translational application of CRISPR-Cas9 in crop improvement, presenting landmark cases where the technology has been successfully deployed to enhance yield, nutritional quality, abiotic stress tolerance, and disease resistance in major cereal, vegetable, and fruit crops. We critically discuss the current global regulatory landscape for CRISPR-edited crops, which is pivotal for their commercial trajectory. Finally, we address persistent challenges-including off-target effects, delivery efficiency in recalcitrant species, and societal acceptance-and outline future perspectives, such as the integration of base editing, prime editing, and multiplexed editing strategies. By bridging the gap between laboratory innovation and field application, CRISPR-Cas9 is poised to make an indispensable contribution to global food security and sustainable agricultural systems.
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