CRISPR genome editing in plants without tissue culture.
Li C, Mei D, Cheng H, Pan X, Zhang B
Summary
8.7/10Scientists have developed new methods to edit plant genes without the slow, labor-intensive tissue culture process that traditionally limits crop improvement. By directly targeting plant cells and using viral delivery systems, researchers can now create genetic improvements faster and across many more plant species, accelerating development of sustainable crops.
Key Findings
Genome editing achieved via de novo meristem induction or dormant meristem activation eliminates tissue culture dependence
Germline editing enabled by graft-mobile tRNA systems and haploid induction technologies allows heritable modifications
Compact viral delivery platforms using TnpB and mobile RNA elements achieve transgene-free edits across diverse genotypes and species
Original Abstract
Conventional plant genome editing relies on tissue culture-mediated somatic cell regeneration, a technically demanding process that limits its application across diverse species. Emerging strategies now circumvent this bottleneck by enabling direct genome editing of meristematic or germline cells. Key advances include (i) genome editing via de novo meristem induction or dormant meristem activation; (ii) germline editing facilitated by graft-mobile tRNA-like sequence systems and haploid induction technologies; and (iii) optimized viral delivery platforms that exploit mobile RNA elements and compact editors such as TnpB to achieve efficient, transgene-free, heritable modifications across a broad range of genotypes and species. The development of robust, tissue culture-free editing platforms promises to revolutionize crop improvement pipelines and accelerate trait development for sustainable agriculture.