PubMed · 2026-05-14
Scientists used CRISPR gene editing to silence specific plant genes by tucking tiny genetic instructions into the plant's own non-coding DNA regions — a technique that works in targeted tissues and leaves no lasting foreign DNA behind. This advance could streamline both crop breeding and the study of how individual plant genes function.
Inserting artificial microRNA precursors into plant gene introns via CRISPR/Cas9 successfully silenced target genes in a tissue-specific manner.
The approach avoids persistent transgene expression, meaning the editing instructions don't remain as heritable foreign sequences passed to future plant generations.
By piggybacking on the plant's existing microRNA processing system, the method achieves precise, endogenous-style gene regulation rather than relying on blunt over-expression of silencing constructs.