Genome Editing and Chromosome Engineering in Plants

Special Sections
28 June 2023
29 June 2023
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Open Access

Genome editing and chromosome engineering in plants

Arjun Ojha,  Feng Zhang,  Gunvant B. Patil, 
Open Access

The economics and policy of genome editing in crop improvement

Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes,  Christopher Willig,  Kenneth Zahringer, 
Core Ideas

  • We describe the emergence of genome editing as a novel platform for crop improvement.
  • Genome editing enables faster trait development, lower R&D costs, and trait innovation.
  • Because of its advantages, genome editing can greatly accelerate and broaden crop improvement.
  • The global regulatory policy is still emerging and will shape the path of genome editing innovation.

Open Access

Targeted mutagenesis with sequence-specific nucleases for accelerated improvement of polyploid crops: Progress, challenges, and prospects

David May,  Katalin Paldi,  Fredy Altpeter, 
Core ideas

  • Genome editing has revolutionized crop improvement.
  • Many of the world's most important crops are polyploid.
  • Progress and bottlenecks for targeted mutagenesis in polyploids are summarized.
  • Approaches for elevation of multi-allelic editing efficiency in polyploids are discussed.

Open Access

An extensible vector toolkit and parts library for advanced engineering of plant genomes

James C. Chamness,  Jitesh Kumar,  Anna J. Cruz,  Elissa Rhuby,  Mason J. Holum,  Jon P. Cody,  Redeat Tibebu,  Maria Elena Gamo,  Colby G. Starker,  Feng Zhang,  Daniel F. Voytas, 
Core ideas

  • Phytobrick parts library for genome engineering includes developmental regulators, recombinases, and reporters
  • Modular cloning toolkit simplifies assembly of complex constructs, especially binary vectors
  • Benchmarking of cis-regulatory elements for dicot and monocot gene expression helps guide construct design
  • Plant housekeeping gene promoters show minimal enhancer activity in comparison to viral promoters

Open Access

Critical role for uricase and xanthine dehydrogenase in soybean nitrogen fixation and nodule development

Cuong X. Nguyen,  Alice Dohnalkova,  C. Nathan Hancock,  Kendall R. Kirk,  Gary Stacey,  Minviluz G. Stacey, 
Core Ideas

  • GmUOX1 and GmXDH1 are essential for successful nodule development and N fixation in soybean roots.
  • Purine catabolism impacts the plant defense response related to nodule maintenance in soybean.
  • CRISPR/Cas9 system with hairy root transformation offers method for studying root-associated gene traits.

Open Access

Haploidy and aneuploidy in switchgrass mediated by misexpression of CENH3

Sangwoong Yoon,  Jennifer Bragg,  Sheyla Aucar-Yamato,  Lisa Chanbusarakum,  Kurtis Dluge,  Prisca Cheng,  Eduardo Blumwald,  Yong Gu,  Christian M. Tobias, 
Core Ideas

  • Haploid switchgrass can be produced by a line with defective CENH3.
  • Switchgrass CENH3 genes are necessary for faithful chromosome segregation.
  • Genome editing switchgrass CENH3 results in mutations and deletions that can affect steady state RNA levels.

Open Access

Tools and targets: The dual role of plant viruses in CRISPR–Cas genome editing

Mireia Uranga,  José-Antonio Daròs, 
Core Ideas

  • Viral vectors are useful tools for the transient delivery of guide RNAs and Cas nucleases into plant cells.
  • Virus-mediated delivery of CRISPR–Cas reaction components avoids limitations associated to stable transformation.
  • Resistance to virus diseases can be achieved by CRISPR–Cas editing of viral genes or host susceptibility factors.

Open Access

Increasing the level of resistant starch in ‘Presidio’ rice through multiplex CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing of starch branching enzyme genes

Sudip Biswas,  Oneida Ibarra,  Mariam Shaphek,  Marco Molina-Risco,  Mayra Faion-Molina,  Marcela Bellinatti-Della Gracia,  Michael J. Thomson,  Endang M. Septiningsih, 
Core Ideas

  • CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing targeting the four SBE genes in rice was achieved.
  • Edited lines have improved resistant starch levels up to 15%.
  • High-resistant starch lines can be further explored for health-enhancing traits.

Open Access

Genome-wide investigation of multiplexed CRISPR-Cas12a-mediated editing in rice

Yingxiao Zhang,  Yuechao Wu,  Gen Li,  Aileen Qi,  Yong Zhang,  Tao Zhang,  Yiping Qi, 
Core Ideas

  • This study investigates genome-wide, off-target effects of multiplexed genome editing by LbCas12a and Mb2Cas12a in rice.
  • Both MbCas12a and LbCas12a are highly specific nucleases for genome editing in rice.
  • The PAM requirements for LbCas12a are more promiscuous than previously thought.
  • Simultaneous introduction of many DNA DSBs by Cas12a can lead to large chromosome rearrangements.

Open Access

Loss-function mutants of OsCKX gene family based on CRISPR-Cas systems revealed their diversified roles in rice

Xuelian Zheng,  Shuting Zhang,  Yanling Liang,  Rui Zhang,  Li Liu,  Pengchen Qin,  Zhe Zhang,  Yan Wang,  Jianping Zhou,  Xu Tang,  Yong Zhang, 
Core Ideas

  • CRISPR-Cas12a outperformed CRISPR-Cas9 to generate multi-gene mutants.
  • There was significant functional redundancy among the OsCKX members in the same clade.
  • OsCKXs affected plant development, seed appearance quality, and starch composition by regulating endogenous cytokinins.
  • OsCKX1/2 and OsCKX3/8/10 gene clades played key roles in the control of panicle architecture and grain number.
  • OsCKX4/5/9 gene clade regulated the development of roots and plant architecture such as plant height and tillers.