Is CRISPR/Cas9-based multi-trait enhancement of wheat forthcoming?

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Molecular Biology
• Plant Biotechnology

Background:

• CRISPR gene editing has revolutionized eukaryotic genome modification, including in plants.
• Adaptations of CRISPR/Cas9 enable gene knockout, upregulation, and precise DNA sequence alteration.
• Multiplexing CRISPR/Cas9 is crucial in plants due to gene redundancy and the lengthy process of generating transgenic lines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review CRISPR/Cas9 applications for manipulating various plant traits.
• To address the growing interest in developing climate-resilient wheat cultivars.
• To propose a sustainable strategy for enhancing crop yields under environmental challenges.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing studies on CRISPR/Cas9 applications in plant trait manipulation.
• Discussion of challenges in generating multi-target CRISPR/Cas9 lines and understanding stress response interactions.
• Proposal for enhancing local landraces with yield and localized stress tolerance traits.

Main Results:

• CRISPR/Cas9 has been successfully used to manipulate traits including yield, biofortification, gluten content, and stress resistance in plants.
• Existing research often focuses on single-trait modifications.
• Developing a general 'super wheat' faces technical complexities and interactions between stress responses.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing local landraces with region-specific yield and stress tolerance traits offers a sustainable approach to crop improvement.
• This strategy contrasts with the development of a universal 'super wheat'.
• The proposed method aims for commercially viable crop yield enhancement under diverse environmental conditions.