Current Advancement and Future Prospects in Simplified Transformation-Based Plant Genome Editing

Recent years have witnessed remarkable progress in plant biology, driven largely by the rapid evolution of CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing (GE) technologies. These tools, including versatile CRISPR/Cas systems and their derivatives, such as base editors and prime editors, have significantly enhanced the universality, efficiency, and convenience of plant functional genomics, genetics, and molecular breeding. However, traditional genetic transformation methods are essential for obtaining GE plants. These methods depend on tissue culture procedures, which are time-consuming, labor-intensive, genotype-dependent, and challenging to regenerate. Here, we systematically outline current advancements in simplifying plant GE, focusing on the optimization of tissue culture process through developmental regulators, the development of in planta transformation methods, and the establishment of nanomaterial- and viral vector-based delivery platforms. We also discuss critical challenges and future directions for achieving genotype-independent, tissue culture-free plant GE.