Advances and Applications of Plant Base Editing Technologies.

Area of Science:

• Genetics and Molecular Biology
• Agricultural Science

Background:

• Base editing is a revolutionary genome editing technology.
• It precisely modifies single DNA bases by fusing deaminases with CRISPR/Cas systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the development of base editing technologies (cytosine, adenine, and glycosylase base editors).
• To focus on base editing applications in crop improvement, including stress resistance and agronomic traits.
• To discuss future trends, prospects, and challenges in base editing for molecular breeding.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of base editing technologies and their applications.
• Analysis of advancements in crop germplasm enhancement using base editing.
• Evaluation of factors influencing base editing efficiency and identification of challenges.

Main Results:

• Base editing has been successfully applied in crops like rice, wheat, and maize.
• It enhances herbicide resistance, disease resistance, and grain quality.
• Key challenges include PAM constraints, limited conversion types, off-target effects, and efficiency variations.

Conclusions:

• Base editing offers significant potential for crop genetic improvement.
• Future research should focus on optimizing deaminase activity, expanding PAM compatibility, and developing versatile tools.
• This review provides guidance for researchers and breeders utilizing base editing in molecular breeding.