Virus-induced genome editing: toward crop breeding applications

Area of Science:

• Plant biotechnology
• Genomics
• Molecular biology

Background:

• CRISPR-Cas genome editing enables precise plant genome manipulation.
• Inefficient delivery of editing reagents hinders practical applications in diverse plant genotypes.
• Plant viruses offer a promising alternative for delivering genome-editing tools, bypassing tissue culture and transformation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the latest advancements in virus-induced genome editing (VIGE) across various plant species.
• To highlight the potential of VIGE for agricultural crop improvement.
• To discuss future research directions in VIGE technology.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on VIGE.
• Analysis of VIGE applications in model plants (Arabidopsis thaliana, Nicotiana benthamiana) and crop species.
• Focus on VIGE breakthroughs, including heritable edits in hexaploid wheat.

Main Results:

• VIGE has advanced from proof-of-concept to practical applications in crops.
• Heritable genome editing has been successfully achieved in hexaploid wheat using VIGE.
• VIGE has demonstrated efficacy in diverse plant species, including model organisms.

Conclusions:

• VIGE is a powerful tool for achieving heritable genome edits in plants.
• VIGE technology holds significant potential for accelerating crop improvement and breeding programs.
• Further research is needed to expand VIGE applications and optimize its efficiency across more plant species.