Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026
12:08
Generating Transgenic Plants with Single-copy Insertions Using BIBAC-GW Binary Vector
Published on: March 28, 2018
Writing Big in Plant Genomes: Advances, Challenges and Strategies for Targeted Large-Fragment DNA Insertion.
Fengfeng Zhang1,2, Daqi Yan3, Jiayi Hou1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Synthetic Biology and Biomanufacturing, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
Plant, Cell & Environment
|May 29, 2026
Summary
Precise genome editing tools enable targeted DNA insertion in plants for crop improvement. Advances in nucleases, recombinases, transposons, and CRISPR/Cas systems expand capabilities for engineering complex traits and synthetic genomes.
Area of Science:
- Plant Biology
- Genetics
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Precise genome editing allows targeted DNA modification in plants.
- Site-specific insertion of large DNA fragments is crucial for engineering complex traits and synthetic genomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review mechanistic principles and recent advances in four major targeted DNA insertion tools for plants.
- To compare the strengths and limitations of these tools regarding insertion capacity, efficiency, flexibility, and complexity.
Main Methods:
- Review of nuclease-dependent strategies.
- Review of serine and tyrosine recombinase systems.
- Review of transposon-derived systems.
- Review of CRISPR/Cas-coupled insertion platforms.
Main Results:
- Four major toolkits for targeted DNA integration in plants are available.
- Emerging innovations like AI-guided design and novel fusion proteins enhance insertion capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Advances in targeted DNA insertion tools are expanding applications in plant molecular breeding and synthetic biology.
- These tools will reinforce future engineering of metabolic pathways and synthetic genomic architectures in plants.
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