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Review
. 2017 May;7(3):292-302.
doi: 10.1016/j.apsb.2017.01.002. Epub 2017 Mar 11.

Application of CRISPR/Cas9 in plant biology

Xuan Liu  1 , Surui Wu  1 , Jiao Xu  1 , Chun Sui  1 , Jianhe Wei  1
Affiliations
Review

Application of CRISPR/Cas9 in plant biology

Xuan Liu et al. Acta Pharm Sin B. 2017 May.

Abstract

The CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated proteins) system was first identified in bacteria and archaea and can degrade exogenous substrates. It was developed as a gene editing technology in 2013. Over the subsequent years, it has received extensive attention owing to its easy manipulation, high efficiency, and wide application in gene mutation and transcriptional regulation in mammals and plants. The process of CRISPR/Cas is optimized constantly and its application has also expanded dramatically. Therefore, CRISPR/Cas is considered a revolutionary technology in plant biology. Here, we introduce the mechanism of the type II CRISPR/Cas called CRISPR/Cas9, update its recent advances in various applications in plants, and discuss its future prospects to provide an argument for its use in the study of medicinal plants.

Keywords: CRISPR/Cas system; Gene editing technology; Gene modification; Plant biology; Transcriptional regulation.

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Figures

fx1
Graphical abstract
Figure1
Figure 1
Schematic diagram of CRISPR/Cas9 editing of target genes. (A) A sketch of CRISPR/Cas9 system. The sgRNA (black and red) can identify the target gene, and then the two domains of Cas9 (yellow) cleave the target sequence. (B) Two ways DSB can be repaired. NHEJ is imprecise and always results in a gene knockout mutation. When a template is present, HDR can be activated and results in gene replacement or knock-in. PAM, protospacer adjacent motif; sgRNA, single guide RNA; DSB, double-strand break; NHEJ, nonhomologous end-joining; HDR, homology-directed repair.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The basic flow of CRISPR/Cas9 editing of target genes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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