CRISPR gene editing to improve disease resistance in crops
Keywords:
CRISPR/Cas, crop improvement, disease resistance, genome editing, plant breeding.Abstract
Diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, and viruses represent major threats to agricultural productivity and global food security. Given the limitations of conventional breeding methods, CRISPR-based genome-editing technologies have gained increasing importance because of their ability to generate targeted modifications within plant genomes. This systematic review aimed to analyse the available scientific evidence on the application of CRISPR technologies to improve disease resistance in crops by identifying the main editing systems, strategies, target genes, plant species, pathogens, outcomes, limitations, and future perspectives. Twenty scientific publications related to genome editing, plant breeding, and disease resistance were analysed. The information was organised according to the technologies used, editing mechanisms, crops investigated, pathogens, applications, and identified challenges. The results showed that CRISPR/Cas9 is the most widely used system because of its versatility, efficiency, and ability to modify specific genes. The main strategies include the disruption of susceptibility genes, modification of factors involved in plant–pathogen interactions, and enhancement of plant immune mechanisms. Experimental studies conducted in rice demonstrated improved resistance to fungal and bacterial diseases through targeted genetic modifications. However, several challenges remain, including off-target effects, transformation efficiency, plant regeneration, identification of suitable target genes, and regulatory differences among countries. The evidence indicates that the integration of genomic information and advanced editing tools may accelerate the development of resistant crop varieties. It is concluded that CRISPR technologies have considerable potential to transform disease-resistance breeding, although their sustainable application requires improved editing precision, strengthened functional genomics research, efficient transformation systems, and appropriate regulatory frameworks.
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References
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