Researchers Develop Miniature CRISPR Tool for Plant Genome Editing

August 22, 2024

Nature uses genetic instructions to create living things, called a genome. Recent advances in gene editing, especially with CRISPR technology, aim to improve agriculture and make crops more resilient by precisely changing their genetic makeup.

What is CRISPR?

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) allows scientists to edit genetic codes. However, traditional CRISPR systems, like Cas9 and Cas12, are too large to be used efficiently in plant genomes. The large size of the Cas9 and Cas12 proteins makes it difficult to use them effectively in plant cells, limiting their ability to improve crop traits through genome editing.

What is TnpB?

A research team introduced a smaller gene-editing protein called ISDra2TnpB, from the bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans. TnpB is less than half the size of the major CRISPR proteins, making it a promising tool for editing plant genomes.

How TnpB Works?

TnpB works by attaching to specific DNA sequences and using RNA to guide the removal of unwanted sequences. This allows for precise changes to be made in plant genes, improving desirable traits. The TnpB system achieved an editing success rate of 33.58% in average plant genomes, making it more effective than traditional CRISPR tools for certain targets, including both types of plants: monocots and dicots. To make TnpB more effective in plants, researchers adjusted its genetic code to better match that of plants and improved the elements that control its expression.

Hybrid Base Editor

The team also developed a hybrid base editor that can replace single nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA). This expands the possibilities for editing crop genes beyond just removing unwanted parts. While the early results are promising, more research is needed to confirm these findings in different crop species. The TnpB system could have a big impact on farming by making crops stronger, more nutritious, and better able to adapt to climate change.

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