《Journal of Crop Health》：CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) for Multi-Stress Resilience and Prospects for Agricultural Sustainability
编辑推荐：
本综述聚焦CRISPR/Cas9介导的水稻(Oryza sativa L.)基因组编辑，系统评述其在增强抗旱、耐盐及抗病等多胁迫抗性方面的进展。通过同源基因分析(Arabidopsis thaliana)挖掘保守靶点，为培育营养强化(Biofortification)及可持续(Sustainability)水稻品种提供策略。
Introduction
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the staple food for over half of the world's population, making it a cornerstone of global food security and socioeconomic stability. However, climate change-induced abiotic (e.g., drought, salinity, heat) and biotic (e.g., blast, bacterial blight) stresses cause significant yield losses, threatening this vital food supply. Compounding this challenge is the annual conversion of approximately 110,000 hectares of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses, shrinking the arable land base just as population growth is projected to increase rice demand by 70% by 2050.
The production potential of modern rice cultivars is often limited by their inability to withstand these combined stresses. For instance, drought stress alone can cause up to 40% yield loss in Asia, with complete crop failure possible under severe conditions. High-temperature stress disrupts photosynthetic efficiency by damaging the oxygen-evolving complex in thylakoid membranes. Furthermore, salinity affects about 20% of the world's arable land, while diseases like rice blast (caused by Magnaporthe oryzae) and Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae) can lead to yield reductions of up to 74%.
To address these challenges, the review highlights the shift from traditional breeding methods, which are often slow and imprecise, to advanced genome editing technologies. Among these, CRISPR/Cas9 has emerged as a transformative tool for the precise, rapid, and potentially transgene-free improvement of complex traits in rice.
CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Transformation
The development of genome editing began with foundational technologies like Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs) and Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs). ZFNs utilize zinc finger DNA-binding domains fused to the FokI endonuclease to create targeted double-strand breaks (DSBs). While effective, their complex protein design and off-target effect concerns limited widespread adoption. TALENs improved upon this with modular DNA-binding domains from TAL effectors, offering greater specificity. Despite their precision, the labor-intensive construction process made TALENs less scalable for large-scale projects.
The advent of the CRISPR/Cas9 system marked a significant leap forward. This system offers unparalleled advantages in simplicity, efficiency, and multiplexing capability, allowing for the simultaneous editing of multiple genes. It has become the preferred technology for developing novel alleles and non-GMO rice lines with enhanced resilience to the myriad stresses outlined in the introduction.
