title: Targeted genome modification technologies and their applications in crop improvements.
abstract: Recent advances in genome engineering indicate that innovative crops developed by targeted genome modification (TGM) using site-specific nucleases (SSNs) have the potential to avoid the regulatory issues raised by genetically modified organisms. These powerful SSNs tools, comprising zinc-finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, and clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated systems, enable precise genome engineering by introducing DNA double-strand breaks that subsequently trigger DNA repair pathways involving either non-homologous end-joining or homologous recombination. Here, we review developments in genome-editing tools, summarize their applications in crop organisms, and discuss future prospects. We also highlight the ability of these tools to create non-transgenic TGM plants for next-generation crop breeding.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
authors.forename: Kunling
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Caixia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D064112:Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D018745:Genome, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004720:Endonucleases