CRISPR/Cas genome editing in grapevine: recent advances, challenges and future prospects

Abstract

The development of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system has revolutionized genome editing and plant breeding. Applications of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in fruit crops, including grapevine, enable precise improvement of agronomically important traits. In this review, we first describe genome editing based on the mostly used CRISPR/Cas9 system and newly developed CRISPR technologies. We then focus on applications of CRISPR/Cas9 in improvement of disease resistance, optimization of CRISPR/Cas9 system, multiplex genome editing and off-target effect analysis in grapevine. We also discuss the challenges facing genome editing that should be overcome to realize the great potential of the CRISPR technology in grapevine. Finally, we highlight possible experimental considerations for more precise and efficient genome editing in grapevine in the future.