The central dogma (CD) of molecular biology is the transfer of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein. Major CD processes governing genetic flow include the cell cycle, DNA replication, chromosome packaging, epigenetic changes, transcription, posttranscriptional alterations, translation, and posttranslational modifications. The CD processes are tightly regulated in plants to maintain genetic integrity throughout the life cycle and to pass genetic materials to next generation. Engineering of various CD processes involved in gene regulation will accelerate crop improvement to feed the growing world population. CRISPR technology enables programmable editing of CD processes to alter DNA, RNA, or protein, which would have been impossible in the past. Here, an overview of recent advancements in CRISPR tool development and CRISPR-based CD modulations that expedite basic and applied plant research is provided. Furthermore, CRISPR applications in major thriving areas of research, such as gene discovery (allele mining and cryptic gene activation), introgression (de novo domestication and haploid induction), and application of desired traits beneficial to farmers or consumers (biotic/abiotic stress-resilient crops, plant cell factories, and delayed senescence), are described. Finally, the global regulatory policies, challenges, and prospects for CRISPR-mediated crop improvement are discussed.

分子生物学的中心教条（CD）是遗传信息从DNA到RNA到蛋白质的转移。控制遗传流动的主要CD过程包括细胞周期，DNA复制，染色体包装，表观遗传变化，转录，转录后改变，翻译和翻译后修饰。植物中的CD过程受到严格的调节，以在整个生命周期中维持遗传完整性，并将遗传物质传递给下一代。基因调控涉及的各种CD过程的工程设计将加速作物改良，以养活不断增长的世界人口。CRISPR技术可实现CD过程的可编程编辑，以改变DNA，RNA或蛋白质，而这在过去是不可能的。这里，提供了CRISPR工具开发和基于CRISPR的CD调制的最新进展的概述，这些进展可加速基础和应用植物研究。此外，CRISPR在主要研究领域蓬勃发展，例如基因发现（等位基因挖掘和隐秘基因激活），基因渗入（描述了从头 驯化和单倍体诱导），以及有益于农民或消费者的所需性状的应用（生物/非生物胁迫弹性作物，植物细胞工厂和延缓衰老）。最后，讨论了CRISPR调控作物改良的全球监管政策，挑战和前景。