The ability to create desirable gene variants through targeted changes offers tremendous opportunities for the advancement of basic and applied plant research. Gene editing technologies have opened new avenues to perform such precise gene modifications in diverse biological systems. These technologies use sequence-specific nucleases, such as homing endonucleases, zinc-finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas) complexes to enable targeted genetic manipulations. Among these, the CRISPR/Cas system has emerged as a broadly applicable and valued gene editing system for its ease of use and versatility. The adaptability of the CRISPR/Cas system has facilitated rapid and continuous innovative developments to the precision and applications of this technology, since its introduction less than a decade ago. Although developed in animal systems, the simple and elegant CRISPR/Cas gene editing technology has quickly been embraced by plant researchers. From early demonstration in model plants, the CRISPR/Cas system has been successfully adapted for various crop species and enabled targeting of agronomically important traits. Although the approach faces several efficiency and delivery related challenges, especially in recalcitrant crop species, continuous advances in the CRISPR/Cas system to address these limitations are being made. In this review, we discuss the CRISPR/Cas technology, its myriad applications and their prospects for crop improvement.

中文翻译：

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多功能，多方面的CRISPR / Cas基因编辑工具，用于植物研究。

通过有针对性的改变产生理想的基因变异的能力为基础和应用植物研究的发展提供了巨大的机会。基因编辑技术为在各种生物系统中进行如此精确的基因修饰开辟了新途径。这些技术使用序列特异性核酸酶，例如归巢内切核酸酶，锌指核酸酶，转录激活因子样效应核酸酶（TALEN）和成簇的规则间隔的短回文重复序列（CRISPR）相关蛋白（CRISPR / Cas）复合物，以实现靶向遗传操作。其中，CRISPR / Cas系统因其易用性和多功能性而成为一种广泛适用的有价值的基因编辑系统。自从不到十年前问世以来，CRISPR / Cas系统的适应性就促进了该技术的精度和应用的快速连续创新发展。尽管是在动物系统中开发的，简单而优雅的CRISPR / Cas基因编辑技术很快就被植物研究人员所接受。从在模型植物中的早期示范开始，CRISPR / Cas系统已经成功地适应了各种农作物，并能够靶向农学上重要的性状。尽管该方法面临几个与效率和交付相关的挑战，尤其是在顽固性作物物种中，但CRISPR / Cas系统在解决这些局限性方面仍在不断取得进步。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了CRISPR / Cas技术，其众多应用及其对作物改良的前景。