Targeted genome editing technology is an important tool to study the function of genes and to modify organisms at the genetic level. Recently, CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated proteins) system has emerged as an efficient tool for specific genome editing in animals and plants. CRISPR-Cas system uses CRISPR-associated endonuclease and a guide RNA to generate double-strand breaks at the target DNA site, subsequently leading to genetic modifications. CRISPR-Cas system has received widespread attention for manipulating the genomes with simple, easy and high specificity. This review summarizes recent advances of diverse applications of the CRISPR-Cas toolkit in plant research and crop breeding, including expanding the range of genome editing, precise editing of a target base, and efficient DNA-free genome editing technology. This review also discusses the potential challenges and application prospect in the future, and provides a useful reference for researchers who are interested in this field.
基因组定点编辑技术是研究基因功能和生物体改造的重要工具。CRISPR-Cas (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated proteins) 系统是近年来发展的一种新型基因组编辑技术，该技术通过一段向导RNA 和配套的核酸酶就可对特定的基因组序列进行定点编辑，具有简单高效、应用广泛的特点，受到了生物学家的广泛关注。本文着重介绍CRISPR-Cas 系统在植物中的研究进展，包括CRISPR-Cas9 系统在植物中的应用与完善、扩大基因组编辑范围的研究、Cas9 切口酶和失活酶的拓展、特异性单碱基突变编辑系统的研究、无外源DNA 污染的植物基因编辑技术的发展以及基因组编辑技术在作物育种上的应用等方面。同时也提出了还需解决的问题，并展望了基因组编辑系统在作物育种中的应用前景，为开展这一领域的研究工作提供参考。.
Keywords: CRISPR-Cas system; crop genetics and breeding; genome editing; plant genomes.