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<p>Climate change poses unprecedented threats to global crop productivity, with rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and soil salinization already diminishing yields of staple crops by 10–25%. Conventional breeding methods, though historically effective, are too slow to address these urgent challenges, often requiring over a&#xa0;decade to develop stress-tolerant varieties. The advent of precision genome editing, particularly CRISPR-Cas systems, has revolutionized crop improvement by enabling targeted, single-nucleotide modifications to native genes without introducing foreign DNA. Focusing on specific genes is critical because stress tolerance is typically governed by well-characterized regulatory nodes-such as transcription factors, transporters, and signaling components-that serve as molecular “leverage points” for complex traits. Editing these genes, including OsNAC14 in rice for drought response, TaHSP17 in wheat for thermotolerance, and SOS1 in barley for salt exclusion, demonstrates clear mechanistic pathways where precise mutagenesis directly translates into measurable improvements in yield stability under stress. This review synthesizes recent advances in CRISPR-based technologies, including base editing, prime editing, and epigenome modulation, and their successful deployment to enhance climate resilience in key crops. We critically evaluate the mechanistic underpinnings of these tools, their efficacy in manipulating stress-responsive pathways (e.g., abscisic acid signaling), and their superiority over transgenic approaches in bypassing regulatory hurdles. However, challenges persist, including off-target effects, delivery inefficiencies in recalcitrant species, and fragmented global regulatory landscapes. Socioeconomic barriers, such as limited access for smallholder farmers and intellectual property complexities, further hinder the equitable adoption of these technologies. Looking ahead, integrating genome editing with AI-driven phenomics, speed breeding, and omics technologies promises to accelerate the development of next-generation crops. Harmonized policies, public-private partnerships, and capacity-building initiatives are essential to realize this potential. This review highlights the transformative role of genome editing in achieving sustainable agriculture, offering ethical frameworks and inclusive innovation to guide its deployment.</p>

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Precision Rewiring of Stress-Responsive Gene Networks Via CRISPR: Mechanistic Pathways Toward Climate-Smart Agriculture

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月3日

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  • Burhan Khalid,
  • Muhammad Umer Javed,
  • Muhammad Ikram,
  • Muhammad Ateeq,
  • Muhammad Atiq Ashraf,
  • Talha Riaz,
  • Shumaila Nawaz,
  • Rizwan Maqbool

摘要

Climate change poses unprecedented threats to global crop productivity, with rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and soil salinization already diminishing yields of staple crops by 10–25%. Conventional breeding methods, though historically effective, are too slow to address these urgent challenges, often requiring over a decade to develop stress-tolerant varieties. The advent of precision genome editing, particularly CRISPR-Cas systems, has revolutionized crop improvement by enabling targeted, single-nucleotide modifications to native genes without introducing foreign DNA. Focusing on specific genes is critical because stress tolerance is typically governed by well-characterized regulatory nodes-such as transcription factors, transporters, and signaling components-that serve as molecular “leverage points” for complex traits. Editing these genes, including OsNAC14 in rice for drought response, TaHSP17 in wheat for thermotolerance, and SOS1 in barley for salt exclusion, demonstrates clear mechanistic pathways where precise mutagenesis directly translates into measurable improvements in yield stability under stress. This review synthesizes recent advances in CRISPR-based technologies, including base editing, prime editing, and epigenome modulation, and their successful deployment to enhance climate resilience in key crops. We critically evaluate the mechanistic underpinnings of these tools, their efficacy in manipulating stress-responsive pathways (e.g., abscisic acid signaling), and their superiority over transgenic approaches in bypassing regulatory hurdles. However, challenges persist, including off-target effects, delivery inefficiencies in recalcitrant species, and fragmented global regulatory landscapes. Socioeconomic barriers, such as limited access for smallholder farmers and intellectual property complexities, further hinder the equitable adoption of these technologies. Looking ahead, integrating genome editing with AI-driven phenomics, speed breeding, and omics technologies promises to accelerate the development of next-generation crops. Harmonized policies, public-private partnerships, and capacity-building initiatives are essential to realize this potential. This review highlights the transformative role of genome editing in achieving sustainable agriculture, offering ethical frameworks and inclusive innovation to guide its deployment.