Plant Tissue Culture: A Boon or Enigma in Gene Editing for Plants Using CRISPR/Cas System

This chapter delves into the exploration of metabolic pathways, unraveling cellular activities, genetic enhancement, and the production of stress-resistant cell lines, all of which contribute to the development of crops with superior characteristics. It presents how these objectives are attainable through the integration of tissue culture and molecular biology techniques. The potential of gene editing in studying gene function and precise crop breeding is enormous, particularly through its capacity to specifically alter plant structures. The prevalent use of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in gene editing is due to its high precision, simplicity, and efficacy. It enables the simultaneous addition of beneficial alleles and the removal of undesired ones within a single operation. However, the current application of this technology, while effective, is laborious, expensive, and time-consuming and is only achievable in a select few plant species. This limitation presents a considerable hurdle in the plant gene editing field. The chapter also explores various innovative strategies for the administration of CRISPR agents to plants, bypassing the need for tissue culture and regeneration processes. These strategies include viral vector delivery, de novo meristem induction, and possible applications of nanotechnology. A novel method is also introduced that enables gene-edited plant production without the need for tissue culture, called the fast-TrACC technique. This streamlines the process of creating gene-edited plants, significantly contributing to the era of precision crop breeding.