Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has been used extensively in a wide variety of plant species. Creation of loss-of-function alleles, promoter variants and mutant collections are a few of the many uses of genome editing. In a typical workflow for sexually reproducing species, plants are generated that contain an integrated CRISPR/Cas9 transgene. After editing of the gene of interest, T-DNA null segregants can be identified in the next generation that contain only the desired edit. However, maintained presence of the CRISPR/Cas9 transgene and continued editing in the subsequent generations offer a range of applications for model plants and crops. In this review, we define transgenerational gene editing (TGE) as the continued editing of CRISPR/Cas9 after a genetic cross. We discuss the concept of TGE, summarize the current main applications, and highlight special cases to illustrate the importance of TGE for plant genome editing research and breeding.
Introduction
CRISPR/Cas9 has rapidly become the predominant tool for plant genome editing (). An important reason is that the CRISPR/Cas9 system only requires co-expression of a generic Cas9 endonuclease and one or more specific single guide RNAs (sgRNA) (). The pairing of the Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complex with target DNA triggers Cas9-mediated DNA cleavage which results in a double stranded break (DSB) (). The system can easily be engineered to target a DNA region of choice as the specificity is only determined by a ∼20 bp sgRNA spacer complementary to the targeted sequence and a 2–3 bp sequence directly downstream of the target, the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM), which is NGG for Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (). DSBs are recognized by endogenous DNA repair mechanisms, of which non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) plays the predominant role in plant cells (). When DSBs are repaired perfectly, they are prone to additional rounds of Cas9 cutting. An imperfect repair leads to the creation of an insertion or deletion (indel) at the targeted site, also ending recognition by the sgRNA-guided Cas9 protein. A variety of repair outcomes is possible at each site, although the most often observed edit is a single base pair insertion, often A or T (). Alternatively, microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ) may result in larger deletions (>2 bp) through microhomology sites flanking the DSB (). Combinations of insertions and deletions have been reported in Arabidopsis through synthesis-dependent MMEJ ().
Researchers typically use CRISPR/Cas9 to target exonic open reading frames to generate loss-of-function mutants for functional analysis (; ; ; ). Alternatively, promoter elements or other cis-regulatory elements are targeted to disrupt regulation of genes and avoid pleiotropic effects associated with complete loss-of-function (). For delivery to plant cells, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is most often used. After transfer of a CRISPR/Cas9 encoding T-DNA molecule to the plant cell, Cas9 and the sgRNA are expressed and are able to edit the target sequence of interest. The T-DNA also harbors a selection marker, allowing selection of plants in which the T-DNA has integrated in the genome and is transcriptionally active. The method for stable transformation by Agrobacterium differs from species to species. In most plant transformation protocols, explants such as leaves, roots or immature embryos are infected with Agrobacterium, after which callus formation is induced in tissue culture. This allows selection of transgenic cells and subsequent regeneration of primary transformants (T0 generation) either by organogenesis or somatic embryogenesis. The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is an exception and allows for the use of in planta transformation. In the floral dip method, Arabidopsis flowers are brought into contact with Agrobacterium, resulting in transformation of haploid female gametophyte cells, before fertilization by self-pollination (). Therefore, the primary transformant is the female gametophyte in Arabidopsis and the first generation analyzed for gene editing is the T1 generation.
T0 primary transformants in crops, or T1 plants in the case of Arabidopsis, are most commonly analyzed by examining the genotype in leaf samples. For diploid plants, often more than two alleles can be found, indicating that the plants are genetic mosaics. These are individuals that have developed from a single cell, and have subsequently acquired mutations during development resulting in the presence of two or more populations of cells with different genotypes (). Such plants are often referred to as chimeric in the literature, but chimerism denotes the presence of two or more genotypes in a single individual arisen from the conglomeration of cells of more than one genotype in the early stages of development (). In light of these definitions, the occurrence of multiple different alleles in one plant, caused by incomplete or late CRISPR/Cas9 activity, should be considered mosaicism. Somatic mosaic mutational patterns may indicate that the CRISPR/Cas9 machinery is not always active immediately after Agrobacterium-mediated delivery and that different cell lineages already were established. Moreover, leaf samples do not always reveal the genotype of the cells making up the germline and hence the mutations that will be transmitted. For example, a study in Arabidopsis found that more than half of mutations in T2 were not present in T1 ().
Transgenerational Editing
In a typical workflow for CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in plants such as maize (Zea mays), T0 plants are identified that contain a single CRISPR/Cas9 T-DNA locus and show some degree of editing at the site(s) of interest. After a backcross to wild-type (WT), the T-DNA locus will likely show Mendelian segregation in the progeny and T1 Cas9 null-segregants can be identified. These do not contain the CRISPR/Cas9 transgene but may have inherited a mutant allele from the T0 parent. If so, the mutation is now heterozygous and cannot be mosaic as it went through a single-cell stage, the fertilized egg cell. However, one can also continue with the progeny that still contains a CRISPR/Cas9 transgene. If still active, the Cas9 nuclease will now encounter a novel WT allele introduced by the cross, which can be edited and yield independent alleles (Figure 1A). This continued editing of CRISPR/Cas9 after a genetic cross is referred to as transgenerational gene editing (TGE) ().
FIGURE 1
TGE has been used for several applications, although not always named TGE (Figures 1B–D). We provide three examples: editing of additional alleles in polyploid crops, creation of allelic variation and editing of target genes in recalcitrant genetic backgrounds.
Editing of Homoeoalleles in Polyploid Crops
In the case of polyploid crops such as hexaploid common wheat (Triticum aestivum) and tetraploid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), mutations are often only present in a subset of the homoeoalleles targeted by the same sgRNA (
Creating Novel Genetic Variation
The variety of GE repair outcomes can be exploited to create an array of alleles with potentially different molecular functions, resulting in different phenotypes. As an example, we recently reported independent alleles in the coding region of the maize gene SAMBA. Although obtained with the same sgRNA, different phenotypic outcomes were observed and related to translation re-initiation and formation of a truncated protein (
Editing of Recalcitrant Genetic Backgrounds
TGE can also be exploited to introduce mutations in genetic backgrounds that cannot be transformed (Figure 1D). In maize, an in vivo desired-target mutator (DTM) strategy was designed to accelerate the breeding process and simultaneously avoid linkage drag compared to introgression of an allele from another variety (
Combining Haploid Induction and Gene Editing
A special case of TGE is the combination of in vivo haploid induction and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in grasses (Figure 2A). This concept has been first demonstrated in maize and is referred to as haploid inducer (HI)-Edit (
FIGURE 2

Special cases of TGE. (A) Combining haploid induction and gene editing (HI-Edit) in maize. A WT elite maize inbred line is pollinated using a haploid inducer line that contains a CRISPR/Cas9 containing T-DNA locus (red triangle). After fertilization, the male genome is gradually eliminated, but the temporary presence of CRISPR/Cas9 may still edit the elite allele. After doubling of the haploid plant genome using colchicine, a homozygous edited elite DH0 line is obtained (
CRISPR/Cas9 Editing in Arabidopsis Using Floral Dip
In CRISPR/Cas9 editing of Arabidopsis, T1 genotypes can be viewed as the result of TGE as a novel WT allele is introduced after transformation of the haploid female gametophyte. Transformation using floral dip results in stable T-DNA insertion in female gametophytes (T0) resulting in seeds (T1) hemizygous for the T-DNA locus (
Role of the Promoter Driving Cas9 in TGE
Early experiments with Cas9 driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter yielded mostly genetic mosaic T1 Arabidopsis plants with edits that often could not be inherited (
Besides egg cell-specific promoters, pollen-specific promoters have been evaluated for Cas9 expression (
Conclusions and Perspectives
CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing already is an indispensable tool in plant genetics and breeding and many new technologies are being developed to expand the CRISPR toolbox such as base and prime editing. Many of these new tools could also benefit from TGE-based approaches, especially when editing efficiency is low. A particularly interesting application of TGE is HI-Edit and the research field of haploid induction has seen a number of recent breakthroughs that will impact successful use of HI-Edit in crops. For example, alternative haploid inducers based on CENH3 have now been developed for maize (
Statements
Author contributions
LI and LP wrote the review with help of TBJ, HN, and DI.
Funding
This work was supported by Ghent University Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds Methusalem Project BOF15/ MET_V/004 and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (H2020/2019-2025) under grant agreement No 833866-BREEDIT.
Acknowledgments
We thank Yasmine Vanhevel for discussions on transgenerational gene editing.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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Summary
Keywords
CRISPR/Cas9, gene editing, egg cell, pollen, HI-Edit, floral dip
Citation
Impens L, Jacobs TB, Nelissen H, Inzé D and Pauwels L (2022) Mini-Review: Transgenerational CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing in Plants. Front. Genome Ed. 4:825042. doi: 10.3389/fgeed.2022.825042
Received
29 November 2021
Accepted
12 January 2022
Published
04 February 2022
Volume
4 - 2022
Edited by
Bing Yang, University of Missouri, United States
Reviewed by
Yanfei Mao, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences (CAS), China
Anshu Alok, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, United States
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© 2022 Impens, Jacobs, Nelissen, Inzé and Pauwels.
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*Correspondence: Laurens Pauwels, laurens.pauwels@psb.vib-ugent.be
This article was submitted to Genome Editing in Plants, a section of the journal Frontiers in Genome Editing
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.