Updates on TALE-based Organellar Genome Editing in Plants

While gene editing revolutionized how scientists modify plant genomes, challenges arise when targeting plant organelles, like chloroplasts and mitochondria. A review from researchers at Academia Sinica and National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan highlights the most recent developments of TALE-based organellar genome editing in plants.

Unlike the CRISPR-Cas9 technique, TALE-based editing excels at reaching and altering organelles. This advantage stems from its delivery method: utilizing Agrobacterium to transfer editing tools directly targeting specific organellar genomes.

This approach bypasses the technical hurdles associated with conventional methods like chloroplast transformation, which often have limited species compatibility. Additionally, TALE-based editing offers an exciting avenue for editing mitochondrial DNA, which is currently impossible through direct transformation in higher plants.

With its unique abilities, TALE-based editing opens doors for plant research and biotechnology advancements.

Read the review article in the journal Plant Cell Reports.