Genome editing in cotton: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Cotton has enormous economic potential providing high-quality protein, oil, and fibre. A large increase in cotton output is necessary due to the world's changing climate and constantly expanding human population. In the past, conventional breeding techniques were used to introduce genes into superior cotton cultivars to increase production and to improve quality. The disadvantages of traditional breeding techniques are their time-consuming, reliance on genetic differences that are already present, and considerable backcrossing. To accomplish goals in a short amount of time, contemporary plant breeding techniques, in particular modern genome editing technologies (GETs), can be used. Numerous crop improvement initiatives have made use of GETs, such as zinc-finger nucleases, transcription-activator-like effector nucleases, clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR), and CRISPR-associated proteins systems (CRISPR/Cas)-based technologies. The CRISPR/Cas system has a lot of potential because it combines three qualities that other GETs lack: simplicity, competence, and adaptability. The CRISPR/Cas mechanism can be used to improve cotton tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, alter gene expression, and stack genes for critical features with little possibility of segregation. The transgene clean strategy improves CRISPR acceptability addressing regulatory issues associated with the genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The research opportunities for using the CRISPR/Cas system to address biotic and abiotic stresses, fibre quality, plant architecture and blooming, epigenetic changes, and gene stacking for commercially significant traits are highlighted in this article. Furthermore, challenges to use of CRISPR technology in cotton and its potential for the future are covered in detail.