Baldini Alessio, Battaglia Filippo, Perrella Giorgio
Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Front Plant Sci. 2025 Mar 21;16:1544744. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1544744. eCollection 2025.
Chromatin organization is a relevant layer of control of gene expression during plant development. Chromatin states strictly depend on associated features such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and histone variants. Thus, epigenome editing has become of primary interest to alter gene expression without disrupting genomic sequences. Different tools have been developed to address this challenge, starting with modular Zinc Finger Proteins (ZFPs) and Transcription Activator Like Effectors (TALEs). However, the discovery of CRISPR/Cas9 system and the adaptability of technologies based on enzymatically dead Cas9 (dCas9) have paved the way towards a reliable and adaptable epigenome editing in a great variety of organisms. In this review, we will focus on the application of targeted epigenome editing technologies in plants, summarizing the most updated advances in this field. The promising results obtained by altering the expression state of targets involved in flowering time and abiotic stress resistance are crucial not only for elucidating the molecular interactions that underly chromatin dynamics, but also for future applications in breeding programs as an alternative route to genetic manipulation towards the achievement of higher quality crops particularly in terms of nutritional properties, yield and tolerance.
染色质组织是植物发育过程中基因表达调控的一个相关层面。染色质状态严格依赖于相关特征，如DNA甲基化、组蛋白修饰和组蛋白变体。因此，表观基因组编辑已成为在不破坏基因组序列的情况下改变基因表达的首要关注点。为应对这一挑战，人们开发了不同的工具，从模块化锌指蛋白（ZFPs）和转录激活因子样效应物（TALEs）开始。然而，CRISPR/Cas9系统的发现以及基于无酶活性Cas9（dCas9）的技术的适应性，为在多种生物体中进行可靠且适应性强的表观基因组编辑铺平了道路。在本综述中，我们将聚焦于靶向表观基因组编辑技术在植物中的应用，总结该领域的最新进展。通过改变参与开花时间和非生物胁迫抗性的靶标的表达状态所获得的有前景的结果，不仅对于阐明染色质动态背后的分子相互作用至关重要，而且对于未来育种计划中的应用也至关重要，作为一种替代基因操作的途径，以实现更高品质的作物，特别是在营养特性、产量和耐受性方面。
