From Defence to Design: Mining Microbial Immunity for CRISPR Tools Tailored to Plant Genome Engineering

Summary

CRISPR-Cas forms the foundation of a biotechnological technique that enables precise modifications to the genome of living organisms. Although this method has significantly advanced plant sciences, its efficiency in plants remains limited. The technology is based on enzymes that originally evolved in bacteria as a defence mechanism against viruses. However, the enzymes most commonly used are derived from bacteria that inhabit mammals, and are therefore optimised for the higher temperatures typical of mammalian environments, while plants usually grow at lower temperatures. In this study, we explored alternative CRISPR-Cas enzymes from bacteria found in soil or in close association with plants. We developed a methodology to identify these enzymes within large DNA datasets and assessed their applicability in plants. In doing so, we introduced several new tools. Despite originating from plant-associated bacteria, these enzymes unfortunately do not outperform those currently in use.