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The Potential of Genome Editing for Improving Seed Oil Content and Fatty Acid Composition in Oilseed Crops
Author(s) -
Subedi Udaya,
Jayawardhane Kethmi N.,
Pan Xue,
Ozga Jocelyn,
Chen Guanqun,
Foroud Nora A.,
Singer Stacy D.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1002/lipd.12249
Subject(s) - genome editing , microbiology and biotechnology , context (archaeology) , commercialization , canola , biology , crispr , genetically modified crops , agronomy , transgene , business , gene , marketing , genetics , paleontology
A continuous rise in demand for vegetable oils, which comprise mainly the storage lipid triacylglycerol, is fueling a surge in research efforts to increase seed oil content and improve fatty acid composition in oilseed crops. Progress in this area has been achieved using both conventional breeding and transgenic approaches to date. However, further advancements using traditional breeding methods will be complicated by the polyploid nature of many oilseed crops and associated time constraints, while public perception and the prohibitive cost of regulatory processes hinders the commercialization of transgenic oilseed crops. As such, genome editing using CRISPR/Cas is emerging as a breakthrough breeding tool that could provide a platform to keep pace with escalating demand while potentially minimizing regulatory burden. In this review, we discuss the technology itself and progress that has been made thus far with respect to its use in oilseed crops to improve seed oil content and quality. Furthermore, we examine a number of genes that may provide ideal targets for genome editing in this context, as well as new CRISPR‐related tools that have the potential to be applied to oilseed plants and may allow additional gains to be made in the future.