CRISPR-Gene Editing to Improve Plant Disease Resistance

The field of plant biotechnology has quickly evolved with the advent of CRISPR-mediated gene editing, fundamentally transforming the exploration and manipulation of plant genomes. While initial applications elucidated gene functions, recent innovations have harnessed CRISPR tools to improve agronomic traits such as metabolic profiles, abiotic stress tolerance, and, critically, disease resistance. Plant disease remains a pressing challenge in agriculture, as crops continuously contend with an array of pathogens, including fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes. Although significant strides have been made—particularly in engineering resistance to obligate fungal pathogens like powdery and downy mildew—there is an ongoing need to expand these successes to a broader spectrum of crop diseases.Despite notable progress, most CRISPR-driven advances have focused on targeting well-characterized plant-pathogen interactions, often involving obligate biotrophs and leveraging deep knowledge of immune signaling pathways such as those governed by salicylic acid and jasmonic acid. Conversely, much less has been accomplished in addressing resistance against non-obligate and hemibiotrophic pathogens, as well as against bacterial, viral, and nematode challenges. Additionally, while CRISPR-based gene knockouts have proven effective, approaches that activate host defense genes—such as CRISPR-activation—remain underutilized. The breadth and specificity of plant-pathogen interactions, alongside the growing need for transgene-free edited crops, underscore the imperative for further research into innovative CRISPR applications.This Research Topic aims to catalyze discoveries that expand the application of CRISPR gene editing and activation in engineering broad-spectrum, durable plant disease resistance. Central objectives include uncovering new genetic targets, elucidating resistance mechanisms, and translating knowledge across various plant-pathogen systems. Of particular interest are strategies that extend beyond model organisms or obligate pathogens, as well as methodologies enabling the generation of transgene-free, disease-resistant crops.The scope encompasses studies that leverage CRISPR technologies to understand and improve plant resistance traits while recognizing the diversity of crop-pathogen systems and the need for scalable, field-ready outcomes. We welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:o CRISPR-editing of host genes or factors to confer disease resistanceo Application of CRISPR-activation to bolster plant immune responseo Engineering plant resistance to fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodeso Utilizing CRISPR in model systems to unravel resistance pathwayso Strategies for producing disease-resistant, transgene-free cropsThis Research Topic welcomes submissions in the form of Original Research, Review, Perspective, and Method articles. Topic editors: Rong Di, Bing Yang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79052/crispr-gene-editing-to-improve-plant-disease-resistance