Development of cytosine and adenine base editors for maize precision breeding

doi:10.1111/jipb.13964

• Research Article •

Development of cytosine and adenine base editors for maize precision breeding

Xiao Fu¹, Nan Wang¹, Lina Li^1,2, Dexin Qiao¹, Xiantao Qi¹, Changlin Liu^1,2, Zhaoxu Gao¹, Chuanxiao Xie^1,2* and Jinjie Zhu^1*

1. State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
2. National Nanfan Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya 572025, China

^*Correspondences: Chuanxiao Xie (xiechuanxiao@caas.cn); Jinjie Zhu; (zhujinjie@caas.cn, Dr. Zhu is fully responsible for the distribution of all materials associated with this article)

Received:2024-12-25 Accepted:2025-06-05 Online:2025-07-11
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2023YFD1202901), Science and Technology Innovation 2030 Major Projects (No. 2022ZD04006), the Henan Province Key Research and Development Project (No. 241111112300), and the Xinjiang “Leading the Charge with Open Competition” Project.

Abstract

Abstract: Base editing technologies can improve crops, but their efficiency in maize remains suboptimal. This study attempts to overcome these limitations by examining optimized cytosine and adenine base editors (CBEs and ABEs), namely evoAPOBEC1, evoFERNY, evoCDA1, TadA8.20, and TadA8e, for precise genome editing in transient and stable expression maize cells. Employing a seed fluorescence reporter (SFR) system for rapid screening of BE transformants and transgene-free progenies, we enhanced editing efficiencies and heritability. Notably, TadA8.20 and evoCDA1 attained multiplexed editing efficiencies of up to 100.0% and 79.0% at the tested loci, respectively, with some homozygous and bi-allelic mutants exceeding 72.4% and 73.7%. Precise editing of ZmACC1/2 (acetyl-CoA carboxylase) improved herbicide resistance, with ZmACC2 mutants displaying improved performance. This study advances crop genetic engineering by facilitating robust, multi-locus modifications without altered agronomic performance, enhancing herbicide tolerance in maize. The successful utilization of these BE is a significant step forward in agricultural biotechnology and precision breeding.

Key words: adenine BE, cytosine BE, herbicide resistance, multiplex editing, Zea mays, ZmACC

Xiao Fu, Nan Wang, Lina Li, Dexin Qiao, Xiantao Qi, Changlin Liu, Zhaoxu Gao, Chuanxiao Xie, Jinjie Zhu. Development of cytosine and adenine base editors for maize precision breeding[J]. J Integr Plant Biol., DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13964.

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[2]	Dexin Qiao, Junya Wang, Min‐Hui Lu, Cuiping Xin, Yiping Chai, Yuanyuan Jiang, Wei Sun, Zhenghong Cao, Siyi Guo, Xue‐Chen Wang and Qi‐Jun Chen. Optimized prime editing efficiently generates heritable mutations in maize [J]. J Integr Plant Biol., 2023, 65(4): 900-906.
[3]	Yu Takenouchi, Haruka Nakajima, Kengo Kanamaru, and Shigeo Takumi. Characterization of Three Homoeologous cDNAs Encoding Chloroplast-targeted Aminolevulinic Acid Dehydratase in Common Wheat [J]. J Integr Plant Biol., 2011, 53(12): 942-950.

Development of cytosine and adenine base editors for maize precision breeding

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