Genome editing of maize
Developed over thousands of years largely through human intervention, the modern maize genome can now be precisely modified for agricultural improvement and scientific research. This chapter focuses on progress made in recent decades utilizing site-specific nuclease (SSN) technologies in maize genome engineering. Many SSNs, such as meganucleases, zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) have been used in maize for both functional analysis and trait improvement. The chapter summarizes the recent innovations related to maize genome editing using SSN technologies, the type of approaches, target genes and traits, and reagent delivery methods. It also discusses the current challenges as well as potential improvements for maize genome engineering protocols.