Highly efficient C-to-T and A-to-G base editing in a Populus hybrid.

CRISPR-Cas based genome editing technologies hold great potential for genetic research and bioengineering in trees. CRISPR-Cas9 was previously demonstrated to be a highly efficient genome editing system in poplar (Zhou et al., 2015). However, these applications only used the nuclease activity of Cas9 for targeted mutagenesis. By contrast, Cas9-derived base editors can install specific base changes in a plant genome.