Nanotechnology Strategies for Plant Genetic Engineering.

Plant genetic engineering is essential for improving crop yield, quality, and resistance to abiotic/biotic stresses for sustainable agriculture. Agrobacterium-, biolistic bombardment-, electroporation-, and PEG-mediated genetic transformation systems have been extensively used in plant genetic engineering. However, these systems have limitations, including species dependency, destruction of plant tissues, low transformation efficiency, and high cost. Recently, nanotechnology-based gene delivery methods have been developed for plant genetic transformation. This nano-strategy shows excellent transformation efficiency, good biocompatibility, adequate protection of exogenous nucleic acids, and the potential for plant regeneration. However, the nanomaterial-mediated gene delivery system in plants is still in its infancy, and there are many challenges for its broad applications. In this review, we first briefly discuss the conventional genetic transformation techniques used in plants. After that, we focus on the progress in the development of nanomaterial-based gene delivery systems. CRISPR-Cas-mediated genome editing and its combined applications with plant nanotechnology are also discussed. The conceptual innovations, methods, and practical applications of nanomaterial-mediated genetic transformation summarized in this review will be beneficial for promoting plant genetic engineering in modern agriculture. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.