From base transitions to expanded editing tools: development and applications of plant base editors.

Plant base editing has expanded from cytosine and adenine editors to include dual-base, transversion, Cas12-based, and organelle-targeted systems, broadening mutation options.

• Why it matters: This work addresses the need for precise, versatile tools in plant genomics and crop improvement, highlighting challenges in predicting outcomes and applying editors in breeding.
• What they did: The review summarizes plant base editor development, computational target design tools, and compares editing efficiency, product purity, and specificity, especially for transversion editing, across numerous systems.
• The result: Findings emphasize technical limitations and bottlenecks from lab to field, guiding editor selection and prioritizing strategies to enhance crop improvement applications.