CRISPR-Cas9 mediated enhancement of abiotic stress resilience in tomato: a comprehensive review of target genes.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), a major vegetable crop grown worldwide, is consumed as both fresh and processed products. Concerns about the impact of abiotic stresses on tomato production are growing worldwide as climate change alters global weather patterns, adversely affecting crop yield and produce quality due to stresses like salt, heat, cold, and drought. Conventional breeding approaches such as hybridization, marker-assisted selection (MAS), and mutation breeding, have long been utilized to improve tomato resilience against abiotic stresses. These approaches are often hampered by extensive field trials, and require multiple generations limiting their efficiency in rapidly developing stress-tolerant cultivars. The efforts of traditional breeding systems are hindered by the narrow genetic base of tomatoes which poses a major bottleneck. Researchers have utilized CRISPR-Cas genome-editing technology to address this challenge to offer a precise and accelerated alternative for enhancing stress resilience in tomato. This versatile tool has gained attention for its simple, precise, and effective gene-editing capabilities. CRISPR-Cas based genome editing has successfully modified key genes related to stress-response pathways, enhancing abiotic stress resilience. Developing resistant cultivars help mitigate the impact of abiotic stress, thereby contributing to increased food production and food security. This review highlights recent progress in use of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to enhance tomato resilience to abiotic stresses.