Recent Advances in Genome Base Editing Technology and Its Applications in Industrial Microorganism
Yi Zheng, Fei Du, Yiwen Hang, Wang Ma, Guang Yang, Na Wu, Xiao‐Man Sun
Abstract
Base editing technology is a novel gene-editing approach derived from the CRISPR/Cas9 system, enabling precise and efficient base conversion. Due to operational simplicity, strong target specificity, high editing efficiency, and minimal editing byproducts, base editing has been widely applied in gene therapy, crop breeding, construction of model organisms, and microbial metabolic engineering. In this review, we systematically summarize the development history and recent advancements of several major base editors, including cytosine base editors (CBEs), adenine base editors (ABEs), CRISPR-free base editors, C-to-G base editors (CGBEs), glycosylase base editors (GBEs), and IscB-derived base editors. Furthermore, we comprehensively summarize optimization strategies for base editors and its application in constructing efficient industrial microorganism, such as Bacillus subtilis, Corynebacterium glutamicum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Yarrowia lipolytica, and Aspergillus niger. This review aims to facilitate the broader application of base editing technologies in synthetic biology and accelerate their translational potential.