CRISPR-Cas assisted diagnostics of plant viruses and challenges

Abstract

Plant viruses threaten global food security by infecting commercial crops, highlighting the critical need for efficient virus detection to enable timely preventive measures. Current techniques rely on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for viral genome amplification and require laboratory conditions. This review explores the applications of CRISPR-Cas assisted diagnostic tools, specifically CRISPR-Cas12a and CRISPR-Cas13a/d systems for plant virus detection and analysis. The CRISPR-Cas12a system can detect viral DNA/RNA amplicons and can be coupled with PCR or isothermal amplification, allowing multiplexed detection in plants with mixed infections. Recent studies have eliminated the need for expensive RNA purification, streamlining the process by providing a visible readout through lateral flow strips. The CRISPR-Cas13a/d system can directly detect viral RNA with minimal preamplification, offering a proportional readout to the viral load. These approaches enable rapid viral diagnostics within 30 min of leaf harvest, making them valuable for onsite field applications. Timely identification of diseases associated with pathogens is crucial for effective treatment; yet developing rapid, specific, sensitive, and cost-effective diagnostic technologies remains challenging. The current gold standard, PCR technology, has drawbacks such as lengthy operational cycles, high costs, and demanding requirements. Here we update the technical advancements of CRISPR-Cas in viral detection, providing insights into future developments, versatile applications, and potential clinical translation. There is a need for approaches enabling field plant viral nucleic acid detection with high sensitivity, specificity, affordability, and portability. Despite challenges, CRISPR-Cas-mediated pathogen diagnostic solutions hold robust capabilities, paving the way for ideal diagnostic tools. Alternative applications in virus research are also explored, acknowledging the technology's limitations and challenges.