Use of CRISPR/Cas System to Create Resistance to Cotton Diseases

Cotton is an important cash crop that is affected by various diseases resulting in significant yield losses. Conventional plant breeding has long been the method of choice to combat diseases of crops. The advent of recombinant DNA technology has expedited efforts to obtain resistance in plants. The CRISPR/Cas system offers the ability to knock out, knock in, or knock down a particular gene at specified location in the genome. Furthermore, precise genome editing, base editing, and epigenome engineering are now easier as compared to previous genome-editing methods that require complicated protein engineering. The system is a powerful tool for reverse genetics research that is indispensable for understanding the molecular biology of plant-pathogen interaction. Several studies have used the CRISPR/Cas system to create resistance against a variety of diseases in plants. This chapter provides an overview of the approaches suitable for obtaining disease resistance using CRISPR/Cas. Also genes potentially suitable as targets for future disease resistance efforts are highlighted. Finally susceptibility gene-mediated resistance and resistance gene-mediated strategies are compared.