Virus-induced genome editing: toward crop breeding applications.

CRISPR-Cas-based genome editing has revolutionized precise genome manipulation in plants, yet its practical application is still constrained by the inefficient delivery of editing reagents across different genotypes. Plant viruses are promising vehicles for delivering genome-editing components, bypassing plant transformation and/or tissue culture. Virus-induced genome editing (VIGE) has provided powerful tools for achieving heritable edits in model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana. VIGE has now progressed from proof-of-concept to practical applications in agricultural crops. Notably, a recent breakthrough in VIGE in tiller has successfully achieved heritable genome editing in hexaploid wheat. This review outlines the latest advances in VIGE across diverse plant species, highlights its potential for crop improvement, and discusses future research directions.