A Robust Framework for Maize Elite Line Genome Editing Through Enhanced HI‐Edit via LbCas12a Activity Optimization
Abstract
ABSTRACT Haploid induction coupled with genome editing (HI‐Edit) enables direct modification of commercial crop varieties, bypassing the need for trait introgression or direct transformation of elite lines with CRISPR machinery. However, its widespread application has been constrained by low haploid editing rates (HER), the proportion of haploids carrying edits within the short window between double fertilization and uniparental chromosome elimination. Here, we report substantial improvements in maize HI‐Edit efficiency through three complementary strategies: (1) driving an optimized LbCas12a variant (LbCas12aV) using promoters that are highly active in sperm cells and early zygotes; (2) applying a post‐pollination heat treatment; and (3) fusing LbCas12aV with the UBA2 domain (ubiquitin‐associated domain‐2 of Arabidopsis thaliana RAD23) to enhance protein stability during haploid induction. Post‐pollination heat treatment alone increased HER to 19.1% (up to 12‐fold improvement depending on the target site), providing a simple and effective method to boost the yield of edited doubled haploid (DH) plants. UBA2 fusion improved HER by 6‐fold at the Waxy1 (Wx1) locus and 4.5‐fold at the Glossy2 (Gl2) locus under normal conditions. Strikingly, combining UBA2 fusion with heat treatment raised the average HER to 25% across multiple events targeting Wx1, with the highest HER reaching 33%. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that increasing CRISPR‐Cas protein abundance and modulating environmental conditions can overcome key bottlenecks in HI‐Edit. We establish a robust, scalable framework that is readily transferable to other crops for elite‐line genome editing.