Research Progress of Genome Editing Technologies for Precise Sequence Replacement

Genome editing technologies have been used for precise genome sequence replacement in microbe, animals, plants, and human cell lines and thus speeding up the process of biological breeding and genetic disease treatment, making a breakthrough in agricultural production and medicine. Two kinds of strategies are commonly utilized for precise sequence replacement. The first kind relies on DNA double-strand break to realize precise sequence replacement, including the combination of CRISPR-Cas system with DNA repair pathway such as homologous recombination, single strand annealing and micro-homologous end joining, and site-specific-recombination-mediated precise sequence replacement. The second kind relies on the DNA single-strand break and mainly includes the technical strategy such as prime editing and base editor. This study mainly reviews the progress on different genome editing strategies and related technologies for precise sequence replacement. This will be of help to choosing the most suitable technical strategy according to the advantages and disadvantages of them, to realize precise and efficient sequence replacement.