Application of CRISPR/Cas system in anti-plant virus research

In recent years, the CRISPR/Cas system has been widely applied for plant genome editing as well as in studies of anti-plant viruses because of its simplicity and effectiveness.In this review, progress in the use of the CRISPR/Cas system is briefly introduced, followed by a description of the applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR/Cas13a systems to plant viruses, introducing two basic antiviral strategies: Targeting viral genes and targeting host plant genes. Additionally, the potential applications of CRISPR/Cas12a and related prokaryotic Ago systems against plant viruses are discussed, including the challenges of applications involving CRISPR/Cas. The CRISPR/Cas system will bring revolutionary changes to plant antiviral breeding because of its advantages in anti-plant virus research.