Peptide-mediated gene and protein delivery systems to plant mitochondria for modifying mitochondrial functions

Abstract Plant mitochondria are essential for energy production and male sterility. The genetic transformation of plant mitochondria has attracted attention due to its potential to improve the mitochondrial function and agricultural productivity of energy crops. However, mitochondrial genome editing has been challenging because the delivery of the macromolecules needed for genome engineering to mitochondria has not been established until now. In addition, the genome editing efficiency in mitochondria needs to be improved as much as possible due to the lack of a selection marker for mitochondria. To achieve mitochondrial modification, the proteins and/or DNA/RNA needed for genome editing should be delivered to mitochondria precisely and efficiently. Peptides have been utilized to improve delivery efficiency to plant mitochondria. Thus, we herein review advances in delivery technologies related to plant mitochondrial genome engineering using various functional peptides.