Genome blaze: engineering chilli pepper chloroplasts for sustainable production of capsaicinoids through organellar genome editing

The quest for superior parental lines of chilli pepper, enriched with heightened levels of phytochemicals, such as capsinoids (CATs) and capsaicinoids (CAPs), has recently gained momentum. Plant scientists now pay more attention to generating pepper cultivars that offer both increased yield and richness in these crucial ingredients. Indeed, the average pepper yield per hectare, as well as richness of these ingredients, are affected by multiple environmental stimuli. However, expression of specific genes is crucial to stimulate the CAT and CAP levels in response to environmental conditions. Recently, new technologies, like genome editing using CRISPR/Cas and engineering of chloroplasts, have been tested in chilli pepper. The advances in genome editing tools, such as the prime editor and base editor methods, have tremendous potential for plant organelle genome engineering. In this article, we highlight recent advancements in CRISPR/Cas and plastid engineering within Capsicum, coupled with application of base editing approaches for editing plant organelle DNA. We also assess the challenges and opportunities in the pursuit of commercial and sustainable production of bioactive compounds specific to Capsicum species.