The ScCas9 variant expands the CRISPR toolbox for genome editing in plants.

The development of clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein (Cas) variants with a broader recognition scope is critical for further improvement of CRISPR/Cas systems. The original Cas9 protein from Streptococcus canis (ScCas9) can recognize simple NNG-protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) targets, and therefore possesses a broader range relative to current CRISPR/Cas systems, but its editing efficiency is low in plants. Evolved ScCas9 and ScCas9 variants have been shown to possess higher editing efficiencies in human cells, but their activities in plants are currently unknown.