Table 3.

Overall assessment of study validity.

Studies were assigned low validity or unclear validity if any of the following factors applied
Any of these criteria answered with “No” or “Unclear”
Did the CRISPR/Cas technique induce any on-target mutation?
Did a PAM follow the potential off-target sequences?
Has the potential off-target sequence at least one mismatch to the on-target site?
Any of these criteria answered with “No”
Is a reference genome of the edited plant available?
Did sequencing errors occur?
Are information about the potential off-target sequences provided? (number of mismatches, the position of mismatches to the PAM)
Studies that were not assigned low validity were considered to have medium validity if any of the following factors applied
Any of the criteria answered with “Partly”
Did a PAM follow the potential off-target sequences?
Has the potential off-target sequence at least one mismatch to the on-target site
Are information about the potential off-target sequences provided? (number of mismatches, the position of mismatches to the PAM)
Potential off-target sequences within medium validity studies were handled as medium/low validity if any of the following factors was not applied
Any of the criteria answered with “No”
Did a PAM follow the potential off-target sequences?
Has the potential off-target sequence at least one mismatch to the on-target site
Are information about the potential off-target sequences provided? (number of mismatches, the position of mismatches to the PAM)
Potential off-target sequences within medium validity studies were handled as medium/high validity if all the following factors applied
All of the criteria answered with “Yes”
Did a PAM follow the potential off-target sequences?
Has the potential off-target sequence at least one mismatch to the on-target site
Are information about the potential off-target sequences provided? (number of mismatches, the position of mismatches to the PAM)