Targeted genome regulation and modification using transcription activator-like effectors
James N F Scott1, Adam P Kupinski, Joan Boyes
1School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, UK.
The FEBS Journal
|August 16, 2014
Summary
Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) are powerful genome engineering tools derived from bacteria. Deciphering their DNA binding code enabled diverse applications, including gene editing and transcription modulation.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) are bacterial proteins from Xanthomonas species.
- Naturally, TALEs enhance bacterial virulence.
- The deciphering of the TALE DNA binding code in 2009 revolutionized their use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the assembly of designer TALEs.
- To explore the expanding applications of TALEs in genome engineering.
- To briefly discuss alternative technologies like zinc finger nucleases and CRISPR-Cas9.
Main Methods:
- Custom TALE protein construction targeting specific DNA sequences.
- Fusion of TALEs with Fok I endonuclease for targeted DNA cleavage.
- Development of TALE-based transcription factors by linking TALEs to activation domains (AD).
Main Results:
- Designer TALEs can be rapidly constructed (under 1 week) for diverse applications.
- TALE-Fok I fusions enable targeted double-stranded DNA breaks for gene editing.
- Engineered TALEs can activate or repress transcription, bind methylated DNA, and serve as chromatin probes.
Conclusions:
- TALEs are versatile tools for genome engineering with a wide range of applications.
- Designer TALEs offer a customizable and efficient approach to manipulating DNA.
- TALEs represent a significant advancement in synthetic biology and gene editing technologies.
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