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A New Toolkit for Evaluating Gene Functions using Conditional Cas9 Stabilization
08:20

A New Toolkit for Evaluating Gene Functions using Conditional Cas9 Stabilization

Published on: September 2, 2021

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Switchable Cas9

Florian Richter1, Ines Fonfara2, Renate Gelfert3

  • 1Bayer AG, Pharmaceuticals, Protein Engineering and Assays, 50829 Köln, Germany.

Current Opinion in Biotechnology
|April 30, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Scientists engineered switchable Cas9 variants for precise genome editing control. These Cas9 tools respond to external triggers like light or temperature, enabling fine-tuned gene regulation and minimizing unwanted effects.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biotechnology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The Cas9 nuclease from Streptococcus pyogenes is a key tool for genome analysis and engineering.
  • Controlling Cas9 activity is crucial to enhance on-target effects and reduce off-target actions.
  • Existing methods focus on regulating Cas9 at the post-translational level using external signals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop strategies for controlling Cas9 activity using external trigger signals.
  • To engineer novel Cas9 variants with tunable functions.
  • To achieve precise and graded regulation of genome modification.

Main Methods:

  • Modification of the Cas9 protein or its guide RNA molecules.
  • Engineering Cas9 variants responsive to external stimuli such as small ligands, light, or temperature.
  • Utilizing these engineered variants for controlled genome editing.

Main Results:

  • Successfully engineered switchable Cas9 variants.
  • Demonstrated control over Cas9 activity via external triggers.
  • Achieved precise and graded regulation of genomic modifications.

Conclusions:

  • Switchable Cas9 variants offer enhanced control over genome editing.
  • External triggers provide a means to fine-tune Cas9 activity.
  • These engineered nucleases enable more precise and adaptable genome engineering applications.

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