[Advances of CRISPR/dCas9 system in live cell imaging]

The study of distinct genes, chromosomes and the spatio-temporal relationships between them is of great significance in genetics, developmental biology and biomedicine. CRISPR/Cas9 has become the most widely used gene editing tool due to its excellent targeting ability. Recently, researchers have developed a series of advanced live cell imaging techniques based on the nuclease-inactivated mutant of Cas9 (dCas9), providing rapid and convenient tools for high-resolution imaging of specific sites in the chromatin and genome. This review summarizes the advances of CRISPR/dCas9 system in live cell imaging from three aspects, including the strategies of cell delivery, optimization of the fluorescence signals, as well as orthogonal and multicolor imaging. Furthermore, we shed light on the development trends and prospects of this field.