Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2025

Gene Digital Circuits Based on CRISPR-Cas Systems and Anti-CRISPR Proteins
Published on: October 18, 2022
A redox switch regulates the assembly and anti-CRISPR activity of AcrIIC1
Yanan Zhao1, Jiaojiao Hu2, Shan-Shan Yang3
1School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150080, China.
Abstract:
Anti-CRISPRs (Acrs) are natural inhibitors of bacteria's CRISPR-Cas systems, and have been developed as a safeguard to reduce the off-target effects of CRISPR gene-editing technology. Acrs can directly bind to CRISPR-Cas complexes and inhibit their activities. However, whether this process is under regulation in diverse eukaryotic cellular environments is poorly understood. In this work, we report the discovery of a redox switch for NmeAcrIIC1, which regulates NmeAcrIIC1's monomer-dimer interconversion and inhibitory activity on Cas9. Further structural studies reveal that a pair of conserved cysteines mediates the formation of inactive NmeAcrIIC1 dimer and directs the redox cycle. The redox switch also applies to the other two AcrIIC1 orthologs. Moreover, by replacing the redox-sensitive cysteines, we generated a robust AcrIIC1 variant that maintains potent inhibitory activity under various redox conditions. Our results reveal a redox-dependent regulation mechanism of Acr, and shed light on the design of superior Acr for CRISPR-Cas systems.
More Related Videos
10:28Repressing Gene Transcription by Redirecting Cellular Machinery with Chemical Epigenetic Modifiers
Published on: September 20, 2018
09:32Light-mediated Reversible Modulation of the Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway during Cell Differentiation and Xenopus Embryonic Development
Published on: June 15, 2017
Related Concept Videos
CRISPR and crRNAs
The CRISPR-Cas system stores a copy of foreign DNA in the host genome and uses it to identify the foreign DNA upon reinfection. CRISPR-Cas has three different...
The Antiviral System of Bacteria and Archaea: CRISPR
CRISPR
Regulation of the Unfolded Protein Response
CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing
Co-activators and Co-repressors