Discovery, classification and application of the CPISPR-Cas13 system

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Genetics
• Biotechnology

Background:

• The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-Cas system is a bacterial and archaeal acquired immune system.
• Ongoing research has led to the discovery of various Cas13 proteins, expanding the CRISPR-Cas toolkit.

Purpose of the Study:

• This review details the discovery, classification, and applications of the CRISPR-Cas13 system.
• It highlights recent technological advancements and factors influencing system performance.

Main Methods:

• The review discusses Cas13-based molecular therapies targeting human, animal, and plant transcriptomes.
• It covers gene expression regulation for combating RNA viruses and reviews progress, limitations, and challenges in treating animal and plant diseases.

Main Results:

• The CRISPR-Cas system VI features two RNA-guided nucleotide-binding domains.
• CRISPR RNA can specifically cleave RNA via interaction with Cas13a protein, enabling gene editing and biological detection.

Conclusions:

• The CRISPR-Cas13 system provides a high-throughput, convenient technology for virus detection.
• It holds potential for developing novel anti-cancer drugs in the near future.