Anolis Lizards as a Model System for Studies of Gene Function in Reptile Development and Evolution

Anolis lizards are an ecologically diverse group that includes more than 400 described species. These reptiles have been the subject of wide-ranging studies, from speciation and convergent evolution to climate adaptation and tail regeneration. While CRISPR-based gene editing has tremendous potential to reveal new insights into these and other aspects of Anolis biology, the reproductive biology of these reptiles has presented significant barriers to gene editing. Here, we briefly summarize gene editing approaches in vertebrates and discuss some of the major challenges associated with the performance of gene editing in anoles. We then introduce a recently established surgical procedure that enables the injection of CRISPR-Cas into the developing oocytes of female lizards. This approach circumvents the need to manipulate early-stage embryos and permits the production of gene-edited anoles. This method has recently been successfully adapted for use in other reptiles, suggesting that it may be effective in a wide range of species and will broadly enable studies of gene function in reptiles.