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Updated: Jan 11, 2026

A New Toolkit for Evaluating Gene Functions using Conditional Cas9 Stabilization
Published on: September 2, 2021
Photocontrolled dissociation and toehold-mediated strand displacement-based synergistic regulation of CRISPR-Cas12a
Jia-Ni Wu1, Changjiang Li1, Zhujun Liu1
1School of Pharmacy, and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
Abstract:
The trans-cleavage activity of the CRISPR-Cas system holds broad potential across diverse fields, yet precise spatiotemporal regulation remains challenging due to the predominantly single-direction control strategies available. Here, we present a bidirectional, multi-round modulation strategy for CRISPR-Cas12a trans-cleavage activity, utilizing toehold-mediated strand displacement and photocontrolled dissociation. This approach enables dynamic transitions between on and off states: Cas12a activity is activated by an activator, inhibited by a photosensitive blocker, and reactivated via UV light. We further integrated this system with DNA cryptography, establishing a hierarchical temporal authorization system that enhanced cryptographic security. The method supported multi-round modulation, achieving restoration of 95.4% activity after multiple cycles in the on state while maintaining suppression to 12.4% in the off state. This precise control strategy provides a versatile tool for spatiotemporal regulation in CRISPR-based applications, with significant implications for advanced gene editing, diagnostics, and bioengineering.
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