Thermostable CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system and its application in construction of cell factories with thermophilic bacteria: a review / 生物工程学报

ABSTRACT

The diverse thermophilic strains of Thermoanaerobacter, serving as unique platforms with a broad range of application in biofuels and chemicals, have received wide attention from scholars and practitioners. Although biochemical experiments and genome sequences have been reported for a variety of Thermoanaerobacter strains, an efficient genetic manipulation system remains to be established for revealing the biosynthetic pathways of Thermoanaerobacter. In line with this demand, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) systems for editing, regulating and targeting genomes have been well developed in thermophiles. Here, we reviewed and discussed the current status, associated challenges, and future perspectives of the construction of thermostable CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing systems for some representative Thermoanaerobacter species. The establishment, optimization, and application of thermostable CRISPR/Cas genome editing systems would potentially provide a foundation for further genetic modification of thermophilic bacteria.