ABSTRACT
Genome editing technologies using engineered nucleases have been widely used in many model organisms. Genome editing with sequence-specific nuclease (SSN) creates DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the genomic target sites that are primarily repaired by the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination (HR) pathways, which can be employed to achieve targeted genome modifications such as gene mutations, insertions, replacements or chromosome rearrangements. There are three major SSNsâzinc finger nuclease (ZFN), transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system. In contrast to ZFN and TALEN, which require substantial protein engineering to each DNA target, the CRISPR/Cas9 system requires only a change in the guide RNA. For this reason, the CRISPR/Cas9 system is a simple, inexpensive and versatile tool for genome engineering. Furthermore, a modified version of the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been developed to recruit heterologous domains that can regulate endogenous gene expression, such as activation, depression and epigenetic regulation. In this review, we summarize the development and applications of genome editing technologies for basic research and biotechnology, as well as highlight challenges and future directions, with particular emphasis on plants.
Subject(s)
CRISPR-Cas Systems , Endonucleases/metabolism , Genetic Engineering/methods , Genome, Plant/genetics , Genetic Engineering/trends , Genomics/methods , Models, Genetic , Mutation , Plant Breeding/methods , Plants/genetics , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
Bacteria and archaea have evolved an adaptive immune system, known as type II prokaryotic clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) system, which uses short RNA to direct the degradation of target sequences present in invading viral and plasmid DNAs. Recent advances in CRISPR/Cas system provide an improved method for genome editing, showing robust and specific RNA-guided endonuclease activity at targeted endogenous genomic loci. It is the latest technology to modify genome DNA specifically and effectively following zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and TALE nucleases (TALENs). Compared with ZFNs and TALENs, CRISPR/Cas is much simpler and easier to engineer. This review summarizes recent progress, and discusses the prospects of CRISPR/Cas system, with an emphasis on its structure, principle, applications and potential challenges.
