Exploiting CRISPR/Cas systems for biotechnology

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Timothy Sampson, Emory University; David S Weiss, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-01-01
• Publisher: Wiley: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bies.201300135
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BioEssays
• ISSN: 0265-9247
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 34
• End Page: 38
• Grant/Funding Information: T.R. S. was supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship; as well as the ARCS Foundation.; This work was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants U54-AI057157 from the Southeastern Regional Center of Excellence for Emerging Infections and Biodefense; and R56-AI87673 to D.S.W., who is also supported by a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease award.
• Keywords: biotechnology; RNAi; GENE-EXPRESSION; EVOLUTION; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; SPECIFICITY; RNA; Cas9; Biology; Science & Technology; ACTIVATION; CRISPR; ENDONUCLEASE; genome editing; Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics; CLEAVAGE; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; CAS SYSTEMS
• Research Categories: Biology, Genetics; Biology, Molecular; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery

Abstract

The Cas9 endonuclease is the central component of the Type II CRISPR/Cas system, a prokaryotic adaptive restriction system against invading nucleic acids, such as those originating from bacteriophages and plasmids. Recently, this RNA-directed DNA endonuclease has been harnessed to target DNA sequences of interest. Here, we review the development of Cas9 as an important tool to not only edit the genomes of a number of different prokaryotic and eukaryotic species, but also as an efficient system for site-specific transcriptional repression or activation. Additionally, a specific Cas9 protein has been observed to target an RNA substrate, suggesting that Cas9 may have the ability to be programmed to target RNA as well. Cas proteins from other CRISPR/Cas subtypes may also be exploited in this regard. Thus, CRISPR/Cas systems represent an effective and versatile biotechnological tool, which will have significant impact on future advancements in genome engineering.