Nearly 90% of human pathogenic mutations are caused by small genetic variations, and methods to correct these errors efficiently are critically important. One way to make small DNA changes is providing a single-stranded oligo deoxynucleotide (ssODN) containing an alteration coupled with a targeted double-strand break (DSB) at the target locus in the genome. Coupling an ssODN donor with a CRISPR-Cas9-mediated DSB is one of the most streamlined approaches to introduce small changes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe development of CRISPR-associated proteins, such as Cas9, has led to increased accessibility and ease of use in genome editing. However, additional tools are needed to quantify and identify successful genome editing events in living animals. We developed a method to rapidly quantify and monitor gene editing activity non-invasively in living animals that also facilitates confocal microscopy and nucleotide level analyses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Type 1 long QT syndrome (LQT1) is caused by loss-of-function variants in the -encoded K7.1 potassium channel α-subunit that is essential for cardiac repolarization, providing the slow delayed rectifier current. No current therapies target the molecular cause of LQT1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCRISPR and CRISPR-Cas effector proteins enable the targeting of DNA double-strand breaks to defined loci based on a variable length RNA guide specific to each effector. The guide RNAs are generally similar in size and form, consisting of a ∼20 nucleotide sequence complementary to the DNA target and an RNA secondary structure recognized by the effector. However, the effector proteins vary in protospacer adjacent motif requirements, nuclease activities, and DNA binding kinetics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe expanding field of precision gene editing is empowering researchers to directly modify DNA. Gene editing is made possible using synonymous technologies: a DNA-binding platform to molecularly locate user-selected genomic sequences and an associated biochemical activity that serves as a functional editor. The advent of accessible DNA-targeting molecular systems, such as zinc-finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing systems, has unlocked the ability to target nearly any DNA sequence with nucleotide-level precision.
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