Publications by authors named "Zhenpeng Zhuang"

Article Synopsis
  • The CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system shows promise for treating genetic diseases, but concerns about safety—especially with guide-free Cas9—exist due to potential genomic instability.
  • Research using pigs showed that guide-free Cas9 can cause genomic damage and changes in gene expression, with harmful effects correlating to the levels of Cas9 protein.
  • Long-term expression of Cas9 in pigs resulted in weight loss and increased mutations, suggesting higher risks for genomic damage and tumor development, highlighting the need for careful safety assessments before clinical use of CRISPR/Cas9.
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Prime editor (PE) is a versatile genome editing tool that does not need extra DNA donors or inducing double-strand breaks. However, implementation of PE remains a challenge because of its oversized composition. In this study, we screened out the smallest truncated Moloney murine leukemia virus (MMLV) reverse transcriptase (RT) with the F155Y mutation to keep gene editing efficiency.

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Article Synopsis
  • Current gene expression regulation methods can't precisely control gene expression both ways, so researchers developed a new strategy that modifies the Kozak sequence to fine-tune translation levels directly.* -
  • The study focused on editing three specific nucleotides (KZ3) upstream of the translation initiation codon, finding that different variants affect translation efficiency while transcription levels remain consistent.* -
  • This approach allows for adjustable gene translation in a predictable manner, and it can be applied to the entire Kozak sequence across all protein-coding genes in eukaryotes.*
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Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) have been widely used for genome editing, transcriptional regulation, and locus-specific DNA imaging. However, TALEs are difficult to handle in routine laboratories because of their complexity and the considerable time consumed in TALE construction. Here, we described a simple and rapid TALE assembly method based on uracil-specific excision reagent (USER) cloning.

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Article Synopsis
  • CRISPR technology, particularly SpCas9, has improved genome editing but faces challenges in delivery and expression regulation in large animals.
  • Researchers created a doxycycline-inducible SpCas9 pig model (DIC pig) to address these challenges, enabling easier gene editing in vivo and in vitro.
  • This model allows for controlled gene function through tissue-specific expression and facilitates the study of diseases like pancreatic cancer by enabling targeted genomic alterations in live pigs.*
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Obesity is among the strongest risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D). The CREBRF missense allele rs373863828 (p. Arg457Gln, p.

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Inducible expression systems are indispensable for precise regulation and in-depth analysis of biological process. Binary Tet-On system has been widely employed to regulate transgenic expression by doxycycline. Previous pig models with tetracycline regulatory elements were generated through random integration.

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Establishing saturated mutagenesis in a specific gene through gene editing is an efficient approach for identifying the relationships between mutations and the corresponding phenotypes. CRISPR/Cas9-based sgRNA library screening often creates indel mutations with multiple nucleotides. Single base editors and dual deaminase-mediated base editors can achieve only one and two types of base substitutions, respectively.

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Patients with hereditary tyrosinemia type I (HT1) present acute and irreversible liver and kidney damage during infancy. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene correction during infancy may provide a promising approach to treat patients with HT1. However, all previous studies were performed on adult HT1 rodent models, which cannot authentically recapitulate some symptoms of human patients.

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Background: Many favorable traits of crops and livestock and human genetic diseases arise from multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms or multiple point mutations with heterogeneous base substitutions at the same locus. Current cytosine or adenine base editors can only accomplish C-to-T (G-to-A) or A-to-G (T-to-C) substitutions in the windows of target genomic sites of organisms; therefore, there is a need to develop base editors that can simultaneously achieve C-to-T and A-to-G substitutions at the targeting site.

Results: In this study, a novel fusion adenine and cytosine base editor (ACBE) was generated by fusing a heterodimer of TadA (ecTadA) and an activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) to the N- and C-terminals of Cas9 nickase (nCas9), respectively.

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The NLRP3 inflammasome is associated with a variety of human diseases, including cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS). CAPS is a dominantly inherited disease with missense mutations. Currently, most studies on the NLRP3-inflammasome have been performed with mice, but the activation patterns and the signaling pathways of the mouse NLRP3 inflammasome are not always identical with those in humans.

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In this report, we describe the cloning, cellular localization, and functional characteristics of Na(+)/H(+) exchanger 1 (NHE1) from red blood cells of the winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus (paNHE1). The paNHE1 protein localizes primarily to the marginal band and exhibits a 74% similarity to the trout beta-NHE, and 65% to the human NHE1 (hNHE1). Functionally, paNHE1 shares characteristics of both beta-NHE and hNHE1 in that it is activated both by manipulations that increase cAMP and by cell shrinkage, respectively.

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Zhenpeng Zhuang"

  • - Zhenpeng Zhuang's recent research primarily focuses on advancing genome editing technologies, particularly the application of CRISPR/Cas9 and prime editing systems, to improve precision and safety in genetic modifications!* - His studies address critical safety concerns, including the risks associated with guide-free Cas9, and propose innovative approaches such as mini-prime editors and enhanced cloning techniques to facilitate genome editing in various models, particularly in pigs!* - Zhuang's work also explores novel strategies for regulating gene expression, including precise modifications of Kozak sequences to control protein translation, thus contributing to the development of more versatile and efficient genetic tools for research and therapeutic applications!*