from the CRISPR-doesn't-mean-fry-it-longer dept.
UC Berkeley scientists have discovered simple CRISPR systems similar to CRISPR-Cas9—a gene-editing tool that has revolutionized biology—in previously unexplored bacteria that have eluded efforts to grow them in the laboratory.
The new systems are highly compact, befitting their presence in some of the smallest life forms on the planet. If these systems can be re-engineered like CRISPR-Cas9, their small size could make them easier to insert into cells to edit DNA, expanding the gene-editing toolbox available to researchers and physicians.
"These are particularly interesting because the key protein in these CRISPR systems is approximately the same as Cas9, but is not Cas9. It is part of a minimal system that has obvious potential for gene editing," said Jill Banfield, a UC Berkeley professor of earth and planetary sciences and of environmental science, policy and management.
In CRISPR-Cas systems, the Cas protein is the scissors. When targeted to a specific sequence of DNA, the Cas protein binds and severs double-stranded DNA. The new discovery nearly doubles the number of simple and compact CRISPR-Cas systems potentially useful as laboratory and biomedical tools.
"The important thing here is that we found some of these CRISPR systems in a major branch of the bacterial tree, opening the door to a whole new world of microbes that are not cultured in the lab, so we don't really know what they are and what their habits are," said co-author Jennifer Doudna, a UC Berkeley professor of molecular and cell biology and of chemistry and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. Both Doudna and Banfield are faculty scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
David Burstein et al. New CRISPR–Cas systems from uncultivated microbes, Nature (2016). DOI: 10.1038/nature21059
Related Stories
Researchers have discovered a way to program cells to inhibit CRISPR-Cas9 activity. "Anti-CRISPR" proteins had previously been isolated from viruses that infect bacteria, but now University of Toronto and University of Massachusetts Medical School scientists report three families of proteins that turn off CRISPR systems specifically used for gene editing. The work, which appears December 15 in Cell, offers a new strategy to prevent CRISPR-Cas9 technology from making unwanted changes.
"Making CRISPR controllable allows you to have more layers of control on the system and to turn it on or off under certain conditions, such as where it works within a cell or at what point in time," says lead author Alan Davidson, a phage biologist and bacteriologist at the University of Toronto. "The three anti-CRISPR proteins we've isolated seem to bind to different parts of the Cas9, and there are surely more out there."
More information:
Cell, Pawluk et al.: "Naturally occurring off-switches for CRISPR-Cas9" DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.017
takyon: Not a dupe of this related story, in case you were wondering.
Mammoth Biosciences adds the final piece of the CRISPR diagnostics puzzle to its toolkit
With the announcement today that Mammoth Biosciences has received the exclusive license from the University of California, Berkeley to the new CRISPR protein Cas14, the company now has the last piece of its diagnostics toolkit in place.
Cas14 is a newly discovered protein from the lab of Jennifer Doudna, a pioneer in gene-editing research and a member of the first research team to identify and unlock the power of CRISPR technology. Doudna and Mammoth Biosciences co-founder Lucas Harrington were part of the team of researchers to identify the new Cas14 protein, which can identify single-stranded DNA. The journal Science published their findings [DOI: 10.1126/science.aav4294] [DX] in October 2018.
"With the addition of this protein that is DNA binding and target single strands, it really means we can target any nucleic acid," says Mammoth chief executive Trevor Martin. "It's an extension of the toolbox." The licensing deal moves Mammoth one step closer toward its goal of low-cost, in-home molecular diagnostics for any illness. "The idea is we want to make this test so affordable that you can imagine going down to your CVS or Walgreens so you can bring this access to molecular level information [to questions like] if my kid has strep or flu before dropping them off to school."
See also: CRISPR-Cas14: a family of small DNA-targeting enzymes enabling high-fidelity SNP genotyping
Related (all involving Dr. Jennifer Doudna): The Rapid Rise of CRISPR
Compact CRISPR Systems Found in Some of World's Smallest Microbes
Nonviral CRISPR-Gold Editing Technique Fixes Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Mutation in Mice
CRISPR Used to Cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in Dogs... by Further Damaging DNA
CasX Protein Works for Gene Editing in Bacterial and Human Cells
(Score: 2) by takyon on Monday December 26 2016, @02:24PM
Test it against CRISPR/Cas9 in bacteria or mouse embryos and see if it has a lower error rate.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by sbgen on Tuesday December 27 2016, @02:31AM
I have not yet read the actual research paper but your question has one answer in the link below, besides others. First the link: http://phys.org/news/2016-12-anti-crispr-gene.html#nRlv [phys.org].
The error rate from using CRISPR-Cas9 system is very low but it is not yet below the background mutation inherent to our cells. Efforts are on to achieve this low level of error rate which is likely to be acceptable for a variety of sensitive uses. A naturally occurring off-switch system would be a great help. The research article the linked talks about just that.
Have a good day,
Warning: Not a computer expert, but got to use it. Yes, my kind does exist.
(Score: 2) by dlb on Monday December 26 2016, @08:12PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 26 2016, @09:09PM
Obviously not, since it's just a youtube link.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 27 2016, @04:34AM
Big pharma gonna sue bacteria now for alleged patent infringement.
(Score: 2) by Osamabobama on Tuesday December 27 2016, @06:28PM
Now that gene editing has been shown to be a natural process, can we all agree that genetically modified organisms aren't crimes against nature? Maybe naturopaths will start offering gene therapy techniques "derived from the healing waters of Crystal Geyser, California."
Appended to the end of comments you post. Max: 120 chars.