Aliaga Goltsman DS, Alexander LM, Devoto AE, Albers JB, Liu J, Butterfield CN, Brown CT, Thomas BC. Novel Type V-A CRISPR Effectors Are Active Nucleases with Expanded Targeting Capabilities.
CRISPR J 2020;
3:454-461. [PMID:
33146573 PMCID:
PMC7757703 DOI:
10.1089/crispr.2020.0043]
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Abstract
Cas12a enzymes are quickly being adopted for use in a variety of genome-editing applications. These programmable nucleases are part of adaptive microbial immune systems, the natural diversity of which has been largely unexplored. Here, we identified novel families of Type V-A CRISPR nucleases through a large-scale analysis of metagenomes collected from a variety of complex environments, and developed representatives of these systems into gene-editing platforms. The nucleases display extensive protein variation and can be programmed by a single-guide RNA with specific motifs. The majority of these enzymes are part of systems recovered from uncultivated organisms, some of which also encode a divergent Type V effector. Biochemical analysis uncovered unexpected protospacer adjacent motif diversity, indicating that these systems will facilitate a variety of genome-engineering applications. The simplicity of guide sequences and activity in human cell lines suggest utility in gene and cell therapies.
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