Tag: TnpB

Algae and Snails Are Hiding Gene Editing Superpowers

Researchers at MIT have identified a vast array of Fanzors, programmable DNA-cutting enzymes from eukaryotic organisms, expanding the gene-editing potential of RNA-guided tools and opening up possibilities for more precise and efficient genome modifications, particularly in human cells. New research finds RNA-guided enzymes called Fanzors are widespread among eukaryotic organisms….

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Thousands of Fanzor DNA cutters that may outperform CRISPR identified

Following on from the discovery of programmable DNA-cutting enzymes known as Fanzors, scientists have found that a diverse range of species possess these genetic ‘scissors’, which presents a massive opportunity in the development of new medicines, genetic therapies and biotechnology. Scientists from the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at the…

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Thousands of programmable DNA-cutters found in algae, snails, and other organisms

Credit: CC0 Public Domain A diverse set of species, from snails to algae to amoebas, make programmable DNA-cutting enzymes called Fanzors—and a new study from scientists at MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research has identified thousands of them. Fanzors are RNA-guided enzymes that can be programmed to cut DNA at…

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Examining the genesis of CRISPR’s molecular scissors

Pervasive distribution of IS200/IS605-like elements in G. stearothermophilus. a, Schematic of a representative IS200/IS605 element. tnpA encodes a Y1-family tyrosine transposase that is responsible for DNA excision and integration; tnpB/iscB encodes RNA-guided nucleases whose biological roles are unknown. b, Bottom, schematic of a non-autonomous IS element encoding TnpB and its…

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CRISPR-like Abilities in Eukaryotic Proteins

Since the bacterial-origin CRISPR-Cas system rose to popularity as a genome editing tool, scientists have wondered whether other genome editors exist in nature. Now, two independent research teams have discovered that Fanzor proteins, which are found across eukaryotic life, function similar to the Cas nucleases in the CRISPR-Cas system, which…

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The quahog makes a tasty chowder, but it can also edit your genome

It’s been a really good week for bivalves. Why, just a week ago in the journal Science we found out that the shell hinge from the freshwater cockscomb mussel can be opened and closed 1,500,000 times in succession without suffering any fatigue damage (!), and we also learned the structural secret…

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a new way to edit the genome

Credit: Unsplash. Scientists are pushing the frontiers of gene editing. A new study has just unveiled the first programmable RNA-guided system in eukaryotes. This system, based on a protein called Fanzor, uses RNA as a guide to precisely target DNA. It’s a lot like the now-famous CRISPR system, which is…

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Newfound CRISPR-Like System In Animals Could Be Used To Manipulate Human Genomes

A genetic editing system similar to CRISPR-Cas9 has been uncovered for the first time in eukaryotes – the group of organisms that include fungi, plants, and animals. The system, based on a protein called Fanzor, can be guided to precisely target and edit sections of DNA, and that could open…

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First CRISPR-Like System Found in Eukaryotes

Another potentially game-changing discovery has come out of the lab of Feng Zhang, PhD. This time, they uncovered the first programmable RNA-guided system in eukaryotes. Just a few months ago, the Zhang lab adapted a contractile injection system, found naturally in bacteria, that deliver protein payloads to target human cells….

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Fanzor is a eukaryotic programmable RNA-guided endonuclease

RNA-guided systems, which employ complementarity between a guide RNA and target nucleic acid sequences for recognition of genetic elements, play a central role in biological processes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. For example, the prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas systems provide adaptive immunity for bacteria and archaea against foreign genetic elements. Cas effectors,…

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Eukaryotes Have CRISPR-Like Systems That Can Edit Genomes, MIT Teams Report

NEW YORK – Two teams of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have demonstrated that some eukaryotic organisms have their own RNA-guided endonucleases, which likely share a common ancestor with certain Cas proteins. “Just when you think CRISPR is plateauing, there’s something new around the corner,” said Omar Abudayyeh,…

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First programmable RNA-guided system found in eukaryotes

A team of researchers led by Feng Zhang at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT has uncovered the first programmable RNA-guided system in eukaryotes -; organisms that include fungi, plants, and animals. In a study in Nature, the team describes…

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Potential of CRISPR/Cas system as emerging tools in the detection of viral hepatitis infection | Virology Journal

Tapper EB, Curry MP. Hepatitis Caused by Other Viruses Handbook of Liver Disease, 2018: p. 78. Sarin SK, Kumar M. Viral hepatitis A, in Molecular Pathology of Liver Diseases. Springer; 2011. pp. 527–52. Qu B, Brown RJ. Strategies to inhibit Hepatitis B Virus at the transcript level. Viruses. 2021;13(7):1327. Article  CAS …

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Snapshots of the smallest programmable nuclease TnpB published

Cryo-EM structures of the D. radiodurans ISDra2 TnpB binary and ternary complexes. Credit: Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05826-x A team led by Professor Virginijus Šikšnys from Vilnius University Life Sciences Center (VU LSC) determined the structure of TnpB using cryo-electron microscopy in collaboration with the group of Professor Guillermo Montoya at…

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3D Structure of a Key Protein for Genome Editing Revealed

Register for FREE to listen to this article Thank you. Listen to this article using the player above. ✖ Want to listen to this article for FREE? Complete the form below to unlock access to ALL audio articles. Gene editing is one of the latest breakthroughs in…

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Study reveals the 3D structure of a protein involved in genome editing

TnpB adopts a bilobed structure consisting of the REC lobe and NUC lobe. The REC lobe comprises WED and REC domains, whereas the NUC lobe comprises the RuvC and TNB domains. TnpB assembles with a ωRNA transcribed from the transposon sequence at the end of its coding region. The guide…

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Cryo-EM structure of the transposon-associated TnpB enzyme

Sample preparation The genes encoding ISDra2 TnpB (TnpB from D. radiodurans ISDra2; residues 1 to 408) and the 247-nt ωRNA were synthesized by Eurofin Genomics and cloned into the modified pETDuet vector (Novagen). The N-terminally MBP-tagged TnpB and ωRNA were co-expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta2 (DE3). The E. coli cells were cultured…

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Real-Time Quantification of the Effects of IS200/IS605 Family-Associated TnpB on Transposon Activity

Summary January 20th, 2023 A protocol is outlined to perform live real-time imaging to quantify how the accessory protein TnpB affects the dynamics of transposition in individual live Escherichia coli cells. Transcript This protocol allows us to quantify excision statistics on a single-cell basis, as opposed to looking at bulk…

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Over one million potential genome-editing enzymes discovered in microbes

20 September 2021 Researchers looking for evolutionary ancestors of enzymes used in the CRISPR genome editing have uncovered over one million potential genome-editing enzymes. The CRISPR/Cas9 approach uses small pieces of RNA as guides to direct a DNA-cutting enzyme called Cas9 to edit specific locations in the genome. It is this…

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Researchers Uncover New Families of Gene-Editing Enzymes

By analyzing microbial genomes, researchers have found what may be evolutionary ancestors of the Cas9 enzyme that snips out bits of DNA during CRISPR genome editing, according to a study published last week in Science.   According to Nature, the role of the microbial IscB protein family was unknown prior to the…

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The CRISPR Family Tree Holds a Multitude of Untapped Gene Editing Tools

Thanks to CRISPR, gene therapy and “designer babies” are now a reality. The gene editing Swiss army knife is one of the most impactful biomedical discoveries of the last decade. Now a new study suggests we’ve just begun dipping our toes into the CRISPR pond. CRISPR-Cas9 comes from lowly origins….

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MIT study finds more than 1m potential genome-editing tools in microbes

While investigating the ancestry of Cas proteins, the researchers also found the first evidence of CRISPR activity in a eukaryotic cell. CRISPR gene editing is a field with many promises that has sometimes struggled to deliver. Now, a new study published in the journal Science has made a step towards…

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Researchers discover transposon-encoded RNA-guided nucleases with potential for genome editing

Researchers seeking to understand the origins of CRISPR-Cas9 systems have uncovered a class of transposon-encoded RNA-guided nucleases, which they dubbed “OMEGA,” that could be harnessed for genome editing in human cells. These systems hold strong potential for developing as biotechnologies, the authors say. CRISPR-Cas systems have transformed genome editing and…

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New programmable gene editing proteins found outside of CRISPR systems

Left: Han Altae-Tran (Credit: Zhang Lab). Right: Soumya Kannan. Credit: Caitlin Cunningham Within the last decade, scientists have adapted CRISPR systems from microbes into gene editing technology, a precise and programmable system for modifying DNA. Now, scientists at MIT’s McGovern Institute and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have…

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Trove of CRISPR-like gene-cutting enzymes found in microbes

The Cas9 enzyme — known as CRISPR’s molecular scissors — is used to find and cut specific DNA sequences.Credit: Nature By exploring the evolutionary origins of an enzyme used in the CRISPR genome-editing system, researchers have unearthed more than one million other potential editors lurking in microbial genomes. The study,…

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New Class of Transposon-Encoded RNA-Guided Nucleases May Add to Genome Editing Toolbox

NEW YORK – A team of US researchers led by the Broad Institute’s Feng Zhang has discovered a new class of transposon-encoded RNA-guided DNA nucleases, which they said could be used for genome editing in human cells and hold potential for biotechnology. In a paper published on Thursday in Science,…

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