Programmed genome editing by a miniature CRISPR-Cas12f nuclease

Small CRISPR, big potential

31 January 2022

A new ‘mini’ version of the CRISPR–Cas gene-editing system offers delivery advantages that could expand the range of applications for the powerful genome-engineering tool.

Size matters when it comes to gene editing, as not all CRISPR proteins can be easily packaged into standard virus delivery vehicles. This is a major limitation for clinical applications of the technology.

Now, a team led by ShanghaiTech University researchers has identified a compact DNA-targeting enzyme, Cas12f1, that is less than half the size of most other currently used CRISPR-associated proteins.

Produced by a mineral-oxidizing bacterium, this enzyme was successfully introduced to human and bacterial cells via viruses and other delivery platforms, where it modified the genome with high precision.

Cas12f1 thus provides a valuable addition to the CRISPR–Cas toolbox that could prove useful for biotechnology and medicine.

Supported content

References

1. Nature Chemical Biology 17, 1132–1138 (2021). doi: 10.1038/s41589-021-00868-6