Biomaterial Database

[The CRISPR-Cas system: beyond genome editing]. 2018

Félix R Croteau, and Geneviève M Rousseau, and Sylvain Moineau

Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, faculté des sciences et de génie, groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada - Félix d'Hérelle reference center for bacterial viruses, faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.

CRISPR-Cas is an adaptive immune system used by many microbes to defend against nucleic acids invasion such as viral genomes. The microbial system uses its CRISPR locus to store genetic information that will generate short CRISPR RNAs. The latter with endonucleases (Cas) prevent future viral infections. Parts of this system were exploited to develop a powerful genome editing tool that was adapted for a variety of organisms. The ability of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology to effectively and precisely cut a targeted genomic DNA region has the potential to may be one day cure genetic diseases. The malleability of this editing tool also offers a wide range of possibilities from modulations of gene expression to epigenetic modifications. The natural CRISPR loci found in bacteria can be used to differentiate microbial strains or to study the interactions between bacteria and its habitat. Addressing CRISPR-Cas fundamentals in microbes and its popular use in eukaryotes, this review presents an update on a system that has revolutionized biological sciences.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D005818	Genetic Engineering	Directed modification of the gene complement of a living organism by such techniques as altering the DNA, substituting genetic material by means of a virus, transplanting whole nuclei, transplanting cell hybrids, etc.	Genetic Intervention,Engineering, Genetic,Intervention, Genetic,Genetic Interventions,Interventions, Genetic
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000072669	Gene Editing	Genetic engineering or molecular biology techniques that involve DNA REPAIR mechanisms for incorporating site-specific modifications into a cell's genome.	Base Editing,Genome Editing,Editing, Base,Editing, Gene,Editing, Genome
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D015316	Genetic Therapy	Techniques and strategies which include the use of coding sequences and other conventional or radical means to transform or modify cells for the purpose of treating or reversing disease conditions.	Gene Therapy,Somatic Gene Therapy,DNA Therapy,Gene Therapy, Somatic,Genetic Therapy, Gametic,Genetic Therapy, Somatic,Therapy, DNA,Therapy, Gene,Therapy, Somatic Gene,Gametic Genetic Therapies,Gametic Genetic Therapy,Genetic Therapies,Genetic Therapies, Gametic,Genetic Therapies, Somatic,Somatic Genetic Therapies,Somatic Genetic Therapy,Therapies, Gametic Genetic,Therapies, Genetic,Therapies, Somatic Genetic,Therapy, Gametic Genetic,Therapy, Genetic,Therapy, Somatic Genetic
D016678	Genome	The genetic complement of an organism, including all of its GENES, as represented in its DNA, or in some cases, its RNA.	Genomes
D064113	CRISPR-Cas Systems	Adaptive antiviral defense mechanisms, in archaea and bacteria, based on DNA repeat arrays called CLUSTERED REGULARLY INTERSPACED SHORT PALINDROMIC REPEATS (CRISPR elements) that function in conjunction with CRISPR-ASSOCIATED PROTEINS (Cas proteins). Several types have been distinguished, including Type I, Type II, and Type III, based on signature motifs of CRISPR-ASSOCIATED PROTEINS.	CRISPR Cas Systems,CRISPR-Cas System,System, CRISPR-Cas,Systems, CRISPR-Cas