A light-inducible CRISPR-Cas9 system for control of endogenous gene activation.

ABSTRACT: Optogenetic systems enable precise spatial and temporal control of cell behavior. We engineered a light-activated CRISPR-Cas9 effector (LACE) system that induces transcription of endogenous genes in the presence of blue light. This was accomplished by fusing the light-inducible heterodimerizing proteins CRY2 and CIB1 to a transactivation domain and the catalytically inactive dCas9, respectively. The versatile LACE system can be easily directed to new DNA sequences for the dynamic regulation of endogenous genes.

SUBMITTER: Polstein LR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4412021 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature