CRISPR-Cas9 editing of non-coding genomic loci as a means of controlling gene expression in the sea urchin.

ABSTRACT: We seek to manipulate gene function here through CRISPR-Cas9 editing of cis-regulatory sequences, rather than the more typical mutation of coding regions. This approach would minimize secondary effects of cellular responses to nonsense mediated decay pathways or to mutant protein products by premature stops. This strategy also allows for reducing gene activity in cases where a complete gene knockout would result in lethality, and it can be applied to the rapid identification of key regulatory sites essential for gene expression. We tested this strategy here with genes of known function as a proof of concept, and then applied it to examine the upstream genomic region of the germline gene Nanos2 in the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. We first used CRISPR-Cas9 to target established

SUBMITTER: Pieplow A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7956150 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature