From DNA-protein interactions to the genetic circuit design using CRISPR-dCas systems

Abstract

In the last decade, the CRISPR-Cas technology has gained widespread popularity in different fields from genome editing and detecting specific DNA/RNA sequences to gene expression control. At the heart of this technology is the ability of CRISPR-Cas complexes to be programmed for targeting particular DNA loci, even when using catalytically inactive dCas-proteins. The repertoire of naturally derived and engineered dCas-proteins including fusion proteins presents a promising toolbox that can be used to construct functional synthetic genetic circuits. Rational genetic circuit design, apart from having practical relevance, is an important step towards a deeper quantitative understanding of the basic principles governing gene expression regulation and functioning of living organisms. In this minireview, we provide a succinct overview of the application of CRISPR-dCas-based systems in the emerging field of synthetic genetic circuit design. We discuss the diversity of dCas-based tools, their properties, and their application in different types of genetic circuits and outline challenges and further research directions in the field.

Editorial: Recent advances in molecular properties of DNA-protein interactions, chromatin and their biological roles

“…The complex of dCas protein with its sgRNA can be used to influence transcription at specific genomic loci and used to deliver different linked chromatin and epigenetic effectors to target sites. A mini-review highlighting recent advances in such technologies, particularly in creation of artificial gene circuits and challenges ahead is also present in this Research Topic ( Shaytan et al, 2022 ).…”