• BMB Reports
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• 제49권4호
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• pp.201-207
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• 2016

The CRISPR-Cas system has emerged as a fascinating and important genome editing tool. It is now widely used in biology, biotechnology, and biomedical research in both academic and industrial settings. To improve the specificity and efficiency of Cas nucleases and to extend the applications of these systems for other areas of research, an understanding of their precise working mechanisms is crucial. In this review, we summarize current studies on the molecular structures and dynamic functions of type I and type II Cas nucleases, with a focus on target DNA searching and cleavage processes as revealed by single-molecule observations.

• 한국자기공명학회논문지
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.39-44
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• 2021

The CRISPR-Cas system provides adaptive immunity for bacteria and archaea against invading phages and foreign plasmids. In the Class 1 CRISPR-Cas system, multi-subunit Cas proteins assemble with crRNA to bind to DNA targets. To disarm the bacterial defense system, bacteriophages evolved anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins that actively inhibit the host CRISPR-Cas function. Here we report the backbone resonance assignments of AcrIF7 protein that inhibits the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa using triple-resonance nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We employed various computational methods to predict the structure and binding interface of AcrIF7, and assessed the model with experimental data. AcrIF7 binds to Cas8f protein via flexible loop regions to inhibit target DNA binding, suggesting that conformational heterogeneity is important for the Cas-Acr interaction.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제41권10호
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• pp.917-922
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• 2018

The CRISPR-Cas system is a well-established RNA-guided DNA editing technique widely used to modify genomic DNA sequences. I used the CRISPR-Cas9 system to change the second and third nucleotides of the triplet $T{\underline{CT}}$ of human TNSFSF9 in HepG2 cells to $T{\underline{AG}}$ to create an amber stop codon. The $T{\underline{CT}}$ triplet is the codon for Ser at the $172^{nd}$ position of TNSFSF9. The two substituted nucleotides, AG, were confirmed by DNA sequencing of the PCR product followed by PCR amplification of the genomic TNFSF9 gene. Interestingly, sequencing of the cDNA of transcripts of the edited TNFSF9 gene revealed that the $T{\underline{AG}}$ had been re-edited to the wild type triplet $T{\underline{CT}}$, and 1 or 2 bases just before the triplet had been deleted. These observations indicate that CRISPR-Cas9-mediated editing of bases in target genomic DNA can be followed by spontaneous re-editing (correcting) of the bases during transcription.

• BMB Reports
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• 제52권2호
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• pp.133-138
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• 2019

Upon viral infection, the 2', 5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (OAS)-ribonuclease L (RNaseL) system works to cleave viral RNA, thereby blocking viral replication. However, it is unclear whether OAS proteins have a role in regulating gene expression. Here, we show that OAS1 and OAS3 act as negative regulators of the expression of chemokines and interferon-responsive genes in human macrophages. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein-9 nuclease (Cas9) technology was used to engineer human myeloid cell lines in which the OAS1 or OAS3 gene was deleted. Neither OAS1 nor OAS3 was exclusively responsible for the degradation of rRNA in macrophages stimulated with poly(I:C), a synthetic surrogate for viral double-stranded (ds)RNA. An mRNA sequencing analysis revealed that genes related to type I interferon signaling and chemokine activity were increased in $OAS1^{-/-}$ and $OAS3^{-/-}$ macrophages treated with intracellular poly(I:C). Indeed, retinoic-acid-inducible gene (RIG)-I- and interferon-induced helicase C domain-containing protein (IFIH1 or MDA5)-mediated induction of chemokines and interferon-stimulated genes was regulated by OAS3, but Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)- and TLR4-mediated induction of those genes was modulated by OAS1 in macrophages. However, stimulation of these cells with type I interferons had no effect on OAS1- or OAS3-mediated chemokine secretion. These data suggest that OAS1 and OAS3 negatively regulate the expression of chemokines and interferon-responsive genes in human macrophages.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.537-544
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• 2019

유전자 가위를 이용한 게놈편집 기술의 등장은 다양한 분야에서 분자육종에 대한 관심을 유발하였으며, 3세대 유전자가위 CRISPR 기술의 개발은 게놈편집을 통한 분자육종 시대를 가속화하고 있다. 본 연구에서는 최근 개발된 3세대 유전자 가위 CRISPR/Cas9을 이용하여 국내 보급품종인 백옥잠의 BmBLOS 유전자를 편집하여 돌연변이를 유도하고 유전형 및 표현형 검사를 통하여 유전자가위를 이용한 누에 분자육종가능성을 분석하고 이용기술을 확보하고자 하였다. 유전자 편집을 위하여 백옥잠의 BmBLOS 유전자의 염기서열을 구명하고, 이를 바탕으로 3종의 가이드 RNA를 합성하였다. 합성된 gRNA는 Cas9 단백질과 복합체를 형성시킨 후 BM-N 누에 세포주에 도입 후 T7 endonuclease I 분석을 통하여 편집효율이 가장 높은 B4N gRNA를 선발하였다. 누에 유전자를 편집하기 위하여 Cas9/B4N gRNA를 누에 초가 배아에 미세주사하고 사육하였다. 미세주사 후 부화율은 18% 가량으로 낮게 나타났으나 생존한 개체 중 돌연변이 발생율은 40% 이상으로 비교적 높게 나타났다. 또한 유전자 편집 G0 세대누에 중 70% 가량에서 표현형의 변화가 관찰되었고, 염기서열 분석결과 대부분의 개체에서 BmBLOS 유전자가 정상과 돌연변이가 같이 존재하는 이형접합자 형태로 나타났으며, 그 유전형 또한 모든 개체에서 다르게 나타났다. 이러한 결과에 비추어 볼 때 CRISPR/Cas9 시스템을 이용한 누에 분자육종의 가능성은 매우 높을 것으로 예상되나, 유전자 편집효율을 개선하고 동형접합자를 얻기 위한 교배 및 선발방법에 대한 지속적인 연구가 필요하다고 판단된다.