Cited by 1,752CRISPR and Genetic EngineeringRNA regulation and diseaseRNA Interference and Gene Delivery

CAS9 transcriptional activators for target specificity screening and paired nickases for cooperative genome engineering

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Mali, Prashant, Aach, John, Stranges, P Benjamin, Esvelt, Kevin M, Moosburner, Mark, Kosuri, Sriram, Yang, Luhan, Church, George M·2013·Nature Biotechnology

Abstract

Prokaryotic type II CRISPR-Cas systems can be adapted to enable targeted genome modifications across a range of eukaryotes. Here we engineer this system to enable RNA-guided genome regulation in human cells by tethering transcriptional activation domains either directly to a nuclease-null Cas9 protein or to an aptamer-modified single guide RNA (sgRNA). Using this functionality we developed a transcriptional activation-based assay to determine the landscape of off-target binding of sgRNA:Cas9 complexes and compared it with the off-target activity of transcription activator-like (TALs) effectors. Our results reveal that specificity profiles are sgRNA dependent, and that sgRNA:Cas9 complexes and 18-mer TAL effectors can potentially tolerate 1-3 and 1-2 target mismatches, respectively. By engineering a requirement for cooperativity through offset nicking for genome editing or through multiple synergistic sgRNAs for robust transcriptional activation, we suggest methods to mitigate off-target phenomena. Our results expand the versatility of the sgRNA:Cas9 tool and highlight the critical need to engineer improved specificity.

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Authors
Mali, P., Aach, J., Stranges, P. B., Esvelt, K. M., Moosburner, M., Kosuri, S., Yang, L., & Church, G. M.
Affiliations
Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
Church, George M
Venue
Nature Biotechnology
Published
2013-08-01
Volume
31
Issue
9
Pages
833-838
ISSN
  • 0733-222X (ISSN-L)
  • 1087-0156
  • 1546-1696
OpenAlex
W2026520402
Cited by
1,752
References
30
Citations by year
2026: 33 · 2025: 45 · 2024: 71 · 2023: 83 · 2022: 122 · 2021: 119 · 2020: 125 · 2019: 159 · 2018: 154 · 2017: 190 · 2016: 231 · 2015: 175 · 2014: 209 · 2013: 36
FWCI
97.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Biotechnology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Human Genome Research Institute (P50HG005550)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA regulation and disease
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
Keywords
CRISPR/Cas9, transcriptional activation, single guide RNA, off-target binding, target specificity, TAL effectors, genome editing, target mismatch
MeSH terms
Base Sequence, Deoxyribonuclease I, Genetic Engineering, Humans, Models, Genetic, Molecular Sequence Data, Trans-Activators, HEK293 Cells, RNA, Small Untranslated, CRISPR-Associated Proteins

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