ICAR develops a Miniature Plant Genome Editing Tool ‘ISDra2TnpB’ | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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ICAR develops a Miniature Plant Genome Editing Tool ‘ISDra2TnpB’

Posted 22 Aug 2024

2 min read

ISDra2TnpB’ is being seen as a next-generation tool for genome editing in plants that can overcome the limitations of Cas9 and Cas12 of CRISPR.

  • CRISPR allows precise genome editing but has limitations due to the size of commonly used proteins Cas9 and Cas12 (consisting of 1,000–1,350 amino acids).
    • The large size poses challenges for effective delivery inside cells, especially through viral vectors.
  • TnpB proteins are considered the evolutionary ancestors of Cas12 nucleases and consist of only around 350–500 amino acids. 

About Genome editing tool ISDra2TnpB

  • It is derived from bacteria called Deinococcus radiodurans (it can survive extreme environmental conditions).
  • It belongs to a family of transposons or jumping genes that can move within the genome, targeting specific DNA sequences with the help of RNA.

Significance

  • TnpB can target unique regions in the genome that Cas9 cannot
  • It facilitates the creation of fusion proteins, broadening the scope of genome engineering applications.
    • A fusion protein (chimeric protein) is created by joining two or more genes that originally coded for separate proteins. 
  • It was effective on both types of flowering plants monocots (like rice, which have one seed leaf) and dicots (like Arabidopsis). 
  • Tags :
  • CRISPR
  • CRISPR/Cas9
  • Genome editing
  • Plant Genome Editing
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