Genome editing in mice using crispr/cas

Abstract

Mice have long been used as model organisms for investigating genetic features. The adaptation of clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and their associated nucleases (Cas) has increased our ability to utilise mice to further our knowledge of genetics as well as to create models of human disease conditions. Development of the CRISPR/Cas system is such that scientists can now create knockout/knockin mice in less than half the time previously required, as well as generate point mutations and insertion of small targeting sequences, allowing the finer detail of the genome to be examined. Current uses for the CRISPR/Cas system in mice also allows for deactivation of the cleavage domains of the Cas nuclease, permitting fusion of nickases or other activating/repressing effector proteins. This enables researchers to investigate timing of activation and localisation of a target locus and has even been used to correct genetic disease in the mouse. Mice are an essential part of the biological/biomedical research process and the CRISPR/Cas system has been and continues to be used in this organism with extremely promising results.