Difference between revisions of "Part:BBa K1218014"

Latest revision as of 22:32, 16 September 2015

dCas9-ω Activator

CRISPR-Cas is a bacterial immune system that remembers and targets foreign viral DNA by storing DNA sequences, or spacers, between clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs). RNA transcripts of the spacers are then used to sense homologous DNA, which is cleaved by CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins.

This part codes for the tracrRNA, a mutated Cas9 protein, and minimal CRISPR array of a type II CRISPR-Cas system. The CRISPR array includes two CRISPR repeats separated by a spacer with two BsaI sites. Digestion with BsaI allows for insertion of a new spacer, thus changing the sequence targeted by Cas9. However, the Cas9 protein is mutated or "dead" and is fused to a RNAP omega ("w") subunit. Binding of the Cas9-RNAP-subunit fusion activates transcription of the targeted gene.

Sequence and Features

A new part, dCas9-ω, BBa_K1723000, was added to the registry during the 2015 competition. This new part has the same function but, instead of tracrRNAs, uses sgRNAs which are easier to use.