CRISPR is knocking on barn door

Abstract

Genome modification at specific loci in livestock species was only achievable by performing homologous recombination in somatic cells followed by somatic cell nuclear transfer. The difficulty and inefficiency of this method have slowed down the multiple applications of genome modification in farm animals. The discovery of site-specific endonucleases has provided a different and more direct route for targeted mutagenesis, as these enzymes allow the ablation (KO) or insertion (KI) of specific genomic sequences on a single step, directly applied to zygotes. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), the last site-specific endonuclease to be developed, is a RNA-guided endonuclease, easy to engineer and direct to a given target site. This technology has been successfully applied to rabbits, swine, goats, sheep and cattle, situating genome editing in livestock species at an attainable distance, thereby empowering scientist to develop a myriad of applications. Genetically modified livestock animals can be used as biomodels to study human or livestock physiology and disease, as bioreactors to produce complex proteins, or as organ donors for transplantation. Specifically on livestock production, genome editing in farm animals may serve to improve productive genetic traits, to improve various animal products, to confer resistance to diseases or to minimize the environmental impact on farming. In this review, we provide an overview of the current methods for site-specific genome modification in livestock species, discuss potential and already developed applications of genome edition in farm animals and debate about the possibilities for approval of products derived from gene-edited animals for human consumption.

Direct delivery of adenoviral CRISPR/Cas9 vector into the blastoderm for generation of targeted gene knockout in quail

“…adenovirus | CRISPR/Cas9 | poultry | genome editing | MLPH A s a powerful and convenient genome editing technique, the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been used in various areas of scientific research. When conducting studies using food-producing animals, the CRISPR/Cas9 system can be used for the benefit of both the scientific community and the agricultural industry (1). Poultry production is a large portion of the livestock industry worldwide, and poultry can be used as an important biological research model.…”

Gene editing in plants: assessing the variables through a simplified case study

“…CRISPR technology has provided avenues for engineering of cells, tissues, and whole organisms across the biological spectrum. Aside from the amazing potential for gene editing as a diagnostic tool and perhaps even a treatment for many debilitating diseases (Ortiz-Virumbrales et al 2017;Reczek et al 2017;Zabinyakov et al 2017), the potential possible uses of this technology in plants and livestock animals is similarly impressive (Lamas-Toranzo et al 2017). Creation of disease-resistant and less allergenic food crops (Hummel et al 2018;García-Molina et al 2019) with enhanced nutrient profiles (Wang et al 2019) is now within our reach; the future implications for feeding a progressively larger world population are immense.…”

Genome Editing by Programmable Nucleases and their applications in livestock species

“…Genome editors (GEs) have emerged as valuable molecular tools which have revolutionized the field of biological science including basic science, clinical and agricultural research. The eruption of GEs is meant to cause an exponential rise in the appearance of genetically engineered livestock aimed to improve production rates, the product itself or animal and human health (Toranzo et al, 2017). Their importance in livestock production and improvement is already clear from a large number of genetic modifications done in these species.…”