Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have uncovered the potential of Fanzor2, a eukaryotic CRISPR-Cas homolog, in revolutionizing genome engineering. Through the study of Fanzor2’s structural divergence from bacterial ancestors, researchers like Elizabeth Kellogg aim to pave the way for innovative approaches to RNA-guided nucleases. This groundbreaking research, published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, sheds light on the evolution of genome editing tools and the future of biomedicine.
Fanzor2 in the Light of Evolution
A new study at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital investigates the evolutionary history of Fanzor2, a protein in the FANCI/D network Cryo-electron microscopy of Fanzor2 has provided a glimpse into the structural changes that make it distinct from canonical RNA-guided nucleases. Key points include:
- Recognition of variations that separate from the bacterial ancestors
- Future protein engineering prospects
- Comparison To CRISPR-Cas Systems
Function Explanation of Fanzor2
One similar complexity is the relatively small physical size of Fanzor2, as in it could hold some auspicious consequences for genome engineering. By comparing the structure of Fanzor2 with its functional binding partners (RNA guides and DNA targets), Elizabeth Kellogg has uncovered new opportunities to investigate this relationship in RNA-guided nucleases. Key aspects include:
- Involvement of RNA in organizing the active-site.
- Comparison With Natural CRISPR Nuclease Cas12 Family
- Potential for Size Reduction and Increased Functionality
The Future of Genome Engineering
The identification of Fanzor2 is grand discovery, and while the scientific community works tirelessly to pull apart these new genomes editing tools, surely it will continue to allow for more novel methods based around RNA-guided nucleases. Deeper structural diversity and functional constraints are key targets of the researchers to use this information in more effective engineering practices. These results are not only theoretical in nature, they also suggest novel ways of how gene editing technology might evolve.
