Gene drives are self-propagating mechanisms by which desired genetic variants can be spread through a population faster than traditional Mendelian inheritance. CRISPR is making this strategy so effective that alleles can continue their spread if they confer disadvantageous traits, such as sterility, to an organism.04-Dec-2018
How does gene drive work with CRISPR?
Every time the drive is passed on, CRISPR cuts the natural version of the gene, cell repair machinery intervenes and one copy of the gene drive becomes two. In just a few generations the new gene becomes ubiquitous in the population, sometimes totally replacing the naturally occurring gene.
Is gene drive a CRISPR?
Gene drives have rapidly become a routine technology in some laboratories; scientists can now whip up a drive in months. The technique relies on the gene-editing tool CRISPR and some bits of RNA to alter or silence a specific gene, or insert a new one.
What is meant by gene drive?
Gene drive refers to the ability of a gene to be inherited more frequently than Mendelian genetics would dictate, thus, increasing in frequency until reaching fixation [12].
How does gene drive work?
Gene drives work by using directed repair gene editing. This enables the insertion of a new gene, called the driven gene, at a particular cut site through the use of a donor template. Every protein has associated genes that tell cells how to build them, including CRISPR proteins.
What is CRISPR and what role does it play in the CRISPR-Cas9 system?
A: CRISPR “spacer” sequences are transcribed into short RNA sequences (“CRISPR RNAs” or “crRNAs”) capable of guiding the system to matching sequences of DNA. When the target DNA is found, Cas9 – one of the enzymes produced by the CRISPR system – binds to the DNA and cuts it, shutting the targeted gene off.
Why is a gene drive important?
Gene drives are systems that bias the inheritance of a particular DNA sequence. They can be used to increase the persistence of an introduced trait that would otherwise disappear from a population very rapidly because the introduced trait puts the organism at a disadvantage.
What is the main goal of a gene drive?
A gene drive is a natural process and technology of genetic engineering that propagates a particular suite of genes throughout a population by altering the probability that a specific allele will be transmitted to offspring (instead of the Mendelian 50% probability).
How can gene drives help society?
For example, gene drives could ensure that all offspring of an organism were male so that over time there were no females to mate with, leading to a population crash. Gene drives could also be used to increase the proportion of a population with a particular property, such as mice that are immune to Lyme disease.
Can gene drives mutate?
The gene could mutate, potentially causing unforeseen problems (as could any gene). Many non-native species can hybridize with native species, such that a gene drive afflicting a non-native plant or animal that hybridizes with a native species could doom the native species.