Scientists have elucidated the role of Cas9 protein in genome editing

Employees of the Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have found that the Cas9 protein "hides" DNA breaks from the repair system for some time.

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a tool for editing the genome of living organisms, which can be used to eliminate mutations that lead to hereditary diseases, to obtain new plant varieties, animal breeds and strains of microorganisms for biotechnology.

The Cas9 protein, which is produced by some bacteria, can be targeted to cleave certain parts of the genome, such as those associated with a harmful mutation, and then "heal" with the correct DNA sequence.

There are various mechanisms of repair (DNA repair) in the cell of the human body. As the Novosibirsk scientists found out, when Cas9 is applied, these systems see cuts in DNA not immediately.

"Which is good, because the fewer unexpected interactions, the easier it is to control the activity of the genomic editing system when it is used, or will be used, in biotechnology and medicine," the institute said in a statement.

At the same time, Cas9 does not affect other processes in the human body. The results of this work are published in the journal PLoS ONE.