The Year in CRISPRs - 12

CRISPR-Cpf1
May Outsnip CRISPR-Cas9
T

he CRISPR gene-editing toolbox may
soon make room for a newly characterized
DNA-snipping enzyme. The new enzyme,
Cpf1, is a class II CRISPR endonuclease, like the
well-known Cas9. Yet Cpf1 has features that are
distinct from Cas9. Indeed, these features
suggest that genetic editing via CRISPR-Cpf1
could be even more flexible and powerful than
genetic editing via CRISPR-Cas9.
Two Cpf1 enzymes emerged as particularly
promising gene-editing candidates from a search
that encompassed hundreds of CRISPR systems.

12

| GENengnews.com

One of the enzymes is from Acidaminococcus
bacteria; the other, from Lachnospiraceae
bacteria. Both enzymes are capable of targeting
genomic loci in human cells.
These findings, which were established by
researchers centered at the Broad Institute, were
presented September 25 in the journal Cell, in an
article entitled, "Cpf1 Is a Single RNA-Guided
Endonuclease of a Class 2 CRISPR-Cas System."
The article summarized Cpf1's distinct features
as follows: "Cpf1 is a single RNA-guided
endonuclease lacking tracrRNA, and it utilizes

a T-rich protospacer-adjacent motif. Moreover,
Cpf1 cleaves DNA via a staggered DNA doublestranded break."
The first of these features-the need for just
one RNA in a gene-editing complex-means that
Cpf1 could be simpler to use than Cas9, which in
its natural form requires two RNAs. Also, Cpf1 is
smaller than the standard Cas9, making it easier
to deliver into cells and tissues.
The second feature is also significant.
Because it targets protospacer-adjacent motif
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The Year in CRISPRs

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