Work

The dawn of active genetics

Year: 2015

Type: review

Abstract: On December 18, 2014, a yellow female fly quietly emerged from her pupal case. What made her unique was that she had only one parent carrying a mutant allele of this classic recessive locus. Then, one generation later, after mating with a wild-type male, all her offspring displayed the same recessive yellow phenotype. Further analysis of other such yellow females revealed that the construct causing the mutation was converting the opposing chromosome with 95% efficiency. These simple results, seen also in mosquitoes and yeast, open the door to a new era of genetics wherein the laws of traditional Mendelian inheritance can be bypassed for a broad variety of purposes. Here, we consider the implications of this fundamentally new form of "active genetics," its applications for gene drives, reversal and amplification strategies, its potential for contributing to cell and gene therapy strategies, and ethical/biosafety considerations associated with such active genetic elements. Also watch the Video Abstract.

Source: BioEssays

DOI: 10.1002/bies.201500102

Authors: Valentino M. Gantz, Ethan Bier

Institution: University of California San Diego

Language: English

Topic: CRISPR and Genetic Engineering

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Awards: G1025129752, G7924620364