New Method Allows CRISPR Gene Scissors to Detect RNA

Scientists from the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Germany developed a new method which allows RNA detection using Cas12 nucleases.

CRISPR is a widely used technique that has many applications in various industries. Aside from Cas9, Cas12 nucleases are also typically used in research studies. However, Cas12 nucleases only detect DNA. Thus, the researchers produced the Programmable tracrRNAs Unlock protospacer-adjacent Motif-independent detection of ribonucleic Acids by Cas12 nucleases (PUMA), an enhanced version of the LEOPARD platform. LEOPARD is based on tracrRNAs or reprogramming RNA factors, which play a role in making guide RNAs for Cas9 and Cas12 nucleases.

“Using PUMA, we can reprogram the tracrRNAs. This allows us to decide which RNA biomarker becomes a guide RNA. This guide RNA, in turn, directs Cas12 to a DNA molecule that we provide and activates the gene scissors,” said Chunlei Jiao, one of the authors of the study.

The novel technique identifies the RNA biomarkers in the sample using CRISPR nucleases that usually only detect DNA. Their findings also showed that PUMA has high accuracy and has many potential applications, especially in medicine.

For more information, read the press release of HIRI.