Q. What is Cas9 protein that is often mentioned in news?

  • A molecular scissors used in targeted gene editing
  • A biosensor used in the accurate detection of pathogens in patients
  • A gene that makes plants pest-resistant
  • A herbicidal substance synthesized in genetically modified crops

Answer: (a) A molecular scissors used in targeted gene editing

CRISPR-Cas9
  • CRISPR technology is a gene-editing technology that can be used for the purpose of altering genetic expression.
  • CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) scans the genome for the right location and then uses the Cas9 protein as molecular scissors in targeted DNA.
  • The Cas9 protein is an enzyme that cuts the two strands of Double helix DNA at a specific location in the genome. 
  • Cas9 is a bacterial RNA-guided endonuclease that uses base pairing to recognize and cuts the targeted DNAs guided by the RNA.