Transcriptional activator–like effectors and CRISPR/Cas systems. Accomplishing gene-
specific manipulation of DNA methylation status requires the ability to target specific components
of DNA methylation machinery to selected sequences of DNA. The ability to target DNA locations
based on sequence alone has been an area of intense focus in genetic engineering and has recently
been described with two unique sets of rapidly evolving tools. The first involves transcriptional
activator–like effectors, or TALEs, which are short (33–34-amino-acid) bacterial proteins that,
because of variable diresidues within the protein sequence, each bind to a specific nucleotide in
DNA. Linking these short sequences together in a customized arrangement can therefore generate
sequence-specific binding properties and serve as site-specific genomic anchor points (89–92).
Using this approach, recent work by Zhang and colleagues (93) describes a robust, versatile tool that
employs TALEs to target specific transcriptional machinery to selected genomic sites to modulate
gene expression. For example, TALEs targeted to various gene loci have been shown to induce
robust gene expression both in vitro and in vivo when fused to a generic transcriptional activator
(93). Importantly, this activator can be replaced with epigenetic modifiers (so-called epi-TALEs)
to cause histone deacetylation and gene repression (93). Thus, one possibility for the manipulation
of DNA methylation at specific gene targets is to fuse DNA methyltransferases (e.g., DNMT3a)
or mC hydroxylases (e.g., Tet1, Tet2, or Tet3) to customized TALEs, thereby targeting these
proteins directly to selected DNA sites (Figure 3). The feasibility of this approach has already been
demonstrated with TALE-Tet1 fusion proteins, which achieved nucleotide specific demethylation
at selected gene targets (94).
Transcriptional activator–like effectors and CRISPR/Cas systems. Accomplishing gene-specific manipulation of DNA methylation status requires the ability to target specific componentsof DNA methylation machinery to selected sequences of DNA. The ability to target DNA locationsbased on sequence alone has been an area of intense focus in genetic engineering and has recentlybeen described with two unique sets of rapidly evolving tools. The first involves transcriptionalactivator–like effectors, or TALEs, which are short (33–34-amino-acid) bacterial proteins that,because of variable diresidues within the protein sequence, each bind to a specific nucleotide inDNA. Linking these short sequences together in a customized arrangement can therefore generatesequence-specific binding properties and serve as site-specific genomic anchor points (89–92).Using this approach, recent work by Zhang and colleagues (93) describes a robust, versatile tool thatemploys TALEs to target specific transcriptional machinery to selected genomic sites to modulategene expression. For example, TALEs targeted to various gene loci have been shown to inducerobust gene expression both in vitro and in vivo when fused to a generic transcriptional activator(93). Importantly, this activator can be replaced with epigenetic modifiers (so-called epi-TALEs)to cause histone deacetylation and gene repression (93). Thus, one possibility for the manipulationof DNA methylation at specific gene targets is to fuse DNA methyltransferases (e.g., DNMT3a)or mC hydroxylases (e.g., Tet1, Tet2, or Tet3) to customized TALEs, thereby targeting theseproteins directly to selected DNA sites (Figure 3). The feasibility of this approach has already beendemonstrated with TALE-Tet1 fusion proteins, which achieved nucleotide specific demethylationat selected gene targets (94).
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