Author(s)

Sabin Aslam^1*, Sultan Habibullah Khan², Aftab Ahmed², Abhaya M. Dandekar³

¹Center of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
²Center of Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
³Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.

Genome editing is considered as the most widely used approach of the present era. It had become a basic need of the current micro and molecular biological experiments. Gene engineering finds its widespread applications in medical, industry and agricultural sector. Unlike previous genetic engineering practices to insert or delete a part of genetic material at random place, genome editing allows the precise manipulation of DNA at a specific location. Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs), Transcription Activator like Effector Nucleases (TALENs), Clustered Regularly Interspresed Short Palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas system) and meganucleases (recombinases) are the prime tools for editing an organism’s genome. Genome editing tools have an advantage to selectively delete or to integrate specific genes at specific loci. Use of recombinases for specifying site has further reduced time to integrate genes site specifically. Site specific gene stacking by the use of recombinases coupled with ZFNs, TALENs, or CRISPR/Cas genes have paved new pathways to target genes site specifically and to improve germplasm in lesser time than conventional breeding approaches.

CRISPR/Cas, Gene Stacking, Recombinases, TALENs, ZFNs

Aslam, S. , Khan, S. , Ahmed, A. and Dandekar, A. (2019) Genome Editing Tools: Need of the Current Era. American Journal of Molecular Biology, 9, 85-109. doi: 10.4236/ajmb.2019.93008.