Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Why can staggered DNA cuts made by Cpf1 provide greater control during gene editing?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
gene editing
The CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing complex from the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes.
In the field of gene editing, the microbial nuclease Cpf1 provides greater control during the modification of target DNA sequences because it introduces staggered, rather than blunt, double-stranded cuts.12
While the widely used CRISPR-Cas9 system creates blunt-ended breaks, the staggered cuts produced by Cpf1 can, in certain instances, offer researchers more precise control over the insertion of replacement DNA sequences. Additionally, Cpf1 is noted for its efficiency, as it requires only a single guide RNA to achieve specificity, further simplifying the design process for gene-editing applications.12