Gene Knockout

The types of gene editing are simply divided into gene knockout and gene knock-in. Gene knockout enables to deletion of some specific functional genetic locus that may cause phenotypic mutation via deleting DNA sequences or inserting irrelevant DNA sequences. BioVenic is committed to using advanced gene editing technologies to help customers achieve gene knockout in order to achieve breeding goals and accelerate the breeding process.

ZFNs for Gene Knockout

Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) consist of tandem zinc finger-binding motifs and restriction endonuclease FokI, which is used to target and disrupt precise DNA sequences. Zinc fingers are small protein (20-30 amino acids) motifs regulated by zinc ions that are responsible for recognizing and binding specific DNA sequences. Although ZFNs have a higher specificity for DNA sequences and increase knockout efficiency by tens of thousands of times compared to traditional transgenic techniques. However, as a first-generation gene editing technology, it still has some unavoidable drawbacks, such as being expensive, time-consuming and applicable to fewer studies.

TALENs for Gene Knockout

As more efficient gene editing tools, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) are new nucleases that emerged in 2009 and have a similar structure to ZFNs, including DNA-binding and splitting structural domains. Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs), originally found in the plant pathogenic bacterium Genus Xanthomonas, are DNA-binding domains containing 33-35 amino acid repeat motifs that recognize each of the bps.

CRISPR/Cas9 for Gene Knockout

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a simple, fast and efficient way to change genetic sequences directly in cells to achieve gene knockout. CRISPR/Cas9 technology uses a specific RNA sequence called guide RNA that binds to another DNA target sequence (target DNA) and then Cas9 splits where the binding occurs. This makes the CRISPR/Cas9 system superior gene editing tool because it improves the efficiency and accuracy of gene editing. Since the endonuclease cleavage in the CRISPR-Cas9 system is specifically guided by the RNA sequence, editing can be directed to almost any genomic locus by engineering the guide RNA (gRNA) sequence and delivering it to the target cell along with the Cas9 endonuclease.

Fig.1 Gene editing using site-specific endonucleases. (Kalds, 2019)

Our Services

As a leading global custom service provider focused on animal research and development, BioVenic leverages our powerful gene editing technology platform to provide our clients with customized knockout services to help develop effective strategies to achieve their animal breeding goals, such as improving animal welfare, enhancing animal disease resistance, and increasing animal production. We guarantee that all deliverables are subject to rigorous quality testing and delivered on time. Our experienced scientists and dedicated technical team offer knockout solutions including but not limited to.

• ZFNs
• TALENs
• CRISPR/Cas9

We offer a range of services for genomic modification animal production following the knockout process, including gene transfection service, production of genomic modified animals, and gene editing validation services.

Want to Learn More?

As a fast-growing custom service provider, BioVenic offers precise, efficient, and customized solutions to customers worldwide. With experienced scientists and sophisticated equipment, we are committed to enabling gene knockout through a variety of gene editing techniques, thereby helping our clients achieve their breeding goals in a variety of animals. In addition to focusing on animal growth performance, we give more consideration to gene editing technologies to enable animals to gain disease resistance, provide better animal welfare and focus on sustainable development. If you are interested in our services or have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.

References

1. Urnov FD.; et al. Genome editing with engineered zinc finger nucleases. Nat Rev Genet. 2010, 11: 636-46.
2. Kalds P.; et al. Sheep and Goat Genome Engineering: From Random Transgenesis to the CRISPR Era. Front Genet. 2019, 10:750.