A CRISPR upgrade unlocks Toxoplasma gene function

Aurelie Tsee Dawson; Christopher J Tonkin

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2022.07.007

A CRISPR upgrade unlocks Toxoplasma gene function

Trends Parasitol. 2022 Oct;38(10):826-828. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.07.007. Epub 2022 Aug 13.

Authors

Aurelie Tsee Dawson¹, Christopher J Tonkin²

Affiliations

¹ The Division of Infectious Diseases and Immune Defense, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
² The Division of Infectious Diseases and Immune Defense, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: tonkin@wehi.edu.au.

PMID: 35973902
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.07.007

Abstract

Forward genetic screens are invaluable in describing gene function. CRISPR has reinvigorated phenotypic screens in Toxoplasma - a model apicomplexan parasite. Two recent papers by Smith et al. and Li et al. take the next big leap in performing forward genetic screens in Toxoplasma by combining conditional gene regulation with CRISPR.

Keywords: Apicomplexa; CRISPR; Toxoplasma; auxin-inducible degron; phenotypic screening; split Cas9.

Publication types

Comment

MeSH terms

CRISPR-Cas Systems
Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats* / genetics
Genetic Testing
Toxoplasma* / genetics