Researchers at the Technical University of Munich have developed Cas9 transgenic chickens for easier gene modification at target genes for use in agricultural and biomedical research.
“I think it's a good way to quickly approach things where you would normally need a full genetically-modified animal,” Benjamin Schusser, Professor of Reproductive Biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich, explained, adding that it can take a long time to breed for chickens with specific gene mutations.
“We believe that in this model, we can skip that in a lot of cases because we have Cas9 in the chicken already and we have shown that is now possible to deliver guide RNA’s against your gene of interest into a specific tissue and modify this gene in this particular tissue.”
CRISPR/Cas9 gene sequencing technology requires two components to rewrite DNA: guide RNA, which binds to the DNA segment to be modified, and Cas9, molecular scissors that cut out the target DNA.
Researchers will be able to use the new model to efficiently test the involvement of specific genes in the development of poultry diseases.
Benefits of the new model
The transgenic model could make gene editing more accessible to researchers who previously lacked access to the technology, requiring only guide RNA to make modifications.
It could also reduce the number of chickens needed for research projects.
“It’s always our goal in research to reduce the number of animals used in experiments,” Schusser said. “As a vet, I want to reduce it as much as possible by sticking to the 3Rs principle; replacement, reduction and refinement.”
The functionality of the research model, described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), has already been demonstrated for a variety of target genes, cell types and in vivo for both the heart and the brain.
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