Scientists uncover viral 'VIPR' system with gapped DNA code, a potential new gene-editing tool
Researchers at the Innovative Genomics Institute identified a viral CRISPR-like system called VIPR that reads DNA using a novel gapped coding scheme and can silence genes without cutting them.
By scanning about 2.3 million protein structures with artificial-intelligence tools, scientists at the Innovative Genomics Institute discovered VIPR, a viral mechanism that resembles ancient Class 1 CRISPR systems but employs a previously unknown “gapped” coding strategy. The RNA component reads DNA in groups of three bases, where the first two are conserved and the third varies, allowing the system to ignore mutable positions and target stable sequences.
Instead of cutting DNA, VIPR’s RNA wraps around the double helix to create a triplex structure that interferes with transcription, enabling gene silencing when directed to promoter regions in lab experiments. The system’s unusually small footprint could help overcome delivery obstacles that limit current CRISPR-based therapies. Evidence suggests VIPR originated in viruses that use it against rival viruses, and some versions appear to have been transferred to bacteria, offering clues to the evolutionary roots of CRISPR. While still a research tool, VIPR adds a new dimension to the genome-editing toolbox and may inform future therapeutic strategies.
Why it matters
A compact, non-cutting gene-editing system could broaden therapeutic options and deepen understanding of CRISPR evolution.
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