Researchers report the use of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing to delete tryptophan residue number 38 in the chicken Na+/H+ exchanger type 1 (chNHE1) protein, which is necessary for infection by avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J), in chicken primordial germ cells with no detectable side effects; the edited cells were then used to breed a line of chickens that were resistant to ALV-J, a major concern for the poultry industry, according to the authors.
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Article #19-13827: "Precise CRISPR/Cas9 editing of the NHE1 gene renders chickens resistant to the J subgroup of avian leukosis virus," by Anna Koslová et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Ji?í Hejnar, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC; tel: +420-774-798-142; e-mail: < hejnar@img.cas.cz >
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences