Experts Release Updates on TALEN Construction Systems

Scientists from Hiroshima University presented an updated overview of TALEN construction systems as part of the Methods in Molecular Biology book series.

TALENs, short for transcription activator-like effector nucleases, are a type of gene editing tool that can be used to make precise changes to DNA. They are made up of two parts: a DNA-binding domain and a nuclease domain. The DNA-binding domain recognizes a specific sequence of DNA, and the nuclease domain cuts the DNA at that sequence. TALENs can be customized to target any DNA sequence. This is done by changing the sequence of the DNA-binding domain.

Once a TALEN has been designed, it can be assembled using a variety of methods such as Golden Gate assembly, serial ligation, and ligation-independent cloning. The article released in the said book series includes updates on the status of each method, including the publicly available reagents and protocols. This information will guide researchers in using TALENs in various research endeavors.

Read more in Methods in Molecular Biology.

https://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=20377