Highly efficient gene knockout by injection of TALEN mRNAs into oocytes and host transfer in X. laevis

Work from Nakajima & Yaoita published in Biology Open demonstrates better effectiveness of transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) ability to silence genes in Xenopus laevis. They fused TALEN mRNAs with the 3' UTR of the Xenopus DEADSouth gene and injected this construct into harvested oocytes. The injected oocytes are cultured for a time, then transferred into a host female frog. Those host females are then ovulated and the laid eggs are fertilized. The effectiveness of gene silencing was then assessed. The TALEN/DEADSouth fusion sequences are highly expressed to near-maximal levels three hours post-fertilization. Their data suggest that genomic DNA is more sensitive to TALEN-induced modifications from fertilization to the mid-blastula transition.

Click here to view article details on PubMed.

For more details on TALEN and CRISPr design using Xenopus, visit our CRISPr, TALEN, and ZFN genome editing page.