title: Strategies for precision modulation of gene expression by epigenome editing: an overview.
abstract: Genome editing technology has evolved rather quickly and become accessible to most researchers. It has resulted in far reaching implications and a number of novel designer systems including epigenome editing. Epigenome editing utilizes a combination of nuclease-null genome editing systems and effector domains to modulate gene expression. In particular, Zinc Finger, Transcription-Activator-Like Effector, and CRISPR/Cas9 have emerged as modular systems that can be modified to allow for precision manipulation of epigenetic marks without altering underlying DNA sequence. This review contains a comprehensive catalog of effector domains that can be used with components of genome editing systems to achieve epigenome editing. Ultimately, the evidence-based design of epigenome editing offers a novel improvement to the limited attenuation strategies. There is much potential for editing and/or correcting gene expression in somatic cells toward a new era of functional genomics and personalized medicine.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Genetics Unit, Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON Canada.
authors.forename: Benjamin I
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7558-1335
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Laufer
authors.affiliation: Molecular Genetics Unit, Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON Canada.
authors.forename: Shiva M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Singh
keywords: CRISPR/Cas9; Functional genomics; Regulation of gene expression; Stem cells; Synthetic biology; Transcription-Activator-Like Effector (TALE); Zinc Finger; dCas9