PubMed · 2026-02-22
Scientists discovered a way to make CRISPR gene editing up to 100 times more effective in green algae by adding short synthetic DNA fragments that trick the cell into using a sloppier repair pathway, dramatically improving the ability to knock out genes.
Co-delivering short double-stranded non-homologous DNA fragments with CRISPR reagents increased gene knockout efficiency up to 100-fold in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
The enhancement effect is mediated primarily through the KU70/80 protein complex — a key sensor of DNA double-strand breaks — and works independently of the specific gene target, Cas nuclease used, or algae strain.
The synthetic DNA fragments shift cellular DNA repair from precise non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) toward error-prone microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ), with effectiveness depending on fragment length, structure, and chemical modifications.
