Application of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the study of herpes simplex virus / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Herpes simplex virus (HSV), the main pathogen of human herpetic diseases, is an attractive viral vector due to a wide range of host cell types and a large capacity of foreign gene. The manipulation on herpes simplex virus genome, up to 152 kb, has been the key process and has undergone the improvement from homologous recombination to bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) and CRISPR/Cas9. However, homologous recombination is imperfect because the efficiency of recombination is relatively low and the product is too complex to purify. Construction of recombinant HSV based on BAC is time-and labor-consuming. Currently, CRISPR/Cas9 has been applied to genetic engineering of various species by more and more researchers due to its convenience, good repeatability, low cost, and then the manipulation of viral genome is more accurate and efficient. Application of CRISPR/Cas9 in the research of HSV gene function, HSV infection therapy and viral vector were summarized in this review, in order to provide reference for corresponding research.