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CRISPR Plasmids: RNA Editing

Type VI CRISPR systems, including the enzymes Cas13a/C2c2 and Cas13b, target RNA rather than DNA. Fusing the catalytic domain of ADAR2(E488Q) adenosine deaminase to catalytically dead Cas13b creates a programmable RNA editor that converts adenosine to inosine in RNA. Since inosine is functionally equivalent to guanosine, the result is an A to G change in RNA. dPspCas13b does not require a Protospacer Flanking Sequence (PFS), making it a very flexible editing system. The T375G mutation reduces off-target effects of ADAR2 by destabilizing its RNA binding. Editors carrying the delta-984–1090 ADAR2 truncation retain RNA editing capabilities but are small enough to be packaged in AAV particles.

The schematic shows gRNA, with a loop formed and dCas13b bound to ADAR2do (E488Q), forming a complex and binding to single-stranded RNA. An A to I conversion happens at the site of mismatched C in gRNA, with a C-I pair shown. The new I is treated as G by the translation machinery.
Figure 1: Overview of RNA targeting with CRISPR.

Browse, sort, or search the tables below for CRISPR plasmids designed for RNA editing. To learn more about RNA editing and other CRISPR topics, read our CRISPR Guide.

Mammalian

ID Plasmid Gene/Insert PI Publication

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CRISPR Resources

Addgene has a large selection of CRISPR plasmids and resources. Find more CRISPR functions along with plasmids categorized by organism by visiting our CRISPR plasmids page. Find a comprehensive list of CRISPR resources by visiting our CRISPR reference page.

Content last reviewed: 17 October 2025

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