International Journal of Molecular Zoology 2024, Vol.14, No.2, 62-71 http://animalscipublisher.com/index.php/ijmz 62 Research Report Open Access Application of CRISPR Technology in Endangered Species Conservation JueHuang Hangzhou Luohuashi Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, 310000, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: 1298864817@qq.com International Journal of Molecular Zoology, 2024, Vol.14, No.2 doi: 10.5376/ijmz.2024.14.0008 Received: 14 Jan., 2024 Accepted: 18 Feb., 2024 Published: 01 Mar., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Huang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Huang J., 2024, Application of CRISPR technology in endangered species conservation, International Journal of Molecular Zoology, 14(2): 62-71 (doi: 10.5376/ijmz.2024.14.0008) Abstract As an advanced gene-editing tool, CRISPR technology has shown tremendous potential in the field of endangered species conservation in recent years. This study introduces the primary applications and challenges of CRISPR technology in endangered species conservation. First, CRISPR technology improves genetic diversity, health level, and disease resistance of endangered species through gene repair, the introduction of new genes and controlling the spread of harmful mutations. In addition, CRISPR gene drive technology effectively controls invasive alien species and reduces competitive pressure on native endangered species. CRISPR technology can also enhance the adaptability of endangered species to environmental pollution and climate change, such as by introducing anti-pollution genes and regulating heat tolerance genes to improve adaptability. However CRISPR technology faces technical and ethical challenges in endangered species conservation. On the technical level, the lack of genomic data for non-model organisms and off-target effects of gene editing are the main issues. On the ethical level, gene editing may alter the natural evolutionary process of species and bring ecological risks. Therefore, interdisciplinary collaboration needs to be strengthened to ensure that scientists, policymakers, and the public jointly explore solutions. Looking ahead, improved gene-editing tools and advances in bioinformatics will enhance the accuracy and efficiency of gene editing, promote data sharing and interdisciplinary cooperation to advance CRISPR technology in endangered species conservation. Through technological improvements and multi-stakeholder collaboration, CRISPR technology will play a significant role in global biodiversity conservation. Keywords CRISPR technology; Endangered species; Gene editing; Gene drive; Biodiversity conservation 1 Introduction Global biodiversity is facing an unprecedented crisis. According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there are currently more than 30 000 species of animals and plants are listed as endangered, and all kinds of organisms including mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and plants are threatened with extinction. The reduction and extinction of endangered species not only affects the stability of the ecosystem, but also disrupts the food chain and leads to the decline of ecological services. The loss of biodiversity has had a profound negative impact on human food security, medical resources and climate regulation. The main threats facing endangered species include: habitat loss and fragmentation, illegal hunting, invasive alien species, climate change and environmental pollution (Hohenlohe et al., 2021). In the face of these complex threats, although traditional conservation strategies such as habitat restoration, legislative protection and captive breeding have achieved certain results, their technical and resource limitations make it difficult to cope with the growing biodiversity crisis. The rise of new technical means, such as gene editing technology, provides new opportunities for the protection and restoration of endangered species. CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a gene editing technology that evolved from the immune systems of bacteria and archaea. The most widely used CRISPR/Cas9 system consists of two parts: a guide RNA (gRNA), used to identify specific target gene sequences; a nuclease Cas9, used to cut the target sequence. CRISPR technology uses gRNA to guide the Cas9 enzyme to accurately locate the target gene and cut it, and then insert, delete or replace the gene through the cell's own repair mechanism to achieve the purpose of gene editing. Compared with traditional gene editing technologies (such as zinc finger nucleases and transcription activator-like effector nucleases), the CRISPR/Cas9 system has the advantages of simple operation, low cost and high editing efficiency (Horodecka and Düchler, 2021). Since its first application in eukaryotic
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