Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41277686›Full record

ArticleNucleic acids research2025

Metabolite-responsive scaffold RNAs for dynamic CRISPR transcriptional regulation.

Anthony M Stohr, Helena Hansen, Blake Richards, Hayeon Park, Antonio G Goncalves, Ayushi Agrawal, Mark Blenner, Wilfred Chen

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nucleic acids research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Strategies for Metabolic Engineering ofMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Anthony M StohrDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716,United States.
Helena HansenDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716,United States.
Blake RichardsDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716,United States.
Hayeon ParkDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716,United States.
Antonio G GoncalvesDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716,United States.
Ayushi AgrawalDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716,United States.
Mark BlennerDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716,United States.
Wilfred ChenDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716,United States.ORCID 0000-0002-6386-6958

Funding

GAANN Fellowship Program P200A210065National Science Foundation MCB2317398NIH HHS GM133803U.S. Department of Defense
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

CRISPR activation is a powerful tool to upregulate a vast array of genes in many different contexts. However, there are few dynamic CRISPR transcriptional programs, which limit its usage in the creation of living biosensors, self-regulating microbial factories, or conditional therapeutics. Here, we address this limitation by embedding a molecular switch directly into a guide RNA to create a combined sensor-actuator called a metabolite-responsive scaffold RNA (MR-scRNA). We demonstrate the regulatory potential for MR-scRNAs by conditionally activating genes in three different kingdoms of life. We create MR-scRNAs responsive to two distinct metabolites, theophylline and tryptophan, by swapping the molecular switch used. MR-scRNAs respond quickly in a dose-dependent manner specifically to their target metabolite and enhance biochemical production when used as a dynamic regulator of pathway enzyme expression. The broad functionality and ease of design of the MR-scRNAs offer a promising tool for dynamic cellular regulation.

Indexed as

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic RepeatsCRISPR-Cas SystemsGene Expression RegulationRNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas SystemsTheophyllineTranscriptional ActivationTranscription, GeneticTryptophanRNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas SystemsTheophyllineTryptophan

Identifiers

PMID41277686
PMCPMC12641264

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.