Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41728952›Full record

ArticleNucleic acids research2026

Characterization of gRNA-dependent and gRNA-independent off-target binding sites of PspCas13b and RfxCas13d in mammalian cells.

Huanhuan Feng, Zhixue Li, Hongdao Zhang, Yuli Zheng, Beiying Xu, Yao Zhang, Lin Zou, Ligang Wu

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nucleic acids research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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.

Huanhuan FengState Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.ORCID 0009-0009-0364-4841
Zhixue LiState Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
Hongdao ZhangState Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.ORCID 0000-0003-2390-0450
Yuli ZhengState Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
Beiying XuState Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
Yao ZhangState Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
Lin ZouClinical Research Unit, Shanghai Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, China.
Ligang WuState Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Andrology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.

Funding

China Postdoctoral Science Foundation 2024M751998Chinese Academy of Sciences XDB0570000Ministry of Science and Technology 2023YFC2706401National Key R&D Program of China 2021YFA1100201National Key R&D Program of China 2022YFA1303301National Natural Science Foundation of China 82270160National Natural Science Foundation of China 82400181
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

CRISPR-Cas13 systems, harnessed for RNA-guided transcriptome editing, hold significant promise for clinical and in vivo therapeutic applications. However, understanding their in vivo target specificity and recognition rules remains a challenge. In this study, we employed the uSpyCLIP method, which enhances sensitivity and specificity for identifying RNA-binding protein (RBP) binding sites, to map the transcriptome-wide binding sites of catalytically inactive PspCas13b (dPspCas13b) and RfxCas13d (dRfxCas13d) in HEK293T cells, using a variety of single guide RNAs (gRNAs). Surprisingly, we identified both gRNA-dependent and gRNA-independent off-target binding sites for both dCas13 complexes. These gRNA-independent off-target sites exhibited distinct RNA structural and sequence signatures: dPspCas13b's gRNA-independent binding was associated with specific RNA structural features, while dRfxCas13d's was linked to unique sequence motifs. Analysis of gRNA-dependent off-target sites revealed the crucial role of the DR-distal and middle regions of the gRNA in determining binding specificity. Further analysis demonstrated that some off-target binding events led to changes in gene expression at the messenger RNA and/or protein level. Collectively, our findings provide important insights into the characteristics of gRNA-dependent and gRNA-independent off-target binding for PspCas13b and RfxCas13d, offering valuable guidance for optimizing Cas13 and gRNA design in future applications.

Indexed as

RNA-Binding ProteinsRNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas SystemsTranscription FactorsBinding SitesCRISPR-Cas SystemsHEK293 CellsHumansRegulatory Factor X Transcription FactorsRegulatory Factor X Transcription FactorsRNA-Binding ProteinsRNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas SystemsTranscription Factors

Identifiers

PMID41728952
PMCPMC12926919

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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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 Socratic graph.