LbaCas12a Nuclease

Cas12a (previously known as Cpf1) belongs to the Class 2 Type V CRISPR/Cas system. Different from Cas9 protein, Cas12a does not require tracrRNA, but only a single crRNA guide consisting of 41-44nt nucleotides. In contrast to Cas9, which requires a G-rich PAM, the Cas12a-crRNA complex recognizes a T-rich (5'-TTTN-3') protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) and results in a staggered DNA double-strand break (DSB). After the specific cleavage, Cas12a can also activate collateral cleavage activity towards adjacent non-specific ssDNA sequences. Hence, Cas12a nuclease is a good alternative for Cas9 in certain target DNA editing, and provides a novel strategy for DNA detection. LbaCas12a Nuclease is an RNA-guided DNA endonuclease from Lachnospiraceae bacterium, with a nuclear localization signal (NLS) added to both ends of the protein.