Is Cas9 a protein or enzyme?
Cas9 (CRISPR associated protein 9, formerly called Cas5, Csn1, or Csx12) is a 160 kilodalton protein which plays a vital role in the immunological defense of certain bacteria against DNA viruses and plasmids, and is heavily utilized in genetic engineering applications. Is Cas9 A enzyme? Conventional CRISPR complexes include an enzyme called Cas9, which recognizes and cuts a target stretch of DNA. To edit DNA sequences, the Cas9 enzyme must detect a short genetic sequence, called a protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM), embedded in the target DNA.