Bxb1 phage recombinase assists genome engineering in Drosophila melanogaster .

Rapid and reliable genome modifications provide the basis for detailed in vivo functional analysis of any genomic entity (gene, regulatory DNA, non-coding RNA, etc). With the advent of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology, manipulation of a particular genomic locus has become a routine undertaking in variety of model organisms, including the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster . To further diversify the available tools for genome engineering, we successfully harnessed the phage recombinase Bxb1 to perform recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) in D. melanogaster . We demonstrate that Bxb1 possesses highly efficient recombinase activity and could be used alone or in conjunction with other currently available recombinases for creating platforms for cassette exchange of targeted loci.