Question

Limitations of TALENs and ZFNs:

a) Limited target specificity
b) Inability to induce double-strand breaks
c) High cost of production
d) Resistance to nucleases

Answer 1

TALENs and ZFNs have limitations including limited target specificity, inability to induce double-strand breaks, high cost of production, and resistance to nucleases.

Step-by-step explanation:

TALENs and ZFNs are powerful tools used in genetic engineering but they have several limitations.

1. Limited target specificity: TALENs and ZFNs can bind to unintended DNA sequences, which can lead to off-target effects.
2. Inability to induce double-strand breaks: TALENs and ZFNs rely on creating double-strand breaks in DNA to introduce changes, but they may fail to do so in certain situations.
3. High cost of production: TALENs and ZFNs require extensive design and production processes, making them expensive to use in research and applications.
4. Resistance to nucleases: TALENs and ZFNs can be degraded by cellular nucleases, which limits their effectiveness in gene editing.