GenCRISPR Cas13a (C2c2) Nuclease is an RNA-guided, RNA-targeting CRISPR enzyme, commonly referred to as C2c2. This enzyme is a member of Type VI CRISPR family containing a single protein effector with two HEPN domains. The Cas13a exhibits two RNase activities. The first activity, a cis- sequence-specific RNA guided cleavage, activates the secondary RNase activity of the enzyme, a non-specific trans- ribonuclease activity. This Cas13a protein can be applied to detect single RNA molecules with proven high specificity.
Recently, Cas13a has been leveraged as a diagnostic nucleic acid detection tool. Using a combination of the Cas13a cis- and trans- RNase activity and a non-target RNA tagged with a cleavage reporter ((fluorescence), the Cas13 system provides a route for reporting of the presence of a specific single RNA sequence in a sample with high specificity. The GenScript Cas13a contains a His-tag at the C-terminal.