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CRISPR Plasmids: Epigenetics

To make targeted epigenetic modifications, researchers have fused catalytically dead Cas9 (dCas9) to epigenetic modifiers. Common modifiers include:

  • P300 — activation through increased H3K27 acetylation
  • TET1 — activation through cytosine demethylation
  • DNMT3A — repression through cytosine methylation
  • MQ1 — repression through cytosine methylation with improved kinetics
  • LSD1 — repression through targeted removal of H3K4 and H3K9 methylation

Epigenetic modification is typically targeted to a specific promoter or enhancer for your gene of interest. These modifications persist over time and are potentially heritable in dividing cells. CRISPR activation and interference technologies also indirectly modify local chromatin state.

Schematic showing examples of CRISPR epigenetic modifications. dCas9 fused to p300 acetylates H3K27 to drive transcriptional activation. dCas9 fused to Tet1 demethylates cytosines in a gene's promoter, while dCas9 fused to DNMT3A methylates cytosines in a gene's promoter, with opposite effects on transcriptional modulation.
Figure 1: Overview of epigenetic modification using CRISPR. Created with BioRender.com.

Browse, sort, or search the tables below for CRISPR plasmids designed for epigenetic modification. To learn more about epigenetic modification with CRISPR and other CRISPR topics, read our CRISPR Guide.

Mammalian

ID Plasmid Gene/Insert Promoter Selectable Marker PI Publication

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Plant

ID Plasmid Gene/Insert Promoter Selectable Marker PI Publication

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CRISPR Resources

Addgene has a large selection of CRISPR plasmids and resources. Find more CRISPR functions along with plasmids categorized by organism by visiting our CRISPR plasmids page. Find a comprehensive list of CRISPR resources by visiting our CRISPR reference page.

Content last reviewed on: 17 October 2025.

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