Strain-specific outcomes of cytosine-base editing in Streptomyces.

Cytidine base editors induce high rates (44%) of C:G to G:C transversions in certain Streptomyces strains, surpassing typical transition mutation outcomes.

• Why it matters: Understanding and controlling mutation types is crucial for precise genetic engineering, especially since transversion mutations are less efficiently achieved with current base editing tools.
• What they did: The study applied third-generation cytidine base editors across multiple Streptomyces strains and analyzed DNA repair pathways, including the presence of uvrD helicase, to explain strain-specific outcomes.
• The result: Findings reveal that DNA repair mechanisms influence mutation types, enabling the development of more efficient transversion base editors and advancing genome editing precision in Streptomyces.