File:The schematic diagram of TALENs.png

English: The structural difference between TALENs and ZFPs is that TALENs use the transcription-activator-like effector (TALE) as their binding domain, and the binding function mainly depends on highly variable amino acids at the 12th and 13th position on the TALE. In combination with them, a single base can be specifically identified. The deciphered recognition method can meet the needs of arbitrary base recognition. In this system, the non-specific cutting domain is still Fok Ⅰ endonuclease, and a pair of TALENs will form a Fok Ⅰ endonuclease dimer after binding to the target site, resulting in DSBs. TALENs are more targeted, less cytotoxic, have no contextual effect such as the one in ZFPs, and can be assembled in a modular manner. Currently, they have been successfully applied in rice, corn, wheat, and other crops. However, TALENs’ binding sites are restricted by guanine nucleotides and are not suitable for multiple editing or highly methylated sites. But, highly methylated loci are very important in gene regulation research, and multiple editing is of great significance in studying the interaction between genes and improving editing efficiency, so the application of TALENs is limited to some extent.