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Liu Z, Liu H, Huang C, Zhou Q, Luo Y. Hybrid Cas12a Variants with Relaxed PAM Requirements Expand Genome Editing Compatibility. ACS Synth Biol 2024. [PMID: 38819403 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Cas12a is a widely used programmable nuclease for genome editing across a variety of organisms, but its application is limited by its PAM recognition restriction. To alleviate these PAM constraints, protein engineering efforts have been applied to expand the PAM recognition range. In this study, we designed and constructed 990 synthetic hybrid Cas12a chimeras through domain shuffling and screened an efficient hybrid Cas12a (ehCas12a) that could recognize a broad range PAM of 5'-TYYN-3' (Y is T or C and N is A, T, C, or G). Furthermore, we constructed an ehCas12a variant, ehCas12a RRVR (T167R/N572R/K578V/N582R), with expanded PAM preference to 5'-TNYN, TWRV-3' (W is A or T, R is A or G, and V is A, C, or G), which can efficiently recognize -2* A/G PAMs that are barely recognized by Cas12a-type proteins and their mutants. Finally, we demonstrated that the DNase-inactivated ehCas12a RRVR base editor (dehCas12a RRVR-BE) was capable of targeting noncanonical PAMs in vivo and disease-related loci for potential therapeutic applications. Overall, our findings highlight the modular design and reconfiguration of Cas proteins for enhanced functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Huayi Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Chaoqun Huang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Qun Zhou
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yunzi Luo
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Georgia Tech Shenzhen Institute, Tianjin University, Tangxing Road 133, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518071, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin 300192, China
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2
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Mao R, Yu J, Deng B, Dai X, Du Y, Du S, Zhang W, Rao Y. Conditional chemoconnectomics (cCCTomics) as a strategy for efficient and conditional targeting of chemical transmission. eLife 2024; 12:RP91927. [PMID: 38686992 PMCID: PMC11060718 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Dissection of neural circuitry underlying behaviors is a central theme in neurobiology. We have previously proposed the concept of chemoconnectome (CCT) to cover the entire chemical transmission between neurons and target cells in an organism and created tools for studying it (CCTomics) by targeting all genes related to the CCT in Drosophila. Here we have created lines targeting the CCT in a conditional manner after modifying GFP RNA interference, Flp-out, and CRISPR/Cas9 technologies. All three strategies have been validated to be highly effective, with the best using chromatin-peptide fused Cas9 variants and scaffold optimized sgRNAs. As a proof of principle, we conducted a comprehensive intersection analysis of CCT genes expression profiles in the clock neurons, uncovering 43 CCT genes present in clock neurons. Specific elimination of each from clock neurons revealed that loss of the neuropeptide CNMa in two posterior dorsal clock neurons (DN1ps) or its receptor (CNMaR) caused advanced morning activity, indicating a suppressive role of CNMa-CNMaR on morning anticipation, opposite to the promoting role of PDF-PDFR on morning anticipation. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of conditional CCTomics and its tools created here and establish an antagonistic relationship between CNMa-CNMaR and PDF-PDFR signaling in regulating morning anticipation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renbo Mao
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Jianjun Yu
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Bowen Deng
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xihuimin Dai
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yuyao Du
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Sujie Du
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Wenxia Zhang
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yi Rao
- Laboratory of Neurochemical Biology, Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Capital Medical University; Changping LaboratoryChangpingChina
- Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesBeijingChina
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3
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DeJulius CR, Walton BL, Colazo JM, d'Arcy R, Francini N, Brunger JM, Duvall CL. Engineering approaches for RNA-based and cell-based osteoarthritis therapies. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2024; 20:81-100. [PMID: 38253889 PMCID: PMC11129836 DOI: 10.1038/s41584-023-01067-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, debilitating disease that substantially impairs the quality of life of affected individuals. The underlying mechanisms of OA are diverse and are becoming increasingly understood at the systemic, tissue, cellular and gene levels. However, the pharmacological therapies available remain limited, owing to drug delivery barriers, and consist mainly of broadly immunosuppressive regimens, such as corticosteroids, that provide only short-term palliative benefits and do not alter disease progression. Engineered RNA-based and cell-based therapies developed with synthetic chemistry and biology tools provide promise for future OA treatments with durable, efficacious mechanisms of action that can specifically target the underlying drivers of pathology. This Review highlights emerging classes of RNA-based technologies that hold potential for OA therapies, including small interfering RNA for gene silencing, microRNA and anti-microRNA for multi-gene regulation, mRNA for gene supplementation, and RNA-guided gene-editing platforms such as CRISPR-Cas9. Various cell-engineering strategies are also examined that potentiate disease-dependent, spatiotemporally regulated production of therapeutic molecules, and a conceptual framework is presented for their application as OA treatments. In summary, this Review highlights modern genetic medicines that have been clinically approved for other diseases, in addition to emerging genome and cellular engineering approaches, with the goal of emphasizing their potential as transformative OA treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlisle R DeJulius
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Bonnie L Walton
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Juan M Colazo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Richard d'Arcy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nora Francini
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jonathan M Brunger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Craig L Duvall
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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4
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Zhang H, Kelly K, Lee J, Echeverria D, Cooper D, Panwala R, Amrani N, Chen Z, Gaston N, Wagh A, Newby G, Xie J, Liu DR, Gao G, Wolfe S, Khvorova A, Watts J, Sontheimer E. Self-delivering, chemically modified CRISPR RNAs for AAV co-delivery and genome editing in vivo. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:977-997. [PMID: 38033325 PMCID: PMC10810193 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Guide RNAs offer programmability for CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing but also add challenges for delivery. Chemical modification, which has been key to the success of oligonucleotide therapeutics, can enhance the stability, distribution, cellular uptake, and safety of nucleic acids. Previously, we engineered heavily and fully modified SpyCas9 crRNA and tracrRNA, which showed enhanced stability and retained activity when delivered to cultured cells in the form of the ribonucleoprotein complex. In this study, we report that a short, fully stabilized oligonucleotide (a 'protecting oligo'), which can be displaced by tracrRNA annealing, can significantly enhance the potency and stability of a heavily modified crRNA. Furthermore, protecting oligos allow various bioconjugates to be appended, thereby improving cellular uptake and biodistribution of crRNA in vivo. Finally, we achieved in vivo genome editing in adult mouse liver and central nervous system via co-delivery of unformulated, chemically modified crRNAs with protecting oligos and AAV vectors that express tracrRNA and either SpyCas9 or a base editor derivative. Our proof-of-concept establishment of AAV/crRNA co-delivery offers a route towards transient editing activity, target multiplexing, guide redosing, and vector inactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Zhang
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Karen Kelly
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Jonathan Lee
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Dimas Echeverria
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - David Cooper
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Rebecca Panwala
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Nadia Amrani
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Zexiang Chen
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Nicholas Gaston
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Atish Wagh
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Gregory A Newby
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jun Xie
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Viral Vector Core, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical, School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - David R Liu
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Guangping Gao
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Viral Vector Core, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical, School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Scot A Wolfe
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Jonathan K Watts
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Erik J Sontheimer
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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5
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Prokhorova D, Matveeva A, Zakabunin A, Ryabchenko A, Stepanov G. Influence of N1-Methylpseudouridine in Guide RNAs on CRISPR/Cas9 Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17116. [PMID: 38069437 PMCID: PMC10707292 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242317116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
At present, there are many strategies to improve the activity of CRISPR/Cas9. A well-known and effective approach is guide RNA modification. Many chemical guide RNA modifications have been studied, whereas naturally occurring RNA modifications are largely unexplored. N1-methylpseudouridine (m1Ψ) is an RNA base modification widely used in mRNA therapy, and it holds great promise for application in genome editing systems. The present study focuses on investigating the effect of N1-methylpseudouridine on the functioning of CRISPR/Cas9. In vitro cleavage assays helped determine the level of m1Ψ guide RNA modification that is sufficient to cleave the target substrate. By analyzing FAM-labeled dsDNA substrate cleavage, we calculated the kinetic parameters and the specificity scores of modified guide RNAs. Neon transfection and digital PCR enabled us to assess the activity of modified guide RNAs in mammalian cells. Our study shows that the presence of m1Ψ in guide RNAs can help preserve on-target genome editing while significantly reducing the off-target effects of CRISPR/Cas9 in vitro. We also demonstrate that Cas9 complexes with guide RNAs containing m1Ψ allow for genome editing in human cells. Thus, the incorporation of m1Ψ into guide RNAs supports CRISPR/Cas9 activity both in vitro and in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Grigory Stepanov
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (D.P.); (A.Z.)
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6
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Zha MJ, Cai CE, He PM. Outlook on the Security and Potential Improvements of CRISPR-Cas9. Mol Biotechnol 2023; 65:1729-1736. [PMID: 36881252 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-00708-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Gene editing technology is regarded as a good news to save patients with genetic diseases because of its significant function of specifically changing genetic information. From zinc-finger proteins to transcription activator-like effector protein nucleases gene editing tools are constantly updated. At the same time, scientists are constantly developing a variety of new gene editing therapy strategies, in order to promote gene editing therapy from various aspects and realize the maturity of the technology as soon as possible. In 2016, CRISPR-Cas9-mediated CAR-T therapy was the first to enter the clinical trial stage, indicating that the use of CRISPR-Cas system as the blade of the genetic lancet to save patients is officially on the schedule. The first challenge to achieve this exciting goal is to improve the security of the technology. This review will introduce the gene security issues faced by the CRISPR system as a clinical treatment tool, the current safer delivery methods and the newly developed CRISPR editing tools with higher precision. Many reviews summarize the means of improving the security of gene editing therapy and the comprehensive delivery method, while few articles focus on the threat of gene editing to the genomic security of the treatment target. Therefore, this review focuses on the risks brought by gene editing therapy to the patient genome, which provides a broader perspective for exploring and improving the security of gene editing therapy from two aspects of delivery system and CRISPR editing tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Jun Zha
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Chun-Er Cai
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China.
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China.
| | - Pei-Min He
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
- National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
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7
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Tijaro-Bulla S, Osman EA, St Laurent CD, McCord KA, Macauley MS, Gibbs JM. Disrupting Protein Expression with Double-Clicked sgRNA-Cas9 Complexes: A Modular Approach to CRISPR Gene Editing. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:2156-2162. [PMID: 37556411 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas9 is currently the most versatile technique to perform gene editing in living organisms. In this approach, the Cas9 endonuclease is guided toward its DNA target sequence by the guide RNA (gRNA). Chemical synthesis of a functional single gRNA (sgRNA) is nontrivial because of the length of the RNA strand. Recently we demonstrated that a sgRNA can be stitched together from three smaller fragments through a copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, making the process highly modular. Here we further advance this approach by leveraging this modulator platform by incorporating chemically modified nucleotides at both ends of the modular sgRNA to increase resistance against ribonucleases. Modified nucleotides consisted of a 2'-O-Me group and a phosphorothioate backbone in varying number at both the 5'- and 3'-ends of the sgRNA. It was observed that three modified nucleotides at both ends of the sgRNA significantly increased the success of Cas9 in knocking out a gene of interest. Using these chemically stabilized sgRNAs facilitates multigene editing at the protein level, as demonstrated by successful knockout of both Siglec-3 and Siglec-7 using two fluorophores in conjunction with fluorescence-activated cell sorting. These results demonstrate the versatility of this modular platform for assembling sgRNAs from small, chemically modified strands to simultaneously disrupt the gene expression of two proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eiman A Osman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Chris D St Laurent
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Kelli A McCord
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Matthew S Macauley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R7, Canada
| | - Julianne M Gibbs
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
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8
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Sahel DK, Vora LK, Saraswat A, Sharma S, Monpara J, D'Souza AA, Mishra D, Tryphena KP, Kawakita S, Khan S, Azhar M, Khatri DK, Patel K, Singh Thakur RR. CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing for Tissue-Specific In Vivo Targeting: Nanomaterials and Translational Perspective. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2207512. [PMID: 37166046 PMCID: PMC10323670 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202207512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Clustered randomly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and its associated endonuclease protein, i.e., Cas9, have been discovered as an immune system in bacteria and archaea; nevertheless, they are now being adopted as mainstream biotechnological/molecular scissors that can modulate ample genetic and nongenetic diseases via insertion/deletion, epigenome editing, messenger RNA editing, CRISPR interference, etc. Many Food and Drug Administration-approved and ongoing clinical trials on CRISPR adopt ex vivo strategies, wherein the gene editing is performed ex vivo, followed by reimplantation to the patients. However, the in vivo delivery of the CRISPR components is still under preclinical surveillance. This review has summarized the nonviral nanodelivery strategies for gene editing using CRISPR/Cas9 and its recent advancements, strategic points of view, challenges, and future aspects for tissue-specific in vivo delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 components using nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Kumar Sahel
- Department of PharmacyBirla Institute of Technology and Science‐PilaniBITS‐Pilani, Vidya ViharPilaniRajasthan333031India
| | - Lalitkumar K. Vora
- School of PharmacyQueen's University Belfast97 Lisburn RoadBelfastBT9 7BLUK
| | - Aishwarya Saraswat
- College of Pharmacy & Health SciencesSt. John's UniversityQueensNY11439USA
| | - Saurabh Sharma
- Terasaki Institute for Biomedical InnovationLos AngelesCA90064USA
| | - Jasmin Monpara
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of SciencesPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
| | - Anisha A. D'Souza
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and School of PharmacyDuquesne UniversityPittsburghPA15282USA
| | - Deepakkumar Mishra
- School of PharmacyQueen's University Belfast97 Lisburn RoadBelfastBT9 7BLUK
| | - Kamatham Pushpa Tryphena
- Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience LabDepartment of Pharmacology and ToxicologyNational Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)‐HyderabadTelangana500037India
| | - Satoru Kawakita
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCA95616USA
| | - Shahid Khan
- Terasaki Institute for Biomedical InnovationLos AngelesCA90064USA
| | - Mohd Azhar
- Research and Development Tata Medical and Diagnostics LimitedMumbaiMaharashtra400001India
| | - Dharmendra Kumar Khatri
- Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience LabDepartment of Pharmacology and ToxicologyNational Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER)‐HyderabadTelangana500037India
| | - Ketan Patel
- College of Pharmacy & Health SciencesSt. John's UniversityQueensNY11439USA
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9
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Ma L, Yang S, Peng Q, Zhang J, Zhang J. CRISPR/Cas9-based gene-editing technology for sickle cell disease. Gene 2023; 874:147480. [PMID: 37182559 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common monogenic hematologic disorder and is essentially congenital hemolytic anemia caused by an inherited point mutation in the β-globin on chromosome 11. Although the genetic basis of SCD was revealed as early as 1957, treatment options for SCD have been very limited to date. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was thought to hold promise as a cure for SCD, but the available donors were still only 15% useful. Gene therapy has advanced rapidly into the 21st century with the promise of a cure for SCD, and gene editing strategies based on the cluster-based regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat sequence (CRISPR)/Cas9 system have revolutionized the field of gene therapy by precisely targeting genes. In this paper, we review the pathogenesis and therapeutic approaches of SCD, briefly summarize the delivery strategies of CRISPR/Cas9, and finally discuss in depth the current status, application barriers, and solution directions of CRISPR/Cas9 in SCD. Through the review in this paper, we hope to provide some references for gene therapy in SCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangliang Ma
- Department of Hematology, Meishan City People's Hospital, Meishan City, Sichuan Province 620000, China
| | - Shanglun Yang
- Department of Hematology, Meishan City People's Hospital, Meishan City, Sichuan Province 620000, China
| | - Qianya Peng
- Department of Hematology, Meishan City People's Hospital, Meishan City, Sichuan Province 620000, China
| | - Jingping Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Meishan City People's Hospital, Meishan City, Sichuan Province 620000, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Meishan City People's Hospital, Meishan City, Sichuan Province 620000, China.
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10
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Chin S, Goyon A, Zhang K, Kurita KL. Middle-out sequence confirmation of CRISPR/Cas9 single guide RNA (sgRNA) using DNA primers and ribonuclease T1 digestion. Anal Bioanal Chem 2023; 415:2809-2818. [PMID: 37093234 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-023-04693-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Accurate sequencing of single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) for CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing is critical for patient safety, as the sgRNA guides the Cas9 nuclease to target site-specific cleavages in DNA. An approach to fully sequence sgRNA using protective DNA primers followed by ribonuclease (RNase) T1 digestion was developed to facilitate the analysis of these larger molecules by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HILIC-HRMS). Without RNase digestion, top-down mass spectrometry alone struggles to properly fragment precursor ions in large RNA oligonucleotides to provide confidence in sequence coverage. With RNase T1 digestion of these larger oligonucleotides, however, bottom-up analysis cannot confirm full sequence coverage due to the presence of short, redundant digestion products. By combining primer protection with RNase T1 digestion, digestion products are large enough to prevent redundancy and small enough to provide base resolution by tandem mass spectrometry to allow for full sgRNA sequence coverage. An investigation into the general requirements for adequate primer protection of specific regions of the RNA was conducted, followed by the development of a generic protection and digestion strategy that may be applied to different sgRNA sequences. This middle-out technique has the potential to expedite accurate sequence confirmation of chemically modified sgRNA oligonucleotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Chin
- Department of Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Alexandre Goyon
- Department of Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Kelly Zhang
- Department of Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Kenji L Kurita
- Department of Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
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11
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Carneiro SP, Greco A, Chiesa E, Genta I, Merkel OM. Shaping the future from the small scale: dry powder inhalation of CRISPR-Cas9 lipid nanoparticles for the treatment of lung diseases. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2023; 20:471-487. [PMID: 36896650 PMCID: PMC7614984 DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2023.2185220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Most lung diseases are serious conditions resulting from genetic and environmental causes associated with high mortality and severe symptoms. Currently, treatments available have a palliative effect and many targets are still considered undruggable. Gene therapy stands as an attractive approach to offering innovative therapeutic solutions. CRISPRCas9 has established a remarkable potential for genome editing with high selectivity to targeted mutations. To ensure high efficacy with minimum systemic exposure, the delivery and administration route are key components that must be investigated. AREAS COVERED This review is focused on the delivery of CRISPRCas9 to the lungs, taking advantage of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the most clinically advanced nucleic acid carriers. We also aim to highlight the benefits of pulmonary administration as a local delivery route and the use of spray drying to prepare stable nucleic-acid-based dry powder formulations that can overcome multiple lung barriers. EXPERT OPINION Exploring the pulmonary administration to deliver CRISPRCas9 loaded in LNPs as a dry powder increases the chances to achieve high efficacy and reduced adverse effects. CRISPRCas9 loaded in LNP-embedded microparticles has not yet been reported in the literature but has the potential to reach and accumulate in target cells in the lung, thus, enhancing overall efficacy and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone P. Carneiro
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Butenandtstraße 5, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Antonietta Greco
- University School for Advanced Studies (IUSS), Piazza della Vittoria 15, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Enrica Chiesa
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, V.le Taramelli 12, Pavia, Italy
| | - Ida Genta
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, V.le Taramelli 12, Pavia, Italy
| | - Olivia M. Merkel
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Butenandtstraße 5, 81377 Munich, Germany
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12
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Crittenden CM, Lanzillotti MB, Chen B. Top-Down Mass Spectrometry of Synthetic Single Guide Ribonucleic Acids Enabled by Facile Sample Clean-Up. Anal Chem 2023; 95:3180-3186. [PMID: 36606446 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c03030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing has become an important technology in biomedical research and has demonstrated tremendous therapeutic potential. With Cas9 endonuclease, the use of single guide ribonucleic acids (sgRNAs) allows for sequence-specific cutting on target double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acids. Therefore, the design and quality of sgRNAs can greatly affect the efficiency and specificity of genome editing. Mass spectrometry (MS) has been a powerful tool to detect molecular features and sequence a variety of biomolecules; however, as the sizes of oligonucleotides get larger, it becomes more challenging to desalt samples and achieve high-quality intact spectra with effective fragmentation. Here, we develop a simple but effective online column-based clean-up method (reversed-phase column in a size exclusion mode) that removes formulation salts and metal adducts from larger oligonucleotides upon entering the mass spectrometer in a consistent manner. Using the top-down approach without any nuclease digestion, we characterized and sequenced 100-nucleotide-long sgRNAs by higher-energy collision dissociation (HCD), collision-induced dissociation (CID), ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD), and activated electron photodetachment (a-EPD). In a single 10 min liquid chromatography-tandem MS (LC-MS/MS) run, CID yielded the best sequence coverage, of 67%. When adding complementary UVPD and a-EPD runs, we achieved 80% overall sequence coverage and 100% cleavages for the variable sequence, the first 20 nucleotides from the 5' end. This LC-MS/MS platform provides a facile top-down workflow to analyze and sequence larger chemically modified oligonucleotides with no sample treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Crittenden
- Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | | | - Bifan Chen
- Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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13
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Sun YJ, Chen WD, Liu J, Li JJ, Zhang Y, Cai WQ, Liu L, Tang XJ, Hou J, Wang M, Cheng L. A Conformational Restriction Strategy for the Control of CRISPR/Cas Gene Editing with Photoactivatable Guide RNAs. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202212413. [PMID: 36453982 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202212413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas system is one of the most powerful tools for gene editing. However, approaches for precise control of genome editing and regulatory events are still desirable. Here, we report the spatiotemporal and efficient control of CRISPR/Cas9- and Cas12a-mediated editing with conformationally restricted guide RNAs (gRNAs). This approach relied on only two or three pre-installed photo-labile substituents followed by an intramolecular cyclization, representing a robust synthetic method in comparison to the heavily modified linear gRNAs that often require extensive screening and time-consuming optimization. This tactic could direct the precise cleavage of the genes encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) and the vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) protein within a predefined cutting region without notable editing leakage in live cells. We also achieved light-mediated myostatin (MSTN) gene editing in embryos, wherein a new bow-knot-type gRNA was constructed with excellent OFF/ON switch efficiency. Overall, our work provides a significant new strategy in CRISPR/Cas editing with modified circular gRNAs to precisely manipulate where and when genes are edited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Jie Sun
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Wen-Da Chen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ji Liu
- BNLMS, CAS Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Jun-Jin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Wei-Qi Cai
- BNLMS, CAS Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Li Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xin-Jing Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jian Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ming Wang
- BNLMS, CAS Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Liang Cheng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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14
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Genome Editing and Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1396:87-101. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-19-5642-3_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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15
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Online Databases of Genome Editing in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1396:19-33. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-19-5642-3_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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16
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Hu LF, Li YX, Wang JZ, Zhao YT, Wang Y. Controlling CRISPR-Cas9 by guide RNA engineering. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1731. [PMID: 35393779 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) system is a product of million years of evolution by microbes to fight against invading genetic materials. Around 10 years ago, scientists started to repurpose the CRISPR as genetic tools by molecular engineering approaches. The guide RNA provides a versatile and unique platform for the innovation to improve and expand the application of CRISPR-Cas9 system. In this review, we will first introduce the basic sequence and structure of guide RNA and its role during the function of CRISPR-Cas9. We will then summarize recent progress on the development of various guide RNA engineering strategies. These strategies have been dedicated to improve the performance of CRISPR-Cas9, to achieve precise spatiotemporal control of CRISPR-Cas9, and to broaden the application of CRISPR-Cas9. Finally, we will briefly discuss the uniqueness and advantage of guide RNA-engineering based systems versus those with engineered Cas9 proteins and speculate potential future directions in guide RNA engineering. This article is categorized under: RNA Methods > RNA Analyses In Vitro and In Silico RNA Methods > RNA Nanotechnology Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA-Protein Complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Feng Hu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Xuan Li
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jia-Zhen Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Ting Zhao
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yangming Wang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
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17
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Goyon A, Nguyen D, Boulanouar S, Yehl P, Zhang K. Characterization of Impurities in Therapeutic RNAs at the Single Nucleotide Level. Anal Chem 2022; 94:16960-16966. [PMID: 36410036 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c04681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The chemistry of guide RNA (gRNA) affects the performance of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 genome editing technique. However, the literature is very scarce about the study of gRNA degradation and in particular at the single nucleotide level. In this work, we developed a workflow to characterize the impurities of large RNAs at the single nucleotide level and identified the residues prone to degradation. Our strategy involves (i) the reduction of RNA length, (ii) a chromatographic mode able to capture subtle changes in impurity polarity, and (iii) a streamlined data treatment. To illustrate the approach, stressed gRNA samples were analyzed by coupling an immobilized ribonuclease T1 cartridge to a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) column hyphenated with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Critical findings were made possible by the presented technology. In particular, the desulfurization of phosphorothioate (PS) linkages was the major degradation observed at the single nucleotide level while no change in purity profile could be observed when using conventional ion-pairing reversed-phase (IPRP) liquid chromatography. To our knowledge, this is the first time that several impurity types are screened for a large RNA molecule using an automated online digestion analysis approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Goyon
- Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Daniel Nguyen
- Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Sara Boulanouar
- Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Peter Yehl
- Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Kelly Zhang
- Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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18
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Prokhorova DV, Vokhtantsev IP, Tolstova PO, Zhuravlev ES, Kulishova LM, Zharkov DO, Stepanov GA. Natural Nucleoside Modifications in Guide RNAs Can Modulate the Activity of the CRISPR-Cas9 System In Vitro. CRISPR J 2022; 5:799-812. [PMID: 36350691 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2022.0069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
At the present time, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system has been widely adopted as an efficient genomic editing tool. However, there are some actual problems such as the off-target effects, cytotoxicity, and immunogenicity. The incorporation of modifications into guide RNAs permits enhancing both the efficiency and the specificity of the CRISPR-Cas9 system. In this study, we demonstrate that the inclusion of N6-methyladenosine, 5-methylcytidine, and pseudouridine in trans-activating RNA (tracrRNA) or in single guide RNA (sgRNA) enables efficient gene editing in vitro. We found that the complexes of modified guide RNAs with Cas9 protein promoted cleavage of the target short/long duplexes and plasmid substrates. In addition, the modified monomers in guide RNAs allow increasing the specificity of CRISPR-Cas9 system in vitro and promote diminishing both the immunostimulating and the cytotoxic effects of sgRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria V Prokhorova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Ivan P Vokhtantsev
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Polina O Tolstova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Evgenii S Zhuravlev
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Lilia M Kulishova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Dmitry O Zharkov
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Grigory A Stepanov
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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19
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Çerçi B, Uzay IA, Kara MK, Dinçer P. Clinical trials and promising preclinical applications of CRISPR/Cas gene editing. Life Sci 2022; 312:121204. [PMID: 36403643 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Treatment of genetic disorders by genomic manipulation has been the unreachable goal of researchers for many decades. Although our understanding of the genetic basis of genetic diseases has advanced tremendously in the last few decades, the tools developed for genomic editing were not efficient and practical for their use in the clinical setting until now. The recent advancements in the research of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) systems offered an easy and efficient way to edit the genome and accelerated the research on their potential use in the treatment of genetic disorders. In this review, we summarize the clinical trials that evaluate the CRISPR/Cas systems for treating different genetic diseases and highlight promising preclinical research on CRISPR/Cas mediated treatment of a great diversity of genetic disorders. Ultimately, we discuss the future of CRISPR/Cas mediated genome editing in genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barış Çerçi
- Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara 06100, Turkey.
| | - Ihsan Alp Uzay
- Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara 06100, Turkey
| | | | - Pervin Dinçer
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara 06100, Turkey
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20
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Sakovina L, Vokhtantsev I, Vorobyeva M, Vorobyev P, Novopashina D. Improving Stability and Specificity of CRISPR/Cas9 System by Selective Modification of Guide RNAs with 2'-fluoro and Locked Nucleic Acid Nucleotides. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:13460. [PMID: 36362256 PMCID: PMC9655745 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The genome editing approach using the components of the CRISPR/Cas system has found wide application in molecular biology, fundamental medicine and genetic engineering. A promising method is to increase the efficacy and specificity of CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing systems by modifying their components. Here, we designed and chemically synthesized guide RNAs (crRNA, tracrRNA and sgRNA) containing modified nucleotides (2'-O-methyl, 2'-fluoro, LNA-locked nucleic acid) or deoxyribonucleotides in certain positions. We compared their resistance to nuclease digestion and examined the DNA cleavage efficacy of the CRISPR/Cas9 system guided by these modified guide RNAs. The replacement of ribonucleotides with 2'-fluoro modified or LNA nucleotides increased the lifetime of the crRNAs, while other types of modification did not change their nuclease resistance. Modification of crRNA or tracrRNA preserved the efficacy of the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Otherwise, the CRISPR/Cas9 systems with modified sgRNA showed a remarkable loss of DNA cleavage efficacy. The kinetic constant of DNA cleavage was higher for the system with 2'-fluoro modified crRNA. The 2'-modification of crRNA also decreased the off-target effect upon in vitro dsDNA cleavage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubov Sakovina
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Ivan Vokhtantsev
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Mariya Vorobyeva
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Pavel Vorobyev
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Darya Novopashina
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
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21
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Becklin KL, Draper GM, Madden RA, Kluesner MG, Koga T, Huang M, Weiss WA, Spector LG, Largaespada DA, Moriarity BS, Webber BR. Developing Bottom-Up Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Solid Tumor Models Using Precision Genome Editing Technologies. CRISPR J 2022; 5:517-535. [PMID: 35972367 PMCID: PMC9529369 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2022.0032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in genome and tissue engineering have spurred significant progress and opportunity for innovation in cancer modeling. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are an established and powerful tool to study cellular processes in the context of disease-specific genetic backgrounds; however, their application to cancer has been limited by the resistance of many transformed cells to undergo successful reprogramming. Here, we review the status of human iPSC modeling of solid tumors in the context of genetic engineering, including how base and prime editing can be incorporated into "bottom-up" cancer modeling, a term we coined for iPSC-based cancer models using genetic engineering to induce transformation. This approach circumvents the need to reprogram cancer cells while allowing for dissection of the genetic mechanisms underlying transformation, progression, and metastasis with a high degree of precision and control. We also discuss the strengths and limitations of respective engineering approaches and outline experimental considerations for establishing future models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsie L. Becklin
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Garrett M. Draper
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Madden
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Mitchell G. Kluesner
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Tomoyuki Koga
- Ludwig Cancer Research San Diego Branch, La Jolla, California, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Miller Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, California, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - William A. Weiss
- Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Neurosurgery, Brain Tumor Research Center, and Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; and Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics, Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Logan G. Spector
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - David A. Largaespada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Branden S. Moriarity
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Beau R. Webber
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Neurosurgery and Brain Tumor Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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22
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Yang W, Yan J, Zhuang P, Ding T, Chen Y, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Cui W. Progress of delivery methods for CRISPR-Cas9. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2022; 19:913-926. [PMID: 35818792 DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2022.2100342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Gene therapy is becoming increasingly common in clinical practice, giving hope for the correction of a wide range of human diseases and defects. The CRISPR/Cas9 system, consisting of the Cas9 nuclease and single-guide RNA (sgRNA), has revolutionized the field of gene editing. However, efficiently delivering the CRISPR-Cas9 to the target organ or cell remains a significant challenge. In recent years, with rapid advances in nanoscience, materials science, and medicine, researchers have developed various technologies that can deliver CRISPR-Cas9 in different forms for in vitro and in vivo gene editing. Here, we review the development of the CRISPR-Cas9 and describe the delivery forms and the vectors that have emerged in CRISPR-Cas9 delivery, summarizing the key barriers and the promising strategies that vectors currently face in delivering the CRISPR-Cas9. AREAS COVERED With the rapid development of CRISPR-Cas9, delivery methods are becoming increasingly important in the in vivo delivery of CRISPR-Cas9. EXPERT OPINION CRISPR-Cas9 is becoming increasingly common in clinical trials. However, the complex nuclease and protease environment is a tremendous challenge for in vivo clinical applications. Therefore, the development of delivery methods is highly likely to take the application of CRISPR-Cas9 technology to another level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Yang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, PR China.,Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20520, Finland.,Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20520, Finland
| | - Jiaqi Yan
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, PR China.,Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20520, Finland.,Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20520, Finland
| | - Pengzhen Zhuang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, PR China.,Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20520, Finland.,Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20520, Finland
| | - Tao Ding
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, PR China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, PR China.,Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20520, Finland.,Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20520, Finland
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, PR China.,Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20520, Finland.,Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20520, Finland
| | - Hongbo Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, PR China.,Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20520, Finland.,Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, 20520, Finland
| | - Wenguo Cui
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 197 Ruijin 2nd Road, Shanghai, 200025, PR China
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23
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Rozners E. Chemical Modifications of CRISPR RNAs to Improve Gene-Editing Activity and Specificity. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:12584-12594. [PMID: 35796760 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c02633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR (clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats) has become a cutting-edge research method and holds great potential to revolutionize biotechnology and medicine. However, like other nucleic acid technologies, CRISPR will greatly benefit from chemical innovation to improve activity and specificity for critical in vivo applications. Chemists have started optimizing various components of the CRISPR system; the present Perspective focuses on chemical modifications of CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs). As with other nucleic acid-based technologies, early efforts focused on well-established sugar and backbone modifications (2'-deoxy, 2'-F, 2'-OMe, and phosphorothioates). Some more significant alterations of crRNAs have been done using bicyclic (locked) riboses and phosphate backbone replacements (phosphonoacetates and amides); however, the range of chemical innovation applied to crRNAs remains limited to modifications that have been successful in RNA interference and antisense technologies. The encouraging results given by these tried-and-true modifications suggest that, going forward, chemists should take a bolder approach─research must aim to investigate what chemistry will have the most impact on maturing CRISPR as therapeutic and other in vivo technologies. With an eye to the future, this Perspective argues that the complexity of CRISPR presents rich unprecedented opportunities for chemists to synergize advances in synthetic methodology and structural biochemistry to rationally optimize crRNA-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eriks Rozners
- Department of Chemistry, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
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24
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Dong C, Gou Y, Lian J. SgRNA engineering for improved genome editing and expanded functional assays. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 75:102697. [PMID: 35217295 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas system has been established as the most powerful and practical genome engineering tool for both fundamental researches and biotechnological applications. Great efforts have been devoted to engineering the CRISPR system with better performance and novel functions. As an essential component, single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) have been extensively designed and engineered with desirable functions. This review highlights representative studies that optimize the sgRNA nucleotide sequences for improved genome editing performance (e.g. activity and specificity) as well as add extra aptamers and end extensions for expanded CRISPR-based functional assays (e.g. transcriptional regulation, genome imaging, and prime editor). The perspectives for further sgRNA engineering to establish more powerful and versatile CRISPR/Cas systems are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Dong
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Yuanwei Gou
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Jiazhang Lian
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China; Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
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25
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Rouatbi N, McGlynn T, Al-Jamal KT. Pre-clinical non-viral vectors exploited for in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing: an overview. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:3410-3432. [PMID: 35604372 DOI: 10.1039/d1bm01452h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats or CRISPR/Cas9 has emerged as a potent and versatile tool for efficient genome editing. This technology has been exploited for several applications including disease modelling, cell therapy, diagnosis, and treatment of many diseases including cancer. The in vivo application of CRISPR/Cas9 is hindered by poor stability, pharmacokinetic profile, and the limited ability of the CRISPR payloads to cross biological barriers. Although viral vectors have been implemented as delivery tools for efficient in vivo gene editing, their application is associated with high immunogenicity and toxicity, limiting their clinical translation. Hence, there is a need to explore new delivery methods that can guarantee safe and efficient delivery of the CRISPR/Cas9 components to target cells. In this review, we first provide a brief history and principles of nuclease-mediated gene editing, we then focus on the different CRISPR/Cas9 formats outlining their potentials and limitations. Finally, we discuss the alternative non-viral delivery strategies currently adopted for in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Rouatbi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK.
| | - Tasneem McGlynn
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK.
| | - Khuloud T Al-Jamal
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK.
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26
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Park H, Osman EA, Cromwell CR, St Laurent CD, Liu Y, Kitova EN, Klassen JS, Hubbard BP, Macauley MS, Gibbs JM. CRISPR-Click Enables Dual-Gene Editing with Modular Synthetic sgRNAs. Bioconjug Chem 2022; 33:858-868. [PMID: 35436106 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Gene-editing systems such as CRISPR-Cas9 readily enable individual gene phenotypes to be studied through loss of function. However, in certain instances, gene compensation can obfuscate the results of these studies, necessitating the editing of multiple genes to properly identify biological pathways and protein function. Performing multiple genetic modifications in cells remains difficult due to the requirement for multiple rounds of gene editing. While fluorescently labeled guide RNAs (gRNAs) are routinely used in laboratories for targeting CRISPR-Cas9 to disrupt individual loci, technical limitations in single gRNA (sgRNA) synthesis hinder the expansion of this approach to multicolor cell sorting. Here, we describe a modular strategy for synthesizing sgRNAs where each target sequence is conjugated to a unique fluorescent label, which enables fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to isolate cells that incorporate the desired combination of gene-editing constructs. We demonstrate that three short strands of RNA functionalized with strategically placed 5'-azide and 3'-alkyne terminal deoxyribonucleotides can be assembled in a one-step, template-assisted, copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition to generate fully functional, fluorophore-modified sgRNAs. Using these synthetic sgRNAs in combination with FACS, we achieved selective cleavage of two targeted genes, either separately as a single-color experiment or in combination as a dual-color experiment. These data indicate that our strategy for generating double-clicked sgRNA allows for Cas9 activity in cells. By minimizing the size of each RNA fragment to 41 nucleotides or less, this strategy is well suited for custom, scalable synthesis of sgRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hansol Park
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Eiman A Osman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
| | | | - Chris D St Laurent
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Yuning Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Elena N Kitova
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - John S Klassen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
| | - Basil P Hubbard
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Matthew S Macauley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R7, Canada
| | - Julianne M Gibbs
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G2, Canada
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27
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Ageely EA, Chilamkurthy R, Jana S, Abdullahu L, O'Reilly D, Jensik PJ, Damha MJ, Gagnon KT. Gene editing with CRISPR-Cas12a guides possessing ribose-modified pseudoknot handles. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6591. [PMID: 34782635 PMCID: PMC8593028 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26989-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas12a is a leading technology for development of model organisms, therapeutics, and diagnostics. These applications could benefit from chemical modifications that stabilize or tune enzyme properties. Here we chemically modify ribonucleotides of the AsCas12a CRISPR RNA 5' handle, a pseudoknot structure that mediates binding to Cas12a. Gene editing in human cells required retention of several native RNA residues corresponding to predicted 2'-hydroxyl contacts. Replacing these RNA residues with a variety of ribose-modified nucleotides revealed 2'-hydroxyl sensitivity. Modified 5' pseudoknots with as little as six out of nineteen RNA residues, with phosphorothioate linkages at remaining RNA positions, yielded heavily modified pseudoknots with robust cell-based editing. High trans activity was usually preserved with cis activity. We show that the 5' pseudoknot can tolerate near complete modification when design is guided by structural and chemical compatibility. Rules for modification of the 5' pseudoknot should accelerate therapeutic development and be valuable for CRISPR-Cas12a diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman A Ageely
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Ramadevi Chilamkurthy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Sunit Jana
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Daniel O'Reilly
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Philip J Jensik
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Keith T Gagnon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA.
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28
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Goyon A, Scott B, Kurita K, Crittenden CM, Shaw D, Lin A, Yehl P, Zhang K. Full Sequencing of CRISPR/Cas9 Single Guide RNA (sgRNA) via Parallel Ribonuclease Digestions and Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Analysis. Anal Chem 2021; 93:14792-14801. [PMID: 34699173 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c03533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful genome editing approach in which a Cas9 enzyme and a single guide RNA (sgRNA) form a ribonucleoprotein complex effectively targeting site-specific cleavages of DNA. Accurate sequencing of sgRNA is critical to patient safety and is the expectation by regulatory agencies. In this paper, we present the full sequencing of sgRNA via parallel ribonuclease (RNase) T1, A, and U2 digestions and the simultaneous separation and identification of the digestion products by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). When using RNase T1 digestion alone, a maximal sequence coverage of 81% was obtained excluding the nonunique fragments. Full sgRNA sequencing was achieved using unique fragments generated by RNase T1, A, and U2 parallel digestions. Thorough optimization of sgRNA digestions was performed by varying the nuclease-to-sgRNA ratio, buffer conditions, and reaction times. A biocompatible ethylene-bridged hybrid amide column was evaluated for the separation of RNase digestion products. To our knowledge, it is the first time that (i) RNA digests are separated and identified by HILIC-HRMS and (ii) chemically modified sgRNAs are directly sequenced via a bottom-up approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Goyon
- Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Brandon Scott
- Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Kenji Kurita
- Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Christopher M Crittenden
- Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - David Shaw
- Cell Therapy Engineering and Development, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Andy Lin
- Technical Development Project and Portfolio Management Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Peter Yehl
- Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Kelly Zhang
- Small Molecule Analytical Chemistry, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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29
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McTague A, Rossignoli G, Ferrini A, Barral S, Kurian MA. Genome Editing in iPSC-Based Neural Systems: From Disease Models to Future Therapeutic Strategies. Front Genome Ed 2021; 3:630600. [PMID: 34713254 PMCID: PMC8525405 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2021.630600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic advances for neurological disorders are challenging due to limited accessibility of the human central nervous system and incomplete understanding of disease mechanisms. Many neurological diseases lack precision treatments, leading to significant disease burden and poor outcome for affected patients. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology provides human neuronal cells that facilitate disease modeling and development of therapies. The use of genome editing, in particular CRISPR-Cas9 technology, has extended the potential of iPSCs, generating new models for a number of disorders, including Alzheimers and Parkinson Disease. Editing of iPSCs, in particular with CRISPR-Cas9, allows generation of isogenic pairs, which differ only in the disease-causing mutation and share the same genetic background, for assessment of phenotypic differences and downstream effects. Moreover, genome-wide CRISPR screens allow high-throughput interrogation for genetic modifiers in neuronal phenotypes, leading to discovery of novel pathways, and identification of new therapeutic targets. CRISPR-Cas9 has now evolved beyond altering gene expression. Indeed, fusion of a defective Cas9 (dCas9) nuclease with transcriptional repressors or activation domains allows down-regulation or activation of gene expression (CRISPR interference, CRISPRi; CRISPR activation, CRISPRa). These new tools will improve disease modeling and facilitate CRISPR and cell-based therapies, as seen for epilepsy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Genome engineering holds huge promise for the future understanding and treatment of neurological disorders, but there are numerous barriers to overcome. The synergy of iPSC-based model systems and gene editing will play a vital role in the route to precision medicine and the clinical translation of genome editing-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy McTague
- Developmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Giada Rossignoli
- Developmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Arianna Ferrini
- Developmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Serena Barral
- Developmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Manju A Kurian
- Developmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom
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30
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Sun B, Chen H, Gao X. Versatile modification of the CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein system to facilitate in vivo application. J Control Release 2021; 337:698-717. [PMID: 34364918 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The development of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) systems has created a tremendous wave that is sweeping the world of genome editing. The ribonucleoprotein (RNP) method has evolved to be the most advantageous form for in vivo application. Modification of the CRISPR/Cas9 RNP method to adapt delivery through a variety of carriers can either directly improve the stability and specificity of the gene-editing tool in vivo or indirectly endow the system with high gene-editing efficiency that induces few off-target mutations through different delivery methods. The exploration of in vivo applications mediated by various delivery methods lays the foundation for genome research and variety improvements, which is especially promising for better in vivo research in the field of translational biomedicine. In this review, we illustrate the modifiable structures of the Cas9 nuclease and single guide RNA (sgRNA), summarize the latest research progress and discuss the feasibility and advantages of various methods. The highlighted results will enhance our knowledge, stimulate extensive research and application of Cas9 and provide alternatives for the development of rational delivery carriers in multiple fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bixi Sun
- Department of Biopharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, 1266 Fujin Road, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Hening Chen
- Department of Biopharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, 1266 Fujin Road, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Xiaoshu Gao
- Department of Biopharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, 1266 Fujin Road, Changchun 130021, China.
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31
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Dawes JC, Uren AG. Forward and Reverse Genetics of B Cell Malignancies: From Insertional Mutagenesis to CRISPR-Cas. Front Immunol 2021; 12:670280. [PMID: 34484175 PMCID: PMC8414522 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.670280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer genome sequencing has identified dozens of mutations with a putative role in lymphomagenesis and leukemogenesis. Validation of driver mutations responsible for B cell neoplasms is complicated by the volume of mutations worthy of investigation and by the complex ways that multiple mutations arising from different stages of B cell development can cooperate. Forward and reverse genetic strategies in mice can provide complementary validation of human driver genes and in some cases comparative genomics of these models with human tumors has directed the identification of new drivers in human malignancies. We review a collection of forward genetic screens performed using insertional mutagenesis, chemical mutagenesis and exome sequencing and discuss how the high coverage of subclonal mutations in insertional mutagenesis screens can identify cooperating mutations at rates not possible using human tumor genomes. We also compare a set of independently conducted screens from Pax5 mutant mice that converge upon a common set of mutations observed in human acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We also discuss reverse genetic models and screens that use CRISPR-Cas, ORFs and shRNAs to provide high throughput in vivo proof of oncogenic function, with an emphasis on models using adoptive transfer of ex vivo cultured cells. Finally, we summarize mouse models that offer temporal regulation of candidate genes in an in vivo setting to demonstrate the potential of their encoded proteins as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna C Dawes
- Medical Research Council, London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, United Kingdom.,Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony G Uren
- Medical Research Council, London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, United Kingdom.,Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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32
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Park J, Yoon J, Kwon D, Han MJ, Choi S, Park S, Lee J, Lee K, Lee J, Lee S, Kang KS, Choe S. Enhanced genome editing efficiency of CRISPR PLUS: Cas9 chimeric fusion proteins. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16199. [PMID: 34376729 PMCID: PMC8355345 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95406-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Efforts to improve CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing systems for lower off-target effects are mostly at the cost of its robust on-target efficiency. To enhance both accuracy and efficiency, we created chimeric SpyCas9 proteins fused with the 5′-to-3′ exonuclease Recombination J (RecJ) or with GFP and demonstrated that transfection of the pre-assembled ribonucleoprotein of the two chimeric proteins into human or plant cells resulted in greater targeted mutagenesis efficiency up to 600% without noticeable increase in off-target effects. Improved activity of the two fusion proteins should enable editing of the previously hard-to-edit genes and thus readily obtaining the cells with designer traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jongjin Park
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, CRISPR PLUS Lab, 38 Nakseong-daero, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul, 08790, Korea.,Naturegenic Inc, 1281 Win Hentschel Boulevard, Kurz Purdue Technology Center Suite 1573, West Lafayette, IN, 47906, USA
| | - Jiyoung Yoon
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, CRISPR PLUS Lab, 38 Nakseong-daero, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul, 08790, Korea
| | - Daekee Kwon
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Bioengineering Institute in Kangstem Biotech, Gwangmyeong SK TechnoPark, Gwangmyeong-si, 14322, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Mi-Jung Han
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Bioengineering Institute in Kangstem Biotech, Gwangmyeong SK TechnoPark, Gwangmyeong-si, 14322, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Sunmee Choi
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, CRISPR PLUS Lab, 38 Nakseong-daero, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul, 08790, Korea
| | - Slki Park
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, CRISPR PLUS Lab, 38 Nakseong-daero, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul, 08790, Korea
| | - Junghyuk Lee
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, CRISPR PLUS Lab, 38 Nakseong-daero, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul, 08790, Korea
| | - Kiwook Lee
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, CRISPR PLUS Lab, 38 Nakseong-daero, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul, 08790, Korea
| | - Jaehwan Lee
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, CRISPR PLUS Lab, 38 Nakseong-daero, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul, 08790, Korea
| | - Seunghee Lee
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Bioengineering Institute in Kangstem Biotech, Gwangmyeong SK TechnoPark, Gwangmyeong-si, 14322, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
| | - Kyung-Sun Kang
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Bioengineering Institute in Kangstem Biotech, Gwangmyeong SK TechnoPark, Gwangmyeong-si, 14322, Gyeonggi-do, Korea. .,Adult Stem Cell Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Korea.
| | - Sunghwa Choe
- G+FLAS Life Sciences, CRISPR PLUS Lab, 38 Nakseong-daero, Gwanak-Gu, Seoul, 08790, Korea. .,Naturegenic Inc, 1281 Win Hentschel Boulevard, Kurz Purdue Technology Center Suite 1573, West Lafayette, IN, 47906, USA. .,School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Korea.
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Baraniak D, Boryski J. Triazole-Modified Nucleic Acids for the Application in Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry. Biomedicines 2021; 9:628. [PMID: 34073038 PMCID: PMC8229351 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9060628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This review covers studies which exploit triazole-modified nucleic acids in the range of chemistry and biology to medicine. The 1,2,3-triazole unit, which is obtained via click chemistry approach, shows valuable and unique properties. For example, it does not occur in nature, constitutes an additional pharmacophore with attractive properties being resistant to hydrolysis and other reactions at physiological pH, exhibits biological activity (i.e., antibacterial, antitumor, and antiviral), and can be considered as a rigid mimetic of amide linkage. Herein, it is presented a whole area of useful artificial compounds, from the clickable monomers and dimers to modified oligonucleotides, in the field of nucleic acids sciences. Such modifications of internucleotide linkages are designed to increase the hybridization binding affinity toward native DNA or RNA, to enhance resistance to nucleases, and to improve ability to penetrate cell membranes. The insertion of an artificial backbone is used for understanding effects of chemically modified oligonucleotides, and their potential usefulness in therapeutic applications. We describe the state-of-the-art knowledge on their implications for synthetic genes and other large modified DNA and RNA constructs including non-coding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmara Baraniak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland;
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Chenouard V, Remy S, Tesson L, Ménoret S, Ouisse LH, Cherifi Y, Anegon I. Advances in Genome Editing and Application to the Generation of Genetically Modified Rat Models. Front Genet 2021; 12:615491. [PMID: 33959146 PMCID: PMC8093876 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.615491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The rat has been extensively used as a small animal model. Many genetically engineered rat models have emerged in the last two decades, and the advent of gene-specific nucleases has accelerated their generation in recent years. This review covers the techniques and advances used to generate genetically engineered rat lines and their application to the development of rat models more broadly, such as conditional knockouts and reporter gene strains. In addition, genome-editing techniques that remain to be explored in the rat are discussed. The review also focuses more particularly on two areas in which extensive work has been done: human genetic diseases and immune system analysis. Models are thoroughly described in these two areas and highlight the competitive advantages of rat models over available corresponding mouse versions. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive description of the advantages and potential of rat models for addressing specific scientific questions and to characterize the best genome-engineering tools for developing new projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Chenouard
- CHU Nantes, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
- genOway, Lyon, France
| | - Séverine Remy
- CHU Nantes, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Laurent Tesson
- CHU Nantes, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Séverine Ménoret
- CHU Nantes, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
- CHU Nantes, Inserm, CNRS, SFR Santé, Inserm UMS 016, CNRS UMS 3556, Nantes Université, Nantes, France
| | - Laure-Hélène Ouisse
- CHU Nantes, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | | | - Ignacio Anegon
- CHU Nantes, Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
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McKenzie LK, El-Khoury R, Thorpe JD, Damha MJ, Hollenstein M. Recent progress in non-native nucleic acid modifications. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:5126-5164. [DOI: 10.1039/d0cs01430c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
While Nature harnesses RNA and DNA to store, read and write genetic information, the inherent programmability, synthetic accessibility and wide functionality of these nucleic acids make them attractive tools for use in a vast array of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke K. McKenzie
- Institut Pasteur
- Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry
- Laboratory for Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids
- CNRS UMR3523
- 75724 Paris Cedex 15
| | | | | | | | - Marcel Hollenstein
- Institut Pasteur
- Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry
- Laboratory for Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids
- CNRS UMR3523
- 75724 Paris Cedex 15
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Gentzel IN, Park CH, Bellizzi M, Xiao G, Gadhave KR, Murphree C, Yang Q, LaMantia J, Redinbaugh MG, Balint-Kurti P, Sit TL, Wang GL. A CRISPR/dCas9 toolkit for functional analysis of maize genes. PLANT METHODS 2020; 16:133. [PMID: 33024447 PMCID: PMC7532566 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-020-00675-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system has become a powerful tool for functional genomics in plants. The RNA-guided nuclease can be used to not only generate precise genomic mutations, but also to manipulate gene expression when present as a deactivated protein (dCas9). RESULTS In this study, we describe a vector toolkit for analyzing dCas9-mediated activation (CRISPRa) or inactivation (CRISPRi) of gene expression in maize protoplasts. An improved maize protoplast isolation and transfection method is presented, as well as a description of dCas9 vectors to enhance or repress maize gene expression. CONCLUSIONS We anticipate that this maize protoplast toolkit will streamline the analysis of gRNA candidates and facilitate genetic studies of important trait genes in this transformation-recalcitrant plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene N. Gentzel
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, 483B Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Chan Ho Park
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, 483B Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Maria Bellizzi
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, 483B Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Guiqing Xiao
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, 483B Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Kiran R. Gadhave
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
| | - Colin Murphree
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
| | - Qin Yang
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
| | - Jonathan LaMantia
- Corn, Soybean and Wheat Quality Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Wooster, OH 44691 USA
| | - Margaret G. Redinbaugh
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, 483B Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
- Corn, Soybean and Wheat Quality Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Wooster, OH 44691 USA
| | - Peter Balint-Kurti
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
| | - Tim L. Sit
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
| | - Guo-Liang Wang
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, 483B Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210 USA
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Yu AM, Choi YH, Tu MJ. RNA Drugs and RNA Targets for Small Molecules: Principles, Progress, and Challenges. Pharmacol Rev 2020; 72:862-898. [PMID: 32929000 PMCID: PMC7495341 DOI: 10.1124/pr.120.019554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-based therapies, including RNA molecules as drugs and RNA-targeted small molecules, offer unique opportunities to expand the range of therapeutic targets. Various forms of RNAs may be used to selectively act on proteins, transcripts, and genes that cannot be targeted by conventional small molecules or proteins. Although development of RNA drugs faces unparalleled challenges, many strategies have been developed to improve RNA metabolic stability and intracellular delivery. A number of RNA drugs have been approved for medical use, including aptamers (e.g., pegaptanib) that mechanistically act on protein target and small interfering RNAs (e.g., patisiran and givosiran) and antisense oligonucleotides (e.g., inotersen and golodirsen) that directly interfere with RNA targets. Furthermore, guide RNAs are essential components of novel gene editing modalities, and mRNA therapeutics are under development for protein replacement therapy or vaccination, including those against unprecedented severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus pandemic. Moreover, functional RNAs or RNA motifs are highly structured to form binding pockets or clefts that are accessible by small molecules. Many natural, semisynthetic, or synthetic antibiotics (e.g., aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, macrolides, oxazolidinones, and phenicols) can directly bind to ribosomal RNAs to achieve the inhibition of bacterial infections. Therefore, there is growing interest in developing RNA-targeted small-molecule drugs amenable to oral administration, and some (e.g., risdiplam and branaplam) have entered clinical trials. Here, we review the pharmacology of novel RNA drugs and RNA-targeted small-molecule medications, with a focus on recent progresses and strategies. Challenges in the development of novel druggable RNA entities and identification of viable RNA targets and selective small-molecule binders are discussed. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: With the understanding of RNA functions and critical roles in diseases, as well as the development of RNA-related technologies, there is growing interest in developing novel RNA-based therapeutics. This comprehensive review presents pharmacology of both RNA drugs and RNA-targeted small-molecule medications, focusing on novel mechanisms of action, the most recent progress, and existing challenges.
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MESH Headings
- Aptamers, Nucleotide/pharmacology
- Aptamers, Nucleotide/therapeutic use
- Betacoronavirus
- COVID-19
- Chemistry Techniques, Analytical/methods
- Chemistry Techniques, Analytical/standards
- Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats
- Coronavirus Infections/drug therapy
- Drug Delivery Systems/methods
- Drug Development/organization & administration
- Drug Discovery
- Humans
- MicroRNAs/pharmacology
- MicroRNAs/therapeutic use
- Oligonucleotides, Antisense/pharmacology
- Oligonucleotides, Antisense/therapeutic use
- Pandemics
- Pneumonia, Viral/drug therapy
- RNA/adverse effects
- RNA/drug effects
- RNA/pharmacology
- RNA, Antisense/pharmacology
- RNA, Antisense/therapeutic use
- RNA, Messenger/drug effects
- RNA, Messenger/pharmacology
- RNA, Ribosomal/drug effects
- RNA, Ribosomal/pharmacology
- RNA, Small Interfering/pharmacology
- RNA, Small Interfering/therapeutic use
- RNA, Viral/drug effects
- Ribonucleases/metabolism
- Riboswitch/drug effects
- SARS-CoV-2
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai-Ming Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California (A.-M.Y., Y.H.C., M.-J.T.) and College of Pharmacy and Integrated Research Institute for Drug Development, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyang-si, Gyonggi-do, Republic of Korea (Y.H.C.)
| | - Young Hee Choi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California (A.-M.Y., Y.H.C., M.-J.T.) and College of Pharmacy and Integrated Research Institute for Drug Development, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyang-si, Gyonggi-do, Republic of Korea (Y.H.C.)
| | - Mei-Juan Tu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California (A.-M.Y., Y.H.C., M.-J.T.) and College of Pharmacy and Integrated Research Institute for Drug Development, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyang-si, Gyonggi-do, Republic of Korea (Y.H.C.)
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Mullally G, van Aelst K, Naqvi MM, Diffin FM, Karvelis T, Gasiunas G, Siksnys V, Szczelkun MD. 5' modifications to CRISPR-Cas9 gRNA can change the dynamics and size of R-loops and inhibit DNA cleavage. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:6811-6823. [PMID: 32496535 PMCID: PMC7337959 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A key aim in exploiting CRISPR-Cas is gRNA engineering to introduce additional functionalities, ranging from individual nucleotide changes that increase efficiency of on-target binding to the inclusion of larger functional RNA aptamers or ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). Cas9-gRNA interactions are crucial for complex assembly, but several distinct regions of the gRNA are amenable to modification. We used in vitro ensemble and single-molecule assays to assess the impact of gRNA structural alterations on RNP complex formation, R-loop dynamics, and endonuclease activity. Our results indicate that RNP formation was unaffected by any of our modifications. R-loop formation and DNA cleavage activity were also essentially unaffected by modification of the Upper Stem, first Hairpin and 3' end. In contrast, we found that 5' additions of only two or three nucleotides could reduce R-loop formation and cleavage activity of the RuvC domain relative to a single nucleotide addition. Such modifications are a common by-product of in vitro transcribed gRNA. We also observed that addition of a 20 nt RNA hairpin to the 5' end of a gRNA still supported RNP formation but produced a stable ∼9 bp R-loop that could not activate DNA cleavage. Consideration of these observations will assist in successful gRNA design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Mullally
- DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- BrisSynBio, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Kara van Aelst
- DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Mohsin M Naqvi
- DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Fiona M Diffin
- DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
| | | | - Giedrius Gasiunas
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
- CasZyme, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | - Mark D Szczelkun
- DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK
- BrisSynBio, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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Glazier DA, Liao J, Roberts BL, Li X, Yang K, Stevens CM, Tang W. Chemical Synthesis and Biological Application of Modified Oligonucleotides. Bioconjug Chem 2020; 31:1213-1233. [PMID: 32227878 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
RNA plays a myriad of roles in the body including the coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes. RNA oligonucleotides have garnered significant interest as therapeutics via antisense oligonucleotides or small interfering RNA strategies for the treatment of diseases ranging from hyperlipidemia, HCV, and others. Additionally, the recently developed CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene editing strategy also relies on Cas9-associated RNA strands. However, RNA presents numerous challenges as both a synthetic target and a potential therapeutic. RNA is inherently unstable, difficult to deliver into cells, and potentially immunogenic by itself or upon modification. Despite these challenges, with the help of chemically modified oligonucleotides, multiple RNA-based drugs have been approved by the FDA. The progress is made possible due to the nature of chemically modified oligonucleotides bearing advantages of nuclease stability, stronger binding affinity, and some other unique properties. This review will focus on the chemical synthesis of RNA and its modified versions. How chemical modifications of the ribose units and of the phosphatediester backbone address the inherent issues with using native RNA for biological applications will be discussed along the way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Glazier
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Junzhuo Liao
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States
| | - Brett L Roberts
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States
| | - Xiaolei Li
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States
| | - Ka Yang
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States
| | - Christopher M Stevens
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States
| | - Weiping Tang
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States.,Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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Nguyen Q, Lim KRQ, Yokota T. Genome Editing for the Understanding and Treatment of Inherited Cardiomyopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E733. [PMID: 31979133 PMCID: PMC7036815 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiomyopathies are diseases of heart muscle, a significant percentage of which are genetic in origin. Cardiomyopathies can be classified as dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, arrhythmogenic right ventricular or left ventricular non-compaction, although mixed morphologies are possible. A subset of neuromuscular disorders, notably Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies, are also characterized by cardiomyopathy aside from skeletal myopathy. The global burden of cardiomyopathies is certainly high, necessitating further research and novel therapies. Genome editing tools, which include zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) systems have emerged as increasingly important technologies in studying this group of cardiovascular disorders. In this review, we discuss the applications of genome editing in the understanding and treatment of cardiomyopathy. We also describe recent advances in genome editing that may help improve these applications, and some future prospects for genome editing in cardiomyopathy treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quynh Nguyen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada; (Q.N.); (K.R.Q.L.)
| | - Kenji Rowel Q. Lim
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada; (Q.N.); (K.R.Q.L.)
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada; (Q.N.); (K.R.Q.L.)
- The Friends of Garrett Cumming Research & Muscular Dystrophy Canada, HM Toupin Neurological Science Research Chair, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada
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Amirkhanov RN, Stepanov GA. Systems of Delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein Complexes for Genome Editing. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1068162019060025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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