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Mohan K, Dubey SK, Jung K, Dubey R, Wang QJ, Prajapati S, Roney J, Abney J, Kleinman ME. Long-Term Evaluation of Retinal Morphology and Function in Rosa26-Cas9 Knock-In Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:5186. [PMID: 36982266 PMCID: PMC10049241 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065186] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a robust, efficient, and cost-effective gene editing tool widely adopted in translational studies of ocular diseases. However, in vivo CRISPR-based editing in animal models poses challenges such as the efficient delivery of the CRISPR components in viral vectors with limited packaging capacity and a Cas9-associated immune response. Using a germline Cas9-expressing mouse model would help to overcome these limitations. Here, we evaluated the long-term effects of SpCas9 expression on retinal morphology and function using Rosa26-Cas9 knock-in mice. We observed abundant SpCas9 expression in the RPE and retina of Rosa26-Cas9 mice using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunostaining. SD-OCT imaging and histological analysis of the RPE, retinal layers, and vasculature showed no apparent structural abnormalities in adult and aged Cas9 mice. Full-field electroretinogram of adult and aged Cas9 mice showed no long-term functional changes in the retinal tissues because of constitutive Cas9 expression. The current study showed that both the retina and RPE maintain their phenotypic and functional features in Cas9 knock-in mice, establishing this as an ideal animal model for developing therapeutics for retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kabhilan Mohan
- Department of Surgery, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA (S.K.D.)
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Sushil Kumar Dubey
- Department of Surgery, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA (S.K.D.)
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Kyungsik Jung
- Department of Surgery, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA (S.K.D.)
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Rashmi Dubey
- Department of Surgery, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA (S.K.D.)
| | - Qing Jun Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Subhash Prajapati
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Jacob Roney
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Jennifer Abney
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Mark Ellsworth Kleinman
- Department of Surgery, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA (S.K.D.)
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
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Zhong Y, Mohan K, Liu J, Al-Attar A, Lin P, Flight RM, Sun Q, Warmoes MO, Deshpande RR, Liu H, Jung KS, Mitov MI, Lin N, Butterfield DA, Lu S, Liu J, Moseley HNB, Fan TWM, Kleinman ME, Wang QJ. Loss of CLN3, the gene mutated in juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, leads to metabolic impairment and autophagy induction in retinal pigment epithelium. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2020; 1866:165883. [PMID: 32592935 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.165883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL, aka. juvenile Batten disease or CLN3 disease) is a lysosomal storage disease characterized by progressive blindness, seizures, cognitive and motor failures, and premature death. JNCL is caused by mutations in the Ceroid Lipofuscinosis, Neuronal 3 (CLN3) gene, whose function is unclear. Although traditionally considered a neurodegenerative disease, CLN3 disease displays eye-specific effects: Vision loss not only is often one of the earliest symptoms of JNCL, but also has been reported in non-syndromic CLN3 disease. Here we described the roles of CLN3 protein in maintaining healthy retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and normal vision. Using electroretinogram, fundoscopy and microscopy, we showed impaired visual function, retinal autofluorescent lesions, and RPE disintegration and metaplasia/hyperplasia in a Cln3 ~ 1 kb-deletion mouse model [1] on C57BL/6J background. Utilizing a combination of biochemical analyses, RNA-Seq, Seahorse XF bioenergetic analysis, and Stable Isotope Resolved Metabolomics (SIRM), we further demonstrated that loss of CLN3 increased autophagic flux, suppressed mTORC1 and Akt activities, enhanced AMPK activity, and up-regulated gene expression of the autophagy-lysosomal system in RPE-1 cells, suggesting autophagy induction. This CLN3 deficiency induced autophagy induction coincided with decreased mitochondrial oxygen consumption, glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and ATP production. We also reported for the first time that loss of CLN3 led to glycogen accumulation despite of impaired glycogen synthesis. Our comprehensive analyses shed light on how loss of CLN3 affect autophagy and metabolism. This work suggests possible links among metabolic impairment, autophagy induction and lysosomal storage, as well as between RPE atrophy/degeneration and vision loss in JNCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhong
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Kabhilan Mohan
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Jinpeng Liu
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Ahmad Al-Attar
- Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Penghui Lin
- Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Robert M Flight
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States; Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Qiushi Sun
- Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Marc O Warmoes
- Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Rahul R Deshpande
- Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Huijuan Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Kyung Sik Jung
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Mihail I Mitov
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | | | - D Allan Butterfield
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States; Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Shuyan Lu
- Pfizer Inc., San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Jinze Liu
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States; Department of Computer Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States; Institute for Biomedical Informatics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Hunter N B Moseley
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States; Institute for Biomedical Informatics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Teresa W M Fan
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States; Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States; Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Mark E Kleinman
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Qing Jun Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States; Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.
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