1
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Zheng Y, Cui XC, Guo F, Dou ML, Xie ZX, Yuan YJ. Design and structure of overlapping regions in PCA via deep learning. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2025; 10:442-451. [PMID: 39917768 PMCID: PMC11799973 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2024.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2024] [Revised: 12/11/2024] [Accepted: 12/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2025] Open
Abstract
Polymerase cycling assembly (PCA) stands out as the predominant method in the synthesis of kilobase-length DNA fragments. The design of overlapping regions is the core factor affecting the success rate of synthesis. However, there still exists DNA sequences that are challenging to design and construct in the genome synthesis. Here we proposed a deep learning model based on extensive synthesis data to discern latent sequence representations in overlapping regions with an AUPR of 0.805. Utilizing the model, we developed the SmartCut algorithm aimed at designing oligonucleotides and enhancing the success rate of PCA experiments. This algorithm was successfully applied to sequences with diverse synthesis constraints, 80.4 % of which were synthesized in a single round. We further discovered structure differences represented by major groove width, stagger, slide, and centroid distance between overlapping and non-overlapping regions, which elucidated the model's reasonableness through the lens of physical chemistry. This comprehensive approach facilitates streamlined and efficient investigations into the genome synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zheng
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Xi-Chen Cui
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Fei Guo
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, PR China
| | - Ming-Liang Dou
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Ze-Xiong Xie
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
| | - Ying-Jin Yuan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, PR China
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2
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James JS, Dai J, Chew WL, Cai Y. The design and engineering of synthetic genomes. Nat Rev Genet 2025; 26:298-319. [PMID: 39506144 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-024-00786-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/23/2024] [Indexed: 11/08/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic genomics seeks to design and construct entire genomes to mechanistically dissect fundamental questions of genome function and to engineer organisms for diverse applications, including bioproduction of high-value chemicals and biologics, advanced cell therapies, and stress-tolerant crops. Recent progress has been fuelled by advancements in DNA synthesis, assembly, delivery and editing. Computational innovations, such as the use of artificial intelligence to provide prediction of function, also provide increasing capabilities to guide synthetic genome design and construction. However, translating synthetic genome-scale projects from idea to implementation remains highly complex. Here, we aim to streamline this implementation process by comprehensively reviewing the strategies for design, construction, delivery, debugging and tailoring of synthetic genomes as well as their potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua S James
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Junbiao Dai
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Agricultural Synthetic Biology, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Leong Chew
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yizhi Cai
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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3
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Wu Y, Gao S, Liu G, Wang M, Tan R, Huang B, Tan W. Development of viral infectious clones and their applications based on yeast and bacterial artificial chromosome platforms. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2025; 6:26. [PMID: 40295404 PMCID: PMC12037452 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-025-00266-7] [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: 09/13/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2025] [Accepted: 04/06/2025] [Indexed: 04/30/2025] Open
Abstract
Infectious Clones represent a foundational technique in the field of reverse genetics, allowing for the construction and manipulation of full-length viral genomes. The main methods currently used for constructing viral infectious clones include Transformation-associated recombination (TAR), which is based on Yeast Artificial Chromosome (YAC) and Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC). The YAC and BAC systems are powerful tools that enable the clones and manipulation of large DNA fragments, making them well-suited for the construction of full-length viral genomes. These methods have been successfully applied to construct infectious clones for a wide range of viruses, including coronaviruses, herpesviruses, flaviviruses and baculoviruses. The rescued recombinant viruses from these infectious clones have been widely used in various research areas, such as vaccine development, antiviral drug screening, pathogenesis and virulence studies, gene therapy and vector design. However, as different viruses possess unique biological characteristics, the challenge remains in how to rapidly obtain infectious clones for future research. In summary, this review introduced the development and applications of infectious clones, with a focus on the YAC, BAC and combined YAC-BAC technologies. We emphasize the importance of these platforms in various research areas and aim to provide deeper insights that can advance the platform and broaden its application horizons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyi Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, 155 Changbai Road, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Shangqing Gao
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, 155 Changbai Road, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Guanya Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, 155 Changbai Road, Beijing, 102206, China
- School of Public Health, Baotou Medical College, Baotou City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 014040, China
| | - Mengwei Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, 155 Changbai Road, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Ruixiao Tan
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Avenue, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Baoying Huang
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, 155 Changbai Road, Beijing, 102206, China.
| | - Wenjie Tan
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of Biosafety, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, 155 Changbai Road, Beijing, 102206, China.
- School of Public Health, Baotou Medical College, Baotou City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 014040, China.
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4
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Zhang Z, Hong P, Li Z, Li B, Chen T, Shen Y, Yang X, Ye Y, Wang Y, Lin Z. Expediting genome synthesis of Corynebacterium glutamicum with an artificial chromosome vector. Trends Biotechnol 2025:S0167-7799(25)00082-4. [PMID: 40155267 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.02.019] [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: 12/31/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2025] [Accepted: 02/25/2025] [Indexed: 04/01/2025]
Abstract
Recent advances in genome synthesis have relied on scalable DNA assembly and delivery, and efficient recombination techniques. While these methods have enabled rapid progress for Escherichia coli and yeast, they are often inadequate for other microorganisms. Here, we devised a Corynebacterium glutamicum artificial chromosome (CAC), which combines a replicating system from a closely related strain with an innate partitioning system. This CAC vector can efficiently deliver DNA fragments up to 56 kb and maintain stability in C. glutamicum. Leveraging the CAC vector, we developed CAC Excision Enhanced Recombination (CACEXER), a streamlined strategy for iterative genome replacements in C. glutamicum. Using this approach, we integrated 361 kb (11%) of synthetic DNA into the genome, creating semi-synCG-A. This strain paves the way to establish C. glutamicum as the third industrial microorganism, alongside E. coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to undergo large-scale genome synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanhua Zhang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Peixiong Hong
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Zebin Li
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Baitao Li
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China
| | - Tai Chen
- BGI Research, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213299, China
| | - Yue Shen
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China; BGI Research, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213299, China
| | - Xiaofeng Yang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Yanrui Ye
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China.
| | - Yun Wang
- BGI Research, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518120, China; BGI Research, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213299, China.
| | - Zhanglin Lin
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China.
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5
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Li H, Xu S, Liu Y, Lu Y, Ning Y. Efficient De Novo Assembly of 100 kb-Scale Human Functional Immunoglobulin Heavy Variable (IGHV) Gene Fragments In Vitro. ACS Synth Biol 2025. [PMID: 40135783 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.5c00011] [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: 03/27/2025]
Abstract
Synthetic biology provides a powerful approach to functional studies of viral and microbial genomes. However, in vitro, efficient and scarless DNA manipulation on large and complex human genomes remains an inevitable challenge. Here, we de novo design and successfully assemble human functional immunoglobulin heavy variable (IGHV) gene fragments up to hundred-kilobase (kb)-sized, using an iterative in vitro assembly via Escherichia coli (E. coli) based on Gibson isothermal assembly. We describe an efficient method for "scarless" (without leaving any non-native sequences) engineering of the assembled ordered functional IGHV gene fragments, which contain complex and highly repetitive regions. Our method provides a suitable way to construct bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) (30-100 kb) with common materials, easy manipulations, and low cost. The construction of ordered functional IGHV gene BACs expands the synthetic biologist's chassis repertoire. It is essential for the adaptive immune response and constructing immunity humanized animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqiong Li
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Immunotherapy, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Shuyao Xu
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Immunotherapy, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yurui Liu
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Immunotherapy, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yongqi Lu
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Immunotherapy, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yunshan Ning
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Immunotherapy, Guangzhou 510515, China
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6
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Ribeiro-Dos-Santos AM, Maurano MT. Iterative improvement of deep learning models using synthetic regulatory genomics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.02.04.636130. [PMID: 39974895 PMCID: PMC11838587 DOI: 10.1101/2025.02.04.636130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2025]
Abstract
Generative deep learning models can accurately reconstruct genome-wide epigenetic tracks from the reference genome sequence alone. But it is unclear what predictive power they have on sequence diverging from the reference, such as disease- and trait-associated variants or engineered sequences. Recent work has applied synthetic regulatory genomics to characterized dozens of deletions, inversions, and rearrangements of DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs). Here, we use the state-of-the-art model Enformer to predict DNA accessibility across these engineered sequences when delivered at their endogenous loci. At high level, we observe a good correlation between accessibility predicted by Enformer and experimentally measured values. But model performance was best for sequences that more resembled the reference, such as single deletions or combinations of multiple DHSs. Predictive power was poorer for rearrangements affecting DHS order or orientation. We use these data to fine-tune Enformer, yielding significant reduction in prediction error. We show that this fine-tuning retains strong predictive performance for other tracks. Our results show that current deep learning models perform poorly when presented with novel sequence diverging in certain critical features from their training set. Thus an iterative approach incorporating profiling of synthetic constructs can improve model generalizability, and ultimately enable functional classification of regulatory variants identified by population studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew T Maurano
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Pathology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Corresponding author:
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7
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Mao Y, Zhao Y, Zhou Q, Li W. Chromosome Engineering: Technologies, Applications, and Challenges. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2025; 13:25-47. [PMID: 39541223 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-111523-102225] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2024]
Abstract
Chromosome engineering is a transformative field at the cutting edge of biological science, offering unprecedented precision in manipulating large-scale genomic DNA within cells. This discipline is central to deciphering how the multifaceted roles of chromosomes-guarding genetic information, encoding sequence positional information, and influencing organismal traits-shape the genetic blueprint of life. This review comprehensively examines the technological advancements in chromosome engineering, which center on engineering chromosomal rearrangements, generating artificial chromosomes, de novo synthesizing chromosomes, and transferring chromosomes. Additionally, we introduce the application progress of chromosome engineering in basic and applied research fields, showcasing its capacity to deepen our knowledge of genetics and catalyze breakthroughs in therapeutic strategies. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of the challenges the field faces and highlight the profound implications that chromosome engineering holds for the future of modern biology and medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihuan Mao
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology and Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;
| | - Yulong Zhao
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology and Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;
| | - Qi Zhou
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology and Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;
| | - Wei Li
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology and Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;
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8
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Blanch-Asensio A, Ploessl DS, Wang NB, Mummery CL, Galloway KE, Davis RP. STRAIGHT-IN Dual: a platform for dual, single-copy integrations of DNA payloads and gene circuits into human induced pluripotent stem cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.10.17.616637. [PMID: 39464154 PMCID: PMC11507887 DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.17.616637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/29/2024]
Abstract
Targeting DNA payloads into human (h)iPSCs involves multiple time-consuming, inefficient steps that must be repeated for each construct. Here, we present STRAIGHT-IN Dual, which enables simultaneous, allele-specific, single-copy integration of two DNA payloads with 100% efficiency within one week. Notably, STRAIGHT-IN Dual leverages the STRAIGHT-IN platform to allow near-scarless cargo integration, facilitating the recycling of components for subsequent cellular modifications. Using STRAIGHT-IN Dual, we investigated how promoter choice and gene syntax influences transgene silencing, and demonstrate the impact of these design features on forward programming of hiPSCs into neurons. Furthermore, we designed a grazoprevir-inducible synZiFTR system to complement the widely-used tetracycline-inducible system, providing independent, tunable, and temporally controlled expression of both transcription factors and functional reporters. The unprecedented efficiency and speed with which STRAIGHT-IN Dual generates homogenous genetically engineered hiPSC populations represents a major advancement for synthetic biology in stem cell applications and opens opportunities for precision cell engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Blanch-Asensio
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW, Leiden University Medical Center
| | - Deon S. Ploessl
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA 02139 Cambridge, USA
| | - Nathan B. Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA 02139 Cambridge, USA
| | - Christine L. Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW, Leiden University Medical Center
| | - Kate E. Galloway
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA 02139 Cambridge, USA
- Senior author
| | - Richard P. Davis
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300RC Leiden, The Netherlands
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW, Leiden University Medical Center
- Senior author
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9
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He F, Liu X, Tang M, Wang H, Wu Y, Liang S. CRISETR: an efficient technology for multiplexed refactoring of biosynthetic gene clusters. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:11378-11393. [PMID: 39271125 PMCID: PMC11472037 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae781] [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: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The efficient refactoring of natural product biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) for activating silent BGCs is a central challenge for the discovery of new bioactive natural products. Herein, we have developed a simple and robust CRISETR (CRISPR/Cas9 and RecET-mediated Refactoring) technique, combining clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 and RecET, for the multiplexed refactoring of natural product BGCs. By this approach, natural product BGCs can be refactored through the synergistic interaction between RecET-mediated efficient homologous recombination and the CRISPR/Cas9 system. We first performed a proof-of-concept validation of the ability of CRISETR, and CRISETR can achieve simultaneous replacement of four promoter sites and marker-free replacement of single promoter site in natural product BGCs. Subsequently, we applied CRISETR to the promoter engineering of the 74-kb daptomycin BGC containing a large number of direct repeat sequences for enhancing the heterologous production of daptomycin. We used combinatorial design to build multiple refactored daptomycin BGCs with diverse combinations of promoters different in transcriptional strengths, and the yield of daptomycin was improved 20.4-fold in heterologous host Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). In general, CRISETR exhibits enhanced tolerance to repetitive sequences within gene clusters, enabling efficient refactoring of diverse and complex BGCs, which would greatly accelerate discovery of novel bioactive metabolites present in microorganism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuqiang He
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Xinpeng Liu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Min Tang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Haiyi Wang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
| | - Yun Wu
- Department of Cell Biology, College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610101, P.R. China
| | - Shufang Liang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, P.R. China
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10
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Schindler D, Walker RSK, Cai Y. Methodological advances enabled by the construction of a synthetic yeast genome. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2024; 4:100761. [PMID: 38653205 PMCID: PMC11046031 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2024.100761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The international Synthetic Yeast Project (Sc2.0) aims to construct the first synthetic designer eukaryote genome. Over the past few years, the Sc2.0 consortium has achieved several significant milestones by synthesizing and characterizing all 16 nuclear chromosomes of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as well as a 17thde novo neochromosome containing all nuclear tRNA genes. In this commentary, we discuss the recent technological advances achieved in this project and provide a perspective on how they will impact the emerging field of synthetic genomics in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schindler
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany; Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-University Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany.
| | - Roy S K Walker
- School of Natural Sciences and ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Yizhi Cai
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK.
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11
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Tan W, Miao Q, Jia X, Liu Y, Li S, Yang D. Research Progress on the Assembly of Large DNA Fragments. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202400054. [PMID: 38477700 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400054] [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: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic biology, a newly and rapidly developing interdisciplinary field, has demonstrated increasing potential for extensive applications in the wide areas of biomedicine, biofuels, and novel materials. DNA assembly is a key enabling technology of synthetic biology and a central point for realizing fully synthetic artificial life. While the assembly of small DNA fragments has been successfully commercialized, the assembly of large DNA fragments remains a challenge due to their high molecular weight and susceptibility to breakage. This article provides an overview of the development and current state of DNA assembly technology, with a focus on recent advancements in the assembly of large DNA fragments in Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In particular, the methods and challenges associated with the assembly of large DNA fragment in different hosts are highlighted. The advancements in DNA assembly have the potential to facilitate the construction of customized genomes, giving us the ability to modify cellular functions and even create artificial life. It is also contributing to our ability to understand, predict, and manipulate living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Tan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
- Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201, P. R. China
| | - Qing Miao
- Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201, P. R. China
| | - Xuemei Jia
- Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201, P. R. China
| | - Ying Liu
- Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201, P. R. China
| | - Shuai Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
- Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201, P. R. China
| | - Dayong Yang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
- Zhejiang Institute of Tianjin University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315201, P. R. China
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12
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Camellato BR, Brosh R, Ashe HJ, Maurano MT, Boeke JD. Synthetic reversed sequences reveal default genomic states. Nature 2024; 628:373-380. [PMID: 38448583 PMCID: PMC11006607 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07128-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Pervasive transcriptional activity is observed across diverse species. The genomes of extant organisms have undergone billions of years of evolution, making it unclear whether these genomic activities represent effects of selection or 'noise'1-4. Characterizing default genome states could help understand whether pervasive transcriptional activity has biological meaning. Here we addressed this question by introducing a synthetic 101-kb locus into the genomes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Mus musculus and characterizing genomic activity. The locus was designed by reversing but not complementing human HPRT1, including its flanking regions, thus retaining basic features of the natural sequence but ablating evolved coding or regulatory information. We observed widespread activity of both reversed and native HPRT1 loci in yeast, despite the lack of evolved yeast promoters. By contrast, the reversed locus displayed no activity at all in mouse embryonic stem cells, and instead exhibited repressive chromatin signatures. The repressive signature was alleviated in a locus variant lacking CpG dinucleotides; nevertheless, this variant was also transcriptionally inactive. These results show that synthetic genomic sequences that lack coding information are active in yeast, but inactive in mouse embryonic stem cells, consistent with a major difference in 'default genomic states' between these two divergent eukaryotic cell types, with implications for understanding pervasive transcription, horizontal transfer of genetic information and the birth of new genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ran Brosh
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hannah J Ashe
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew T Maurano
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jef D Boeke
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, New York, NY, USA.
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13
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Yin Y, Arneson R, Apostle A, Eriyagama AMDN, Chillar K, Burke E, Jahfetson M, Yuan Y, Fang S. Long oligodeoxynucleotides: chemical synthesis, isolation via catching-by-polymerization, verification via sequencing, and gene expression demonstration. Beilstein J Org Chem 2023; 19:1957-1965. [PMID: 38170048 PMCID: PMC10760481 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.19.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Long oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) are segments of DNAs having over one hundred nucleotides (nt). They are typically assembled using enzymatic methods such as PCR and ligation from shorter 20 to 60 nt ODNs produced by automated de novo chemical synthesis. While these methods have made many projects in areas such as synthetic biology and protein engineering possible, they have various drawbacks. For example, they cannot produce genes and genomes with long repeats and have difficulty to produce sequences containing stable secondary structures. Here, we report a direct de novo chemical synthesis of 400 nt ODNs, and their isolation from the complex reaction mixture using the catching-by-polymerization (CBP) method. To determine the authenticity of the ODNs, 399 and 401 nt ODNs were synthesized and purified with CBP. The two were joined together using Gibson assembly to give the 800 nt green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene construct. The sequence of the construct was verified via Sanger sequencing. To demonstrate the potential use of the long ODN synthesis method, the GFP gene was expressed in E. coli. The long ODN synthesis and isolation method presented here provides a pathway to the production of genes and genomes containing long repeats or stable secondary structures that cannot be produced or are highly challenging to produce using existing technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yipeng Yin
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA,
| | - Reed Arneson
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Alexander Apostle
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA,
| | - Adikari M D N Eriyagama
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA,
| | - Komal Chillar
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA,
| | - Emma Burke
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Martina Jahfetson
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA,
| | - Yinan Yuan
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Shiyue Fang
- Department of Chemistry and Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA,
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14
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Blayney JW, Francis H, Rampasekova A, Camellato B, Mitchell L, Stolper R, Cornell L, Babbs C, Boeke JD, Higgs DR, Kassouf M. Super-enhancers include classical enhancers and facilitators to fully activate gene expression. Cell 2023; 186:5826-5839.e18. [PMID: 38101409 PMCID: PMC10858684 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Super-enhancers are compound regulatory elements that control expression of key cell identity genes. They recruit high levels of tissue-specific transcription factors and co-activators such as the Mediator complex and contact target gene promoters with high frequency. Most super-enhancers contain multiple constituent regulatory elements, but it is unclear whether these elements have distinct roles in activating target gene expression. Here, by rebuilding the endogenous multipartite α-globin super-enhancer, we show that it contains bioinformatically equivalent but functionally distinct element types: classical enhancers and facilitator elements. Facilitators have no intrinsic enhancer activity, yet in their absence, classical enhancers are unable to fully upregulate their target genes. Without facilitators, classical enhancers exhibit reduced Mediator recruitment, enhancer RNA transcription, and enhancer-promoter interactions. Facilitators are interchangeable but display functional hierarchy based on their position within a multipartite enhancer. Facilitators thus play an important role in potentiating the activity of classical enhancers and ensuring robust activation of target genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W Blayney
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Helena Francis
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Alexandra Rampasekova
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Brendan Camellato
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Leslie Mitchell
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Rosa Stolper
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Lucy Cornell
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Christian Babbs
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Jef D Boeke
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA.
| | - Douglas R Higgs
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK; Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK.
| | - Mira Kassouf
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK.
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15
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Schindler D, Walker RSK, Jiang S, Brooks AN, Wang Y, Müller CA, Cockram C, Luo Y, García A, Schraivogel D, Mozziconacci J, Pena N, Assari M, Sánchez Olmos MDC, Zhao Y, Ballerini A, Blount BA, Cai J, Ogunlana L, Liu W, Jönsson K, Abramczyk D, Garcia-Ruiz E, Turowski TW, Swidah R, Ellis T, Pan T, Antequera F, Shen Y, Nieduszynski CA, Koszul R, Dai J, Steinmetz LM, Boeke JD, Cai Y. Design, construction, and functional characterization of a tRNA neochromosome in yeast. Cell 2023; 186:5237-5253.e22. [PMID: 37944512 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Here, we report the design, construction, and characterization of a tRNA neochromosome, a designer chromosome that functions as an additional, de novo counterpart to the native complement of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Intending to address one of the central design principles of the Sc2.0 project, the ∼190-kb tRNA neochromosome houses all 275 relocated nuclear tRNA genes. To maximize stability, the design incorporates orthogonal genetic elements from non-S. cerevisiae yeast species. Furthermore, the presence of 283 rox recombination sites enables an orthogonal tRNA SCRaMbLE system. Following construction in yeast, we obtained evidence of a potent selective force, manifesting as a spontaneous doubling in cell ploidy. Furthermore, tRNA sequencing, transcriptomics, proteomics, nucleosome mapping, replication profiling, FISH, and Hi-C were undertaken to investigate questions of tRNA neochromosome behavior and function. Its construction demonstrates the remarkable tractability of the yeast model and opens up opportunities to directly test hypotheses surrounding these essential non-coding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schindler
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK; Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany; Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-University Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Roy S K Walker
- School of Engineering, Institute for Bioengineering, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, Scotland; School of Natural Sciences and ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Shuangying Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Aaron N Brooks
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yun Wang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen 518083, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Carolin A Müller
- Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TU, UK
| | - Charlotte Cockram
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3525, Université Paris Cité, Unité Régulation Spatiale des Génomes, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Yisha Luo
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Alicia García
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica (IBFG), CSIC, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Daniel Schraivogel
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julien Mozziconacci
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3525, Université Paris Cité, Unité Régulation Spatiale des Génomes, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Noah Pena
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Mahdi Assari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | | | - Yu Zhao
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Alba Ballerini
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Benjamin A Blount
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jitong Cai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lois Ogunlana
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, Scotland
| | - Wei Liu
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, Scotland
| | - Katarina Jönsson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, Scotland
| | - Dariusz Abramczyk
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3BF, Scotland
| | - Eva Garcia-Ruiz
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Tomasz W Turowski
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warszawa, Poland
| | - Reem Swidah
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Tom Ellis
- Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Tao Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Francisco Antequera
- Instituto de Biología Funcional y Genómica (IBFG), CSIC, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Yue Shen
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK; BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen 518083, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Conrad A Nieduszynski
- Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TU, UK
| | - Romain Koszul
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3525, Université Paris Cité, Unité Régulation Spatiale des Génomes, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Junbiao Dai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lars M Steinmetz
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Genetics and Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Jef D Boeke
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - Yizhi Cai
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK.
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16
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Zhang W, Golynker I, Brosh R, Fajardo A, Zhu Y, Wudzinska AM, Ordoñez R, Ribeiro-Dos-Santos AM, Carrau L, Damani-Yokota P, Yeung ST, Khairallah C, Vela Gartner A, Chalhoub N, Huang E, Ashe HJ, Khanna KM, Maurano MT, Kim SY, tenOever BR, Boeke JD. Mouse genome rewriting and tailoring of three important disease loci. Nature 2023; 623:423-431. [PMID: 37914927 PMCID: PMC10632133 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06675-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) help us to understand human pathologies and develop new therapies, yet faithfully recapitulating human diseases in mice is challenging. Advances in genomics have highlighted the importance of non-coding regulatory genome sequences, which control spatiotemporal gene expression patterns and splicing in many human diseases1,2. Including regulatory extensive genomic regions, which requires large-scale genome engineering, should enhance the quality of disease modelling. Existing methods set limits on the size and efficiency of DNA delivery, hampering the routine creation of highly informative models that we call genomically rewritten and tailored GEMMs (GREAT-GEMMs). Here we describe 'mammalian switching antibiotic resistance markers progressively for integration' (mSwAP-In), a method for efficient genome rewriting in mouse embryonic stem cells. We demonstrate the use of mSwAP-In for iterative genome rewriting of up to 115 kb of a tailored Trp53 locus, as well as for humanization of mice using 116 kb and 180 kb human ACE2 loci. The ACE2 model recapitulated human ACE2 expression patterns and splicing, and notably, presented milder symptoms when challenged with SARS-CoV-2 compared with the existing K18-hACE2 model, thus representing a more human-like model of infection. Finally, we demonstrated serial genome writing by humanizing mouse Tmprss2 biallelically in the ACE2 GREAT-GEMM, highlighting the versatility of mSwAP-In in genome writing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weimin Zhang
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ilona Golynker
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ran Brosh
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alvaro Fajardo
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yinan Zhu
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aleksandra M Wudzinska
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Raquel Ordoñez
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - André M Ribeiro-Dos-Santos
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lucia Carrau
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Stephen T Yeung
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Antonio Vela Gartner
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Noor Chalhoub
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily Huang
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hannah J Ashe
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kamal M Khanna
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew T Maurano
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sang Yong Kim
- Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin R tenOever
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jef D Boeke
- Institute for Systems Genetics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
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17
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Zhao Y, Coelho C, Lauer S, Majewski M, Laurent JM, Brosh R, Boeke JD. CREEPY: CRISPR-mediated editing of synthetic episomes in yeast. Nucleic Acids Res 2023:gkad491. [PMID: 37326023 PMCID: PMC10359617 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Use of synthetic genomics to design and build 'big' DNA has revolutionized our ability to answer fundamental biological questions by employing a bottom-up approach. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or budding yeast, has become the major platform to assemble large synthetic constructs thanks to its powerful homologous recombination machinery and the availability of well-established molecular biology techniques. However, introducing designer variations to episomal assemblies with high efficiency and fidelity remains challenging. Here we describe CRISPR Engineering of EPisomes in Yeast, or CREEPY, a method for rapid engineering of large synthetic episomal DNA constructs. We demonstrate that CRISPR editing of circular episomes presents unique challenges compared to modifying native yeast chromosomes. We optimize CREEPY for efficient and precise multiplex editing of >100 kb yeast episomes, providing an expanded toolkit for synthetic genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhao
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY10016, USA
| | - Camila Coelho
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY10016, USA
| | - Stephanie Lauer
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY10016, USA
| | - Miłosz Majewski
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY10016, USA
- Maastricht Science Programme, Maastricht University, Maastricht6200MD, The Netherlands
| | - Jon M Laurent
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY10016, USA
| | - Ran Brosh
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY10016, USA
| | - Jef D Boeke
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY10016, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY10016, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY11201, USA
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18
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Zheng Y, Song K, Xie ZX, Han MZ, Guo F, Yuan YJ. Machine learning-aided scoring of synthesis difficulties for designer chromosomes. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023:10.1007/s11427-023-2306-x. [PMID: 36881317 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2306-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Designer chromosomes are artificially synthesized chromosomes. Nowadays, these chromosomes have numerous applications ranging from medical research to the development of biofuels. However, some chromosome fragments can interfere with the chemical synthesis of designer chromosomes and eventually limit the widespread use of this technology. To address this issue, this study aimed to develop an interpretable machine learning framework to predict and quantify the synthesis difficulties of designer chromosomes in advance. Through the use of this framework, six key sequence features leading to synthesis difficulties were identified, and an eXtreme Gradient Boosting model was established to integrate these features. The predictive model achieved high-quality performance with an AUC of 0.895 in cross-validation and an AUC of 0.885 on an independent test set. Based on these results, the synthesis difficulty index (S-index) was proposed as a means of scoring and interpreting synthesis difficulties of chromosomes from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. The findings of this study emphasize the significant variability in synthesis difficulties between chromosomes and demonstrate the potential of the proposed model to predict and mitigate these difficulties through the optimization of the synthesis process and genome rewriting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zheng
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.,School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Kai Song
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.,School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Ze-Xiong Xie
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.,School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Ming-Zhe Han
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.,School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Fei Guo
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, China.
| | - Ying-Jin Yuan
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China. .,School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
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19
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Downes DJ, Hughes JR. Natural and Experimental Rewiring of Gene Regulatory Regions. Annu Rev Genomics Hum Genet 2022; 23:73-97. [PMID: 35472292 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genom-112921-010715] [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: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The successful development and ongoing functioning of complex organisms depend on the faithful execution of the genetic code. A critical step in this process is the correct spatial and temporal expression of genes. The highly orchestrated transcription of genes is controlled primarily by cis-regulatory elements: promoters, enhancers, and insulators. The medical importance of this key biological process can be seen by the frequency with which mutations and inherited variants that alter cis-regulatory elements lead to monogenic and complex diseases and cancer. Here, we provide an overview of the methods available to characterize and perturb gene regulatory circuits. We then highlight mechanisms through which regulatory rewiring contributes to disease, and conclude with a perspective on how our understanding of gene regulation can be used to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien J Downes
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
| | - Jim R Hughes
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
- MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
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20
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Hosur V, Low BE, Wiles MV. Programmable RNA-Guided Large DNA Transgenesis by CRISPR/Cas9 and Site-Specific Integrase Bxb1. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:910151. [PMID: 35866031 PMCID: PMC9294445 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.910151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The inability to insert large DNA constructs into the genome efficiently and precisely is a key challenge in genomic engineering. Random transgenesis, which is widely used, lacks precision, and comes with a slew of drawbacks. Lentiviral and adeno-associated viral methods are plagued by, respectively, DNA toxicity and a payload capacity of less than 5 kb. Homology-directed repair (HDR) techniques based on CRISPR-Cas9 can be effective, but only in the 1-5 kb range. In addition, long homology arms-DNA sequences that permit construct insertion-of lengths ranging from 0.5 to 5 kb are required by currently known HDR-based techniques. A potential new method that uses Cas9-guided transposases to insert DNA structures up to 10 kb in length works well in bacteria, but only in bacteria. Surmounting these roadblocks, a new toolkit has recently been developed that combines RNA-guided Cas9 and the site-specific integrase Bxb1 to integrate DNA constructs ranging in length from 5 to 43 kb into mouse zygotes with germline transmission and into human cells. This ground-breaking toolkit will give researchers a valuable resource for developing novel, urgently needed mouse and human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models of cancer and other genetic diseases, as well as therapeutic gene integration and biopharmaceutical applications, such as the development of stable cell lines to produce therapeutic protein products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishnu Hosur
- The Jackson Laboratory for Mammalian Genetics, Bar Harbor, ME, United States
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21
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Jiang S, Tang Y, Xiang L, Zhu X, Cai Z, Li L, Chen Y, Chen P, Feng Y, Lin X, Li G, Sharif J, Dai J. Efficient de novo assembly and modification of large DNA fragments. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 65:1445-1455. [PMID: 34939159 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-2029-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic genomics has provided new bottom-up platforms for the functional study of viral and microbial genomes. The construction of the large, gigabase (Gb)-sized genomes of higher organisms will deepen our understanding of genetic blueprints significantly. But for the synthesis and assembly of such large-scale genomes, the development of new or expanded methods is required. In this study, we develop an efficient pipeline for the construction of large DNA fragments sized 100 kilobases (kb) or above from scratches and describe an efficient method for "scar-free" engineering of the assembled sequences. Our method, therefore, should provide a standard framework for producing long DNA molecules, which are critical materials for synthetic genomics and metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangying Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yuanwei Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Liang Xiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xinlu Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zelin Cai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ling Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yingxi Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Peishuang Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yuge Feng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xin Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Guoqiang Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jafar Sharif
- Developmental Genetics Laboratory, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Junbiao Dai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics and Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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22
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Pinglay S, Bulajić M, Rahe DP, Huang E, Brosh R, Mamrak NE, King BR, German S, Cadley JA, Rieber L, Easo N, Lionnet T, Mahony S, Maurano MT, Holt LJ, Mazzoni EO, Boeke JD. Synthetic regulatory reconstitution reveals principles of mammalian Hox cluster regulation. Science 2022; 377:eabk2820. [PMID: 35771912 PMCID: PMC9648154 DOI: 10.1126/science.abk2820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Precise Hox gene expression is crucial for embryonic patterning. Intra-Hox transcription factor binding and distal enhancer elements have emerged as the major regulatory modules controlling Hox gene expression. However, quantifying their relative contributions has remained elusive. Here, we introduce "synthetic regulatory reconstitution," a conceptual framework for studying gene regulation, and apply it to the HoxA cluster. We synthesized and delivered variant rat HoxA clusters (130 to 170 kilobases) to an ectopic location in the mouse genome. We found that a minimal HoxA cluster recapitulated correct patterns of chromatin remodeling and transcription in response to patterning signals, whereas the addition of distal enhancers was needed for full transcriptional output. Synthetic regulatory reconstitution could provide a generalizable strategy for deciphering the regulatory logic of gene expression in complex genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudarshan Pinglay
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Milica Bulajić
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Dylan P. Rahe
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Emily Huang
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ran Brosh
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Nicholas E. Mamrak
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Benjamin R. King
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Sergei German
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - John A. Cadley
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Lila Rieber
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Nicole Easo
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Timothée Lionnet
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - Shaun Mahony
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Matthew T. Maurano
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Liam J. Holt
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | - Jef D. Boeke
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
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23
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Zhang W, Brosh R, McCulloch LH, Zhu Y, Ashe H, Ellis G, Camellato BR, Kim SY, Maurano MT, Boeke JD. A conditional counterselectable Piga knockout in mouse embryonic stem cells for advanced genome writing applications. iScience 2022; 25:104438. [PMID: 35692632 PMCID: PMC9184564 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104438] [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: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Overwriting counterselectable markers is an efficient strategy for removing wild-type DNA or replacing it with payload DNA of interest. Currently, one bottleneck of efficient genome engineering in mammals is the shortage of counterselectable (negative selection) markers that work robustly without affecting organismal developmental potential. Here, we report a conditional Piga knockout strategy that enables efficient proaerolysin-based counterselection in mouse embryonic stem cells. The conditional Piga knockout cells show similar proaerolysin resistance as full (non-conditional) Piga deletion cells, which enables the use of a PIGA transgene as a counterselectable marker for genome engineering purposes. Native Piga function is readily restored in conditional Piga knockout cells to facilitate subsequent mouse development. We also demonstrate the generality of our strategy by engineering a conditional knockout of endogenous Hprt. Taken together, our work provides a new tool for advanced mouse genome writing and mouse model establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weimin Zhang
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ran Brosh
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Laura H McCulloch
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yinan Zhu
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Hannah Ashe
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Gwen Ellis
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | - Sang Yong Kim
- Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Matthew T Maurano
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA.,Department of Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jef D Boeke
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
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24
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Koster CC, Postma ED, Knibbe E, Cleij C, Daran-Lapujade P. Synthetic Genomics From a Yeast Perspective. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:869486. [PMID: 35387293 PMCID: PMC8979029 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.869486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic Genomics focuses on the construction of rationally designed chromosomes and genomes and offers novel approaches to study biology and to construct synthetic cell factories. Currently, progress in Synthetic Genomics is hindered by the inability to synthesize DNA molecules longer than a few hundred base pairs, while the size of the smallest genome of a self-replicating cell is several hundred thousand base pairs. Methods to assemble small fragments of DNA into large molecules are therefore required. Remarkably powerful at assembling DNA molecules, the unicellular eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been pivotal in the establishment of Synthetic Genomics. Instrumental in the assembly of entire genomes of various organisms in the past decade, the S. cerevisiae genome foundry has a key role to play in future Synthetic Genomics developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte C Koster
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Eline D Postma
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Ewout Knibbe
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Céline Cleij
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands.,Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
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25
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The TelN/tos-assisted Precise Targeting of Chromosome Segments (TAPE). J Adv Res 2022; 41:169-177. [PMID: 36328746 PMCID: PMC9637730 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2022.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We first apply the TelN/tos system to target genomic segments in E. coli host. We successfully cloned the targeted bacterial DNA fragment up to 156 kb. The TAPE method takes no more than five days to directly obtain the large DNA sequence. The TAPE method has no preferences on genome sequence. The results showed a considerable improvement of cloning efficiency. The TAPE method provides a powerful tool to support the study on synthetic biology.
Introduction Performing genomic large segmentation experiments will promote the annotation of complex genomic functions and contribute to the synthesis of designed genomes. It is challenging to obtain and manipulate large or complex DNA sequences with high efficiency. Objectives This study aims to develop an effective method for direct cloning of target genome sequences from different species. Methods The TelN/tos system and a linear plasmid vector were first used to directly clone the large genomic segments in E. coli. For the in vitro cloning reaction, two telomeric sites were developed using TelN protelomerase at the end of the linear plasmid vector. The target DNA sequence can be easily hooked with the homology arms and maintained as a linear artificial chromosome with arbitrary restriction sites in a specific E. coli strain. Results Using the linear cloning strategy, we successfully cloned the bacterial DNA fragment of 156 kb, a yeast genomic fragment of 124 kb and mammalian mitochondrial fragment of 16 kb. The results showed a considerable improvement in cloning efficiency and demonstrated the important role of vector ratio in the cloning process. Conclusion Due to the high efficiency and stability, TAPE is an effective technique for DNA cloning and fundamental molecular biotechnology method in synthetic biology.
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