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Freitas-Alves NS, Moreira-Pinto CE, Távora FTPK, Paes-de-Melo B, Arraes FBM, Lourenço-Tessutti IT, Moura SM, Oliveira AC, Morgante CV, Qi Y, Fatima Grossi-de-Sa M. CRISPR/Cas genome editing in soybean: challenges and new insights to overcome existing bottlenecks. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00367-9. [PMID: 39163906 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.08.024] [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: 04/13/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Soybean is a worldwide-cultivated crop due to its applications in the food, feed, and biodiesel industries. Genome editing in soybean began with ZFN and TALEN technologies; however, CRISPR/Cas has emerged and shortly became the preferable approach for soybean genome manipulation since it is more precise, easy to handle, and cost-effective. Recent reports have focused on the conventional Cas9 nuclease, Cas9 nickase (nCas9) derived base editors, and Cas12a (formally Cpf1) as the most commonly used genome editors in soybean. Nonetheless, several challenges in the complex plant genetic engineering pipeline need to be overcome to effectively edit the genome of an elite soybean cultivar. These challenges include (1) optimizing CRISPR cassette design (i.e., gRNA and Cas promoters, gRNA design and testing, number of gRNAs, and binary vector), (2) improving transformation frequency, (3) increasing the editing efficiency ratio of targeted plant cells, and (4) improving soybean crop production. AIM OF REVIEW This review provides an overview of soybean genome editing using CRISPR/Cas technology, discusses current challenges, and highlights theoretical (insights) and practical suggestions to overcome the existing bottlenecks. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW The CRISPR/Cas system was discovered as part of the bacterial innate immune system. It has been used as a biotechnological tool for genome editing and efficiently applied in soybean to unveil gene function, improve agronomic traits such as yield and nutritional grain quality, and enhance biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. To date, the efficiency of gRNAs has been validated using protoplasts and hairy root assays, while stable plant transformation relies on Agrobacterium-mediated and particle bombardment methods. Nevertheless, most steps of the CRISPR/Cas workflow require optimizations to achieve a more effective genome editing in soybean plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayara Sabrina Freitas-Alves
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology Graduate Program, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Clidia E Moreira-Pinto
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, DF, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Fabiano T P K Távora
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, DF, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Bruno Paes-de-Melo
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, DF, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Fabricio B M Arraes
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, DF, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Isabela T Lourenço-Tessutti
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, DF, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Stéfanie M Moura
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, DF, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Antonio C Oliveira
- National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Federal University of Pelotas (UFPEL), Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Carolina V Morgante
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, DF, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Embrapa Semi-Arid, Petrolina, PE, Brazil
| | - Yiping Qi
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Maria Fatima Grossi-de-Sa
- Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology Graduate Program, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology, INCT PlantStress Biotech, EMBRAPA, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Catholic University of Brasília, Graduate Program in Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Catholic University Dom Bosco, Graduate Program in Biotechnology, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.
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2
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Mao C, Zheng H, Chen Y, Yuan P, Sun D. Development of a Type I-E CRISPR-Based Programmable Repression System for Fine-Tuning Metabolic Flux toward D-Pantothenic Acid in Bacillus subtilis. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:2480-2491. [PMID: 39083228 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00256] [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: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
The CRISPR-based regulation tools enable fine-tuning of gene transcription, showing potential in areas of biomanufacturing and live therapeutics. However, the cell toxicity and PAM specificity of existing CRISPR-based regulation systems limit their broad application. The development of new and less-toxic CRISPR-controlled expression systems remains highly desirable for expanding the application scope of CRISPR-based tools. Here, we reconstituted the type I CRISPR-Cas system from Escherichia coli to finely tune gene expression in Bacillus subtilis. Through engineering the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of mRNAs of cas genes, we remarkably improved the efficacy of the type I CRISPRi system. The improved type I CRISPRi system was applied in engineering the D-pantothenic acid (DPA)-producing B. subtilis, which was generated by strengthening the metabolic flux toward β-alanine and (R)-pantoate via enhancing expression of key enzymes at both transcriptional and translational levels. Through controlling the expression of pdhA with the CRISPRi system for fine-tuning the metabolic flux toward DPA and the TCA cycle, we elevated the DPA titer to 0.88 g/L in shake flasks and 12.81 g/L in fed-batch fermentations without the addition of the precursor β-alanine. The type I CRISPRi system and the strategy for fine-tuning metabolic flux reported here not only enrich the CRISPR toolbox in B. subtilis and facilitate DPA production through microbial fermentation but also provide a paradigm for programming important organisms to produce value-added chemicals with cheap raw materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyao Mao
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Han Zheng
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Yifeng Chen
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Panhong Yuan
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Dongchang Sun
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
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3
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Roth GV, Gengaro IR, Qi LS. Precision epigenetic editing: Technological advances, enduring challenges, and therapeutic applications. Cell Chem Biol 2024:S2451-9456(24)00309-X. [PMID: 39137782 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.07.007] [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: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
The epigenome is a complex framework through which gene expression is precisely and flexibly modulated to incorporate heritable memory and responses to environmental stimuli. It governs diverse cellular processes, including cell fate, disease, and aging. The need to understand this system and precisely control gene expression outputs for therapeutic purposes has precipitated the development of a diverse set of epigenetic editing tools. Here, we review the existing toolbox for targeted epigenetic editing, technical considerations of the current technologies, and opportunities for future development. We describe applications of therapeutic epigenetic editing and their potential for treating disease, with a discussion of ongoing delivery challenges that impede certain clinical interventions, particularly in the brain. With simultaneous advancements in available engineering tools and appropriate delivery technologies, we predict that epigenetic editing will increasingly cement itself as a powerful approach for safely treating a wide range of disorders in all tissues of the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goldie V Roth
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Isabella R Gengaro
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lei S Qi
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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4
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Malekos E, Montano C, Carpenter S. CRISPRware: an efficient method for contextual gRNA library design. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.18.599405. [PMID: 38948878 PMCID: PMC11213142 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.18.599405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
We present CRISPRware, an efficient method for generating guide RNA (gRNA) libraries against transcribed, translated, and noncoding regions. CRISPRware leverages next-generation sequencing data to design context-specific gRNAs and accounts for genetic variation, which allows allele-specific guide design on a genome-wide scale. The latter ability holds promise for the development of gene therapy in the context of gene dosing and dominant negative mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Malekos
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Christy Montano
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Susan Carpenter
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, California, USA
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5
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McDonald AL, Boddicker AM, Savenkova MI, Brabb IM, Qi X, Moré DD, Cunha CW, Zhao J, Duttke SH. Efficient small fragment sequencing of human, cow, and bison miRNA, small RNA or csRNA-seq libraries using AVITI. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.28.596343. [PMID: 38854037 PMCID: PMC11160585 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.28.596343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) catalyzed breakthroughs across various scientific domains. Illumina's sequencing by synthesis method has long been essential for NGS but emerging technologies like Element Biosciences' sequencing by avidity (AVITI) represent a novel approach. It has been reported that AVITI offers improved signal-to-noise ratios and cost reductions. However, the method relies on rolling circle amplification which can be impacted by polymer size, raising questions about its efficacy sequencing small RNAs (sRNA) molecules including microRNAs (miRNAs), piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), and others that are crucial regulators of gene expression and involved in various biological processes. In addition, capturing capped small RNAs (csRNA-seq) has emerged as a powerful method to map active or "nascent" RNA polymerase II transcription initiation in tissues and clinical samples. Here, we report a new protocol for seamlessly sequencing short DNA fragments on the AVITI and demonstrate that AVITI and Illumina sequencing technologies equivalently capture human, cattle (Bos taurus) and the bison (Bison bison) sRNA or csRNA sequencing libraries, augmenting the confidence in both approaches. Additionally, analysis of generated nascent transcription start sites (TSSs) data for cattle and bison revealed inaccuracies in their current genome annotations and highlighted the possibility and need to translate small RNA sequencing methodologies to livestock. Our accelerated and optimized protocol therefore bridges the advantages of AVITI sequencing and critical methods that rely on sequencing short DNA fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L McDonald
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | | | - Marina I Savenkova
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Ian M Brabb
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | | | - Daniela D Moré
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Cristina W Cunha
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | | | - Sascha H Duttke
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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6
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Cardiff RL, Faulkner I, Beall J, Carothers JM, Zalatan J. CRISPR-Cas tools for simultaneous transcription & translation control in bacteria. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:5406-5419. [PMID: 38613390 PMCID: PMC11109947 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae275] [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: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Robust control over gene translation at arbitrary mRNA targets is an outstanding challenge in microbial synthetic biology. The development of tools that can regulate translation will greatly expand our ability to precisely control genes across the genome. In Escherichia coli, most genes are contained in multi-gene operons, which are subject to polar effects where targeting one gene for repression leads to silencing of other genes in the same operon. These effects pose a challenge for independently regulating individual genes in multi-gene operons. Here, we use CRISPR-dCas13 to address this challenge. We find dCas13-mediated repression exhibits up to 6-fold lower polar effects compared to dCas9. We then show that we can selectively activate single genes in a synthetic multi-gene operon by coupling dCas9 transcriptional activation of an operon with dCas13 translational repression of individual genes within the operon. We also show that dCas13 and dCas9 can be multiplexed for improved biosynthesis of a medically-relevant human milk oligosaccharide. Taken together, our findings suggest that combining transcriptional and translational control can access effects that are difficult to achieve with either mode independently. These combined tools for gene regulation will expand our abilities to precisely engineer bacteria for biotechnology and perform systematic genetic screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan A L Cardiff
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Ian D Faulkner
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Juliana G Beall
- Department of Chemistry University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - James M Carothers
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Jesse G Zalatan
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
- Department of Chemistry University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
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7
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Sale JE, Stoddard BL. CRISPR in Nucleic Acids Research: the sequel. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:3489-3492. [PMID: 38532709 PMCID: PMC11040143 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Julian E Sale
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Barry L Stoddard
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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8
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Seem K, Kaur S, Kumar S, Mohapatra T. Epigenome editing for targeted DNA (de)methylation: a new perspective in modulating gene expression. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 59:69-98. [PMID: 38440883 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2024.2320659] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Traditionally, it has been believed that inheritance is driven as phenotypic variations resulting from changes in DNA sequence. However, this paradigm has been challenged and redefined in the contemporary era of epigenetics. The changes in DNA methylation, histone modification, non-coding RNA biogenesis, and chromatin remodeling play crucial roles in genomic functions and regulation of gene expression. More importantly, some of these changes are inherited to the next generations as a part of epigenetic memory and play significant roles in gene expression. The sum total of all changes in DNA bases, histone proteins, and ncRNA biogenesis constitutes the epigenome. Continuous progress in deciphering epigenetic regulations and the existence of heritable epigenetic/epiallelic variations associated with trait of interest enables to deploy epigenome editing tools to modulate gene expression. DNA methylation marks can be utilized in epigenome editing for the manipulation of gene expression. Initially, genome/epigenome editing technologies relied on zinc-finger protein or transcriptional activator-like effector protein. However, the discovery of clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats CRISPR)/deadCRISPR-associated protein 9 (dCas9) enabled epigenome editing to be more specific/efficient for targeted DNA (de)methylation. One of the major concerns has been the off-target effects, wherein epigenome editing may unintentionally modify gene/regulatory element which may cause unintended change/harmful effects. Moreover, epigenome editing of germline cell raises several ethical/safety issues. This review focuses on the recent developments in epigenome editing tools/techniques, technological limitations, and future perspectives of this emerging technology in therapeutics for human diseases as well as plant improvement to achieve sustainable developmental goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karishma Seem
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Simardeep Kaur
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Trilochan Mohapatra
- Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority, New Delhi, India
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9
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Radzisheuskaya A, Peña‐Rømer I, Lorenzini E, Koche R, Zhan Y, Shliaha PV, Cooper AJ, Fan Z, Shlyueva D, Johansen JV, Hendrickson RC, Helin K. An alternative NURF complex sustains acute myeloid leukemia by regulating the accessibility of insulator regions. EMBO J 2023; 42:e114221. [PMID: 37987160 PMCID: PMC10711654 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2023114221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients remains a challenge despite recent therapeutic advances. Here, using a CRISPRi screen targeting chromatin factors, we identified the nucleosome-remodeling factor (NURF) subunit BPTF as an essential regulator of AML cell survival. We demonstrate that BPTF forms an alternative NURF chromatin remodeling complex with SMARCA5 and BAP18, which regulates the accessibility of a large set of insulator regions in leukemic cells. This ensures efficient CTCF binding and boundary formation between topologically associated domains that is essential for maintaining the leukemic transcriptional programs. We also demonstrate that the well-studied PHD2-BROMO chromatin reader domains of BPTF, while contributing to complex recruitment to chromatin, are dispensable for leukemic cell growth. Taken together, our results uncover how the alternative NURF complex contributes to leukemia and provide a rationale for its targeting in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliaksandra Radzisheuskaya
- Division of Cancer BiologyThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
- Biotech Research & Innovation CentreUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem)University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Center for Epigenetics ResearchMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNYUSA
- Cell Biology ProgramMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Isabel Peña‐Rømer
- Division of Cancer BiologyThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
- Biotech Research & Innovation CentreUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem)University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Eugenia Lorenzini
- Biotech Research & Innovation CentreUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem)University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Richard Koche
- Center for Epigenetics ResearchMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Yingqian Zhan
- Center for Epigenetics ResearchMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Pavel V Shliaha
- Microchemistry & Proteomics CoreMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNYUSA
| | | | - Zheng Fan
- Division of Cancer BiologyThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
- Biotech Research & Innovation CentreUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem)University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Daria Shlyueva
- Biotech Research & Innovation CentreUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem)University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Center for Epigenetics ResearchMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNYUSA
- Cell Biology ProgramMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Jens V Johansen
- Biotech Research & Innovation CentreUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Ronald C Hendrickson
- Microchemistry & Proteomics CoreMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Kristian Helin
- Division of Cancer BiologyThe Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
- Biotech Research & Innovation CentreUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology (DanStem)University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Center for Epigenetics ResearchMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNYUSA
- Cell Biology ProgramMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNYUSA
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10
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Motoche-Monar C, Ordoñez JE, Chang O, Gonzales-Zubiate FA. gRNA Design: How Its Evolution Impacted on CRISPR/Cas9 Systems Refinement. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1698. [PMID: 38136570 PMCID: PMC10741458 DOI: 10.3390/biom13121698] [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: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, genetic engineering has witnessed a revolution with the emergence of a relatively new genetic editing tool based on RNA-guided nucleases: the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Since the first report in 1987 and characterization in 2007 as a bacterial defense mechanism, this system has garnered immense interest and research attention. CRISPR systems provide immunity to bacteria against invading genetic material; however, with specific modifications in sequence and structure, it becomes a precise editing system capable of modifying the genomes of a wide range of organisms. The refinement of these modifications encompasses diverse approaches, including the development of more accurate nucleases, understanding of the cellular context and epigenetic conditions, and the re-designing guide RNAs (gRNAs). Considering the critical importance of the correct performance of CRISPR/Cas9 systems, our scope will emphasize the latter approach. Hence, we present an overview of the past and the most recent guide RNA web-based design tools, highlighting the evolution of their computational architecture and gRNA characteristics over the years. Our study explains computational approaches that use machine learning techniques, neural networks, and gRNA/target interactions data to enable predictions and classifications. This review could open the door to a dynamic community that uses up-to-date algorithms to optimize and create promising gRNAs, suitable for modern CRISPR/Cas9 engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristofer Motoche-Monar
- School of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, Urcuquí 100119, Ecuador
| | - Julián E. Ordoñez
- School of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, Urcuquí 100119, Ecuador
| | - Oscar Chang
- Departamento de Electrónica, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Caracas 1080, Venezuela
- MIND Research Group, Model Intelligent Networks Development, Urcuquí 100119, Ecuador
| | - Fernando A. Gonzales-Zubiate
- School of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, Urcuquí 100119, Ecuador
- MIND Research Group, Model Intelligent Networks Development, Urcuquí 100119, Ecuador
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11
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Li X, Qi Q, Liang Q. Construction of cascade circuits for dynamic temporal regulation and its application to PHB production. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2023; 16:158. [PMID: 37891579 PMCID: PMC10604415 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-023-02416-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To maximize the production capacity and yield of microbial cell factories, metabolic pathways are generally modified with dynamic regulatory strategies, which can effectively solve the problems of low biological yield, growth retardation and metabolic imbalance. However, the strategy of dynamic regulating multiple genes in different time and order is still not effectively solved. Based on the quorum-sensing (QS) system and the principle of cascade regulation, we studied the sequence and time interval of gene expression in metabolic pathways. RESULTS We designed and constructed a self-induced dynamic temporal regulatory cascade circuit in Escherichia coli using the QS system and dual regulatory protein cascade and found that the time intervals of the cascade circuits based on the Tra, Las system and the Lux, Tra system reached 200 min and 150 min, respectively. Furthermore, a dynamic temporal regulatory cascade circuit library with time intervals ranging from 110 to 310 min was obtained based on this circuit using promoter engineering and ribosome binding site replacement, which can provide more selective synthetic biology universal components for metabolic applications. Finally, poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) production was taken as an example to demonstrate the performance of the cascade circuit library. The content of PHB increased 1.5-fold. Moreover, circuits with different time intervals and different expression orders were found to have different potentials for application in PHB production, and the preferred time-interval circuit strain C2-max was identified by screening. CONCLUSIONS The self-induced dynamic temporal regulation cascade circuit library can enable the expression of target genes with sequential changes at different times, effectively solving the balance problem between cell growth and product synthesis in two-stage fermentation and expanding the application of dynamic regulatory strategies in the field of metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China
- The Second Laboratory of Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd, Lanzhou, 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingsheng Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China
| | - Quanfeng Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China.
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12
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Batra SS, Cabrera A, Spence JP, Hilton IB, Song YS. Predicting the effect of CRISPR-Cas9-based epigenome editing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.03.560674. [PMID: 37873127 PMCID: PMC10592942 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.03.560674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation orchestrates mammalian transcription, but functional links between them remain elusive. To tackle this problem, we here use epigenomic and transcriptomic data from 13 ENCODE cell types to train machine learning models to predict gene expression from histone post-translational modifications (PTMs), achieving transcriptome-wide correlations of ~ 0.70 - 0.79 for most samples. In addition to recapitulating known associations between histone PTMs and expression patterns, our models predict that acetylation of histone subunit H3 lysine residue 27 (H3K27ac) near the transcription start site (TSS) significantly increases expression levels. To validate this prediction experimentally and investigate how engineered vs. natural deposition of H3K27ac might differentially affect expression, we apply the synthetic dCas9-p300 histone acetyltransferase system to 8 genes in the HEK293T cell line. Further, to facilitate model building, we perform MNase-seq to map genome-wide nucleosome occupancy levels in HEK293T. We observe that our models perform well in accurately ranking relative fold changes among genes in response to the dCas9-p300 system; however, their ability to rank fold changes within individual genes is noticeably diminished compared to predicting expression across cell types from their native epigenetic signatures. Our findings highlight the need for more comprehensive genome-scale epigenome editing datasets, better understanding of the actual modifications made by epigenome editing tools, and improved causal models that transfer better from endogenous cellular measurements to perturbation experiments. Together these improvements would facilitate the ability to understand and predictably control the dynamic human epigenome with consequences for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Isaac B. Hilton
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University
| | - Yun S. Song
- Computer Science Division, University of California, Berkeley
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Berkeley
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13
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Kainth AS, Haddad GA, Hall JM, Ruthenburg AJ. Merging short and stranded long reads improves transcript assembly. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011576. [PMID: 37883581 PMCID: PMC10629667 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011576] [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: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-read RNA sequencing has arisen as a counterpart to short-read sequencing, with the potential to capture full-length isoforms, albeit at the cost of lower depth. Yet this potential is not fully realized due to inherent limitations of current long-read assembly methods and underdeveloped approaches to integrate short-read data. Here, we critically compare the existing methods and develop a new integrative approach to characterize a particularly challenging pool of low-abundance long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) transcripts from short- and long-read sequencing in two distinct cell lines. Our analysis reveals severe limitations in each of the sequencing platforms. For short-read assemblies, coverage declines at transcript termini resulting in ambiguous ends, and uneven low coverage results in segmentation of a single transcript into multiple transcripts. Conversely, long-read sequencing libraries lack depth and strand-of-origin information in cDNA-based methods, culminating in erroneous assembly and quantitation of transcripts. We also discover a cDNA synthesis artifact in long-read datasets that markedly impacts the identity and quantitation of assembled transcripts. Towards remediating these problems, we develop a computational pipeline to "strand" long-read cDNA libraries that rectifies inaccurate mapping and assembly of long-read transcripts. Leveraging the strengths of each platform and our computational stranding, we also present and benchmark a hybrid assembly approach that drastically increases the sensitivity and accuracy of full-length transcript assembly on the correct strand and improves detection of biological features of the transcriptome. When applied to a challenging set of under-annotated and cell-type variable lncRNA, our method resolves the segmentation problem of short-read sequencing and the depth problem of long-read sequencing, resulting in the assembly of coherent transcripts with precise 5' and 3' ends. Our workflow can be applied to existing datasets for superior demarcation of transcript ends and refined isoform structure, which can enable better differential gene expression analyses and molecular manipulations of transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amoldeep S. Kainth
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Gabriela A. Haddad
- Committee on Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Johnathon M. Hall
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Alexander J. Ruthenburg
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Committee on Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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14
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Griffith AL, Zheng F, McGee AV, Miller NW, Szegletes ZM, Reint G, Gademann F, Nwolah I, Hegde M, Liu YV, Goodale A, Doench JG. Optimization of Cas12a for multiplexed genome-scale transcriptional activation. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100387. [PMID: 37719144 PMCID: PMC10504673 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Cas12a CRISPR technology, unlike Cas9, allows for facile multiplexing of guide RNAs from a single transcript, simplifying combinatorial perturbations. While Cas12a has been implemented for multiplexed knockout genetic screens, it has yet to be optimized for CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) screens in human cells. Here, we develop a new Cas12a-based transactivation domain (TAD) recruitment system using the ALFA nanobody and demonstrate simultaneous activation of up to four genes. We screen a genome-wide library to identify modulators of growth and MEK inhibition, and we compare these results with those obtained with open reading frame (ORF) overexpression and Cas9-based CRISPRa. We find that the activity of multiplexed arrays is largely predictable from the best-performing guide and provide criteria for selecting active guides. We anticipate that these results will greatly accelerate the exploration of gene function and combinatorial phenotypes at scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey L. Griffith
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 75 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Fengyi Zheng
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 75 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Abby V. McGee
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 75 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Nathan W. Miller
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 75 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Zsofia M. Szegletes
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 75 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ganna Reint
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 75 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Fabian Gademann
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 75 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ifunanya Nwolah
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 75 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Mudra Hegde
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 75 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Yanjing V. Liu
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 75 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Amy Goodale
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 75 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - John G. Doench
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 75 Ames St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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15
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Qiao S, Bai F, Cai P, Zhou YJ, Yao L. An improved CRISPRi system in Pichia pastoris. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:479-485. [PMID: 37692202 PMCID: PMC10485788 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.06.008] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) has been developed and widely used for gene repression in various hosts. Here we report an improved CRISPRi system in Pichia pastoris by fusing dCas9 with endogenous transcriptional repressor domains. The CRISPRi system shows strong repression of eGFP, with the highest efficiency of 85%. Repression of native genes is demonstrated by targeting AOX1 promoter. AOX1 is efficiently repressed and the mutant strains show much slower growth in methanol medium. Effects of gRNA expression and processing on CRISPRi efficiency is also investigated. It is found that gRNA processing by HH/HDV ribozymes or Csy4 endoribonuclease generating clean gRNA is critical to achieve strong repression, and Csy4 cleavage shows higher repression efficiency. However, gRNA expression using native tRNA transcription and processing systems results in relatively weaker repression of eGFP. By expression of two gRNAs targeting promoters of eGFP and AOX1 in an array together with Cys4 recognition sites, both genes can be repressed simultaneously. Cys4-mediated gRNA array processing is further applied to repress fatty acyl-CoA synthetase genes (FAA1 and FAA2). Both genes are efficiently repressed, demonstrating that Cys4 endoribonuclease has the ability to cleave gRNAs array and can be can be used for multiplexed gene repression in P. pastoris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujing Qiao
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Energy Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Fan Bai
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, PR China
| | - Peng Cai
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, PR China
| | - Yongjin J. Zhou
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Energy Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
| | - Lun Yao
- Division of Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
- Dalian Key Laboratory of Energy Biotechnology, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, PR China
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16
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Hansen SL, Larsen HL, Pikkupeura LM, Maciag G, Guiu J, Müller I, Clement DL, Mueller C, Johansen JV, Helin K, Lerdrup M, Jensen KB. An organoid-based CRISPR-Cas9 screen for regulators of intestinal epithelial maturation and cell fate. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg4055. [PMID: 37436979 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg4055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Generation of functionally mature organs requires exquisite control of transcriptional programs governing cell state transitions during development. Despite advances in understanding the behavior of adult intestinal stem cells and their progeny, the transcriptional regulators that control the emergence of the mature intestinal phenotype remain largely unknown. Using mouse fetal and adult small intestinal organoids, we uncover transcriptional differences between the fetal and adult state and identify rare adult-like cells present in fetal organoids. This suggests that fetal organoids have an inherent potential to mature, which is locked by a regulatory program. By implementing a CRISPR-Cas9 screen targeting transcriptional regulators expressed in fetal organoids, we establish Smarca4 and Smarcc1 as important factors safeguarding the immature progenitor state. Our approach demonstrates the utility of organoid models in the identification of factors regulating cell fate and state transitions during tissue maturation and reveals that SMARCA4 and SMARCC1 prevent precocious differentiation during intestinal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stine L Hansen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Hjalte L Larsen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Laura M Pikkupeura
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaloes Vej 5, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Grzegorz Maciag
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Jordi Guiu
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaloes Vej 5, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, 3a planta, Av. Granvia de l'Hospitalet 199, 08908 Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Iris Müller
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaloes Vej 5, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Ditte L Clement
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Christina Mueller
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaloes Vej 5, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Jens Vilstrup Johansen
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaloes Vej 5, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Kristian Helin
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaloes Vej 5, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Mads Lerdrup
- The DNRF Center for Chromosome Stability, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Kim B Jensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine, reNEW, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaloes Vej 5, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
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17
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Porquet F, Weidong L, Jehasse K, Gazon H, Kondili M, Blacher S, Massotte L, Di Valentin E, Furling D, Gillet NA, Klein AF, Seutin V, Willems L. Specific DMPK-promoter targeting by CRISPRi reverses myotonic dystrophy type 1-associated defects in patient muscle cells. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 32:857-871. [PMID: 37273786 PMCID: PMC10238591 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a neuromuscular disease that originates from an expansion of CTG microsatellites in the 3' untranslated region of the DMPK gene, thus leading to the expression of transcripts containing expanded CUG repeats (CUGexp). The pathophysiology is explained by a toxic RNA gain of function where CUGexp RNAs form nuclear aggregates that sequester and alter the function of MBNL splicing factors, triggering splicing misregulation linked to the DM1 symptoms. There is currently no cure for DM1, and most therapeutic strategies aim at eliminating CUGexp-DMPK transcripts. Here, we investigate a DMPK-promoter silencing strategy using CRISPR interference as a new alternative approach. Different sgRNAs targeting the DMPK promoter are evaluated in DM1 patient muscle cells. The most effective guides allowed us to reduce the level of DMPK transcripts and CUGexp-RNA aggregates up to 80%. The CUGexp-DMPK repression corrects the overall transcriptome, including spliceopathy, and reverses a physiological parameter in DM1 muscle cells. Its action is specific and restricted to the DMPK gene, as confirmed by genome-wide expression analysis. Altogether, our findings highlight DMPK-promoter silencing by CRISPRi as a promising therapeutic approach for DM1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Porquet
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Epigenetics, GIGA-Cancer, ULiège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, GIGA-Neurosciences, ULiège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Lin Weidong
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Epigenetics, GIGA-Cancer, ULiège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Kévin Jehasse
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, GIGA-Neurosciences, ULiège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Hélène Gazon
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Epigenetics, GIGA-Cancer, ULiège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Maria Kondili
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Silvia Blacher
- Laboratory of Biology of Tumor and Development, GIGA-Cancer, ULiège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Laurent Massotte
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, GIGA-Neurosciences, ULiège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Denis Furling
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Albert Gillet
- Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), Integrated Veterinary Research Unit (URVI), University of Namur, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Arnaud François Klein
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Vincent Seutin
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, GIGA-Neurosciences, ULiège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Luc Willems
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Epigenetics, GIGA-Cancer, ULiège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
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18
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Chen X, Moran Torres JP, Li Y, Lugones LG, Wösten HAB. Inheritable CRISPR based epigenetic modification in a fungus. Microbiol Res 2023; 272:127397. [PMID: 37141850 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127397] [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: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The CRISPRoff system was recently introduced as a programmable epigenetic memory writer that can be used to silence genes in human cells. The system makes use of a dead Cas9 protein (dCas9) that is fused with the ZNF10 KRAB, Dnmt3A, and Dnmt3L protein domains. The DNA methylation resulting from the CRISPRoff system can be removed by the CRISPRon system that consists of dCas9 fused to the catalytic domain of Tet1. Here, the CRISPRoff and CRISPRon systems were applied for the first time in a fungus. The CRISPRoff system resulted in an inactivation up to 100 % of the target genes flbA and GFP in Aspergillus niger. Phenotypes correlated with the degree of gene silencing in the transformants and were stable when going through a conidiation cycle, even when the CRISPRoff plasmid was removed from the flbA silenced strain. Introducing the CRISPRon system in a strain in which the CRISPRoff plasmid was removed fully reactivated flbA showing a phenotype similar to that of the wildtype. Together, the CRISPRoff and CRISPRon systems can be used to study gene function in A. niger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyi Chen
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Juan P Moran Torres
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Yiling Li
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Luis G Lugones
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Han A B Wösten
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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19
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Usluer S, Hallast P, Crepaldi L, Zhou Y, Urgo K, Dincer C, Su J, Noell G, Alasoo K, El Garwany O, Gerety SS, Newman B, Dovey OM, Parts L. Optimized whole-genome CRISPR interference screens identify ARID1A-dependent growth regulators in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Reports 2023; 18:1061-1074. [PMID: 37028423 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Perturbing expression is a powerful way to understand the role of individual genes, but can be challenging in important models. CRISPR-Cas screens in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are of limited efficiency due to DNA break-induced stress, while the less stressful silencing with an inactive Cas9 has been considered less effective so far. Here, we developed the dCas9-KRAB-MeCP2 fusion protein for screening in iPSCs from multiple donors. We found silencing in a 200 bp window around the transcription start site in polyclonal pools to be as effective as using wild-type Cas9 for identifying essential genes, but with much reduced cell numbers. Whole-genome screens to identify ARID1A-dependent dosage sensitivity revealed the PSMB2 gene, and enrichment of proteasome genes among the hits. This selective dependency was replicated with a proteasome inhibitor, indicating a targetable drug-gene interaction. Many more plausible targets in challenging cell models can be efficiently identified with our approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yan Zhou
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Katie Urgo
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Jing Su
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Kaur Alasoo
- Department of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | | | | | - Ben Newman
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Leopold Parts
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK; Department of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
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20
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Dallo T, Krishnakumar R, Kolker SD, Ruffing AM. High-Density Guide RNA Tiling and Machine Learning for Designing CRISPR Interference in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1175-1186. [PMID: 36893454 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00653] [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: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
While CRISPRi was previously established in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 (hereafter 7002), the design principles for guide RNA (gRNA) effectiveness remain largely unknown. Here, 76 strains of 7002 were constructed with gRNAs targeting three reporter systems to evaluate features that impact gRNA efficiency. Correlation analysis of the data revealed that important features of gRNA design include the position relative to the start codon, GC content, protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) site, minimum free energy, and targeted DNA strand. Unexpectedly, some gRNAs targeting upstream of the promoter region showed small but significant increases in reporter expression, and gRNAs targeting the terminator region showed greater repression than gRNAs targeting the 3' end of the coding sequence. Machine learning algorithms enabled prediction of gRNA effectiveness, with Random Forest having the best performance across all training sets. This study demonstrates that high-density gRNA data and machine learning can improve gRNA design for tuning gene expression in 7002.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa Dallo
- Molecular and Microbiology, Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, MS 1413, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Raga Krishnakumar
- Systems Biology, Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 969, MS 9292, Livermore, California 94551, United States
| | - Stephanie D Kolker
- Molecular and Microbiology, Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, MS 1413, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Anne M Ruffing
- Molecular and Microbiology, Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, MS 1413, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
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21
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Gervais NC, La Bella AA, Wensing LF, Sharma J, Acquaviva V, Best M, Cadena López RO, Fogal M, Uthayakumar D, Chavez A, Santiago-Tirado F, Flores-Mireles AL, Shapiro RS. Development and applications of a CRISPR activation system for facile genetic overexpression in Candida albicans. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkac301. [PMID: 36450451 PMCID: PMC9911074 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
For the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, genetic overexpression readily occurs via a diversity of genomic alterations, such as aneuploidy and gain-of-function mutations, with important consequences for host adaptation, virulence, and evolution of antifungal drug resistance. Given the important role of overexpression on C. albicans biology, it is critical to develop and harness tools that enable the analysis of genes expressed at high levels in the fungal cell. Here, we describe the development, optimization, and application of a novel, single-plasmid-based CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) platform for targeted genetic overexpression in C. albicans, which employs a guide RNA to target an activator complex to the promoter region of a gene of interest, thus driving transcriptional expression of that gene. Using this system, we demonstrate the ability of CRISPRa to drive high levels of gene expression in C. albicans, and we assess optimal guide RNA targeting for robust and constitutive overexpression. We further demonstrate the specificity of the system via RNA sequencing. We highlight the application of CRISPR activation to overexpress genes involved in pathogenesis and drug susceptibility, and contribute toward the identification of novel phenotypes. Consequently, this tool will facilitate a broad range of applications for the study of C. albicans genetic overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas C Gervais
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Alyssa A La Bella
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Lauren F Wensing
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Jehoshua Sharma
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Victoria Acquaviva
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Madison Best
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | | | - Meea Fogal
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Deeva Uthayakumar
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
- Present address: Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alejandro Chavez
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | - Ana L Flores-Mireles
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Rebecca S Shapiro
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
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22
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Development of a CRISPRi Human Retinal Pigmented Epithelium Model for Functional Study of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Genes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043417. [PMID: 36834828 PMCID: PMC9962760 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a blinding disease characterised by dysfunction of the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) which culminates in disruption or loss of the neurosensory retina. Genome-wide association studies have identified >60 genetic risk factors for AMD; however, the expression profile and functional role of many of these genes remain elusive in human RPE. To facilitate functional studies of AMD-associated genes, we developed a human RPE model with integrated CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) for gene repression by generating a stable ARPE19 cell line expressing dCas9-KRAB. We performed transcriptomic analysis of the human retina to prioritise AMD-associated genes and selected TMEM97 as a candidate gene for knockdown study. Using specific sgRNAs, we showed that knockdown of TMEM97 in ARPE19 reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and exerted a protective effect against oxidative stress-induced cell death. This work provides the first functional study of TMEM97 in RPE and supports a potential role of TMEM97 in AMD pathobiology. Our study highlights the potential for using CRISPRi to study AMD genetics, and the CRISPRi RPE platform generated here provided a useful in vitro tool for functional studies of AMD-associated genes.
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23
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Martinez MG, Smekalova E, Combe E, Gregoire F, Zoulim F, Testoni B. Gene Editing Technologies to Target HBV cccDNA. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122654. [PMID: 36560658 PMCID: PMC9787400 DOI: 10.3390/v14122654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a significant cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, since chronic HBV infection is associated with elevated risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Current licensed therapies against HBV efficiently suppress viral replication; however, they do not have significant effects on the intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) of the viral minichromosome responsible for viral persistence. Thus, life-long treatment is required to avoid viral rebound. There is a significant need for novel therapies that can reduce, silence or eradicate cccDNA, thus preventing HBV reemergence after treatment withdrawal. In this review, we discuss the latest developments and applications of gene editing and related approaches for directly targeting HBV DNA and, more specifically, cccDNA in infected hepatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Emmanuel Combe
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), 69008 Lyon, France
| | | | - Fabien Zoulim
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), 69008 Lyon, France
- Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL), 69002 Lyon, France
- Université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL1), 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Barbara Testoni
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), 69008 Lyon, France
- Université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL1), 69008 Lyon, France
- Correspondence:
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24
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Yang Q, Wu L, Meng J, Ma L, Zuo E, Sun Y. EpiCas-DL: Predicting sgRNA activity for CRISPR-mediated epigenome editing by deep learning. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 21:202-211. [PMID: 36582444 PMCID: PMC9763632 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.11.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-mediated epigenome editing enables gene expression regulation without changing the underlying DNA sequence, and thus has vast potential for basic research and gene therapy. Effective selection of a single guide RNA (sgRNA) with high on-target efficiency and specificity would facilitate the application of epigenome editing tools. Here we performed an extensive analysis of CRISPR-mediated epigenome editing tools on thousands of experimentally examined on-target sites and established EpiCas-DL, a deep learning framework to optimize sgRNA design for gene silencing or activation. EpiCas-DL achieves high accuracy in sgRNA activity prediction for targeted gene silencing or activation and outperforms other available in silico methods. In addition, EpiCas-DL also identifies both epigenetic and sequence features that affect sgRNA efficacy in gene silencing and activation, facilitating the application of epigenome editing for research and therapy. EpiCas-DL is available at http://www.sunlab.fun:3838/EpiCas-DL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Leilei Wu
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Juan Meng
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Ma
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China
| | - Erwei Zuo
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yidi Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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25
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Pechenov PY, Garagulya DA, Stanovov DS, Letarov AV. New Effective Method of Lactococcus Genome Editing Using Guide RNA-Directed Transposition. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:13978. [PMID: 36430465 PMCID: PMC9696066 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232213978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactococcus lactis is an important industrial microorganism and a widely used model object for research in the field of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) biology. The development of new L. lactis and related LAB strains with improved properties, including phage-resistant strains for dairy fermentation, LAB-based vaccines or strains with altered genotypes for research purposes, are hindered by the lack of genome-editing tools that allow for the easy and straightforward incorporation of a significant amount of the novel genetic material, such as large genes or operons, into the chromosomes of these bacteria. We recently employed a suggested system based on the CRISPR-Cas-associated transposon for the editing of the L. lactis genome. After the in-depth redesign of the system, we were able to achieve the stable incorporation of the fragments that were sized up to 10 kbp into the L. lactis beta-galactosidase gene. The efficiency of editing under the optimized conditions were 2 × 10-4 and 4 × 10-5 for 1 kbp and 10 kbp, respectively, which are sufficient for fast and easy modifications if a positive selection marker can be used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Yu Pechenov
- Federal Research Center “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect, 33, Build. 2, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | - Andrey V. Letarov
- Federal Research Center “Fundamentals of Biotechnology” of Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect, 33, Build. 2, 119071 Moscow, Russia
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26
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Hoberecht L, Perampalam P, Lun A, Fortin JP. A comprehensive Bioconductor ecosystem for the design of CRISPR guide RNAs across nucleases and technologies. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6568. [PMID: 36323688 PMCID: PMC9630310 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34320-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of CRISPR-mediated gene perturbation studies is highly dependent on the quality of gRNAs, and several tools have been developed to enable optimal gRNA design. However, these tools are not all adaptable to the latest CRISPR modalities or nucleases, nor do they offer comprehensive annotation methods for advanced CRISPR applications. Here, we present a new ecosystem of R packages, called crisprVerse, that enables efficient gRNA design and annotation for a multitude of CRISPR technologies. This includes CRISPR knockout (CRISPRko), CRISPR activation (CRISPRa), CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), CRISPR base editing (CRISPRbe) and CRISPR knockdown (CRISPRkd). The core package, crisprDesign, offers a user-friendly and unified interface to add off-target annotations, rich gene and SNP annotations, and on- and off-target activity scores. These functionalities are enabled for any RNA- or DNA-targeting nucleases, including Cas9, Cas12, and Cas13. The crisprVerse ecosystem is open-source and deployed through the Bioconductor project ( https://github.com/crisprVerse ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Hoberecht
- Genentech Research and Early Development, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | | | - Aaron Lun
- Genentech Research and Early Development, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Jean-Philippe Fortin
- Genentech Research and Early Development, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
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27
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Selkirk E, Patel R, Hoyle A, Lie-a-Ling M, Smith D, Swift J, Lacaud G. SGOL1-AS1 enhances cell survival in acute myeloid leukemia by maintaining pro-inflammatory signaling. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11362. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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28
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Accounting for small variations in the tracrRNA sequence improves sgRNA activity predictions for CRISPR screening. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5255. [PMID: 36068235 PMCID: PMC9448816 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33024-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR technology is a powerful tool for studying genome function. To aid in picking sgRNAs that have maximal efficacy against a target of interest from many possible options, several groups have developed models that predict sgRNA on-target activity. Although multiple tracrRNA variants are commonly used for screening, no existing models account for this feature when nominating sgRNAs. Here we develop an on-target model, Rule Set 3, that makes optimal predictions for multiple tracrRNA variants. We validate Rule Set 3 on a new dataset of sgRNAs tiling essential and non-essential genes, demonstrating substantial improvement over prior prediction models. By analyzing the differences in sgRNA activity between tracrRNA variants, we show that Pol III transcription termination is a strong determinant of sgRNA activity. We expect these results to improve the performance of CRISPR screening and inform future research on tracrRNA engineering and sgRNA modeling.
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29
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Theilgaard-Mönch K, Pundhir S, Reckzeh K, Su J, Tapia M, Furtwängler B, Jendholm J, Jakobsen JS, Hasemann MS, Knudsen KJ, Cowland JB, Fossum A, Schoof E, Schuster MB, Porse BT. Transcription factor-driven coordination of cell cycle exit and lineage-specification in vivo during granulocytic differentiation : In memoriam Professor Niels Borregaard. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3595. [PMID: 35739121 PMCID: PMC9225994 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31332-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Differentiation of multipotent stem cells into mature cells is fundamental for development and homeostasis of mammalian tissues, and requires the coordinated induction of lineage-specific transcriptional programs and cell cycle withdrawal. To understand the underlying regulatory mechanisms of this fundamental process, we investigated how the tissue-specific transcription factors, CEBPA and CEBPE, coordinate cell cycle exit and lineage-specification in vivo during granulocytic differentiation. We demonstrate that CEBPA promotes lineage-specification by launching an enhancer-primed differentiation program and direct activation of CEBPE expression. Subsequently, CEBPE confers promoter-driven cell cycle exit by sequential repression of MYC target gene expression at the G1/S transition and E2F-meditated G2/M gene expression, as well as by the up-regulation of Cdk1/2/4 inhibitors. Following cell cycle exit, CEBPE unleashes the CEBPA-primed differentiation program to generate mature granulocytes. These findings highlight how tissue-specific transcription factors coordinate cell cycle exit with differentiation through the use of distinct gene regulatory elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Theilgaard-Mönch
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Hematology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Sachin Pundhir
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- The Bioinformatics Centre, Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristian Reckzeh
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jinyu Su
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marta Tapia
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Benjamin Furtwängler
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Johan Jendholm
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Janus Schou Jakobsen
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marie Sigurd Hasemann
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kasper Jermiin Knudsen
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jack Bernard Cowland
- Department of Hematology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna Fossum
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Erwin Schoof
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mikkel Bruhn Schuster
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bo T Porse
- The Finsen Laboratory, Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Biology, DanStem, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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30
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Pulido-Quetglas C, Johnson R. Designing libraries for pooled CRISPR functional screens of long noncoding RNAs. Mamm Genome 2022; 33:312-327. [PMID: 34533605 PMCID: PMC9114037 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-021-09918-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Human and other genomes encode tens of thousands of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), the vast majority of which remain uncharacterised. High-throughput functional screening methods, notably those based on pooled CRISPR-Cas perturbations, promise to unlock the biological significance and biomedical potential of lncRNAs. Such screens are based on libraries of single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) whose design is critical for success. Few off-the-shelf libraries are presently available, and lncRNAs tend to have cell-type-specific expression profiles, meaning that library design remains in the hands of researchers. Here we introduce the topic of pooled CRISPR screens for lncRNAs and guide readers through the three key steps of library design: accurate annotation of transcript structures, curation of optimal candidate sets, and design of sgRNAs. This review is a starting point and reference for researchers seeking to design custom CRISPR screening libraries for lncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Pulido-Quetglas
- Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, 3008, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School of Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rory Johnson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, 3008, Bern, Switzerland.
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland.
- Conway Institute for Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland.
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31
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Drobna-Śledzińska M, Maćkowska-Maślak N, Jaksik R, Dąbek P, Witt M, Dawidowska M. CRISPRi for specific inhibition of miRNA clusters and miRNAs with high sequence homology. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6297. [PMID: 35428787 PMCID: PMC9012752 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10336-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
miRNAs form a class of noncoding RNAs, involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, broadly studied for their involvement in physiological and pathological context. Inhibition of mature miRNA transcripts, commonly used in miRNA loss-of-function experiments, may not be specific in case of miRNAs with high sequence homology, e.g. miRNAs from the same seed family. Phenotypic effects of miRNA repression might be biased by the repression of highly similar miRNAs. Another challenge is simultaneous inhibition of multiple miRNAs encoded within policistronic clusters, potentially co-regulating common biological processes. To elucidate roles of miRNA clusters and miRNAs with high sequence homology, it is of key importance to selectively repress only the miRNAs of interest. Targeting miRNAs on genomic level with CRISPR/dCas9-based methods is an attractive alternative to blocking mature miRNAs. Yet, so far no clear guidelines on the design of CRISPR inhibition (CRISPRi) experiments, specifically for miRNA repression, have been proposed. To address this need, here we propose a strategy for effective inhibition of miRNAs and miRNA clusters using CRISPRi. We provide clues on how to approach the challenges in using CRISPR/dCas in miRNA studies, which include prediction of miRNA transcription start sites (TSSs) and the design of single guide RNAs (sgRNAs). The strategy implements three TSS prediction online tools, dedicated specifically for miRNAs: miRStart, FANTOM 5 miRNA atlas, DIANA-miRGen, and CRISPOR tool for sgRNAs design; it includes testing and selection of optimal sgRNAs. We demonstrate that compared to siRNA/shRNA-based miRNA silencing, CRISPRi improves the repression specificity for miRNAs with highly similar sequence and contribute to higher uniformity of the effects of silencing the whole miRNA clusters. This strategy may be adapted for CRISPR-mediated activation (CRISPRa) of miRNA expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Drobna-Śledzińska
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479, Poznań, Poland.
| | - Natalia Maćkowska-Maślak
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479, Poznań, Poland
| | - Roman Jaksik
- Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 16, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland
| | - Paulina Dąbek
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479, Poznań, Poland
| | - Michał Witt
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479, Poznań, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Dawidowska
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszynska 32, 60-479, Poznań, Poland.
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32
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Jamehdor S, Pajouhanfar S, Saba S, Uzan G, Teimoori A, Naserian S. Principles and Applications of CRISPR Toolkit in Virus Manipulation, Diagnosis, and Virus-Host Interactions. Cells 2022; 11:999. [PMID: 35326449 PMCID: PMC8946942 DOI: 10.3390/cells11060999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses are one of the most important concerns for human health, and overcoming viral infections is a worldwide challenge. However, researchers have been trying to manipulate viral genomes to overcome various disorders, including cancer, for vaccine development purposes. CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) is becoming one of the most functional and widely used tools for RNA and DNA manipulation in multiple organisms. This approach has provided an unprecedented opportunity for creating simple, inexpensive, specific, targeted, accurate, and practical manipulations of viruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), and vaccinia virus. Furthermore, this method can be used to make an effective and precise diagnosis of viral infections. Nevertheless, a valid and scientifically designed CRISPR system is critical to make more effective and accurate changes in viruses. In this review, we have focused on the best and the most effective ways to design sgRNA, gene knock-in(s), and gene knock-out(s) for virus-targeted manipulation. Furthermore, we have emphasized the application of CRISPR technology in virus diagnosis and in finding significant genes involved in virus-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saleh Jamehdor
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan 989155432609, Iran;
| | - Sara Pajouhanfar
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
| | - Sadaf Saba
- Center for Molecular Medicine & Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA;
| | - Georges Uzan
- INSERM UMR-S-MD 1197, Hôpital Paul Brousse, 94800 Villejuif, France;
- Paris-Saclay University, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Ali Teimoori
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan 6517838738, Iran
| | - Sina Naserian
- INSERM UMR-S-MD 1197, Hôpital Paul Brousse, 94800 Villejuif, France;
- Paris-Saclay University, 94800 Villejuif, France
- CellMedEx, 94100 Saint Maur Des Fossés, France
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33
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Abstract
Epigenome editing has become more precise and effective by coupling epigenetic effectors to the dCas9 protein and targeting regulatory regions such as promoters and enhancers. Here, we describe a basic methodology for performing an epigenome editing experiment, starting from gRNA design and cloning to transiently transfecting the gRNA plasmid and the CRISPR/dCas9-based epigenetic effector and finalizing with chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) to validate changes in epigenetic state at a targeted genomic region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Isaac B Hilton
- Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology PhD Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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34
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Hazan J, Bester AC. CRISPR-Based Approaches for the High-Throughput Characterization of Long Non-Coding RNAs. Noncoding RNA 2021; 7:79. [PMID: 34940760 PMCID: PMC8704461 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna7040079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, tens of thousands of new long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified in the human genome. Nevertheless, except for a handful of genes, the genetic characteristics and functions of most of these lncRNAs remain elusive; this is partially due to their relatively low expression, high tissue specificity, and low conservation across species. A major limitation for determining the function of lncRNAs was the lack of methodologies suitable for studying these genes. The recent development of CRISPR/Cas9 technology has opened unprecedented opportunities to uncover the genetic and functional characteristics of the non-coding genome via targeted and high-throughput approaches. Specific CRISPR/Cas9-based approaches were developed to target lncRNA loci. Some of these approaches involve modifying the sequence, but others were developed to study lncRNAs by inducing transcriptional and epigenetic changes. The discovery of other programable Cas proteins broaden our possibilities to target RNA molecules with greater precision and accuracy. These approaches allow for the knock-down and characterization of lncRNAs. Here, we review how various CRISPR-based strategies have been used to characterize lncRNAs with important functions in different biological contexts and how these approaches can be further utilized to improve our understanding of the non-coding genome.
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35
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Gauttam R, Mukhopadhyay A, Simmons BA, Singer SW. Development of dual-inducible duet-expression vectors for tunable gene expression control and CRISPR interference-based gene repression in Pseudomonas putida KT2440. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:2659-2678. [PMID: 34009716 PMCID: PMC8601191 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of P. putida as an industrial host requires a sophisticated molecular toolbox for strain improvement, including vectors for gene expression and repression. To augment existing expression plasmids for metabolic engineering, we developed a series of dual-inducible duet-expression vectors for P. putida KT2440. A number of inducible promoters (Plac , Ptac , PtetR/tetA and Pbad ) were used in different combinations to differentially regulate the expression of individual genes. Protein expression was evaluated by measuring the fluorescence of reporter proteins (GFP and RFP). Our experiments demonstrated the use of compatible plasmids, a useful approach to coexpress multiple genes in P. putida KT2440. These duet vectors were modified to generate a fully inducible CRISPR interference system using two catalytically inactive Cas9 variants from S. pasteurianus (dCas9) and S. pyogenes (spdCas9). The utility of developed CRISPRi system(s) was demonstrated by repressing the expression of nine conditionally essential genes, resulting in growth impairment and prolonged lag phase for P. putida KT2440 growth on glucose. Furthermore, the system was shown to be tightly regulated, tunable and to provide a simple way to identify essential genes with an observable phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Gauttam
- The Joint BioEnergy InstituteEmeryvilleCAUSA
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Aindrila Mukhopadhyay
- The Joint BioEnergy InstituteEmeryvilleCAUSA
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Blake A. Simmons
- The Joint BioEnergy InstituteEmeryvilleCAUSA
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Steven W. Singer
- The Joint BioEnergy InstituteEmeryvilleCAUSA
- Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryBerkeleyCAUSA
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36
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Jensen TI, Mikkelsen NS, Gao Z, Foßelteder J, Pabst G, Axelgaard E, Laustsen A, König S, Reinisch A, Bak RO. Targeted regulation of transcription in primary cells using CRISPRa and CRISPRi. Genome Res 2021; 31:2120-2130. [PMID: 34407984 PMCID: PMC8559706 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275607.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Targeted transcriptional activation or interference can be induced with the CRISPR-Cas9 system (CRISPRa/CRISPRi) using nuclease-deactivated Cas9 fused to transcriptional effector molecules. These technologies have been used in cancer cell lines, particularly for genome-wide functional genetic screens using lentiviral vectors. However, CRISPRa and CRISPRi have not yet been widely applied to ex vivo cultured primary cells with therapeutic relevance owing to a lack of effective and nontoxic delivery modalities. Here we develop CRISPRa and CRISPRi platforms based on RNA or ribonucleoprotein (RNP) delivery by electroporation and show transient, programmable gene regulation in primary cells, including human CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and human CD3+ T cells. We show multiplex and orthogonal gene modulation using multiple sgRNAs and CRISPR systems from different bacterial species, and we show that CRISPRa can be applied to manipulate differentiation trajectories of HSPCs. These platforms constitute simple and effective means to transiently control transcription and are easily adopted and reprogrammed to new target genes by synthetic sgRNAs. We believe these technologies will find wide use in engineering the transcriptome for studies of stem cell biology and gene function, and we foresee that they will be implemented to develop and enhance cellular therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trine I Jensen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark
| | - Nanna S Mikkelsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark
| | - Zongliang Gao
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark
| | - Johannes Foßelteder
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Gabriel Pabst
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Esben Axelgaard
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark
| | - Anders Laustsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark
| | - Saskia König
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark
| | - Andreas Reinisch
- Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Rasmus O Bak
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C., Denmark
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37
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Song X, Liu L, Liu XX, Xiong ZQ, Xie CL, Wang SJ, Ai LZ. Single-plasmid systems based on CRISPR-Cas9 for gene editing in Lactococcus lactis. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:10576-10585. [PMID: 34275631 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-19901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Lactococcus lactis is a food-grade lactic acid bacterial species that is widely used in food and medical industries. Due to its relatively small genome and simple metabolism, L. lactis is commonly engineered to produce large quantities of recombinant proteins. The most common single-gene knockout strategy in L. lactis involves RecA-dependent homologous double-crossover recombination, which is relatively time-consuming and laborious. In this study, a precise and efficient genome-editing plasmid for L. lactis NZ9000 genome engineering, pLL, was established based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 technology. By studying the effects of different single guide RNA (sgRNA) promoters, the efficiency of gene deletion was optimized. For LLNZ_02045 (ldh), gene deletion efficiency of up to 50% was achieved. Effective sequential gene deletion of LLNZ_11240 (upp) and LLNZ_04580 (upp1) was also demonstrated using this tool. Additionally, the gene that encodes for uracil phosphoribosyltransferase was identified using this system. Similar robust gene deletion efficiencies of sgRNA that targeted different regions of a single gene suggested that gene deletion was not affected by the location of sgRNA binding. Thus, our study established a new gene-editing tool that may allow further investigation and understanding of the L. lactis NZ9000 genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Song
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Food Microbiology, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Lu Liu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Food Microbiology, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Xin-Xin Liu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Food Microbiology, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Xiong
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Food Microbiology, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Chun-Liang Xie
- Institute of Bast Fiber Crop, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410205, China
| | - Shij-Jie Wang
- College of Bioscience and Bioengineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang 050018, Hebei, China; Shijiazhuang Junlebao Dairy Co. Ltd., Shijiazhuang 050211, China
| | - Lian-Zhong Ai
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Food Microbiology, School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China.
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38
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González Castro N, Bjelic J, Malhotra G, Huang C, Alsaffar SH. Comparison of the Feasibility, Efficiency, and Safety of Genome Editing Technologies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10355. [PMID: 34638696 PMCID: PMC8509008 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in programmable nucleases including meganucleases (MNs), zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-Cas (CRISPR-Cas) have propelled genome editing from explorative research to clinical and industrial settings. Each technology, however, features distinct modes of action that unevenly impact their applicability across the entire genome and are often tested under significantly different conditions. While CRISPR-Cas is currently leading the field due to its versatility, quick adoption, and high degree of support, it is not without limitations. Currently, no technology can be regarded as ideal or even applicable to every case as the context dictates the best approach for genetic modification within a target organism. In this review, we implement a four-pillar framework (context, feasibility, efficiency, and safety) to assess the main genome editing platforms, as a basis for rational decision-making by an expanding base of users, regulators, and consumers. Beyond carefully considering their specific use case with the assessment framework proposed here, we urge stakeholders interested in genome editing to independently validate the parameters of their chosen platform prior to commitment. Furthermore, safety across all applications, particularly in clinical settings, is a paramount consideration and comprehensive off-target detection strategies should be incorporated within workflows to address this. Often neglected aspects such as immunogenicity and the inadvertent selection of mutants deficient for DNA repair pathways must also be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás González Castro
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Australia; (N.G.C.); (G.M.); (C.H.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Jan Bjelic
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Australia; (N.G.C.); (G.M.); (C.H.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Gunya Malhotra
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Australia; (N.G.C.); (G.M.); (C.H.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Cong Huang
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Australia; (N.G.C.); (G.M.); (C.H.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Salman Hasan Alsaffar
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Australia; (N.G.C.); (G.M.); (C.H.); (S.H.A.)
- Biotechnology Department, Environment and Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Shuwaikh 13109, Kuwait
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39
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Ren X, Wang M, Li B, Jamieson K, Zheng L, Jones IR, Li B, Takagi MA, Lee J, Maliskova L, Tam TW, Yu M, Hu R, Lee L, Abnousi A, Li G, Li Y, Hu M, Ren B, Wang W, Shen Y. Parallel characterization of cis-regulatory elements for multiple genes using CRISPRpath. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabi4360. [PMID: 34524848 PMCID: PMC8443183 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi4360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Current pooled CRISPR screens for cis-regulatory elements (CREs), based on transcriptional output changes, are typically limited to characterizing CREs of only one gene. Here, we describe CRISPRpath, a scalable screening strategy for parallelly characterizing CREs of genes linked to the same biological pathway and converging phenotypes. We demonstrate the ability of CRISPRpath for simultaneously identifying functional enhancers of six genes in the 6-thioguanine–induced DNA mismatch repair pathway using both CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) and CRISPR nuclease (CRISPRn) approaches. Sixty percent of the identified enhancers are known promoters with distinct epigenomic features compared to other active promoters, including increased chromatin accessibility and interactivity. Furthermore, by imposing different levels of selection pressure, CRISPRpath can distinguish enhancers exerting strong impact on gene expression from those exerting weak impact. Our results offer a nuanced view of cis-regulation and demonstrate that CRISPRpath can be leveraged for understanding the complex gene regulatory program beyond transcriptional output at scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingjie Ren
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mengchi Wang
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Bingkun Li
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kirsty Jamieson
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lina Zheng
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ian R. Jones
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bin Li
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maya Asami Takagi
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jerry Lee
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lenka Maliskova
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tsz Wai Tam
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Miao Yu
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rong Hu
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lindsay Lee
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Armen Abnousi
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Yun Li
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ming Hu
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Bing Ren
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yin Shen
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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40
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Li Y, Zhou LQ. dCas9 techniques for transcriptional repression in mammalian cells: Progress, applications and challenges. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2100086. [PMID: 34327721 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Innovative loss-of-function techniques developed in recent years have made it much easier to target specific genomic loci at transcriptional levels. CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) has been proven to be the most effective and specific tool to knock down any gene of interest in mammalian cells. The catalytically deactivated Cas9 (dCas9) can be fused with transcription repressors to downregulate gene expression specified by sgRNA complementary to target genomic sequence. Although CRISPRi has huge potential for gene knockdown, there is still a lack of systematic guidelines for efficient and widespread use. Here we describe the working mechanism and development of CRISPRi, designing principles of sgRNA, delivery methods and applications in mammalian cells in detail. Finally, we propose possible solutions and future directions with regard to current challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Li
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Li-Quan Zhou
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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41
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Protein phosphatase 2A holoenzymes regulate leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 phosphorylation and accumulation. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 157:105426. [PMID: 34144124 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
LRRK2 is a highly phosphorylated multidomain protein and mutations in the gene encoding LRRK2 are a major genetic determinant of Parkinson's disease (PD). Dephosphorylation at LRRK2's S910/S935/S955/S973 phosphosite cluster is observed in several conditions including in sporadic PD brain, in several disease mutant forms of LRRK2 and after pharmacological LRRK2 kinase inhibition. However, the mechanism of LRRK2 dephosphorylation is poorly understood. We performed a phosphatome-wide reverse genetics screen to identify phosphatases involved in the dephosphorylation of the LRRK2 phosphosite S935. Candidate phosphatases selected from the primary screen were tested in mammalian cells, Xenopus oocytes and in vitro. Effects of PP2A on endogenous LRRK2 phosphorylation were examined via expression modulation with CRISPR/dCas9. Our screening revealed LRRK2 phosphorylation regulators linked to the PP1 and PP2A holoenzyme complexes as well as CDC25 phosphatases. We showed that dephosphorylation induced by different kinase inhibitor triggered relocalisation of phosphatases PP1 and PP2A in LRRK2 subcellular compartments in HEK-293 T cells. We also demonstrated that LRRK2 is an authentic substrate of PP2A both in vitro and in Xenopus oocytes. We singled out the PP2A holoenzyme PPP2CA:PPP2R2 as a powerful phosphoregulator of pS935-LRRK2. Furthermore, we demonstrated that this specific PP2A holoenzyme induces LRRK2 relocalization and triggers LRRK2 ubiquitination, suggesting its involvement in LRRK2 clearance. The identification of the PPP2CA:PPP2R2 complex regulating LRRK2 S910/S935/S955/S973 phosphorylation paves the way for studies refining PD therapeutic strategies that impact LRRK2 phosphorylation.
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42
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Hoque ME, Mustafa G, Basu S, Balci H. Encounters between Cas9/dCas9 and G-Quadruplexes: Implications for Transcription Regulation and Cas9-Mediated DNA Cleavage. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:972-978. [PMID: 33970608 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Using the nuclease-dead Cas9 (dCas9), we targeted in cellulo a G-rich sequence, which contains multiple potentially G-quadruplex (GQ) forming sites, within the human tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) promoter. We demonstrate that transcription can be up or down regulated by targeting different parts of this G-rich sequence. Our results suggest that TH transcription levels correlate with stability of different GQs formed by this sequence and targeting them with dCas9 can modulate their stability. Unlike alternative approaches, regulating TH expression by targeting the promoter GQs with dCas9 enables a specific and potentially transient control and does not require mutations in the sequence. We also investigated whether the presence of GQs in target sequences impacts DNA cleavage activity of Cas9. We discovered significant reduction in cleavage activity when the vicinity of a high-stability GQ was targeted. Furthermore, this reduction is significantly more prominent for the G-rich strand compared to the complementary C-rich strand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Enamul Hoque
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States
| | - Golam Mustafa
- Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States
| | - Soumitra Basu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States
| | - Hamza Balci
- Department of Physics, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, United States
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43
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Goell JH, Hilton IB. CRISPR/Cas-Based Epigenome Editing: Advances, Applications, and Clinical Utility. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 39:678-691. [PMID: 33972106 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The epigenome dynamically regulates gene expression and guides cellular differentiation throughout the lifespan of eukaryotic organisms. Recent advances in clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas-based epigenome editing technologies have enabled researchers to site-specifically program epigenetic modifications to endogenous DNA and histones and to manipulate the architecture of native chromatin. As a result, epigenome editing has helped to uncover the causal relationships between epigenetic marks and gene expression. As epigenome editing tools have continued to develop, researchers have applied them in new ways to explore the function of the epigenome in human health and disease. In this review, we discuss the recent technical improvements in CRISPR/Cas-based epigenome editing that have advanced clinical research and examine how these technologies could be improved for greater future utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob H Goell
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Isaac B Hilton
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA; Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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Brackett K, Mungale A, Lopez-Isidro M, Proctor DA, Najarro G, Arias C. CRISPR Interference Efficiently Silences Latent and Lytic Viral Genes in Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Infected Cells. Viruses 2021; 13:783. [PMID: 33924938 PMCID: PMC8146339 DOI: 10.3390/v13050783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncovering viral gene functions requires the modulation of gene expression through overexpression or loss-of-function. CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), a modification of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, allows specific and efficient transcriptional silencing without genetic ablation. CRISPRi has been used to silence eukaryotic and prokaryotic genes at the single-gene and genome-wide levels. Here, we report the use of CRISPRi to silence latent and lytic viral genes, with an efficiency of ~80-90%, in epithelial and B-cells carrying multiple copies of the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) genome. Our results validate CRISPRi for the analysis of KSHV viral elements, providing a functional genomics tool for studying virus-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Brackett
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (K.B.); (A.M.); (M.L.-I.); (D.A.P.); (G.N.)
| | - Ameera Mungale
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (K.B.); (A.M.); (M.L.-I.); (D.A.P.); (G.N.)
| | - Mary Lopez-Isidro
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (K.B.); (A.M.); (M.L.-I.); (D.A.P.); (G.N.)
| | - Duncan A. Proctor
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (K.B.); (A.M.); (M.L.-I.); (D.A.P.); (G.N.)
| | - Guillermo Najarro
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (K.B.); (A.M.); (M.L.-I.); (D.A.P.); (G.N.)
| | - Carolina Arias
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (K.B.); (A.M.); (M.L.-I.); (D.A.P.); (G.N.)
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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45
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Functional annotation of lncRNA in high-throughput screening. Essays Biochem 2021; 65:761-773. [PMID: 33835127 PMCID: PMC8564734 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20200061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Recent efforts on the characterization of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) revealed their functional roles in modulating diverse cellular processes. These include pluripotency maintenance, lineage commitment, carcinogenesis, and pathogenesis of various diseases. By interacting with DNA, RNA and protein, lncRNAs mediate multifaceted mechanisms to regulate transcription, RNA processing, RNA interference and translation. Of more than 173000 discovered lncRNAs, the majority remain functionally unknown. The cell type-specific expression and localization of the lncRNA also suggest potential distinct functions of lncRNAs across different cell types. This highlights the niche of identifying functional lncRNAs in different biological processes and diseases through high-throughput (HTP) screening. This review summarizes the current work performed and perspectives on HTP screening of functional lncRNAs where different technologies, platforms, cellular responses and the downstream analyses are discussed. We hope to provide a better picture in applying different technologies to facilitate functional annotation of lncRNA efficiently.
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46
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Pan C, Sretenovic S, Qi Y. CRISPR/dCas-mediated transcriptional and epigenetic regulation in plants. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 60:101980. [PMID: 33401227 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2020.101980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/CRISPR Associated) system-mediated precise genome editing has revolutionized genome engineering due to ease of use and versatility of multiplexing. Catalytically inactivated Cas variants (dCas) further expand the usefulness of the CRISPR/Cas system for genetics studies and translational research without inducing DNA double-strand breaks. Fusion of diverse effector domains to dCas proteins empowers the CRISPR/dCas system as a multifunctional platform for gene expression regulation, epigenetic regulation and sequence-specific imaging. In this short review, we summarize the recent advances of CRISPR/dCas-mediated transcriptional activation and repression, and epigenetic modifications. We also highlight the future directions and broader applications of the CRISPR/dCas systems in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changtian Pan
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Simon Sretenovic
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Yiping Qi
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
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47
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Complex-dependent histone acetyltransferase activity of KAT8 determines its role in transcription and cellular homeostasis. Mol Cell 2021; 81:1749-1765.e8. [PMID: 33657400 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Acetylation of lysine 16 on histone H4 (H4K16ac) is catalyzed by histone acetyltransferase KAT8 and can prevent chromatin compaction in vitro. Although extensively studied in Drosophila, the functions of H4K16ac and two KAT8-containing protein complexes (NSL and MSL) are not well understood in mammals. Here, we demonstrate a surprising complex-dependent activity of KAT8: it catalyzes H4K5ac and H4K8ac as part of the NSL complex, whereas it catalyzes the bulk of H4K16ac as part of the MSL complex. Furthermore, we show that MSL complex proteins and H4K16ac are not required for cell proliferation and chromatin accessibility, whereas the NSL complex is essential for cell survival, as it stimulates transcription initiation at the promoters of housekeeping genes. In summary, we show that KAT8 switches catalytic activity and function depending on its associated proteins and that, when in the NSL complex, it catalyzes H4K5ac and H4K8ac required for the expression of essential genes.
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Ghavami S, Pandi A. CRISPR interference and its applications. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2021; 180:123-140. [PMID: 33934834 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2021.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Sequence-specific control of gene expression is a powerful tool for identifying and studying gene functions and cellular processes. CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) is an RNA-based method for highly specific silencing of the transcription in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells. The typical CRISPRi system is a type II CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats) machinery of Streptococcus pyogenes. CRISPRi requires two main components: A catalytically inactivated Cas9, namely dCas9 and a guide RNA (sgRNA). These two components associate and form a DNA recognition complex. The dCas9/sgRNA complex then specifically binds to the target DNA complementary with the sgRNA and sterically prevents the association of the promoter or transcription factors with their trans-acting sequences or blocks the transcription elongation. This chapter discusses CRISPRi structure, mechanism and its applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amir Pandi
- Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Max-Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany.
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Deutsch M, Günther A, Lerchundi R, Rose CR, Balfanz S, Baumann A. AAV-Mediated CRISPRi and RNAi Based Gene Silencing in Mouse Hippocampal Neurons. Cells 2021; 10:324. [PMID: 33557342 PMCID: PMC7915209 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncovering the physiological role of individual proteins that are part of the intricate process of cellular signaling is often a complex and challenging task. A straightforward strategy of studying a protein's function is by manipulating the expression rate of its gene. In recent years, the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9-based technology was established as a powerful gene-editing tool for generating sequence specific changes in proliferating cells. However, obtaining homogeneous populations of transgenic post-mitotic neurons by CRISPR/Cas9 turned out to be challenging. These constraints can be partially overcome by CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), which mediates the inhibition of gene expression by competing with the transcription machinery for promoter binding and, thus, transcription initiation. Notably, CRISPR/Cas is only one of several described approaches for the manipulation of gene expression. Here, we targeted neurons with recombinant Adeno-associated viruses to induce either CRISPRi or RNA interference (RNAi), a well-established method for impairing de novo protein biosynthesis by using cellular regulatory mechanisms that induce the degradation of pre-existing mRNA. We specifically targeted hyperpolarization-activated and cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels, which are widely expressed in neuronal tissues and play essential physiological roles in maintaining biophysical characteristics in neurons. Both of the strategies reduced the expression levels of three HCN isoforms (HCN1, 2, and 4) with high specificity. Furthermore, detailed analysis revealed that the knock-down of just a single HCN isoform (HCN4) in hippocampal neurons did not affect basic electrical parameters of transduced neurons, whereas substantial changes emerged in HCN-current specific properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Deutsch
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Biological Information Processing, IBI-1, Leo-Brandt-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany; (M.D.); (S.B.)
- Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92083, USA
| | - Anne Günther
- Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Falkenried 94, 20251 Hamburg, Germany;
| | - Rodrigo Lerchundi
- Institute of Neurobiology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (R.L.); (C.R.R.)
| | - Christine R. Rose
- Institute of Neurobiology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (R.L.); (C.R.R.)
| | - Sabine Balfanz
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Biological Information Processing, IBI-1, Leo-Brandt-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany; (M.D.); (S.B.)
| | - Arnd Baumann
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Biological Information Processing, IBI-1, Leo-Brandt-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany; (M.D.); (S.B.)
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Li X, Huang L, Pan L, Wang B, Pan L. CRISPR/dCas9-mediated epigenetic modification reveals differential regulation of histone acetylation on Aspergillus niger secondary metabolite. Microbiol Res 2021; 245:126694. [PMID: 33482403 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2020.126694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic studies on secondary metabolites (SMs) mainly relied so far on non-selective epigenetic factors deletion or feeding epigenetic inhibitors in Aspergillus niger. Although technologies developed for epigenome editing at specific loci now enable the direct study of the functional relevance of precise gene regulation and epigenetic modification, relevant assays are limited in filamentous fungi. Herein, we show that CRISPR/dCas9-mediated histone epigenetic modification systems efficiently reprogramed the expression of target genes in A. niger. First, we constructed a p300-dCas9 system and demonstrated the activation of a EGFP fluorescent reporter. Second, by precisely locating histone acetylase p300 on ATG adjacent region of secondary metabolic gene breF, the transcription of breF was activated. Third, p300-dCas9 was guided to the native polyketide synthase (PKS) gene fuml, which increased production of the compound fumonisin B2 detected by HPLC and LC-MS. Then, endogenous histone acetylase GcnE-dCas9 and histone deacetylases HosA-dCas9 and RpdA-dCas9 repressed the transcription of breF. Finally, by targeting HosA-dCa9 fusion to pigment gene fwnA, we confirmed that histone deacetylase HosA activated the expression of fwnA, accelerated the synthesis of melanin. Targeted epigenome editing is a promising technology and this study is the first time to apply the epigenetic CRISPR/dCas9 system on regulating the expression of the secondary metabolic genes in A. niger.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejie Li
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, No. 382 Waihuan East Rd, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Lianggang Huang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, No. 382 Waihuan East Rd, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Lijie Pan
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, No. 382 Waihuan East Rd, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Bin Wang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, No. 382 Waihuan East Rd, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Li Pan
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, No. 382 Waihuan East Rd, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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