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Klementieva NV, Lunev EA, Shmidt AA, Loseva EM, Savchenko IM, Svetlova EA, Galkin II, Polikarpova AV, Usachev EV, Vassilieva SG, Marina VI, Dzhenkova MA, Romanova AD, Agutin AV, Timakova AA, Reshetov DA, Egorova TV, Bardina MV. RNA Interference Effectors Selectively Silence the Pathogenic Variant GNAO1 c.607 G > A In Vitro. Nucleic Acid Ther 2024; 34:90-99. [PMID: 38215303 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2023.0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutics hold the potential for dominant genetic disorders, enabling sequence-specific inhibition of pathogenic gene products. We aimed to direct RNAi for the selective suppression of the heterozygous GNAO1 c.607 G > A variant causing GNAO1 encephalopathy. By screening short interfering RNA (siRNA), we showed that GNAO1 c.607G>A is a druggable target for RNAi. The si1488 candidate achieved at least twofold allelic discrimination and downregulated mutant protein to 35%. We created vectorized RNAi by incorporating the si1488 sequence into the short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in the adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector. The shRNA stem and loop were modified to improve the transcription, processing, and guide strand selection. All tested shRNA constructs demonstrated selectivity toward mutant GNAO1, while tweaking hairpin structure only marginally affected the silencing efficiency. The selectivity of shRNA-mediated silencing was confirmed in the context of AAV vector transduction. To conclude, RNAi effectors ranging from siRNA to AAV-RNAi achieve suppression of the pathogenic GNAO1 c.607G>A and discriminate alleles by the single-nucleotide substitution. For gene therapy development, it is crucial to demonstrate the benefit of these RNAi effectors in patient-specific neurons and animal models of the GNAO1 encephalopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia V Klementieva
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, Russia
| | - Evgenii A Lunev
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna A Shmidt
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Irina M Savchenko
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina A Svetlova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, Russia
| | - Ivan I Galkin
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna V Polikarpova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, Russia
| | - Evgeny V Usachev
- Laboratory of Translational Biomedicine, Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Svetlana G Vassilieva
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, Russia
| | | | - Marina A Dzhenkova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, Russia
| | - Anna D Romanova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anton V Agutin
- State Budgetary Healthcare Institution of Moscow Region "Balashikha Hospital," Balashikha, Russia
| | - Anna A Timakova
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Tatiana V Egorova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, Russia
| | - Maryana V Bardina
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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Egorova TV, Polikarpova AV, Vassilieva SG, Dzhenkova MA, Savchenko IM, Velyaev OA, Shmidt AA, Soldatov VO, Pokrovskii MV, Deykin AV, Bardina MV. CRISPR-Cas9 correction in the DMD mouse model is accompanied by upregulation of Dp71f protein. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 30:161-180. [PMID: 37457303 PMCID: PMC10339130 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe hereditary disease caused by a deficiency in the dystrophin protein. The most frequent types of disease-causing mutations in the DMD gene are frameshift deletions of one or more exons. Precision genome editing systems such as CRISPR-Cas9 have shown potential to restore open reading frames in numerous animal studies. Here, we applied an AAV-CRISPR double-cut strategy to correct a mutation in the DMD mouse model with exon 8-34 deletion, encompassing the N-terminal actin-binding domain. We report successful excision of the 100-kb genomic sequence, which includes exons 6 and 7, and partial improvement in cardiorespiratory function. While corrected mRNA was abundant in muscle tissues, only a low level of truncated dystrophin was produced, possibly because of protein instability. Furthermore, CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing upregulated the Dp71f dystrophin isoform on the sarcolemma. Given the previously reported Dp71-associated muscle pathology, our results question the applicability of genome editing strategies for some DMD patients with N-terminal mutations. The safety and efficacy of CRISPR-Cas9 constructs require rigorous investigation in patient-specific animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana V. Egorova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi 354340, Russia
| | - Anna V. Polikarpova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi 354340, Russia
| | - Svetlana G. Vassilieva
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Marina A. Dzhenkova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Irina M. Savchenko
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Oleg A. Velyaev
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Anna A. Shmidt
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Vladislav O. Soldatov
- Research Institute of Living Systems Pharmacology, Belgorod National Research University, Belgorod 308007, Russia
| | - Mikhail V. Pokrovskii
- Research Institute of Living Systems Pharmacology, Belgorod National Research University, Belgorod 308007, Russia
| | - Alexey V. Deykin
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi 354340, Russia
- Joint Center for Genetic Technologies, Laboratory of Genetic Technologies and Gene Editing for Biomedicine and Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Belgorod National Research University, Belgorod 308015, Russia
| | - Maryana V. Bardina
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi 354340, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
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Egorova TV, Galkin II, Velyaev OA, Vassilieva SG, Savchenko IM, Loginov VA, Dzhenkova MA, Korshunova DS, Kozlova OS, Ivankov DN, Polikarpova AV. In-Frame Deletion of Dystrophin Exons 8-50 Results in DMD Phenotype. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119117. [PMID: 37298068 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations that prevent the production of proteins in the DMD gene cause Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Most frequently, these are deletions leading to reading-frame shift. The "reading-frame rule" states that deletions that preserve ORF result in a milder Becker muscular dystrophy. By removing several exons, new genome editing tools enable reading-frame restoration in DMD with the production of BMD-like dystrophins. However, not every truncated dystrophin with a significant internal loss functions properly. To determine the effectiveness of potential genome editing, each variant should be carefully studied in vitro or in vivo. In this study, we focused on the deletion of exons 8-50 as a potential reading-frame restoration option. Using the CRISPR-Cas9 tool, we created the novel mouse model DMDdel8-50, which has an in-frame deletion in the DMD gene. We compared DMDdel8-50 mice to C57Bl6/CBA background control mice and previously generated DMDdel8-34 KO mice. We discovered that the shortened protein was expressed and correctly localized on the sarcolemma. The truncated protein, on the other hand, was unable to function like a full-length dystrophin and prevent disease progression. On the basis of protein expression, histological examination, and physical assessment of the mice, we concluded that the deletion of exons 8-50 is an exception to the reading-frame rule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana V Egorova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi 354340, Russia
| | - Ivan I Galkin
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi 354340, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Oleg A Velyaev
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Svetlana G Vassilieva
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Irina M Savchenko
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Vyacheslav A Loginov
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Marina A Dzhenkova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Diana S Korshunova
- Core Facilities, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Olga S Kozlova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Dmitry N Ivankov
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia
| | - Anna V Polikarpova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119334, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi 354340, Russia
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Polikarpova AV, Egorova TV, Lunev EA, Tsitrina AA, Vassilieva SG, Savchenko IM, Silaeva YY, Deykin AV, Bardina MV. CRISPR/Cas9-generated mouse model with humanizing single-base substitution in the Gnao1 for safety studies of RNA therapeutics. Front Genome Ed 2023; 5:1034720. [PMID: 37077890 PMCID: PMC10106585 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2023.1034720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of personalized medicine for genetic diseases requires preclinical testing in the appropriate animal models. GNAO1 encephalopathy is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder caused by heterozygous de novo mutations in the GNAO1 gene. GNAO1 c.607 G>A is one of the most common pathogenic variants, and the mutant protein Gαo-G203R likely adversely affects neuronal signaling. As an innovative approach, sequence-specific RNA-based therapeutics such as antisense oligonucleotides or effectors of RNA interference are potentially applicable for selective suppression of the mutant GNAO1 transcript. While in vitro validation can be performed in patient-derived cells, a humanized mouse model to rule out the safety of RNA therapeutics is currently lacking. In the present work, we employed CRISPR/Cas9 technology to introduce a single-base substitution into exon 6 of the Gnao1 to replace the murine Gly203-coding triplet (GGG) with the codon used in the human gene (GGA). We verified that genome-editing did not interfere with the Gnao1 mRNA or Gαo protein synthesis and did not alter localization of the protein in the brain structures. The analysis of blastocysts revealed the off-target activity of the CRISPR/Cas9 complexes; however, no modifications of the predicted off-target sites were detected in the founder mouse. Histological staining confirmed the absence of abnormal changes in the brain of genome-edited mice. The created mouse model with the “humanized” fragment of the endogenous Gnao1 is suitable to rule out unintended targeting of the wild-type allele by RNA therapeutics directed at lowering GNAO1 c.607 G>A transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna V. Polikarpova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech, Sochi, Russia
| | - Tatiana V. Egorova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech, Sochi, Russia
| | - Evgenii A. Lunev
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech, Sochi, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexandra A. Tsitrina
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Svetlana G. Vassilieva
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech, Sochi, Russia
| | - Irina M. Savchenko
- Marlin Biotech, Sochi, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yuliya Y. Silaeva
- Core Facility Center, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey V. Deykin
- Marlin Biotech, Sochi, Russia
- Core Facility Center, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Laboratory of Genetic Technologies and Genome Editing for Biomedicine and Animal Health, Joint Center for Genetic Technologies, Belgorod National Research University, Belgorod, Russia
| | - Maryana V. Bardina
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Marlin Biotech, Sochi, Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- *Correspondence: Maryana V. Bardina,
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Lunev EA, Shmidt AA, Vassilieva SG, Savchenko IM, Loginov VA, Marina VI, Egorova TV, Bardina MV. [Effective Viral Delivery of Genetic Constructs to Neuronal Culture for Modeling and Gene Therapy of GNAO1 Encephalopathy]. Mol Biol (Mosk) 2022; 56:604-618. [PMID: 35964317 DOI: 10.31857/s0026898422040061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
GNAO1 encephalopathy is an orphan genetic disease associated with early infantile epilepsy, impaired motor control, and severe developmental delay. The disorder is caused by mutations in the GNAO1 gene, leading to dysfunction of the encoded protein Gao1. There is no cure for this disease, and symptomatic therapy is ineffective. Phenotypic heterogeneity highlights the need for a personalized approach for treating patients with a specific clinical variant of GNAO1 and requires the study of the disease mechanism in animal and cell models. Towards this aim, we developed an approach for modeling GNAO1 encephalopathy and testing gene therapy drugs in primary neurons derived from healthy mice. We optimized the delivery of transgenes to Gαo1-expressing neurons using recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV). We assessed the tropism of five neurotropic AAV serotypes (1, 2, 6, 9, DJ) for Gαo1-positive neurons from the whole mouse brain. The DJ serotype showed the highest potential as a reporter delivery vehicle, infecting up to 66% of Gαo1-expressing cells without overt cytotoxicity. We demonstrated that AAV-DJ also provides efficient delivery and expression of genetic constructs encoding normal and mutant Gαo1, as well as short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to suppress endogenous Gnao1 in murine neurons. Our results will further simplify the study of the pathological mechanism for clinical variants of GNAO1, as well as optimize the testing of gene therapy approaches for GNAO1 encephalopathy in cell models.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Lunev
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, 354340 Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
| | - A A Shmidt
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
| | - S G Vassilieva
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
| | - I M Savchenko
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
| | - V A Loginov
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
| | - V I Marina
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, 354340 Russia
| | - T V Egorova
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
| | - M V Bardina
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Sochi, 354340 Russia
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334 Russia
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6
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Danilov KA, Vassilieva SG, Polikarpova AV, Starikova AV, Shmidt AA, Galkin II, Tsitrina AA, Egorova TV, Orlov SN, Kotelevtsev YV. In vitro assay for the efficacy assessment of AAV vectors expressing microdystrophin. Exp Cell Res 2020; 392:112033. [PMID: 32360435 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.112033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
AAV-delivered microdystrophin genes hold great promise for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) treatment. It is anticipated that the optimization of engineered dystrophin genes will be required to increase the efficacy and reduce the immunogenicity of transgenic proteins. An in vitro system is required for the efficacy testing of genetically engineered dystrophin genes. We report here on the proof of concept for an in vitro assay based on the assessment of sarcolemma damage after repetitively applied electrical stimuli. The primary cell culture of myoblasts was established from wild-type C57BL/10ScSnJ and dystrophin-deficient mdx mice. The preparation parameters and the differentiation of contractile myotubes were optimized. DAPI and TO-PRO-3 dyes were used to assess myotubular membrane permeability in response to electrical pulse stimulation (EPS). Myotubes derived from mdx mice exhibited a greater increase in membrane damage, as assessed by TO-PRO-3-measured permeability after EPS, than was exhibited by the healthy control myotubes. AAV-DJ particles carrying the microdystrophin gene were used to transduce mdx-derived differentiated myotubes. Microdystrophin delivery ameliorated the disease phenotype and reduced the EPS-induced membrane damage to a level comparable to that of the healthy controls. Thus, the in vitro system was shown to be capable of supporting studies on DMD gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill A Danilov
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 121205, Russia; Atlas Biomed Group Limited, Tintagel House, 92 Albert Embankment, Lambeth, SE1 7TY, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Svetlana G Vassilieva
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia; Marlin Biotech LLC, Moscow, 143026, Russia.
| | - Anna V Polikarpova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia; Marlin Biotech LLC, Moscow, 143026, Russia.
| | - Anna V Starikova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia; Marlin Biotech LLC, Moscow, 143026, Russia.
| | - Anna A Shmidt
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia; Marlin Biotech LLC, Moscow, 143026, Russia; Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia.
| | - Ivan I Galkin
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Moscow, 143026, Russia; A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Alexandra A Tsitrina
- Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia.
| | - Tatiana V Egorova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia; Marlin Biotech LLC, Moscow, 143026, Russia.
| | - Sergei N Orlov
- M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia; National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, 634050, Russia.
| | - Yuri V Kotelevtsev
- Center for Neurobiology and Brain Restoration, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 121205, Russia.
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7
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Egorova TV, Zotova ED, Reshetov DA, Polikarpova AV, Vassilieva SG, Vlodavets DV, Gavrilov AA, Ulianov SV, Buchman VL, Deykin AV. CRISPR/Cas9-generated mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy recapitulating a newly identified large 430 kb deletion in the human DMD gene. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:dmm037655. [PMID: 31028078 PMCID: PMC6505476 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.037655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Exon skipping is a promising strategy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) disease-modifying therapy. To make this approach safe, ensuring that excluding one or more exons will restore the reading frame and that the resulting protein will retain critical functions of the full-length dystrophin protein is necessary. However, in vivo testing of the consequences of skipping exons that encode the N-terminal actin-binding domain (ABD) has been confounded by the absence of a relevant animal model. We created a mouse model of the disease recapitulating a novel human mutation, a large de novo deletion of exons 8-34 of the DMD gene, found in a Russian DMD patient. This mutation was achieved by deleting exons 8-34 of the X-linked mouse D md gene using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, which led to a reading frame shift and the absence of functional dystrophin production. Male mice carrying this deletion display several important signs of muscular dystrophy, including a gradual age-dependent decrease in muscle strength, increased creatine kinase, muscle fibrosis and central nucleation. The degrees of these changes are comparable to those observed in mdx mice, a standard laboratory model of DMD. This new model of DMD will be useful for validating therapies based on skipping exons that encode the N-terminal ABD and for improving our understanding of the role of the N-terminal domain and central rod domain in the biological function of dystrophin. Simultaneous skipping of exons 6 and 7 should restore the gene reading frame and lead to the production of a protein that might retain functionality despite the partial deletion of the ABD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana V Egorova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Moscow, 143026, Russia
| | | | | | - Anna V Polikarpova
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Moscow, 143026, Russia
| | - Svetlana G Vassilieva
- Laboratory of Modeling and Gene Therapy of Hereditary Diseases, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
- Marlin Biotech LLC, Moscow, 143026, Russia
| | - Dmitry V Vlodavets
- Veltischev Scientific Research Clinical Paediatric Institute, Moscow, 125412, Russia
| | - Alexey A Gavrilov
- Group of Genome Spatial Organization, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Sergey V Ulianov
- Laboratory of Structural and Functional Organization of Chromosomes, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | | | - Alexei V Deykin
- Core Facilities, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
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8
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Prelle K, Vassiliev IM, Vassilieva SG, Wolf E, Wobus AM. Establishment of pluripotent cell lines from vertebrate species--present status and future prospects. Cells Tissues Organs 1999; 165:220-36. [PMID: 10592394 DOI: 10.1159/000016683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated cell lines derived from early embryos and are capable of unlimited undifferentiated proliferation in vitro. They retain the ability to differentiate into all cell types including germ cells in chimeric animals in vivo, and can be induced to form derivatives of all three germ layers in vitro. Mouse ES cells represent one of the most important tools in genetic research. Major applications include the targeted mutation of specific genes by homologous recombination and the discovery of new genes by gene trap strategies. These applications would be of high interest for other model organisms and also for livestock species. However, in spite of tremendous research activities, no proven ES cells colonizing the germ line have been established for vertebrate species other than mouse and chicken thus far. This review summarizes the current status of deriving pluripotent embryonic stem cell lines from vertebrates and recent developments in nuclear transfer technology, which may provide an alternative tool for genetic modification of livestock animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Prelle
- Department of Molecular Animal Breeding and Genetics, Gene Centre, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.
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