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  • 1
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    Harnessing Type I and Type III CRISPR-Cas systems for genome editing (2016)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2016-03-01
    Description: CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR-associated) systems are widespread in archaea and bacteria, and research on their molecular mechanisms has led to the development of genome-editing techniques based on a few Type II systems. However, there has not been any report on harnessing a Type I or Type III system for genome editing. Here, a method was developed to repurpose both CRISPR-Cas systems for genetic manipulation in Sulfolobus islandicus , a thermophilic archaeon. A novel type of genome-editing plasmid (pGE) was constructed, carrying an artificial mini-CRISPR array and a donor DNA containing a non-target sequence. Transformation of a pGE plasmid would yield two alternative fates to transformed cells: wild-type cells are to be targeted for chromosomal DNA degradation, leading to cell death, whereas those carrying the mutant gene would survive the cell killing and selectively retained as transformants. Using this strategy, different types of mutation were generated, including deletion, insertion and point mutations. We envision this method is readily applicable to different bacteria and archaea that carry an active CRISPR-Cas system of DNA interference provided the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) of an uncharacterized PAM-dependent CRISPR-Cas system can be predicted by bioinformatic analysis.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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    Electronic ISSN: 1362-4962
    Topics: Biology
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  • 2
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    Femtosecond near-infrared laser microirradiation reveals a crucial role for PARP signaling on factor assemblies at DNA damage sites (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-02-20
    Description: Laser microirradiation is a powerful tool for real-time single-cell analysis of the DNA damage response (DDR). It is often found, however, that factor recruitment or modification profiles vary depending on the laser system employed. This is likely due to an incomplete understanding of how laser conditions/dosages affect the amounts and types of damage and the DDR. We compared different irradiation conditions using a femtosecond near-infrared laser and found distinct damage site recruitment thresholds for 53BP1 and TRF2 correlating with the dose-dependent increase of strand breaks and damage complexity. Low input-power microirradiation that induces relatively simple strand breaks led to robust recruitment of 53BP1 but not TRF2. In contrast, increased strand breaks with complex damage including crosslinking and base damage generated by high input-power microirradiation resulted in TRF2 recruitment to damage sites with no 53BP1 clustering. We found that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation distinguishes between the two damage states and that PARP activation is essential for rapid TRF2 recruitment while suppressing 53BP1 accumulation at damage sites. Thus, our results reveal that careful titration of laser irradiation conditions allows induction of varying amounts and complexities of DNA damage that are gauged by differential PARP activation regulating protein assembly at the damage site.
    Keywords: Repair
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  • 3
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    Highly efficient homology-driven genome editing in human T cells by combining zinc-finger nuclease mRNA and AAV6 donor delivery (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-02-20
    Description: The adoptive transfer of engineered T cells for the treatment of cancer, autoimmunity, and infectious disease is a rapidly growing field that has shown great promise in recent clinical trials. Nuclease-driven genome editing provides a method in which to precisely target genetic changes to further enhance T cell function in vivo. We describe the development of a highly efficient method to genome edit both primary human CD8 and CD4 T cells by homology-directed repair at a pre-defined site of the genome. Two different homology donor templates were evaluated, representing both minor gene editing events (restriction site insertion) to mimic gene correction, or the more significant insertion of a larger gene cassette. By combining zinc finger nuclease mRNA delivery with AAV6 delivery of a homologous donor we could gene correct 41% of CCR5 or 55% of PPP1R12C (AAVS1) alleles in CD8 + T cells and gene targeting of a GFP transgene cassette in 〉40% of CD8 + and CD4 + T cells at both the CCR5 and AAVS1 safe harbor locus, potentially providing a robust genome editing tool for T cell-based immunotherapy.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 4
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    Knock-in of large reporter genes in human cells via CRISPR/Cas9-induced homology-dependent and independent DNA repair (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-05-20
    Description: CRISPR/Cas9-induced site-specific DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) can be repaired by homology-directed repair (HDR) or non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathways. Extensive efforts have been made to knock-in exogenous DNA to a selected genomic locus in human cells; which, however, has focused on HDR-based strategies and was proven inefficient. Here, we report that NHEJ pathway mediates efficient rejoining of genome and plasmids following CRISPR/Cas9-induced DNA DSBs, and promotes high-efficiency DNA integration in various human cell types. With this homology-independent knock-in strategy, integration of a 4.6 kb promoterless ires-eGFP fragment into the GAPDH locus yielded up to 20% GFP+ cells in somatic LO2 cells, and 1.70% GFP+ cells in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Quantitative comparison further demonstrated that the NHEJ-based knock-in is more efficient than HDR-mediated gene targeting in all human cell types examined. These data support that CRISPR/Cas9-induced NHEJ provides a valuable new path for efficient genome editing in human ESCs and somatic cells.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 5
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    Conservative site-specific and single-copy transgenesis in human LINE-1 elements (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-04-08
    Description: Genome engineering of human cells plays an important role in biotechnology and molecular medicine. In particular, insertions of functional multi-transgene cassettes into suitable endogenous sequences will lead to novel applications. Although several tools have been exploited in this context, safety issues such as cytotoxicity, insertional mutagenesis and off-target cleavage together with limitations in cargo size/expression often compromise utility. Phage integrase (Int) is a transgenesis tool that mediates conservative site-specific integration of 48 kb DNA into a safe harbor site of the bacterial genome. Here, we show that an Int variant precisely recombines large episomes into a sequence, termed att H4X, found in 1000 human Long INterspersed Elements-1 ( LINE-1 ). We demonstrate single-copy transgenesis through att H4X-targeting in various cell lines including hESCs, with the flexibility of selecting clones according to transgene performance and downstream applications. This is exemplified with pluripotency reporter cassettes and constitutively expressed payloads that remain functional in LINE1 -targeted hESCs and differentiated progenies. Furthermore, LINE-1 targeting does not induce DNA damage-response or chromosomal aberrations, and neither global nor localized endogenous gene expression is substantially affected. Hence, this simple transgene addition tool should become particularly useful for applications that require engineering of the human genome with multi-transgenes.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 6
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    Effective knockdown of Drosophila long non-coding RNAs by CRISPR interference (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-05-20
    Description: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as regulators of gene expression across metazoa. Interestingly, some lncRNAs function independently of their transcripts – the transcription of the lncRNA locus itself affects target genes. However, current methods of loss-of-function analysis are insufficient to address the role of lncRNA transcription from the transcript which has impeded analysis of their function. Using the minimal CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system, we show that coexpression of the catalytically inactive Cas9 (dCas9) and guide RNAs targeting the endogenous roX locus in the Drosophila cells results in a robust and specific knockdown of roX1 and roX2 RNAs, thus eliminating the need for recruiting chromatin modifying proteins for effective gene silencing. Additionally, we find that the human and Drosophila codon optimized dCas9 genes are functional and show similar transcription repressive activity. Finally, we demonstrate that the minimal CRISPRi system suppresses roX transcription efficiently in vivo resulting in loss-of-function phenotype, thus validating the method for the first time in a multicelluar organism. Our analysis expands the genetic toolkit available for interrogating lncRNA function in situ and is adaptable for targeting multiple genes across model organisms.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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    Topics: Biology
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  • 7
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    Controlled DNA double-strand break induction in mice reveals post-damage transcriptome stability (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-04-21
    Description: DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and their repair can cause extensive epigenetic changes. As a result, DSBs have been proposed to promote transcriptional and, ultimately, physiological dysfunction via both cell-intrinsic and cell-non-autonomous pathways. Studying the consequences of DSBs in higher organisms has, however, been hindered by a scarcity of tools for controlled DSB induction. Here, we describe a mouse model that allows for both tissue-specific and temporally controlled DSB formation at ~140 defined genomic loci. Using this model, we show that DSBs promote a DNA damage signaling-dependent decrease in gene expression in primary cells specifically at break-bearing genes, which is reversed upon DSB repair. Importantly, we demonstrate that restoration of gene expression can occur independently of cell cycle progression, underlining its relevance for normal tissue maintenance. Consistent with this, we observe no evidence for persistent transcriptional repression in response to a multi-day course of continuous DSB formation and repair in mouse lymphocytes in vivo . Together, our findings reveal an unexpected capacity of primary cells to maintain transcriptome integrity in response to DSBs, pointing to a limited role for DNA damage as a mediator of cell-autonomous epigenetic dysfunction.
    Keywords: Repair
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  • 8
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    An easy and efficient inducible CRISPR/Cas9 platform with improved specificity for multiple gene targeting (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-11-01
    Description: The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful genome editing tool and has been widely used for biomedical research. However, many challenges, such as off-target effects and lack of easy solutions for multiplex targeting, are still limiting its applications. To overcome these challenges, we first developed a highly efficient doxycycline-inducible Cas9-EGFP vector. This vector allowed us to track the cells for uniform temporal control and efficient gene disruption, even in a polyclonal setting. Furthermore, the inducible CRISPR/Cas9 system dramatically decreased off-target effects with a pulse exposure of the genome to the Cas9/sgRNA complex. To target multiple genes simultaneously, we established simple one-step cloning approaches for expression of multiple sgRNAs with improved vectors. By combining our inducible and multiplex genome editing approaches, we were able to simultaneously delete Lysine Demethylase (KDM) 5A, 5B and 5C efficiently in vitro and in vivo . This user friendly and highly efficient toolbox provides a solution for easy genome editing with tight temporal control, minimal off-target effects and multiplex targeting.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 9
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    A programmable Cas9-serine recombinase fusion protein that operates on DNA sequences in mammalian cells (2016)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2016-12-01
    Description: We describe the development of ‘recCas9’, an RNA-programmed small serine recombinase that functions in mammalian cells. We fused a catalytically inactive dCas9 to the catalytic domain of Gin recombinase using an optimized fusion architecture. The resulting recCas9 system recombines DNA sites containing a minimal recombinase core site flanked by guide RNA-specified sequences. We show that these recombinases can operate on DNA sites in mammalian cells identical to genomic loci naturally found in the human genome in a manner that is dependent on the guide RNA sequences. DNA sequencing reveals that recCas9 catalyzes guide RNA-dependent recombination in human cells with an efficiency as high as 32% on plasmid substrates. Finally, we demonstrate that recCas9 expressed in human cells can catalyze in situ deletion between two genomic sites. Because recCas9 directly catalyzes recombination, it generates virtually no detectable indels or other stochastic DNA modification products. This work represents a step toward programmable, scarless genome editing in unmodified cells that is independent of endogenous cellular machinery or cell state. Current and future generations of recCas9 may facilitate targeted agricultural breeding, or the study and treatment of human genetic diseases.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 10
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    Functional validation of mouse tyrosinase non-coding regulatory DNA elements by CRISPR-Cas9-mediated mutagenesis (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-05-29
    Description: Newly developed genome-editing tools, such as the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)–Cas9 system, allow simple and rapid genetic modification in most model organisms and human cell lines. Here, we report the production and analysis of mice carrying the inactivation via deletion of a genomic insulator, a key non-coding regulatory DNA element found 5' upstream of the mouse tyrosinase ( Tyr ) gene. Targeting sequences flanking this boundary in mouse fertilized eggs resulted in the efficient deletion or inversion of large intervening DNA fragments delineated by the RNA guides. The resulting genome-edited mice showed a dramatic decrease in Tyr gene expression as inferred from the evident decrease of coat pigmentation, thus supporting the functionality of this boundary sequence in vivo , at the endogenous locus. Several potential off-targets bearing sequence similarity with each of the two RNA guides used were analyzed and found to be largely intact. This study reports how non-coding DNA elements, even if located in repeat-rich genomic sequences, can be efficiently and functionally evaluated in vivo and, furthermore, it illustrates how the regulatory elements described by the ENCODE and EPIGENOME projects, in the mouse and human genomes, can be systematically validated.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 11
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    CRISPR-STAT: an easy and reliable PCR-based method to evaluate target-specific sgRNA activity (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-12-16
    Description: CRISPR/Cas9 has emerged as a versatile genome-engineering tool that relies on a single guide RNA (sgRNA) and the Cas9 enzyme for genome editing. Simple, fast and economical methods to generate sgRNAs have made targeted mutagenesis routine in cultured cells, mice, zebrafish and other model systems. Pre-screening of sgRNAs for target efficacy is desirable both for successful mutagenesis and minimizing wasted animal husbandry on targets with poor activity. Here, we describe an easy, quick and cost-effective fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method, CRISPR S omatic T issue A ctivity T est (CRISPR-STAT), to determine target-specific efficiency of sgRNA. As a proof of principle, we validated our method using 28 sgRNAs with known and varied levels of germline transmission efficiency in zebrafish by analysis of their somatic activity in injected embryos. Our data revealed a strong positive correlation between the fluorescent PCR profiles of the injected embryos and the germline transmission efficiency. Furthermore, the assay was sensitive enough to evaluate multiplex gene targeting. This method is easy to implement by laboratories with access to a capillary sequencer. Although we validated the method using CRISPR/Cas9 and zebrafish, it can be applied to other model systems and other genome targeting nucleases.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 12
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    Efficient CRISPR-rAAV engineering of endogenous genes to study protein function by allele-specific RNAi (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-04-21
    Description: Gene knockout strategies, RNAi and rescue experiments are all employed to study mammalian gene function. However, the disadvantages of these approaches include: loss of function adaptation, reduced viability and gene overexpression that rarely matches endogenous levels. Here, we developed an endogenous gene knockdown/rescue strategy that combines RNAi selectivity with a highly efficient CRISPR directed recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus (rAAV) mediated gene targeting approach to introduce allele-specific mutations plus an allele-selective siRNA Sensitive (siSN) site that allows for studying gene mutations while maintaining endogenous expression and regulation of the gene of interest. CRISPR/Cas9 plus rAAV targeted gene-replacement and introduction of allele-specific RNAi sensitivity mutations in the CDK2 and CDK1 genes resulted in a 〉85% site-specific recombination of Neo-resistant clones versus ~8% for rAAV alone. RNAi knockdown of wild type (WT) Cdk2 with siWT in heterozygotic knockin cells resulted in the mutant Cdk2 phenotype cell cycle arrest, whereas allele specific knockdown of mutant CDK2 with siSN resulted in a wild type phenotype. Together, these observations demonstrate the ability of CRISPR plus rAAV to efficiently recombine a genomic locus and tag it with a selective siRNA sequence that allows for allele-selective phenotypic assays of the gene of interest while it remains expressed and regulated under endogenous control mechanisms.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 13
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    Fast and sensitive detection of indels induced by precise gene targeting (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-05-20
    Description: The nuclease-based gene editing tools are rapidly transforming capabilities for altering the genome of cells and organisms with great precision and in high throughput studies. A major limitation in application of precise gene editing lies in lack of sensitive and fast methods to detect and characterize the induced DNA changes. Precise gene editing induces double-stranded DNA breaks that are repaired by error-prone non-homologous end joining leading to introduction of insertions and deletions (indels) at the target site. These indels are often small and difficult and laborious to detect by traditional methods. Here we present a method for fast, sensitive and simple indel detection that accurately defines indel sizes down to ±1 bp. The method coined IDAA for Indel Detection by Amplicon Analysis is based on tri-primer amplicon labelling and DNA capillary electrophoresis detection, and IDAA is amenable for high throughput analysis.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 14
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    mRNA transfection of a novel TAL effector nuclease (TALEN) facilitates efficient knockout of HIV co-receptor CCR5 (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-06-24
    Description: Homozygosity for a natural deletion variant of the HIV-coreceptor molecule CCR5, CCR532, confers resistance toward HIV infection. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation from a CCR532-homozygous donor has resulted in the first cure from HIV (‘Berlin patient’). Based thereon, genetic disruption of CCR5 using designer nucleases was proposed as a promising HIV gene-therapy approach. Here we introduce a novel TAL-effector nuclease, CCR5-Uco-TALEN that can be efficiently delivered into T cells by mRNA electroporation, a gentle and truly transient gene-transfer technique. CCR5-Uco-TALEN mediated high-rate CCR5 knockout (〉90% in PM1 and 〉50% in primary T cells) combined with low off-target activity, as assessed by flow cytometry, next-generation sequencing and a newly devised, very convenient gene-editing frequency digital-PCR (GEF-dPCR). GEF-dPCR facilitates simultaneous detection of wild-type and gene-edited alleles with remarkable sensitivity and accuracy as shown for the CCR5 on-target and CCR2 off-target loci. CCR5-edited cells were protected from infection with HIV-derived lentiviral vectors, but also with the wild-type CCR5-tropic HIV-1 BaL strain. Long-term exposure to HIV-1 BaL resulted in almost complete suppression of viral replication and selection of CCR5 -gene edited T cells. In conclusion, we have developed a novel TALEN for the targeted, high-efficiency knockout of CCR5 and a useful dPCR-based gene-editing detection method.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 15
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    DNA lesion identity drives choice of damage tolerance pathway in murine cell chromosomes (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-02-18
    Description: DNA-damage tolerance (DDT) via translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) or homology-dependent repair (HDR) functions to bypass DNA lesions encountered during replication, and is critical for maintaining genome stability. Here, we present piggyBlock, a new chromosomal assay that, using piggyBac transposition of DNA containing a known lesion, measures the division of labor between the two DDT pathways. We show that in the absence of DNA damage response, tolerance of the most common sunlight-induced DNA lesion, TT-CPD, is achieved by TLS in mouse embryo fibroblasts. Meanwhile, BP-G, a major smoke-induced DNA lesion, is bypassed primarily by HDR, providing the first evidence for this mechanism being the main tolerance pathway for a biologically important lesion in a mammalian genome. We also show that, far from being a last-resort strategy as it is sometimes portrayed, TLS operates alongside nucleotide excision repair, handling 40% of TT-CPDs in repair-proficient cells. Finally, DDT acts in mouse embryonic stem cells, exhibiting the same pattern—mutagenic TLS included—despite the risk of propagating mutations along all cell lineages. The new method highlights the importance of HDR, and provides an effective tool for studying DDT in mammalian cells.
    Keywords: Repair
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  • 16
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    Efficient conditional knockout targeting vector construction using co-selection BAC recombineering (CoSBR) (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-10-31
    Description: A simple and efficient strategy for Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) recombineering based on co-selection is described. We show that it is possible to efficiently modify two positions of a BAC simultaneously by co-transformation of a single-stranded DNA oligo and a double-stranded selection cassette. The use of co-selection BAC recombineering reduces the DNA manipulation needed to make a conditional knockout gene targeting vector to only two steps: a single round of BAC modification followed by a retrieval step.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 17
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    Enriching CRISPR-Cas9 targeted cells by co-targeting the HPRT gene (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-11-17
    Description: The CRISPR-Cas9 system uses guide RNAs to direct the Cas9 endonuclease to cleave target sequences. It can, in theory, target essentially any sequence in a genome, but the efficiency of the predicted guide RNAs varies dramatically. If no targeted cells are obtained, it is also difficult to know why the experiment fails. We have developed a transient transfection based method to enrich successfully targeted cells by co-targeting the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) gene. Cells are transfected with two guide RNAs that target respectively HPRT and the gene of interest. HPRT targeted cells are selected by resistance to 6-thioguanine (6-TG) and then examined for potential alterations to the gene targeted by the co-transfected guide RNA. Alterations of many genes, such as AAVS1, Exo1 and Trex1, are highly enriched in the 6-TG resistant cells. This method works in both HCT116 cells and U2OS cells and can easily be scaled up to process multiple guide RNAs. When co-targeting fails, it is straightforward to determine whether the target gene is essential or the guide RNA is ineffective. HPRT co-targeting thus provides a simple, efficient and scalable way to enrich gene targeting events and to identify the cause of failure.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 18
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    Development of an intein-mediated split-Cas9 system for gene therapy (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-07-25
    Description: Using CRISPR/Cas9, it is possible to target virtually any gene in any organism. A major limitation to its application in gene therapy is the size of Cas9 (〉4 kb), impeding its efficient delivery via recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV). Therefore, we developed a split–Cas9 system, bypassing the packaging limit using split-inteins. Each Cas9 half was fused to the corresponding split-intein moiety and, only upon co-expression, the intein-mediated trans-splicing occurs and the full Cas9 protein is reconstituted. We demonstrated that the nuclease activity of our split-intein system is comparable to wild-type Cas9, shown by a genome-integrated surrogate reporter and by targeting three different endogenous genes. An analogously designed split-Cas9D10A nickase version showed similar activity as Cas9D10A. Moreover, we showed that the double nick strategy increased the homologous directed recombination (HDR). In addition, we explored the possibility of delivering the repair template accommodated on the same dual-plasmid system, by transient transfection, showing an efficient HDR. Most importantly, we revealed for the first time that intein-mediated split–Cas9 can be packaged, delivered and its nuclease activity reconstituted efficiently, in cells via rAAV.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 19
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    Nuclear domain 'knock-in' screen for the evaluation and identification of small molecule enhancers of CRISPR-based genome editing (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-10-31
    Description: CRISPR is a genome-editing platform that makes use of the bacterially-derived endonuclease Cas9 to introduce DNA double-strand breaks at precise locations in the genome using complementary guide RNAs. We developed a nuclear domain knock-in screen, whereby the insertion of a gene encoding the green fluorescent protein variant Clover is inserted by Cas9-mediated homology directed repair (HDR) within the first exon of genes that are required for the structural integrity of subnuclear domains such as the nuclear lamina and promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies (PML NBs). Using this approach, we compared strategies for enhancing CRISPR-mediated HDR, focusing on known genes and small molecules that impact non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). Ultimately, we identified the small molecule RS-1 as a potent enhancer of CRISPR-based genome editing, enhancing HDR 3- to 6-fold depending on the locus and transfection method. We also characterized U2OS human osteosarcoma cells expressing Clover-tagged PML and demonstrate that this strategy generates cell lines with PML NBs that are structurally and functionally similar to bodies in the parental cell line. Thus, the nuclear domain knock-in screen that we describe provides a simple means of rapidly evaluating methods and small molecules that have the potential to enhance Cas9-mediated HDR.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 20
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    Multi-kilobase homozygous targeted gene replacement in human induced pluripotent stem cells (2015)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2015-02-18
    Description: Sequence-specific nucleases such as TALEN and the CRISPR/Cas9 system have so far been used to disrupt, correct or insert transgenes at precise locations in mammalian genomes. We demonstrate efficient ‘knock-in’ targeted replacement of multi-kilobase genes in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). Using a model system replacing endogenous human genes with their mouse counterpart, we performed a comprehensive study of targeting vector design parameters for homologous recombination. A 2.7 kilobase (kb) homozygous gene replacement was achieved in up to 11% of iPSC without selection. The optimal homology arm length was around 2 kb, with homology length being especially critical on the arm not adjacent to the cut site. Homologous sequence inside the cut sites was detrimental to targeting efficiency, consistent with a synthesis-dependent strand annealing (SDSA) mechanism. Using two nuclease sites, we observed a high degree of gene excisions and inversions, which sometimes occurred more frequently than indel mutations. While homozygous deletions of 86 kb were achieved with up to 8% frequency, deletion frequencies were not solely a function of nuclease activity and deletion size. Our results analyzing the optimal parameters for targeting vector design will inform future gene targeting efforts involving multi-kilobase gene segments, particularly in human iPSC.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
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  • 21
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    Easy quantitative assessment of genome editing by sequence trace decomposition (2014)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2014-12-17
    Description: The efficacy and the mutation spectrum of genome editing methods can vary substantially depending on the targeted sequence. A simple, quick assay to accurately characterize and quantify the induced mutations is therefore needed. Here we present TIDE, a method for this purpose that requires only a pair of PCR reactions and two standard capillary sequencing runs. The sequence traces are then analyzed by a specially developed decomposition algorithm that identifies the major induced mutations in the projected editing site and accurately determines their frequency in a cell population. This method is cost-effective and quick, and it provides much more detailed information than current enzyme-based assays. An interactive web tool for automated decomposition of the sequence traces is available. TIDE greatly facilitates the testing and rational design of genome editing strategies.
    Keywords: Targeted gene modification
    Print ISSN: 0305-1048
    Electronic ISSN: 1362-4962
    Topics: Biology
    Published by Oxford University Press
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    PennSeq: accurate isoform-specific gene expression quantification in RNA-Seq by modeling non-uniform read distribution (2014)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2014-02-11
    Description: Correctly estimating isoform-specific gene expression is important for understanding complicated biological mechanisms and for mapping disease susceptibility genes. However, estimating isoform-specific gene expression is challenging because various biases present in RNA-Seq (RNA sequencing) data complicate the analysis, and if not appropriately corrected, can affect isoform expression estimation and downstream analysis. In this article, we present PennSeq, a statistical method that allows each isoform to have its own non-uniform read distribution. Instead of making parametric assumptions, we give adequate weight to the underlying data by the use of a non-parametric approach. Our rationale is that regardless what factors lead to non-uniformity, whether it is due to hexamer priming bias, local sequence bias, positional bias, RNA degradation, mapping bias or other unknown reasons, the probability that a fragment is sampled from a particular region will be reflected in the aligned data. This empirical approach thus maximally reflects the true underlying non-uniform read distribution. We evaluate the performance of PennSeq using both simulated data with known ground truth, and using two real Illumina RNA-Seq data sets including one with quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction measurements. Our results indicate superior performance of PennSeq over existing methods, particularly for isoforms demonstrating severe non-uniformity. PennSeq is freely available for download at http://sourceforge.net/projects/pennseq .
    Keywords: Repair
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    Electronic ISSN: 1362-4962
    Topics: Biology
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    Highly specific and sensitive method for measuring nucleotide excision repair kinetics of ultraviolet photoproducts in human cells (2014)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2014-02-28
    Description: The nucleotide excision repair pathway removes ultraviolet (UV) photoproducts from the human genome in the form of short oligonucleotides ~30 nt in length. Because there are limitations to many of the currently available methods for investigating UV photoproduct repair in vivo , we developed a convenient non-radioisotopic method to directly detect DNA excision repair events in human cells. The approach involves extraction of oligonucleotides from UV-irradiated cells, DNA end-labeling with biotin and streptavidin-mediated chemiluminescent detection of the excised UV photoproduct-containing oligonucleotides that are released from the genome during excision repair. Our novel approach is robust, with essentially no signal in the absence of UV or a functional excision repair system. Furthermore, our non-radioisotopic methodology allows for the sensitive detection of excision products within minutes following UV irradiation and does not require additional enrichment steps such as immunoprecipitation. Finally, this technique allows for quantitative measurements of excision repair in human cells. We suggest that the new techniques presented here will be a useful and powerful approach for studying the mechanism of human nucleotide excision repair in vivo .
    Keywords: Repair
    Print ISSN: 0305-1048
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    Topics: Biology
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    Quantitation of DNA double-strand break resection intermediates in human cells (2014)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2014-02-11
    Description: 5' strand resection at DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) is critical for homologous recombination (HR) and genomic stability. Here we develop a novel method to quantitatively measure single-stranded DNA intermediates in human cells and find that the 5' strand at endonuclease-generated break sites is resected up to 3.5 kb in a cell cycle–dependent manner. Depletion of CtIP, Mre11, Exo1 or SOSS1 blocks resection, while depletion of 53BP1, Ku or DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit leads to increased resection as measured by this method. While 53BP1 negatively regulates DNA end processing, depletion of Brca1 does not, suggesting that the role of Brca1 in HR is primarily to promote Rad51 filament formation, not to regulate end resection.
    Keywords: Repair
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    Topics: Biology
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    Development of an assay to measure mutagenic non-homologous end-joining repair activity in mammalian cells (2013)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2013-06-08
    Description: Double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways are critical for the maintenance of genomic integrity and the prevention of tumorigenesis in mammalian cells. Here, we present the development and validation of a novel assay to measure mutagenic non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair in living cells, which is inversely related to canonical NHEJ and is based on the sequence-altering repair of a single site-specific DSB at an intrachromosomal locus. We have combined this mutagenic NHEJ assay with an established homologous recombination (HR) assay such that both pathways can be monitored simultaneously. In addition, we report the development of a ligand-responsive I-SceI protein, in which the timing and kinetics of DSB induction can be precisely controlled by regulating protein stability and cellular localization in cells. Using this system, we report that mutagenic NHEJ repair is suppressed in growth-arrested and serum-deprived cells, suggesting that end-joining activity in proliferating cells is more likely to be mutagenic. Collectively, the novel DSB repair assay and inducible I-SceI will be useful tools to further elucidate the complexities of NHEJ and HR repair.
    Keywords: Repair
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    Comet-FISH with strand-specific probes reveals transcription-coupled repair of 8-oxoGuanine in human cells (2013)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2013-09-06
    Description: Oxidized bases in DNA have been implicated in cancer, aging and neurodegenerative disease. We have developed an approach combining single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet) with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) that enables the comparative quantification of low, physiologically relevant levels of DNA lesions in the respective strands of defined nucleotide sequences and in the genome overall. We have synthesized single-stranded probes targeting the termini of DNA segments of interest using a polymerase chain reaction-based method. These probes facilitate detection of damage at the single-molecule level, as the lesions are converted to DNA strand breaks by lesion-specific endonucleases or glycosylases. To validate our method, we have documented transcription-coupled repair of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers in the ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) gene in human fibroblasts irradiated with 254 nm ultraviolet at 0.1 J/m 2 , a dose ~100-fold lower than those typically used. The high specificity and sensitivity of our approach revealed that 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) at an incidence of approximately three lesions per megabase is preferentially repaired in the transcribed strand of the ATM gene. We have also demonstrated that the hOGG1, XPA, CSB and UVSSA proteins, as well as actively elongating RNA polymerase II, are required for this process, suggesting cross-talk between DNA repair pathways.
    Keywords: Repair
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    Monitoring eukaryotic and bacterial UDG repair activity with DNA-multifluorophore sensors (2013)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2013-06-28
    Description: We report the development of simple fluorogenic probes that report on the activity of both bacterial and mammalian uracil–DNA glycosylase (UDG) enzymes. The probes are built from short, modified single-stranded oligonucleotides containing natural and unnatural bases. The combination of multiple fluorescent pyrene and/or quinacridone nucleobases yields fluorescence at 480 and 540 nm (excitation 340 nm), with large Stokes shifts of 140–200 nm, considerably greater than previous probes. They are strongly quenched by uracil bases incorporated into the sequence, and they yield light-up signals of up to 40-fold, or ratiometric signals with ratio changes of 82-fold, on enzymatic removal of these quenching uracils. We find that the probes are efficient reporters of bacterial UDG, human UNG2, and human SMUG1 enzymes in vitro , yielding complete signals in minutes. Further experiments establish that a probe can be used to image UDG activity by laser confocal microscopy in bacterial cells and in a human cell line, and that signals from a probe signalling UDG activity in human cells can be quantified by flow cytometry. Such probes may prove generally useful both in basic studies of these enzymes and in biomedical applications as well.
    Keywords: Repair
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    Detection of DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs) by novel direct fluorescence labeling methods: distinct stabilities of aldehyde and radiation-induced DPCs (2012)
    Oxford University Press
    Details
    Publication Date: 2012-10-10
    Description: Proteins are covalently trapped on DNA to form DNA–protein crosslinks (DPCs) when cells are exposed to DNA-damaging agents. DPCs interfere with many aspects of DNA transactions. The current DPC detection methods indirectly measure crosslinked proteins (CLPs) through DNA tethered to proteins. However, a major drawback of such methods is the non-linear relationship between the amounts of DNA and CLPs, which makes quantitative data interpretation difficult. Here we developed novel methods of DPC detection based on direct CLP measurement, whereby CLPs in DNA isolated from cells are labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and quantified by fluorometry or western blotting using anti-FITC antibodies. Both formats successfully monitored the induction and elimination of DPCs in cultured cells exposed to aldehydes and mouse tumors exposed to ionizing radiation (carbon-ion beams). The fluorometric and western blotting formats require 30 and 0.3 μg of DNA, respectively. Analyses of the isolated genomic DPCs revealed that both aldehydes and ionizing radiation produce two types of DPC with distinct stabilities. The stable components of aldehyde-induced DPCs have half-lives of up to days. Interestingly, that of radiation-induced DPCs has an infinite half-life, suggesting that the stable DPC component exerts a profound effect on DNA transactions over many cell cycles.
    Keywords: Repair
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    Topics: Biology
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    Engineered zinc finger nickases induce homology-directed repair with reduced mutagenic effects (2012)
    Oxford University Press
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    Publication Date: 2012-06-28
    Description: Engineered zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) induce DNA double-strand breaks at specific recognition sequences and can promote efficient introduction of desired insertions, deletions or substitutions at or near the cut site via homology-directed repair (HDR) with a double- and/or single-stranded donor DNA template. However, mutagenic events caused by error-prone non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ)-mediated repair are introduced with equal or higher frequency at the nuclease cleavage site. Furthermore, unintended mutations can also result from NHEJ-mediated repair of off-target nuclease cleavage sites. Here, we describe a simple and general method for converting engineered ZFNs into zinc finger nickases (ZFNickases) by inactivating the catalytic activity of one monomer in a ZFN dimer. ZFNickases show robust strand-specific nicking activity in vitro . In addition, we demonstrate that ZFNickases can stimulate HDR at their nicking site in human cells, albeit at a lower frequency than by the ZFNs from which they were derived. Finally, we find that ZFNickases appear to induce greatly reduced levels of mutagenic NHEJ at their target nicking site. ZFNickases thus provide a promising means for inducing HDR-mediated gene modifications while reducing unwanted mutagenesis caused by error-prone NHEJ.
    Keywords: Repair
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    Topics: Biology
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