Homologous Recombination-Independent Large Gene Cassette Knock-in in CHO Cells Using TALEN and MMEJ-Directed Donor Plasmids

Strategies and Considerations for Improving Expression of "Difficult to Express" Proteins in CHO Cells

Despite substantial advances in the field of mammalian expression, there are still proteins that are characterized as difficult to express. Determining the expression bottleneck requires troubleshooting techniques specific for the given molecule and host. The complex array of intracellular processes involved in protein expression includes transcription, protein folding, post-translation processing, and secretion. Challenges in any of these steps could result in low protein expression, while the inherent properties of the molecule itself may limit its production via mechanisms such as cytotoxicity or inherent instability. Strategies to identify the rate-limiting step and subsequently improve expression and production are discussed here.

Gene cassette knock-in in mammalian cells and zygotes by enhanced MMEJ

Background

Although CRISPR/Cas enables one-step gene cassette knock-in, assembling targeting vectors containing long homology arms is a laborious process for high-throughput knock-in. We recently developed the CRISPR/Cas-based precise integration into the target chromosome (PITCh) system for a gene cassette knock-in without long homology arms mediated by microhomology-mediated end-joining.

Results

Here, we identified exonuclease 1 (Exo1) as an enhancer for PITCh in human cells. By combining the Exo1 and PITCh-directed donor vectors, we achieved convenient one-step knock-in of gene cassettes and floxed allele both in human cells and mouse zygotes.

Conclusions

Our results provide a technical platform for high-throughput knock-in.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3331-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Targeted Gene Deletion Using DNA-Free RNA-Guided Cas9 Nuclease Accelerates Adaptation of CHO Cells to Suspension Culture

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the preferred host for the production of a wide array of biopharmaceuticals. Thus, efficient and rational CHO cell line engineering methods have been in high demand to improve quality and productivity. Here, we provide a novel genome engineering platform for increasing desirable phenotypes of CHO cells based upon the integrative protocol of high-throughput RNA sequencing and DNA-free RNA-guided Cas9 (CRISPR associated protein9) nuclease-based genome editing. For commercial production of therapeutic proteins, CHO cells have been adapted for suspension culture in serum-free media, which is highly beneficial with respect to productivity and economics. To engineer CHO cells for rapid adaptation to a suspension culture, we exploited strand-specific RNA-seq to identify genes differentially expressed according to their adaptation trajectory in serum-free media. More than 180 million sequencing reads were generated and mapped to the currently available 109,152 scaffolds of the CHO-K1 genome. We identified significantly downregulated genes according to the adaptation trajectory and then verified their effects using the genome editing method. Growth-based screening and targeted amplicon sequencing revealed that the functional deletions of Igfbp4 and AqpI gene accelerate suspension adaptation of CHO-K1 cells. The availability of this strand-specific transcriptome sequencing and DNA-free RNA-guided Cas9 nuclease mediated genome editing facilitates the rational design of the CHO cell genome for efficient production of high quality therapeutic proteins.

Multiplexed Targeted Genome Engineering Using a Universal Nuclease-Assisted Vector Integration System

Engineered nucleases are capable of efficiently modifying complex genomes through introduction of targeted double-strand breaks. However, mammalian genome engineering remains limited by low efficiency of heterologous DNA integration at target sites, which is typically performed through homologous recombination, a complex, ineffective and costly process. In this study, we developed a multiplexable and universal nuclease-assisted vector integration system for rapid generation of gene knock outs using selection that does not require customized targeting vectors, thereby minimizing the cost and time frame needed for gene editing. Importantly, this system is capable of remodeling native mammalian genomes through integration of DNA, up to 50 kb, enabling rapid generation and screening of multigene knockouts from a single transfection. These results support that nuclease assisted vector integration is a robust tool for genome-scale gene editing that will facilitate diverse applications in synthetic biology and gene therapy.

Site-Specific Integration of Exogenous Genes Using Genome Editing Technologies in Zebrafish

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an ideal vertebrate model to investigate the developmental molecular mechanism of organogenesis and regeneration. Recent innovation in genome editing technologies, such as zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR associated protein 9 (Cas9) system, have allowed researchers to generate diverse genomic modifications in whole animals and in cultured cells. The CRISPR/Cas9 and TALEN techniques frequently induce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at the targeted gene, resulting in frameshift-mediated gene disruption. As a useful application of genome editing technology, several groups have recently reported efficient site-specific integration of exogenous genes into targeted genomic loci. In this review, we provide an overview of TALEN- and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated site-specific integration of exogenous genes in zebrafish.

MMEJ-assisted gene knock-in using TALENs and CRISPR-Cas9 with the PITCh systems

Programmable nucleases enable engineering of the genome by utilizing endogenous DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways. Although homologous recombination (HR)-mediated gene knock-in is well established, it cannot necessarily be applied in every cell type and organism because of variable HR frequencies. We recently reported an alternative method of gene knock-in, named the PITCh (Precise Integration into Target Chromosome) system, assisted by microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ). MMEJ harnesses independent machinery from HR, and it requires an extremely short homologous sequence (5-25 bp) for DSB repair, resulting in precise gene knock-in with a more easily constructed donor vector. Here we describe a streamlined protocol for PITCh knock-in, including the design and construction of the PITCh vectors, and their delivery to either human cell lines by transfection or to frog embryos by microinjection. The construction of the PITCh vectors requires only a few days, and the entire process takes ∼ 1.5 months to establish knocked-in cells or ∼ 1 week from injection to early genotyping in frog embryos.