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Applications of piggyBac Transposons for Genome Manipulation in Stem Cells. Stem Cells Int 2021; 2021:3829286. [PMID: 34567130 PMCID: PMC8460389 DOI: 10.1155/2021/3829286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposons are mobile genetic elements in the genome. The piggyBac (PB) transposon system is increasingly being used for stem cell research due to its high transposition efficiency and seamless excision capacity. Over the past few decades, forward genetic screens based on PB transposons have been successfully established to identify genes associated with drug resistance and stem cell-related characteristics. Moreover, PB transposon is regarded as a promising gene therapy vector and has been used in some clinically relevant stem cells. Here, we review the recent progress on the basic biology of PB, highlight its applications in current stem cell research, and discuss its advantages and challenges.
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Shen D, Song C, Miskey C, Chan S, Guan Z, Sang Y, Wang Y, Chen C, Wang X, Müller F, Ivics Z, Gao B. A native, highly active Tc1/mariner transposon from zebrafish (ZB) offers an efficient genetic manipulation tool for vertebrates. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:2126-2140. [PMID: 33638993 PMCID: PMC7913693 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
New genetic tools and strategies are currently under development to facilitate functional genomics analyses. Here, we describe an active member of the Tc1/mariner transposon superfamily, named ZB, which invaded the zebrafish genome very recently. ZB exhibits high activity in vertebrate cells, in the range of those of the widely used transposons piggyBac (PB), Sleeping Beauty (SB) and Tol2. ZB has a similar structural organization and target site sequence preference to SB, but a different integration profile with respect to genome-wide preference among mammalian functional annotation features. Namely, ZB displays a preference for integration into transcriptional regulatory regions of genes. Accordingly, we demonstrate the utility of ZB for enhancer trapping in zebrafish embryos and in the mouse germline. These results indicate that ZB may be a powerful tool for genetic manipulation in vertebrate model species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Shen
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
- Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul Ehrlich Institute, Langen 63225, Germany
| | - Chengyi Song
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Csaba Miskey
- Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul Ehrlich Institute, Langen 63225, Germany
| | - Shuheng Chan
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Zhongxia Guan
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Yatong Sang
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Yali Wang
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Cai Chen
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
| | - Ferenc Müller
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, Birmingham Centre for Genome Biology, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Zoltán Ivics
- Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul Ehrlich Institute, Langen 63225, Germany
| | - Bo Gao
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China
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Zhang M, Du S, Ou H, Cui R, Jiang N, Lin Y, Ge R, Ma D, Zhang J. Ablation of Zfhx4 results in early postnatal lethality by disrupting the respiratory center in mice. J Mol Cell Biol 2021; 13:210-224. [PMID: 33475140 PMCID: PMC8260053 DOI: 10.1093/jmcb/mjaa081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Breathing is an integrated motor behavior that is driven and controlled by a network of brainstem neurons. Zfhx4 is a zinc finger transcription factor and our results showed that it was specifically expressed in several regions of the mouse brainstem. Mice lacking Zfhx4 died shortly after birth from an apparent inability to initiate respiration. We also found that the electrical rhythm of brainstem‒spinal cord preparations was significantly depressed in Zfhx4-null mice compared to wild-type mice. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that Zfhx4 was coexpressed with Phox2b and Math1 in the brainstem and that Zfhx4 ablation greatly decreased the expression of these proteins, especially in the retrotrapezoid nucleus. Combined ChIP‒seq and mRNA expression microarray analysis identified Phox2b as the direct downstream target gene of Zfhx4, and this finding was validated by ChIP‒qPCR. Previous studies have reported that both Phox2b and Math1 play key roles in the development of the respiratory center, and Phox2b and Math1 knockout mice are neonatal lethal due to severe central apnea. On top of this, our study revealed that Zfhx4 is a critical regulator of Phox2b expression and essential for perinatal breathing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiqin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Sichen Du
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Huayuan Ou
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Renjie Cui
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yifeng Lin
- Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Runsheng Ge
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Duan Ma
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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Structural basis of seamless excision and specific targeting by piggyBac transposase. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3446. [PMID: 32651359 PMCID: PMC7351741 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17128-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The piggyBac DNA transposon is used widely in genome engineering applications. Unlike other transposons, its excision site can be precisely repaired without leaving footprints and it integrates specifically at TTAA tetranucleotides. We present cryo-EM structures of piggyBac transpososomes: a synaptic complex with hairpin DNA intermediates and a strand transfer complex capturing the integration step. The results show that the excised TTAA hairpin intermediate and the TTAA target adopt essentially identical conformations, providing a mechanistic link connecting the two unique properties of piggyBac. The transposase forms an asymmetric dimer in which the two central domains synapse the ends while two C-terminal domains form a separate dimer that contacts only one transposon end. In the strand transfer structure, target DNA is severely bent and the TTAA target is unpaired. In-cell data suggest that asymmetry promotes synaptic complex formation, and modifying ends with additional transposase binding sites stimulates activity.
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