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Singh SP, Yadav DK, Chamran MK, Perera DG. Intelligent mutation based evolutionary optimization algorithm for genomics and precision medicine. Funct Integr Genomics 2024; 24:128. [PMID: 39037544 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-024-01401-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
In this paper, genomics and precision medicine have witnessed remarkable progress with the advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies and advances in data analytics. However, because of the data's great dimensionality and complexity, the processing and interpretation of large-scale genomic data present major challenges. In order to overcome these difficulties, this research suggests a novel Intelligent Mutation-Based Evolutionary Optimization Algorithm (IMBOA) created particularly for applications in genomics and precision medicine. In the proposed IMBOA, the mutation operator is guided by genome-based information, allowing for the introduction of variants in candidate solutions that are consistent with known biological processes. The algorithm's combination of Differential Evolution with this intelligent mutation mechanism enables effective exploration and exploitation of the solution space. Applying a domain-specific fitness function, the system evaluates potential solutions for each generation based on genomic correctness and fitness. The fitness function directs the search toward ideal solutions that achieve the problem's objectives, while the genome accuracy measure assures that the solutions have physiologically relevant genomic properties. This work demonstrates extensive tests on diverse genomics datasets, including genotype-phenotype association studies and predictive modeling tasks in precision medicine, to verify the accuracy of the proposed approach. The results demonstrate that, in terms of precision, convergence rate, mean error, standard deviation, prediction, and fitness cost of physiologically important genomic biomarkers, the IMBOA consistently outperforms other cutting-edge optimization methods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Darshika G Perera
- Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, 80918, USA
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2
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Develtere W, Decaestecker W, Rombaut D, Anders C, Clicque E, Vuylsteke M, Jacobs TB. Continual improvement of CRISPR-induced multiplex mutagenesis in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 119:1158-1172. [PMID: 38713824 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 is currently the most powerful tool to generate mutations in plant genomes and more efficient tools are needed as the scale of experiments increases. In the model plant Arabidopsis, the choice of the promoter driving Cas9 expression is critical to generate germline mutations. Several optimal promoters have been reported. However, it is unclear which promoter is ideal as they have not been thoroughly tested side by side. Furthermore, most plant vectors still use one of the two Cas9 nuclear localization sequence (NLS) configurations initially reported. We genotyped more than 6000 Arabidopsis T2 plants to test seven promoters and six types of NLSs across 14 targets to systematically improve the generation of single and multiplex inheritable mutations. We found that the RPS5A promoter and bipartite NLS were individually the most efficient components. When combined, 99% of T2 plants contained at least one knockout (KO) mutation and 84% contained 4- to 7-plex KOs, the highest multiplexing KO rate in Arabidopsis to date. These optimizations will be useful to generate higher-order KOs in the germline of Arabidopsis and will likely be applicable to other CRISPR systems as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ward Develtere
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ward Decaestecker
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Debbie Rombaut
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Chantal Anders
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Elke Clicque
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Thomas B Jacobs
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
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3
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Zhang C, Tang Y, Tang S, Chen L, Li T, Yuan H, Xu Y, Zhou Y, Zhang S, Wang J, Wen H, Jiang W, Pang Y, Deng X, Cao X, Zhou J, Song X, Liu Q. An inducible CRISPR activation tool for accelerating plant regeneration. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 5:100823. [PMID: 38243597 PMCID: PMC11121170 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.100823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
The inducible CRISPR activation (CRISPR-a) system offers unparalleled precision and versatility for regulating endogenous genes, making it highly sought after in plant research. In this study, we developed a chemically inducible CRISPR-a tool for plants called ER-Tag by combining the LexA-VP16-ER inducible system with the SunTag CRISPR-a system. We systematically compared different induction strategies and achieved high efficiency in target gene activation. We demonstrated that guide RNAs can be multiplexed and pooled for large-scale screening of effective morphogenic genes and gene pairs involved in plant regeneration. Further experiments showed that induced activation of these morphogenic genes can accelerate regeneration and improve regeneration efficiency in both eudicot and monocot plants, including alfalfa, woodland strawberry, and sheepgrass. Our study expands the CRISPR toolset in plants and provides a powerful new strategy for studying gene function when constitutive expression is not feasible or ideal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuimei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yajun Tang
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong 261000, China
| | - Shanjie Tang
- National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Lei Chen
- National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Tong Li
- National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Haidi Yuan
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong 261000, China
| | - Yujun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yangyan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shuaibin Zhang
- National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jianli Wang
- Grass and Science Institute of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Heilongjiang 150086, China
| | - Hongyu Wen
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Wenbo Jiang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yongzhen Pang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xian Deng
- Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaofeng Cao
- National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Junhui Zhou
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Shandong 261000, China.
| | - Xianwei Song
- Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Qikun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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Zhang S, Wang B, Li Q, Hui W, Yang L, Wang Z, Zhang W, Yue F, Liu N, Li H, Lu F, Zhang K, Zeng Q, Wu AM. CRISPR/Cas9 mutated p-coumaroyl shikimate 3'-hydroxylase 3 gene in Populus tomentosa reveals lignin functioning on supporting tree upright. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126762. [PMID: 37683750 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
The lignin plays one of the most important roles in plant secondary metabolism. However, it is still unclear how lignin can contribute to the impressive height of wood growth. In this study, C3'H, a rate-limiting enzyme of the lignin pathway, was used as the target gene. C3'H3 was knocked out by CRISPR/Cas9 in Populus tomentosa. Compared with wild-type popular trees, c3'h3 mutants exhibited dwarf phenotypes, collapsed xylem vessels, weakened phloem thickening, decreased hydraulic conductivity and photosynthetic efficiency, and reduced auxin content, except for reduced total lignin content and significantly increased H-subunit lignin. In the c3'h3 mutant, the flavonoid biosynthesis genes CHS, CHI, F3H, DFR, ANR, and LAR were upregulated, and flavonoid metabolite accumulations were detected, indicating that decreasing the lignin biosynthesis pathway enhanced flavonoid metabolic flux. Furthermore, flavonoid metabolites, such as naringenin and hesperetin, were largely increased, while higher hesperetin content suppressed plant cell division. Thus, studying the c3'h3 mutant allows us to deduce that lignin deficiency suppresses tree growth and leads to the dwarf phenotype due to collapsed xylem and thickened phloem, limiting material exchanges and transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sufang Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Bo Wang
- College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Qian Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Wenkai Hui
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Linjie Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, School of Light Industry and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Zhihua Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Wenjuan Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Fengxia Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, School of Light Industry and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Nian Liu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Huiling Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Fachuang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, School of Light Industry and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; Department of Biochemistry and Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, The Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Kewei Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321004, China
| | - Qingyin Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China.
| | - Ai-Min Wu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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Liu J, Wang FZ, Li C, Li Y, Li JF. Hidden prevalence of deletion-inversion bi-alleles in CRISPR-mediated deletions of tandemly arrayed genes in plants. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6787. [PMID: 37880225 PMCID: PMC10600118 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42490-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Tandemly arrayed genes (TAGs) with functional redundancy and chromosomal linkage constitute 14 ~ 35% in sequenced plant genomes. The multiplex CRISPR system is the tool of choice for creating targeted TAG deletions. Here, we show that up to ~80% of CRISPR-mediated TAG knockout alleles in Arabidopsis and rice are deletion-inversion (delinver) bi-alleles, which are easily misidentified as homozygous deletion alleles by routine PCR-based genotyping. This can lead to misinterpretation of experimental data and production of progenies with genetic heterogeneity in an unnoticed manner. In ~2,650 transgenic events, delinver mutation frequencies are predominantly correlated with deletion frequencies but unrelated to chromosomal locations or deletion sizes. Delinver mutations also occur frequently at genomic non-TAG loci during multiplexed CRISPR editing. Our work raises the alarm about delinver mutations as common unwanted products of targeted TAG deletions in plants and helps prevent false interpretation of plant TAG functions due to this hidden genotype issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiuer Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Feng-Zhu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Chong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Yujia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Jian-Feng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
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Cutolo EA, Caferri R, Guardini Z, Dall'Osto L, Bassi R. Analysis of state 1-state 2 transitions by genome editing and complementation reveals a quenching component independent from the formation of PSI-LHCI-LHCII supercomplex in Arabidopsis thaliana. Biol Direct 2023; 18:49. [PMID: 37612770 PMCID: PMC10463614 DOI: 10.1186/s13062-023-00406-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The light-harvesting antennae of photosystem (PS) I and PSII are pigment-protein complexes responsible of the initial steps of sunlight conversion into chemical energy. In natural environments plants are constantly confronted with the variability of the photosynthetically active light spectrum. PSII and PSI operate in series but have different optimal excitation wavelengths. The prompt adjustment of light absorption by photosystems is thus crucial to ensure efficient electron flow needed to sustain downstream carbon fixing reactions. Fast structural rearrangements equilibrate the partition of excitation pressure between PSII and PSI following the enrichment in the red (PSII-favoring) or far-red (PSI-favoring) spectra. Redox imbalances trigger state transitions (ST), a photoacclimation mechanism which involves the reversible phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of light harvesting complex II (LHCII) proteins by the antagonistic activities of the State Transition 7 (STN7) kinase/TAP38 phosphatase enzyme pair. During ST, a mobile PSII antenna pool associates with PSI increasing its absorption cross section. LHCII consists of assorted trimeric assemblies of Lhcb1, Lhcb2 and Lhcb3 protein isoforms (LHCII), several being substrates of STN7. However, the precise roles of Lhcb phosphorylation during ST remain largely elusive. RESULTS We inactivated the complete Lhcb1 and Lhcb2 gene clades in Arabidopsis thaliana and reintroduced either wild type Lhcb1.3 and Lhcb2.1 isoforms, respectively, or versions lacking N-terminal phosphorylatable residues proposed to mediate state transitions. While the substitution of Lhcb2.1 Thr-40 prevented the formation of the PSI-LHCI-LHCII complex, replacement of Lhcb1.3 Thr-38 did not affect the formation of this supercomplex, nor did influence the amplitude or kinetics of PSII fluorescence quenching upon state 1-state 2 transition. CONCLUSIONS Phosphorylation of Lhcb2 Thr-40 by STN7 alone accounts for ≈ 60% of PSII fluorescence quenching during state transitions. Instead, the presence of Thr-38 phosphosite in Lhcb1.3 was not required for the formation of the PSI-LHCI-LHCII supercomplex nor for re-equilibration of the plastoquinone redox state. The Lhcb2 phosphomutant was still capable of ≈ 40% residual fluorescence quenching, implying that a yet uncharacterized, STN7-dependent, component of state transitions, which is unrelated to Lhcb2 Thr-40 phosphorylation and to the formation of the PSI-LHCI-LHCII supercomplex, contributes to the equilibration of the PSI/PSII excitation pressure upon plastoquinone over-reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Andrea Cutolo
- Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Bioenergy, Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Roberto Caferri
- Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Bioenergy, Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Zeno Guardini
- Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Bioenergy, Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Luca Dall'Osto
- Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Bioenergy, Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134, Verona, Italy
| | - Roberto Bassi
- Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Bioenergy, Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 15, 37134, Verona, Italy.
- Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Palazzo Corsini, Via Della Lungara, 10, 00165, Rome, Italy.
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Ordon J, Kiel N, Becker D, Kretschmer C, Schulze-Lefert P, Stuttmann J. Targeted gene deletion with SpCas9 and multiple guide RNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana: four are better than two. PLANT METHODS 2023; 19:30. [PMID: 36978193 PMCID: PMC10053088 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-023-01010-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In plant genome editing, RNA-guided nucleases such as Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpCas9) predominantly induce small insertions or deletions at target sites. This can be used for inactivation of protein-coding genes by frame shift mutations. However, in some cases, it may be advantageous to delete larger chromosomal segments. This is achieved by simultaneously inducing double strand breaks upstream and downstream of the segment to be deleted. Experimental approaches for the deletion of larger chromosomal segments have not been systematically evaluated. RESULTS We designed three pairs of guide RNAs for deletion of a ~ 2.2 kb chromosomal segment containing the Arabidopsis WRKY30 locus. We tested how the combination of guide RNA pairs and co-expression of the exonuclease TREX2 affect the frequency of wrky30 deletions in editing experiments. Our data demonstrate that compared to one pair of guide RNAs, two pairs increase the frequency of chromosomal deletions. The exonuclease TREX2 enhanced mutation frequency at individual target sites and shifted the mutation profile towards larger deletions. However, TREX2 did not elevate the frequency of chromosomal segment deletions. CONCLUSIONS Multiplex editing with at least two pairs of guide RNAs (four guide RNAs in total) elevates the frequency of chromosomal segment deletions at least at the AtWRKY30 locus, and thus simplifies the selection of corresponding mutants. Co-expression of the TREX2 exonuclease can be used as a general strategy to increase editing efficiency in Arabidopsis without obvious negative effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Ordon
- Department of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, D50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Niklas Kiel
- Department of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, D50829, Cologne, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Dieter Becker
- Department of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, D50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Carola Kretschmer
- Institute for Biology, Department of Plant Genetics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, D06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Paul Schulze-Lefert
- Department of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, D50829, Cologne, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Johannes Stuttmann
- Institute for Biosafety in Plant Biotechnology, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Julius Kühn-Institute (JKI), 06484, Quedlinburg, Germany.
- CEA, CNRS, BIAM, UMR7265, LEMiRE (Rhizosphère et Interactions sol-plante-microbiote), Aix Marseille University, 13115, Saint-Paul lez Durance, France.
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Zhou J, Luan X, Liu Y, Wang L, Wang J, Yang S, Liu S, Zhang J, Liu H, Yao D. Strategies and Methods for Improving the Efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing in Plant Molecular Breeding. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:1478. [PMID: 37050104 PMCID: PMC10097296 DOI: 10.3390/plants12071478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Following recent developments and refinement, CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology has become increasingly mature and is being widely used for crop improvement. The application of CRISPR/Cas9 enables the generation of transgene-free genome-edited plants in a short period and has the advantages of simplicity, high efficiency, high specificity, and low production costs, which greatly facilitate the study of gene functions. In plant molecular breeding, the gene-editing efficiency of the CRISPR-Cas9 system has proven to be a key step in influencing the effectiveness of molecular breeding, with improvements in gene-editing efficiency recently becoming a focus of reported scientific research. This review details strategies and methods for improving the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in plant molecular breeding, including Cas9 variant enzyme engineering, the effect of multiple promoter driven Cas9, and gRNA efficient optimization and expression strategies. It also briefly introduces the optimization strategies of the CRISPR/Cas12a system and the application of BE and PE precision editing. These strategies are beneficial for the further development and optimization of gene editing systems in the field of plant molecular breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junming Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China; (J.Z.); (X.L.); (Y.L.); (L.W.); (J.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Xinchao Luan
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China; (J.Z.); (X.L.); (Y.L.); (L.W.); (J.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Yixuan Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China; (J.Z.); (X.L.); (Y.L.); (L.W.); (J.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Lixue Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China; (J.Z.); (X.L.); (Y.L.); (L.W.); (J.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Jiaxin Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China; (J.Z.); (X.L.); (Y.L.); (L.W.); (J.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Songnan Yang
- College of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China; (S.Y.); (J.Z.)
| | - Shuying Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China; (J.Z.); (X.L.); (Y.L.); (L.W.); (J.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Jun Zhang
- College of Agronomy, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China; (S.Y.); (J.Z.)
| | - Huijing Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China; (J.Z.); (X.L.); (Y.L.); (L.W.); (J.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Dan Yao
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China; (J.Z.); (X.L.); (Y.L.); (L.W.); (J.W.); (S.L.)
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9
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Seedlessness Trait and Genome Editing—A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065660. [PMID: 36982733 PMCID: PMC10057249 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Parthenocarpy and stenospermocarpy are the two mechanisms underlying the seedless fruit set program. Seedless fruit occurs naturally and can be produced using hormone application, crossbreeding, or ploidy breeding. However, the two types of breeding are time-consuming and sometimes ineffective due to interspecies hybridization barriers or the absence of appropriate parental genotypes to use in the breeding process. The genetic engineering approach provides a better prospect, which can be explored based on an understanding of the genetic causes underlying the seedlessness trait. For instance, CRISPR/Cas is a comprehensive and precise technology. The prerequisite for using the strategy to induce seedlessness is identifying the crucial master gene or transcription factor liable for seed formation/development. In this review, we primarily explored the seedlessness mechanisms and identified the potential candidate genes underlying seed development. We also discussed the CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing approaches and their improvements.
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Blomme J, Ribera JA, Develtere W, Jacobs TB. A Simple and Low-Tech Heat-Shock Method to Increase Genome Editing Efficiency in Plants. Curr Protoc 2022; 2:e608. [PMID: 36469612 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas is now the standard technique to generate novel plant genotypes. However, optimizing the efficiency of the system continues to be an aspect of research and development. One of the improvements for increasing mutagenesis efficiency in different species is the application of heat stress. However, many experimental setups are limited by the requirement of using dedicated climate chambers to impose heat stress and by difficulties in the phenotyping of soil-grown plants. Here, we describe a simplified heat stress assay for in vitro-grown plants that can be completed in 6 days using commonly available laboratory equipment. We show that three 24-hr heat shocks (3×HS) at 37°C alternated with 24 hr of recovery at 21°C efficiently increases indel rates of LbCas12a and Cas9. We illustrate how visual mutant phenotypes (pds3 and gl1) can assist in quantifying genome editing efficiency, and describe how to quantify genome editing efficiency using genotyping by Sanger sequencing. We also provide a support protocol to efficiently clone a CRISPR expression vector in a single step. Together, our methods allow researchers to increase CRISPR-induced mutations using a low-tech setup in plants. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: 3×HS protocol Basic Protocol 2: Genotyping by Sanger sequencing Support Protocol: One-step cloning of a CRISPR expression vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Blomme
- Phycology Research Group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Júlia Arraiza Ribera
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ward Develtere
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas B Jacobs
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
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11
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Bru P, Steen CJ, Park S, Amstutz CL, Sylak-Glassman EJ, Lam L, Fekete A, Mueller MJ, Longoni F, Fleming GR, Niyogi KK, Malnoë A. The major trimeric antenna complexes serve as a site for qH-energy dissipation in plants. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102519. [PMID: 36152752 PMCID: PMC9615032 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants and algae are faced with a conundrum: harvesting sufficient light to drive their metabolic needs while dissipating light in excess to prevent photodamage, a process known as nonphotochemical quenching. A slowly relaxing form of energy dissipation, termed qH, is critical for plants’ survival under abiotic stress; however, qH location in the photosynthetic membrane is unresolved. Here, we tested whether we could isolate subcomplexes from plants in which qH was induced that would remain in an energy-dissipative state. Interestingly, we found that chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence lifetimes were decreased by qH in isolated major trimeric antenna complexes, indicating that they serve as a site for qH-energy dissipation and providing a natively quenched complex with physiological relevance to natural conditions. Next, we monitored the changes in thylakoid pigment, protein, and lipid contents of antenna with active or inactive qH but did not detect any evident differences. Finally, we investigated whether specific subunits of the major antenna complexes were required for qH but found that qH was insensitive to trimer composition. Because we previously observed that qH can occur in the absence of specific xanthophylls, and no evident changes in pigments, proteins, or lipids were detected, we tentatively propose that the energy-dissipative state reported here may stem from Chl–Chl excitonic interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierrick Bru
- Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC), Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Collin J Steen
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division (formerly Physical Biosciences Division), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Kavli Energy Nanoscience Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Soomin Park
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division (formerly Physical Biosciences Division), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Kavli Energy Nanoscience Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; School of Energy, Materials and Chemical Engineering, Korea University of Technology and Education, Cheonan, Chungnam 31253, Republic of Korea
| | - Cynthia L Amstutz
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Emily J Sylak-Glassman
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division (formerly Physical Biosciences Division), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Lam Lam
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division (formerly Physical Biosciences Division), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Kavli Energy Nanoscience Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Graduate Group in Biophysics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Agnes Fekete
- Julius-von-Sachs-Institute, Biocenter, Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Wuerzburg, D-97082 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Martin J Mueller
- Julius-von-Sachs-Institute, Biocenter, Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Wuerzburg, D-97082 Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Fiamma Longoni
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Graham R Fleming
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division (formerly Physical Biosciences Division), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Kavli Energy Nanoscience Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Graduate Group in Biophysics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Krishna K Niyogi
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division (formerly Physical Biosciences Division), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Alizée Malnoë
- Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC), Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
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12
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Aksoy E, Yildirim K, Kavas M, Kayihan C, Yerlikaya BA, Çalik I, Sevgen İ, Demirel U. General guidelines for CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing in plants. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:12151-12164. [DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07773-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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13
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Xia K, Zhang D, Xu X, Liu G, Yang Y, Chen Z, Wang X, Zhang GQ, Sun HX, Gu Y. Protoplast technology enables the identification of efficient multiplex genome editing tools in Phalaenopsis. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 322:111368. [PMID: 35780949 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Phalaenopsis orchids are popular ornamental plants worldwide. The application and optimization of efficient CRISPR-Cas genome editing toolkits in Phalaenopsis greatly accelerate the development of orchid gene function and breeding research. However, these methods are greatly hindered by the deficiency of a rapid screening system. In this study, we established a fast and convenient Phalaenopsis protoplast technology for the identification of functional genome editing tools. Two multiplex genome editing tools, PTG-Cas9-HPG (PTG, polycistronic tRNA-gRNA) system and RMC-Cpf1-HPG (RMC, ribozyme-based multi-crRNA) system, were developed for Phalaenopsis genome editing and further evaluated by established protoplast technology. We successfully detected various editing events comprising substitution and indel at designed target sites of the PDS gene and MADS gene, showing that both PTG-Cas9-HPG and RMC-Cpf1-HPG multiplex genome editing systems are functional in Phalaenopsis. Additionally, by optimizing the promoter that drives Cpf1 expression, we found that Super promoter can significantly improve the editing efficiency of the RMC-Cpf1-HPG system. Altogether, we successfully developed two efficient multiplex genome editing systems, PTG-Cas9-HPG and RMC-Cpf1-HPG, for Phalaenopsis, and the established protoplast-based screening technology provides a valuable foundation for developing more diverse and efficient genome editing toolkits and facilitating the development of orchid precision breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keke Xia
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China.
| | | | - Xiaojing Xu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | | | - Yong Yang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | | | | | - Guo-Qiang Zhang
- Laboratory for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, The Orchid Conservation and Research Center of Shenzhen, The National Orchid Conservation Center of China, Shenzhen 518114, China
| | - Hai-Xi Sun
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; BGI-Beijing, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Ying Gu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Genome Read and Write, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518120, China.
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14
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Pan W, Liu X, Li D, Zhang H. Establishment of an Efficient Genome Editing System in Lettuce Without Sacrificing Specificity. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:930592. [PMID: 35812897 PMCID: PMC9257259 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.930592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The efficiency of the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system remains limited in many crops. Utilizing strong promoters to boost the expression level of Cas9 are commonly used to improve the editing efficiency. However, these strategies also increase the risk of off-target mutation. Here, we developed a new strategy to utilize intron-mediated enhancement (IME)-assisted 35S promoter to drive Cas9 and sgRNA in a single transcript, which escalates the editing efficiency by moderately enhancing the expression of both Cas9 and sgRNA. In addition, we developed another strategy to enrich cells highly expressing Cas9/sgRNA by co-expressing the developmental regulator gene GRF5, which has been proved to ameliorate the transformation efficiency, and the transgenic plants from these cells also exhibited enhanced editing efficiency. This system elevated the genome editing efficiency from 14-28% to 54-81% on three targets tested in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) without increasing the off-target editing efficiency. Thus, we established a new genome editing system with highly improved on-target editing efficiency and without obvious increasement in off-target effects, which can be used to characterize genes of interest in lettuce and other crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Pan
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Science, Weifang, China
- School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Vegetables, Beijing Vegetable Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Vegetable Germplasm Improvement, Beijing, China
| | - Dayong Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Vegetables, Beijing Vegetable Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Vegetable Germplasm Improvement, Beijing, China
| | - Huawei Zhang
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Science, Weifang, China
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15
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Rahman F, Mishra A, Gupta A, Sharma R. Spatiotemporal Regulation of CRISPR/Cas9 Enables Efficient, Precise, and Heritable Edits in Plant Genomes. Front Genome Ed 2022; 4:870108. [PMID: 35558825 PMCID: PMC9087570 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2022.870108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas-mediated editing has revolutionized crop engineering. Due to the broad scope and potential of this technology, many studies have been carried out in the past decade towards optimizing genome editing constructs. Clearly, the choice of the promoter used to drive gRNA and Cas9 expression is critical to achieving high editing efficiency, precision, and heritability. While some important considerations for choosing a promoter include the number and nature of targets, host organism, mode of transformation and goal of the experiment, spatiotemporal regulation of Cas9 expression using tissue-specific or inducible promoters enables higher heritability and efficiency of targeted mutagenesis with reduced off-target effects. In this review, we discuss specific studies that highlight the prospects and trade-offs associated with the choice of promoters on genome editing and emphasize the need for inductive exploration and discovery to further advance this area of research in crop plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhanur Rahman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, India
| | - Apurva Mishra
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Archit Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, India
| | - Rita Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, India
- *Correspondence: Rita Sharma, ,
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16
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Blomme J, Develtere W, Köse A, Arraiza Ribera J, Brugmans C, Jaraba-Wallace J, Decaestecker W, Rombaut D, Baekelandt A, Daniel Fernández Fernández Á, Van Breusegem F, Inzé D, Jacobs T. The heat is on: a simple method to increase genome editing efficiency in plants. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 22:142. [PMID: 35331142 PMCID: PMC8951696 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-022-03519-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Precision genome mutagenesis using CRISPR/Cas has become the standard method to generate mutant plant lines. Several improvements have been made to increase mutagenesis efficiency, either through vector optimisation or the application of heat stress. RESULTS Here, we present a simplified heat stress assay that can be completed in six days using commonly-available laboratory equipment. We show that three heat shocks (3xHS) efficiently increases indel efficiency of LbCas12a and Cas9, irrespective of the target sequence or the promoter used to express the nuclease. The generated indels are primarily somatic, but for three out of five targets we demonstrate that up to 25% more biallelic mutations are transmitted to the progeny when heat is applied compared to non-heat controls. We also applied our heat treatment to lines containing CRISPR base editors and observed a 22-27% increase in the percentage of C-to-T base editing. Furthermore, we test the effect of 3xHS on generating large deletions and a homologous recombination reporter. Interestingly, we observed no positive effect of 3xHS treatment on either approach using our conditions. CONCLUSIONS Together, our experiments show that heat treatment is consistently effective at increasing the number of somatic mutations using many CRISPR approaches in plants and in some cases can increase the recovery of mutant progeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Blomme
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- Phycology Research Group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ward Develtere
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ayse Köse
- Bioengineering Department, Ege University, 35100, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Júlia Arraiza Ribera
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Christophe Brugmans
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jessica Jaraba-Wallace
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ward Decaestecker
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Debbie Rombaut
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alexandra Baekelandt
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Álvaro Daniel Fernández Fernández
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frank Van Breusegem
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dirk Inzé
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas Jacobs
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.
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17
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Sattari Vayghan H, Nawrocki WJ, Schiphorst C, Tolleter D, Hu C, Douet V, Glauser G, Finazzi G, Croce R, Wientjes E, Longoni F. Photosynthetic Light Harvesting and Thylakoid Organization in a CRISPR/Cas9 Arabidopsis Thaliana LHCB1 Knockout Mutant. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:833032. [PMID: 35330875 PMCID: PMC8940271 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.833032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Light absorbed by chlorophylls of Photosystems II and I drives oxygenic photosynthesis. Light-harvesting complexes increase the absorption cross-section of these photosystems. Furthermore, these complexes play a central role in photoprotection by dissipating the excess of absorbed light energy in an inducible and regulated fashion. In higher plants, the main light-harvesting complex is trimeric LHCII. In this work, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to knockout the five genes encoding LHCB1, which is the major component of LHCII. In absence of LHCB1, the accumulation of the other LHCII isoforms was only slightly increased, thereby resulting in chlorophyll loss, leading to a pale green phenotype and growth delay. The Photosystem II absorption cross-section was smaller, while the Photosystem I absorption cross-section was unaffected. This altered the chlorophyll repartition between the two photosystems, favoring Photosystem I excitation. The equilibrium of the photosynthetic electron transport was partially maintained by lower Photosystem I over Photosystem II reaction center ratio and by the dephosphorylation of LHCII and Photosystem II. Loss of LHCB1 altered the thylakoid structure, with less membrane layers per grana stack and reduced grana width. Stable LHCB1 knockout lines allow characterizing the role of this protein in light harvesting and acclimation and pave the way for future in vivo mutational analyses of LHCII.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Sattari Vayghan
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Wojciech J. Nawrocki
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christo Schiphorst
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Dimitri Tolleter
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, INRAE, IRIG, LPCV, Grenoble, France
| | - Chen Hu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Véronique Douet
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Gaëtan Glauser
- Neuchâtel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Finazzi
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, INRAE, IRIG, LPCV, Grenoble, France
| | - Roberta Croce
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Emilie Wientjes
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Fiamma Longoni
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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18
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Nguyen TM, Lu CA, Huang LF. Applications of CRISPR/Cas9 in a rice protein expression system via an intron-targeted insertion approach. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 315:111132. [PMID: 35067302 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2021.111132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The sugar starvation-inducible rice αAmy3 promoter and signal peptide are widely used to produce valuable recombinant proteins in rice suspension culture cells. Conventionally, the recombinant gene expression cassette is inserted into the genome at random locations by Agrobacterium- or particle bombardment-mediated transformation. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing enables gene insertion at a precise target site in the genome. In this study the CRISPR/Cas9 approach was modified for intron-targeted insertion by adding an artificial 3' splicing site upstream of the recombinant gene. Knock-in transgenic rice cell lines containing the recombinant GFP gene inserted in intron 1 of αAmy3 were generated. The endogenous αAmy3 promoter regulated recombinant gene expression and the αAmy3 signal peptide directed secretion of the recombinant GFP protein into the culture medium. In addition, the recombinant GFP protein was localized in amyloplasts, identical to the subcellular localization of endogenous αAmy3 reported previously. This modified CRISPR/Cas9 knock-in approach is simple and highly efficient, and the recombinant gene insertion frequency attained 12.5%. The approach can be applied in the production of pharmaceutical proteins in rice suspension cell cultures. The high efficiency of the GFP reporter gene knock-in method and the maintenance of target gene behavior also make the strategy applicable to endogenous gene functional studies in rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Mai Nguyen
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan City 320, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Life Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan City 320, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chung-An Lu
- Department of Life Sciences, National Central University, Taoyuan City 320, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Li-Fen Huang
- Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan City 320, Taiwan, ROC.
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19
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Cao HX, Vu GTH, Gailing O. From Genome Sequencing to CRISPR-Based Genome Editing for Climate-Resilient Forest Trees. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:966. [PMID: 35055150 PMCID: PMC8780650 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the economic and ecological importance of forest trees, modern breeding and genetic manipulation of forest trees have become increasingly prevalent. The CRISPR-based technology provides a versatile, powerful, and widely accepted tool for analyzing gene function and precise genetic modification in virtually any species but remains largely unexplored in forest species. Rapidly accumulating genetic and genomic resources for forest trees enabled the identification of numerous genes and biological processes that are associated with important traits such as wood quality, drought, or pest resistance, facilitating the selection of suitable gene editing targets. Here, we introduce and discuss the latest progress, opportunities, and challenges of genome sequencing and editing for improving forest sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hieu Xuan Cao
- Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077 Gottingen, Germany;
| | - Giang Thi Ha Vu
- Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077 Gottingen, Germany;
| | - Oliver Gailing
- Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077 Gottingen, Germany;
- Center for Integrated Breeding Research (CiBreed), Georg-August University of Göttingen, 37073 Gottingen, Germany
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20
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Huang X, Wang Y, Wang N. Highly Efficient Generation of Canker-Resistant Sweet Orange Enabled by an Improved CRISPR/Cas9 System. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:769907. [PMID: 35087548 PMCID: PMC8787272 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.769907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) is the most economically important species for the citrus industry. However, it is susceptible to many diseases including citrus bacterial canker caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) that triggers devastating effects on citrus production. Conventional breeding has not met the challenge to improve disease resistance of sweet orange due to the long juvenility and other limitations. CRISPR-mediated genome editing has shown promising potentials for genetic improvements of plants. Generation of biallelic/homozygous mutants remains difficult for sweet orange due to low transformation rate, existence of heterozygous alleles for target genes, and low biallelic editing efficacy using the CRISPR technology. Here, we report improvements in the CRISPR/Cas9 system for citrus gene editing. Based on the improvements we made previously [dicot codon optimized Cas9, tRNA for multiplexing, a modified sgRNA scaffold with high efficiency, citrus U6 (CsU6) to drive sgRNA expression], we further improved our CRISPR/Cas9 system by choosing superior promoters [Cestrum yellow leaf curling virus (CmYLCV) or Citrus sinensis ubiquitin (CsUbi) promoter] to drive Cas9 and optimizing culture temperature. This system was able to generate a biallelic mutation rate of up to 89% for Carrizo citrange and 79% for Hamlin sweet orange. Consequently, this system was used to generate canker-resistant Hamlin sweet orange by mutating the effector binding element (EBE) of canker susceptibility gene CsLOB1, which is required for causing canker symptoms by Xcc. Six biallelic Hamlin sweet orange mutant lines in the EBE were generated. The biallelic mutants are resistant to Xcc. Biallelic mutation of the EBE region abolishes the induction of CsLOB1 by Xcc. This study represents a significant improvement in sweet orange gene editing efficacy and generating disease-resistant varieties via CRISPR-mediated genome editing. This improvement in citrus genome editing makes genetic studies and manipulations of sweet orange more feasible.
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21
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Zhang S, Wu S, Hu C, Yang Q, Dong T, Sheng O, Deng G, He W, Dou T, Li C, Sun C, Yi G, Bi F. Increased mutation efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in banana by optimized construct. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12664. [PMID: 35036088 PMCID: PMC8742547 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing system has been used extensively to engineer targeted mutations in a wide variety of species. Its application in banana, however, has been hindered because of the species' triploid nature and low genome editing efficiency. This has delayed the development of a DNA-free genome editing approach. In this study, we reported that the endogenous U6 promoter and banana codon-optimized Cas9 apparently increased mutation frequency in banana, and we generated a method to validate the mutation efficiency of the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing system based on transient expression in protoplasts. The activity of the MaU6c promoter was approximately four times higher than that of the OsU6a promoter in banana protoplasts. The application of this promoter and banana codon-optimized Cas9 in CRISPR/Cas9 cassette resulted in a fourfold increase in mutation efficiency compared with the previous CRISPR/Cas9 cassette for banana. Our results indicated that the optimized CRISPR/Cas9 system was effective for mutating targeted genes in banana and thus will improve the applications for basic functional genomics. These findings are relevant to future germplasm improvement and provide a foundation for developing DNA-free genome editing technology in banana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shaoping Wu
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,College of Life Sciences, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, Guangdong, China
| | - Chunhua Hu
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiaosong Yang
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Tao Dong
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ou Sheng
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Guiming Deng
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Weidi He
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Tongxin Dou
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chunyu Li
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chenkang Sun
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong
| | - Ganjun Yi
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Fangcheng Bi
- Key Laboratory of South Subtropical Fruit Biology and Genetic Resource Utilization (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Guangdong Key Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Tree Research, Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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22
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Zhang Z, Guo Y, Marasigan KM, Conner JA, Ozias-Akins P. Gene activation via Cre/lox-mediated excision in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). PLANT CELL REPORTS 2022; 41:119-138. [PMID: 34591155 PMCID: PMC8803690 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-021-02789-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Expression of Cre recombinase by AtRps5apro or AtDD45pro enabled Cre/lox-mediated recombination at an early embryonic developmental stage upon crossing, activating transgenes in the hybrid cowpea and tobacco. Genetic engineering ideally results in precise spatiotemporal control of transgene expression. To activate transgenes exclusively in a hybrid upon fertilization, we evaluated a Cre/lox-mediated gene activation system with the Cre recombinase expressed by either AtRps5a or AtDD45 promoters that showed activity in egg cells and young embryos. In crosses between Cre recombinase lines and transgenic lines harboring a lox-excision reporter cassette with ZsGreen driven by the AtUbq3 promoter after Cre/lox-mediated recombination, we observed complete excision of the lox-flanked intervening DNA sequence between the AtUbq3pro and the ZsGreen coding sequence in F1 progeny upon genotyping but no ZsGreen expression in F1 seeds or seedlings. The incapability to observe ZsGreen fluorescence was attributed to the activity of the AtUbq3pro. Strong ZsGreen expression in F1 seeds was observed after recombination when ZsGreen was driven by the AtUbq10 promoter. Using the AtDD45pro to express Cre resulted in more variation in recombination frequencies between transgenic lines and crosses. Regardless of the promoter used to regulate Cre, mosaic F1 progeny were rare, suggesting gene activation at an early embryo-developmental stage. Observation of ZsGreen-expressing tobacco embryos at the globular stage from crosses with the AtRps5aproCre lines pollinated by the AtUbq3prolox line supported the early activation mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifen Zhang
- Department of Horticulture and Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, 2356 Rainwater Rd, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA
| | - Yinping Guo
- Department of Horticulture and Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, 2356 Rainwater Rd, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA
| | - Kathleen Monfero Marasigan
- Department of Horticulture and Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, 2356 Rainwater Rd, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA
| | - Joann A Conner
- Department of Horticulture and Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, 2356 Rainwater Rd, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA
| | - Peggy Ozias-Akins
- Department of Horticulture and Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, 2356 Rainwater Rd, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA.
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23
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Hassan MM, Zhang Y, Yuan G, De K, Chen JG, Muchero W, Tuskan GA, Qi Y, Yang X. Construct design for CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing in plants. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 26:1133-1152. [PMID: 34340931 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2021.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR construct design is a key step in the practice of genome editing, which includes identification of appropriate Cas proteins, design and selection of guide RNAs (gRNAs), and selection of regulatory elements to express gRNAs and Cas proteins. Here, we review the choices of CRISPR-based genome editors suited for different needs in plant genome editing applications. We consider the technical aspects of gRNA design and the associated computational tools. We also discuss strategies for the design of multiplex CRISPR constructs for high-throughput manipulation of complex biological processes or polygenic traits. We provide recommendations for different elements of CRISPR constructs and discuss the remaining challenges of CRISPR construct optimization in plant genome editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Mahmudul Hassan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali-8602, Bangladesh
| | - Yingxiao Zhang
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Guoliang Yuan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Kuntal De
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Jin-Gui Chen
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Wellington Muchero
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Gerald A Tuskan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Yiping Qi
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
| | - Xiaohan Yang
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
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24
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Kim ST, Choi M, Bae SJ, Kim JS. The Functional Association of ACQOS/VICTR with Salt Stress Resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana Was Confirmed by CRISPR-Mediated Mutagenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11389. [PMID: 34768819 PMCID: PMC8583979 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-mediated mutagenesis has become an important tool in plant research, enabling the characterization of genes via gene knock-out. CRISPR genome editing tools can be applied to generate multi-gene knockout lines. Typically, multiple single-stranded, single guide RNAs (gRNAs) must be expressed in an organism to target multiple genes simultaneously; however, a single gRNA can target multiple genes if the target genes share similar sequences. A gene cluster comprising ACQUIRED OSMOTOLERANCE (ACQOS; AT5G46520) and neighboring nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeats (NLRs; AT5G46510) is associated with osmotic tolerance. To investigate the role of ACQOS and the tandemly arranged NLR in osmotic tolerance, we introduced small insertion/deletion mutations into two target genes using a single gRNA and obtained transformant plant lines with three different combinations of mutant alleles. We then tested our mutant lines for osmotic tolerance after a salt-stress acclimation period by determining the chlorophyll contents of the mutant seedlings. Our results strongly suggest that ACQOS is directly associated with salt resistance, while the neighboring NLR is not. Here, we confirmed previous findings suggesting the involvement of ACQOS in salt tolerance and demonstrated the usefulness of CRISPR-mediated mutagenesis in validating the functions of genes in a single genetic background.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Tae Kim
- Department of Medical & Biological Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 14662, Korea
| | - Minkyung Choi
- Center for Genome Engineering, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon 34126, Korea; (M.C.); (S.-J.B.); (J.-S.K.)
| | - Su-Ji Bae
- Center for Genome Engineering, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon 34126, Korea; (M.C.); (S.-J.B.); (J.-S.K.)
| | - Jin-Soo Kim
- Center for Genome Engineering, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon 34126, Korea; (M.C.); (S.-J.B.); (J.-S.K.)
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25
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Nagahara S, Higashiyama T, Mizuta Y. Detection of a biolistic delivery of fluorescent markers and CRISPR/Cas9 to the pollen tube. PLANT REPRODUCTION 2021; 34:191-205. [PMID: 34146158 PMCID: PMC8360903 DOI: 10.1007/s00497-021-00418-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Biolistic delivery into pollen. In recent years, genome editing techniques, such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system, have been highlighted as a new approach to plant breeding. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation has been widely utilized to generate transgenic plants by introducing plasmid DNA containing CRISPR/Cas9 into plant cells. However, this method has general limitations, such as the limited host range of Agrobacterium and difficulties in tissue culture, including callus induction and regeneration. To avoid these issues, we developed a method to genetically modify germ cells without the need for Agrobacterium-mediated transfection and tissue culture using tobacco as a model. In this study, plasmid DNA containing sequences of Cas9, guide RNA, and fluorescent reporter was introduced into pollen using a biolistic delivery system. Based on the transient expression of fluorescent reporters, the Arabidopsis UBQ10 promoter was found to be the most suitable promoter for driving the expression of the delivered gene in pollen tubes. We also evaluated the delivery efficiency in male germ cells in the pollen by expression of the introduced fluorescent marker. Mutations were detected in the target gene in the genomic DNA extracted from CRISPR/Cas9-introduced pollen tubes, but were not detected in the negative control. Bombarded pollen germinated pollen tubes and delivered their contents into the ovules in vivo. Although it is necessary to improve biolistic delivery efficiency and establish a method for the screening of genome-modified seeds, our findings provide important insights for the detection and production of genome-modified seeds by pollen biolistic delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiori Nagahara
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Higashiyama
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan
- Division of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8602, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bukyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yoko Mizuta
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan.
- Institute for Advanced Research (IAR), Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan.
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26
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Ordon J, Martin P, Erickson JL, Ferik F, Balcke G, Bonas U, Stuttmann J. Disentangling cause and consequence: genetic dissection of the DANGEROUS MIX2 risk locus, and activation of the DM2h NLR in autoimmunity. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 106:1008-1023. [PMID: 33629456 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Nucleotide-binding domain-leucine-rich repeat-type immune receptors (NLRs) protect plants against pathogenic microbes through intracellular detection of effector proteins. However, this comes at a cost, as NLRs can also induce detrimental autoimmunity in genetic interactions with foreign alleles. This may occur when independently evolved genomes are combined in inter- or intraspecific crosses, or when foreign alleles are introduced by mutagenesis or transgenesis. Most autoimmunity-inducing NLRs are encoded within highly variable NLR gene clusters with no known immune functions, which were termed autoimmune risk loci. Whether risk NLRs differ from sensor NLRs operating in natural pathogen resistance and how risk NLRs are activated in autoimmunity is unknown. Here, we analyzed the DANGEROUS MIX2 risk locus, a major autoimmunity hotspot in Arabidopsis thaliana. By gene editing and heterologous expression, we show that a single gene, DM2h, is necessary and sufficient for autoimmune induction in three independent cases of autoimmunity in accession Landsberg erecta. We focus on autoimmunity provoked by an EDS1-yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)NLS fusion protein to characterize DM2h functionally and determine features of EDS1-YFPNLS activating the immune receptor. Our data suggest that risk NLRs function in a manner reminiscent of sensor NLRs, while autoimmunity-inducing properties of EDS1-YFPNLS in this context are unrelated to the protein's functions as an immune regulator. We propose that autoimmunity, at least in some cases, may be caused by spurious, stochastic interactions of foreign alleles with coincidentally matching risk NLRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Ordon
- Institute for Biology, Department of Plant Genetics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Patrick Martin
- Institute for Biology, Department of Plant Genetics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Jessica Lee Erickson
- Institute for Biology, Department of Plant Genetics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Filiz Ferik
- Institute for Biology, Department of Plant Genetics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Gerd Balcke
- Department of Cell and Metabolic Biology, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Ulla Bonas
- Institute for Biology, Department of Plant Genetics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Johannes Stuttmann
- Institute for Biology, Department of Plant Genetics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
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27
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Choi M, Yun JY, Kim JH, Kim JS, Kim ST. The efficacy of CRISPR-mediated cytosine base editing with the RPS5a promoter in Arabidopsis thaliana. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8087. [PMID: 33850267 PMCID: PMC8044221 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87669-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing is an important and versatile technology in modern biological research. Recent advancements include base-editing CRISPR tools that enable targeted nucleotide substitutions using a fusion protein comprising a nickase variant of Cas9 and a base deaminase. Improvements in base editing efficiencies and inheritable of edited loci need to be made to make CRISPR a viable system in plants. Here, we report efficiency of cytosine base editors (CBEs) in Arabidopsis thaliana by applying the strong endogenous RPS5a promoter to drive the expression of nickase Cas9 and either rAPOBEC1 from rat (BE3) or the PmCDA1 activation-induced cytidine deaminase from sea lamprey (AIDv2). Compared with the strong heterologous CaMV35S promoter of viral origin, the RPS5a promoter improved CBE efficiency by 32% points with the number of T1 plants showing over 50% conversion ratio when the LFY gene was targeted. CBE induced nonsense mutations in LFY via C-to-T conversion, which resulted in loss-of-function lfy phenotypes; defects in LFY function were associated with the targeted base substitutions. Our data suggest that optimal promoter choice for CBE expression may affect base-editing efficiencies in plants. The results provide a strategy to optimize low-efficiency base editors and demonstrate their applicability for functional assays and trait development in crop research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minkyung Choi
- Center for Genome Engineering, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, 34126, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Young Yun
- Center for Genome Engineering, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, 34126, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Green Bioscience & Technology, Seoul National University, Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Hyuk Kim
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon, 14662, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Soo Kim
- Center for Genome Engineering, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, 34126, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sang-Tae Kim
- Center for Genome Engineering, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, 34126, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon, 14662, Republic of Korea.
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28
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Stuttmann J, Barthel K, Martin P, Ordon J, Erickson JL, Herr R, Ferik F, Kretschmer C, Berner T, Keilwagen J, Marillonnet S, Bonas U. Highly efficient multiplex editing: one-shot generation of 8× Nicotiana benthamiana and 12× Arabidopsis mutants. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 106:8-22. [PMID: 33577114 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Genome editing by RNA-guided nucleases, such as SpCas9, has been used in numerous different plant species. However, to what extent multiple independent loci can be targeted simultaneously by multiplexing has not been well documented. Here, we developed a toolkit, based on a highly intron-optimized zCas9i gene, which allows assembly of nuclease constructs expressing up to 32 single guide RNAs (sgRNAs). We used this toolkit to explore the limits of multiplexing in two major model species, and report on the isolation of transgene-free octuple (8×) Nicotiana benthamiana and duodecuple (12×) Arabidopsis thaliana mutant lines in a single generation (T1 and T2 , respectively). We developed novel counter-selection markers for N. benthamiana, most importantly Sl-FAST2, comparable to the well-established Arabidopsis seed fluorescence marker, and FCY-UPP, based on the production of toxic 5-fluorouracil in the presence of a precursor. Targeting eight genes with an array of nine different sgRNAs and relying on FCY-UPP for selection of non-transgenic T1 , we identified N. benthamiana mutant lines with astonishingly high efficiencies: All analyzed plants carried mutations in all genes (approximately 112/116 target sites edited). Furthermore, we targeted 12 genes by an array of 24 sgRNAs in A. thaliana. Efficiency was significantly lower in A. thaliana, and our results indicate Cas9 availability is the limiting factor in such higher-order multiplexing applications. We identified a duodecuple mutant line by a combination of phenotypic screening and amplicon sequencing. The resources and results presented provide new perspectives for how multiplexing can be used to generate complex genotypes or to functionally interrogate groups of candidate genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Stuttmann
- Department of Plant Genetics, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Karen Barthel
- Department of Plant Genetics, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Patrick Martin
- Department of Plant Genetics, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Jana Ordon
- Department of Plant Genetics, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Jessica L Erickson
- Department of Plant Genetics, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Rosalie Herr
- Department of Plant Genetics, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Filiz Ferik
- Department of Plant Genetics, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Carola Kretschmer
- Department of Plant Genetics, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Thomas Berner
- Institute for Biosafety in Plant Biotechnology, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Julius Kühn-Institute (JKI), Quedlinburg, Germany
| | - Jens Keilwagen
- Institute for Biosafety in Plant Biotechnology, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Julius Kühn-Institute (JKI), Quedlinburg, Germany
| | - Sylvestre Marillonnet
- Department of Cell and Metabolic Biology, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Ulla Bonas
- Department of Plant Genetics, Institute for Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
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29
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Grützner R, Martin P, Horn C, Mortensen S, Cram EJ, Lee-Parsons CW, Stuttmann J, Marillonnet S. High-efficiency genome editing in plants mediated by a Cas9 gene containing multiple introns. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2021; 2:100135. [PMID: 33898975 PMCID: PMC8060730 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2020.100135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The recent discovery of the mode of action of the CRISPR/Cas9 system has provided biologists with a useful tool for generating site-specific mutations in genes of interest. In plants, site-targeted mutations are usually obtained by the stable transformation of a Cas9 expression construct into the plant genome. The efficiency of introducing mutations in genes of interest can vary considerably depending on the specific features of the constructs, including the source and nature of the promoters and terminators used for the expression of the Cas9 gene and the guide RNA, and the sequence of the Cas9 nuclease itself. To optimize the efficiency of the Cas9 nuclease in generating mutations in target genes in Arabidopsis thaliana, we investigated several features of its nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence, including the codon usage, the number of nuclear localization signals (NLSs), and the presence or absence of introns. We found that the Cas9 gene codon usage had some effect on its activity and that two NLSs worked better than one. However, the highest efficiency of the constructs was achieved by the addition of 13 introns into the Cas9 coding sequence, which dramatically improved the editing efficiency of the constructs. None of the primary transformants obtained with a Cas9 gene lacking introns displayed a knockout mutant phenotype, whereas between 70% and 100% of the primary transformants generated with the intronized Cas9 gene displayed mutant phenotypes. The intronized Cas9 gene was also found to be effective in other plants such as Nicotiana benthamiana and Catharanthus roseus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Grützner
- Department of Cell and Metabolic Biology, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Patrick Martin
- Institute for Biology, Department of Plant Genetics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Claudia Horn
- Department of Cell and Metabolic Biology, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Erin J. Cram
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carolyn W.T. Lee-Parsons
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Johannes Stuttmann
- Institute for Biology, Department of Plant Genetics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Sylvestre Marillonnet
- Department of Cell and Metabolic Biology, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Weinberg 3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
- Corresponding author
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30
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Leonetti P, Ghasemzadeh A, Consiglio A, Gursinsky T, Behrens S, Pantaleo V. Endogenous activated small interfering RNAs in virus-infected Brassicaceae crops show a common host gene-silencing pattern affecting photosynthesis and stress response. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:1650-1664. [PMID: 32945560 PMCID: PMC7821159 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Viral infections are accompanied by a massive production of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) of plant origin, such as virus-activated (va)siRNAs, which drive the widespread silencing of host gene expression, and whose effects in plant pathogen interactions remain unknown. By combining phenotyping and molecular analyses, we characterized vasiRNAs that are associated with typical mosaic symptoms of cauliflower mosaic virus infection in two crops, turnip (Brassica rapa) and oilseed rape (Brassica napus), and the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified 15 loci in the three infected plant species, whose transcripts originate vasiRNAs. These loci appear to be generally affected by virus infections in Brassicaceae and encode factors that are centrally involved in photosynthesis and stress response, such as Rubisco activase (RCA), senescence-associated protein, heat shock protein HSP70, light harvesting complex, and membrane-related protein CP5. During infection, the expression of these factors is significantly downregulated, suggesting that their silencing is a central component of the plant's response to virus infections. Further findings indicate an important role for 22 nt long vasiRNAs in the plant's endogenous RNA silencing response. Our study considerably enhances knowledge about the new class of vasiRNAs that are triggered in virus-infected plants and will help to advance strategies for the engineering of gene clusters involved in the development of crop diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Leonetti
- Department of Biology, Agricultural and Food SciencesInstitute for Sustainable Plant ProtectionBari UnitCNRBari70126Italy
| | - Aysan Ghasemzadeh
- Department of Biology, Agricultural and Food SciencesInstitute for Sustainable Plant ProtectionBari UnitCNRBari70126Italy
- Department of Plant PathologyFaculty of AgricultureTarbiat Modares UniversityTehran14115‐111Iran
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (NFI)Section Microbial BiotechnologyMartin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergHalle/SaaleD‐06120Germany
| | - Arianna Consiglio
- Department of Biomedical SciencesInstitute for Biomedical TechnologiesBari UnitCNRBari70126Italy
| | - Torsten Gursinsky
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (NFI)Section Microbial BiotechnologyMartin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergHalle/SaaleD‐06120Germany
| | - Sven‐Erik Behrens
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (NFI)Section Microbial BiotechnologyMartin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergHalle/SaaleD‐06120Germany
| | - Vitantonio Pantaleo
- Department of Biology, Agricultural and Food SciencesInstitute for Sustainable Plant ProtectionBari UnitCNRBari70126Italy
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Angstenberger M, de Signori F, Vecchi V, Dall’Osto L, Bassi R. Cell Synchronization Enhances Nuclear Transformation and Genome Editing via Cas9 Enabling Homologous Recombination in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. ACS Synth Biol 2020; 9:2840-2850. [PMID: 32916053 PMCID: PMC8011982 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
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In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, the model organism
for eukaryotic green algae and plants, the processes of nuclear transformation
and genome editing in particular are still marked by a low level of
efficiency, and so intensive work is required in order to create and
identify mutants for the investigation of basic physiological processes,
as well as the implementation of biotechnological applications. In
this work, we show that cell synchronization during the stages of
the cell cycle, obtained from long-term cultivation under specific
growth conditions, greatly enhances the efficiency of transformation
and allows the identification of DNA repair mechanisms that occur
preferentially at different stages of the cell cycle. We demonstrate
that the transformation of synchronized cells at different times was
differentially associated with nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) and/or
homologous recombination (HR), and makes it possible to knock-in specific
foreign DNA at the genomic nuclear location desired by exploiting
HR. This optimization greatly reduces the overall complexity of the
genome editing procedure and creates new opportunities for altering
genes and their products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Angstenberger
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Cà Vignal 1, Strada le Grazie 15, 31734 Verona, Italy
| | - Francesco de Signori
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Cà Vignal 1, Strada le Grazie 15, 31734 Verona, Italy
| | - Valeria Vecchi
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Cà Vignal 1, Strada le Grazie 15, 31734 Verona, Italy
| | - Luca Dall’Osto
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Cà Vignal 1, Strada le Grazie 15, 31734 Verona, Italy
| | - Roberto Bassi
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Cà Vignal 1, Strada le Grazie 15, 31734 Verona, Italy
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