A simple protocol to isolate a single human cell PRDX1 knockout generated by CRISPR-Cas9 system

Altered Regulation of the Glucose Transporter GLUT3 in PRDX1 Null Cells Caused Hypersensitivity to Arsenite

Targeting tumour metabolism through glucose transporters is an attractive approach. However, the role these transporters play through interaction with other signalling proteins is not yet defined. The glucose transporter SLC2A3 (GLUT3) is a member of the solute carrier transporter proteins. GLUT3 has a high affinity for D-glucose and regulates glucose uptake in the neurons, as well as other tissues. Herein, we show that GLUT3 is involved in the uptake of arsenite, and its level is regulated by peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1). In the absence of PRDX1, GLUT3 mRNA and protein expression levels are low, but they are increased upon arsenite treatment, correlating with an increased uptake of glucose. The downregulation of GLUT3 by siRNA or deletion of the gene by CRISPR cas-9 confers resistance to arsenite. Additionally, the overexpression of GLUT3 sensitises the cells to arsenite. We further show that GLUT3 interacts with PRDX1, and it forms nuclear foci, which are redistributed upon arsenite exposure, as revealed by immunofluorescence analysis. We propose that GLUT3 plays a role in mediating the uptake of arsenite into cells, and its homeostatic and redox states are tightly regulated by PRDX1. As such, GLUT3 and PRDX1 are likely to be novel targets for arsenite-based cancer therapy.

Development of non-viral vectors for neuronal-targeted delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 RNA-proteins as a therapeutic strategy for neurological disorders

The aging population contributes to an increase in the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Due to the progressive nature of these diseases and an incomplete understanding of their pathophysiology, current drugs are inefficient, with a limited efficacy and major side effects. In this study, CRISPR-Cas9 RNA-proteins (RNP) composed of a Cas9 nuclease and single-guide RNA were delivered with a non-viral targeted delivery system to rescue the PD-associated phenotype in neuronal cells. Here, we fused the cell-penetrating amphipathic peptide, PepFect14 (PF14), with a short fragment of the rabies virus glycoprotein (C2) previously shown to have an affinity towards nicotinic acetylcholine receptors expressed on neuronal cells and on the blood-brain barrier. The resultant peptide, C2-PF14, was used to complex with and deliver RNPs to neuronal cells. We observed that RNP/C2-PF14 complexes formed nanosized, monodispersed, and nontoxic nanoparticles that led to a specific delivery into neuronal cells. α-Synuclein (α-syn) plays a major role in the pathology of PD and is considered to be a target for therapy. We demonstrated that CRISPR/Cas9 RNP delivered by C2-PF14 achieved α-syn gene (SNCA) editing in neuronal cells as determined by T7EI assay and western blotting. Furthermore, RNP/C2-PF14 relieved PD-associated toxicity in neuronal cells in vitro. This is a proof-of-concept towards simple and safe targeted genome-editing for treating PD and other neurological disorders.