1
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Khandros E, Blobel GA. Elevating fetal hemoglobin: recently discovered regulators and mechanisms. Blood 2024; 144:845-852. [PMID: 38728575 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023022190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT It has been known for over half a century that throughout ontogeny, humans produce different forms of hemoglobin, a tetramer of α- and β-like hemoglobin chains. The switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin occurs around the time of birth when erythropoiesis shifts from the fetal liver to the bone marrow. Naturally, diseases caused by defective adult β-globin genes, such as sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia, manifest themselves as the production of fetal hemoglobin fades. Reversal of this developmental switch has been a major goal to treat these diseases and has been a driving force to understand its underlying molecular biology. Several review articles have illustrated the long and at times arduous paths that led to the discovery of the first transcriptional regulators involved in this process. Here, we survey recent developments spurred by the discovery of CRISPR tools that enabled for the first time high-throughput genetic screens for new molecules that impact the fetal-to-adult hemoglobin switch. Numerous opportunities for therapeutic intervention have thus come to light, offering hope for effective pharmacologic intervention for patients for whom gene therapy is out of reach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Khandros
- Division of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Gerd A Blobel
- Division of Hematology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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2
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Fu X, Rabadan R. Understanding variants of unknown significance: the computational frontier. Oncologist 2024; 29:653-657. [PMID: 38848164 PMCID: PMC11299926 DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyae103] [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: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The rapid advancement of sequencing technologies has led to the identification of numerous mutations in cancer genomes, many of which are variants of unknown significance (VUS). Computational models are increasingly being used to predict the functional impact of these mutations, in both coding and noncoding regions. Integration of these models with emerging genomic datasets will refine our understanding of mutation effects and guide clinical decision making. Future advancements in modeling protein interactions and transcriptional regulation will further enhance our ability to interpret VUS. Periodic incorporation of these developments into VUS reclassification practice has the potential to significantly improve personalized cancer care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Fu
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Raul Rabadan
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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3
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Feng Q, Li Q, Zhou H, Wang Z, Lin C, Jiang Z, Liu T, Wang D. CRISPR technology in human diseases. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e672. [PMID: 39081515 PMCID: PMC11286548 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene editing is a growing gene engineering technique that allows accurate editing of a broad spectrum of gene-regulated diseases to achieve curative treatment and also has the potential to be used as an adjunct to the conventional treatment of diseases. Gene editing technology, mainly based on clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein systems, which is capable of generating genetic modifications in somatic cells, provides a promising new strategy for gene therapy for a wide range of human diseases. Currently, gene editing technology shows great application prospects in a variety of human diseases, not only in therapeutic potential but also in the construction of animal models of human diseases. This paper describes the application of gene editing technology in hematological diseases, solid tumors, immune disorders, ophthalmological diseases, and metabolic diseases; focuses on the therapeutic strategies of gene editing technology in sickle cell disease; provides an overview of the role of gene editing technology in the construction of animal models of human diseases; and discusses the limitations of gene editing technology in the treatment of diseases, which is intended to provide an important reference for the applications of gene editing technology in the human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Feng
- Laboratory Animal CenterCollege of Animal ScienceJilin UniversityChangchunChina
- Research and Development CentreBaicheng Medical CollegeBaichengChina
| | - Qirong Li
- Laboratory Animal CenterCollege of Animal ScienceJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Hengzong Zhou
- Laboratory Animal CenterCollege of Animal ScienceJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Zhan Wang
- Laboratory Animal CenterCollege of Animal ScienceJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Chao Lin
- School of Grain Science and TechnologyJilin Business and Technology CollegeChangchunChina
| | - Ziping Jiang
- Department of Hand and Foot SurgeryThe First Hospital of Jilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Tianjia Liu
- Research and Development CentreBaicheng Medical CollegeBaichengChina
| | - Dongxu Wang
- Laboratory Animal CenterCollege of Animal ScienceJilin UniversityChangchunChina
- Department of Hand and Foot SurgeryThe First Hospital of Jilin UniversityChangchunChina
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4
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Yao Y, Zhou Z, Wang X, Liu Z, Zhai Y, Chi X, Du J, Luo L, Zhao Z, Wang X, Xue C, Rao S. SpRY-mediated screens facilitate functional dissection of non-coding sequences at single-base resolution. CELL GENOMICS 2024; 4:100583. [PMID: 38889719 PMCID: PMC11293580 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
CRISPR mutagenesis screens conducted with SpCas9 and other nucleases have identified certain cis-regulatory elements and genetic variants but at a limited resolution due to the absence of protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences. Here, leveraging the broad targeting scope of the near-PAMless SpRY variant, we have demonstrated that saturated SpRY mutagenesis and base editing screens can faithfully identify functional regulatory elements and essential genetic variants for target gene expression at single-base resolution. We further extended this methodology to investigate a genome-wide association study (GWAS) locus at 10q22.1 associated with a red blood cell trait, where we identified potential enhancers regulating HK1 gene expression, despite not all of these enhancers exhibiting typical chromatin signatures. More importantly, our saturated base editing screens pinpoint multiple causal variants within this locus that would otherwise be missed by Bayesian statistical fine-mapping. Our approach is generally applicable to functional interrogation of all non-coding genomic elements while complementing other high-coverage CRISPR screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China.
| | - Zhiwei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China
| | - Xiaoling Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China
| | - Zhirui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China
| | - Yixin Zhai
- Department of Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Xiaolin Chi
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China
| | - Jingyi Du
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China
| | - Liheng Luo
- Center for Bioinformatics, National Infrastructures for Translational Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine & Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Zhigang Zhao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Xiaoyue Wang
- Center for Bioinformatics, National Infrastructures for Translational Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine & Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
| | - Chaoyou Xue
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China.
| | - Shuquan Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China; Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin 301600, China.
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5
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Fu X, Mo S, Buendia A, Laurent A, Shao A, del Mar Alvarez-Torres M, Yu T, Tan J, Su J, Sagatelian R, Ferrando AA, Ciccia A, Lan Y, Owens DM, Palomero T, Xing EP, Rabadan R. GET: a foundation model of transcription across human cell types. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.24.559168. [PMID: 39005360 PMCID: PMC11244937 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.24.559168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Transcriptional regulation, involving the complex interplay between regulatory sequences and proteins, directs all biological processes. Computational models of transcription lack generalizability to accurately extrapolate in unseen cell types and conditions. Here, we introduce GET, an interpretable foundation model designed to uncover regulatory grammars across 213 human fetal and adult cell types. Relying exclusively on chromatin accessibility data and sequence information, GET achieves experimental-level accuracy in predicting gene expression even in previously unseen cell types. GET showcases remarkable adaptability across new sequencing platforms and assays, enabling regulatory inference across a broad range of cell types and conditions, and uncovering universal and cell type specific transcription factor interaction networks. We evaluated its performance on prediction of regulatory activity, inference of regulatory elements and regulators, and identification of physical interactions between transcription factors. Specifically, we show GET outperforms current models in predicting lentivirus-based massive parallel reporter assay readout with reduced input data. In fetal erythroblasts, we identify distal (>1Mbp) regulatory regions that were missed by previous models. In B cells, we identified a lymphocyte-specific transcription factor-transcription factor interaction that explains the functional significance of a leukemia-risk predisposing germline mutation. In sum, we provide a generalizable and accurate model for transcription together with catalogs of gene regulation and transcription factor interactions, all with cell type specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Fu
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shentong Mo
- Department of Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Alejandro Buendia
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anouchka Laurent
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anqi Shao
- Department of Dermatology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Tianji Yu
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jimin Tan
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Jiayu Su
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Adolfo A. Ferrando
- Department of Dermatology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Alberto Ciccia
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yanyan Lan
- Institute for AI Industry Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - David M. Owens
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Teresa Palomero
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric P. Xing
- Department of Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Raul Rabadan
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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6
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Liu G, Kim J, Nguyen N, Zhou L, Dean A. Long noncoding RNA GATA2AS influences human erythropoiesis by transcription factor and chromatin landscape modulation. Blood 2024; 143:2300-2313. [PMID: 38447046 PMCID: PMC11181357 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023021287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are extensively expressed in eukaryotic cells and have been revealed to be important for regulating cell differentiation. Many lncRNAs have been found to regulate erythroid differentiation in the mouse. However, given the low sequence conservation of lncRNAs between mouse and human, our understanding of lncRNAs in human erythroid differentiation remains incomplete. lncRNAs are often transcribed opposite to protein coding genes and regulate their expression. Here, we characterized a human erythrocyte-expressed lncRNA, GATA2AS, which is transcribed opposite to erythroid transcription regulator GATA2. GATA2AS is a 2080-bp long, primarily nucleus-localized noncoding RNA that is expressed in erythroid progenitor cells and decreases during differentiation. Knockout of GATA2AS in human HUDEP2 erythroid progenitor cells using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to remove the transcription start site accelerated erythroid differentiation and dysregulated erythroblast gene expression. We identified GATA2AS as a novel GATA2 and HBG activator. Chromatin isolation by RNA purification showed that GATA2AS binds to thousands of genomic sites and colocalizes at a subset of sites with erythroid transcription factors including LRF and KLF1. RNA pulldown and RNA immunoprecipitation confirmed interaction between GATA2AS and LRF and KLF1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) showed that knockout of GATA2AS reduces binding of these transcription factors genome wide. Assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) and H3K27ac ChIP-seq showed that GATA2AS is essential to maintain the chromatin regulatory landscape during erythroid differentiation. Knockdown of GATA2AS in human primary CD34+ cells mimicked results in HUDEP2 cells. Overall, our results implicate human-specific lncRNA GATA2AS as a regulator of erythroid differentiation by influencing erythroid transcription factor binding and the chromatin regulatory landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoyou Liu
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Juhyun Kim
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Nicole Nguyen
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Lecong Zhou
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Ann Dean
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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7
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Xiang G, He X, Giardine BM, Isaac KJ, Taylor DJ, McCoy RC, Jansen C, Keller CA, Wixom AQ, Cockburn A, Miller A, Qi Q, He Y, Li Y, Lichtenberg J, Heuston EF, Anderson SM, Luan J, Vermunt MW, Yue F, Sauria MEG, Schatz MC, Taylor J, Gottgens B, Hughes JR, Higgs DR, Weiss MJ, Cheng Y, Blobel GA, Bodine DM, Zhang Y, Li Q, Mahony S, Hardison RC. Interspecies regulatory landscapes and elements revealed by novel joint systematic integration of human and mouse blood cell epigenomes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.02.535219. [PMID: 37066352 PMCID: PMC10103973 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.02.535219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge of locations and activities of cis-regulatory elements (CREs) is needed to decipher basic mechanisms of gene regulation and to understand the impact of genetic variants on complex traits. Previous studies identified candidate CREs (cCREs) using epigenetic features in one species, making comparisons difficult between species. In contrast, we conducted an interspecies study defining epigenetic states and identifying cCREs in blood cell types to generate regulatory maps that are comparable between species, using integrative modeling of eight epigenetic features jointly in human and mouse in our Validated Systematic Integration (VISION) Project. The resulting catalogs of cCREs are useful resources for further studies of gene regulation in blood cells, indicated by high overlap with known functional elements and strong enrichment for human genetic variants associated with blood cell phenotypes. The contribution of each epigenetic state in cCREs to gene regulation, inferred from a multivariate regression, was used to estimate epigenetic state Regulatory Potential (esRP) scores for each cCRE in each cell type, which were used to categorize dynamic changes in cCREs. Groups of cCREs displaying similar patterns of regulatory activity in human and mouse cell types, obtained by joint clustering on esRP scores, harbored distinctive transcription factor binding motifs that were similar between species. An interspecies comparison of cCREs revealed both conserved and species-specific patterns of epigenetic evolution. Finally, we showed that comparisons of the epigenetic landscape between species can reveal elements with similar roles in regulation, even in the absence of genomic sequence alignment.
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8
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Ryu J, Barkal S, Yu T, Jankowiak M, Zhou Y, Francoeur M, Phan QV, Li Z, Tognon M, Brown L, Love MI, Bhat V, Lettre G, Ascher DB, Cassa CA, Sherwood RI, Pinello L. Joint genotypic and phenotypic outcome modeling improves base editing variant effect quantification. Nat Genet 2024; 56:925-937. [PMID: 38658794 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01726-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
CRISPR base editing screens enable analysis of disease-associated variants at scale; however, variable efficiency and precision confounds the assessment of variant-induced phenotypes. Here, we provide an integrated experimental and computational pipeline that improves estimation of variant effects in base editing screens. We use a reporter construct to measure guide RNA (gRNA) editing outcomes alongside their phenotypic consequences and introduce base editor screen analysis with activity normalization (BEAN), a Bayesian network that uses per-guide editing outcomes provided by the reporter and target site chromatin accessibility to estimate variant impacts. BEAN outperforms existing tools in variant effect quantification. We use BEAN to pinpoint common regulatory variants that alter low-density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake, implicating previously unreported genes. Additionally, through saturation base editing of LDLR, we accurately quantify missense variant pathogenicity that is consistent with measurements in UK Biobank patients and identify underlying structural mechanisms. This work provides a widely applicable approach to improve the power of base editing screens for disease-associated variant characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayoung Ryu
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Gene Regulation Observatory, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sam Barkal
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tian Yu
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martin Jankowiak
- Gene Regulation Observatory, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yunzhuo Zhou
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Matthew Francoeur
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Quang Vinh Phan
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhijian Li
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Gene Regulation Observatory, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Manuel Tognon
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Gene Regulation Observatory, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Computer Science Department, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Lara Brown
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael I Love
- Department of Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Vineel Bhat
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Guillaume Lettre
- Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - David B Ascher
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher A Cassa
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Richard I Sherwood
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Luca Pinello
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Gene Regulation Observatory, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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9
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Dimitrievska M, Bansal D, Vitale M, Strouboulis J, Miccio A, Nicolaides KH, El Hoss S, Shangaris P, Jacków-Malinowska J. Revolutionising healing: Gene Editing's breakthrough against sickle cell disease. Blood Rev 2024; 65:101185. [PMID: 38493007 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2024.101185] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Recent advancements in gene editing illuminate new potential therapeutic approaches for Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a debilitating monogenic disorder caused by a point mutation in the β-globin gene. Despite the availability of several FDA-approved medications for symptomatic relief, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains the sole curative option, underscoring a persistent need for novel treatments. This review delves into the growing field of gene editing, particularly the extensive research focused on curing haemoglobinopathies like SCD. We examine the use of techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 and homology-directed repair, base editing, and prime editing to either correct the pathogenic variant into a non-pathogenic or wild-type one or augment fetal haemoglobin (HbF) production. The article elucidates ways to optimize these tools for efficacious gene editing with minimal off-target effects and offers insights into their effective delivery into cells. Furthermore, we explore clinical trials involving alternative SCD treatment strategies, such as LentiGlobin therapy and autologous HSCT, distilling the current findings. This review consolidates vital information for the clinical translation of gene editing for SCD, providing strategic insights for investigators eager to further the development of gene editing for SCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Dimitrievska
- St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Dravie Bansal
- St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Marta Vitale
- St John's Institute of Dermatology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - John Strouboulis
- Red Cell Hematology Lab, Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Annarita Miccio
- Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Regulation During Development, Imagine Institute, INSERM UMR1163, Paris 75015, France
| | - Kypros H Nicolaides
- Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course & Population Sciences, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom; Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sara El Hoss
- Red Cell Hematology Lab, Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, United Kingdom.
| | - Panicos Shangaris
- Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course & Population Sciences, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom; Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
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10
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Gawlitt S, Collins SP, Yu Y, Blackman SA, Barquist L, Beisel CL. Expanding the flexibility of base editing for high-throughput genetic screens in bacteria. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:4079-4097. [PMID: 38499498 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide screens have become powerful tools for elucidating genotype-to-phenotype relationships in bacteria. Of the varying techniques to achieve knockout and knockdown, CRISPR base editors are emerging as promising options. However, the limited number of available, efficient target sites hampers their use for high-throughput screening. Here, we make multiple advances to enable flexible base editing as part of high-throughput genetic screening in bacteria. We first co-opt the Streptococcus canis Cas9 that exhibits more flexible protospacer-adjacent motif recognition than the traditional Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9. We then expand beyond introducing premature stop codons by mutating start codons. Next, we derive guide design rules by applying machine learning to an essentiality screen conducted in Escherichia coli. Finally, we rescue poorly edited sites by combining base editing with Cas9-induced cleavage of unedited cells, thereby enriching for intended edits. The efficiency of this dual system was validated through a conditional essentiality screen based on growth in minimal media. Overall, expanding the scope of genome-wide knockout screens with base editors could further facilitate the investigation of new gene functions and interactions in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Gawlitt
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Scott P Collins
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Yanying Yu
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Samuel A Blackman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Lars Barquist
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080 Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada
- Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Chase L Beisel
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080 Würzburg, Germany
- Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
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11
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Tang L, Liao J, Hill MC, Hu J, Zhao Y, Ellinor P, Li M. MMCT-Loop: a mix model-based pipeline for calling targeted 3D chromatin loops. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:e25. [PMID: 38281134 PMCID: PMC10954456 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein-specific Chromatin Conformation Capture (3C)-based technologies have become essential for identifying distal genomic interactions with critical roles in gene regulation. The standard techniques include Chromatin Interaction Analysis by Paired-End Tag (ChIA-PET), in situ Hi-C followed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (HiChIP) also known as PLAC-seq. To identify chromatin interactions from these data, a variety of computational methods have emerged. Although these state-of-art methods address many issues with loop calling, only few methods can fit different data types simultaneously, and the accuracy as well as the efficiency these approaches remains limited. Here we have generated a pipeline, MMCT-Loop, which ensures the accurate identification of strong loops as well as dynamic or weak loops through a mixed model. MMCT-Loop outperforms existing methods in accuracy, and the detected loops show higher activation functionality. To highlight the utility of MMCT-Loop, we applied it to conformational data derived from neural stem cell (NSCs) and uncovered several previously unidentified regulatory regions for key master regulators of stem cell identity. MMCT-Loop is an accurate and efficient loop caller for targeted conformation capture data, which supports raw data or pre-processed valid pairs as input, the output interactions are formatted and easily uploaded to a genome browser for visualization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Tang
- Hunan Provincial Key Lab on Bioinformatics, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Jiaqi Liao
- Hunan Provincial Key Lab on Bioinformatics, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Matthew C Hill
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jiaxin Hu
- Hunan Provincial Key Lab on Bioinformatics, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Yichao Zhao
- Hunan Provincial Key Lab on Bioinformatics, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Patrick T Ellinor
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Min Li
- Hunan Provincial Key Lab on Bioinformatics, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
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12
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Xu F, Zheng C, Xu W, Zhang S, Liu S, Chen X, Yao K. Breaking genetic shackles: The advance of base editing in genetic disorder treatment. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1364135. [PMID: 38510648 PMCID: PMC10953296 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1364135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The rapid evolution of gene editing technology has markedly improved the outlook for treating genetic diseases. Base editing, recognized as an exceptionally precise genetic modification tool, is emerging as a focus in the realm of genetic disease therapy. We provide a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles and delivery methods of cytosine base editors (CBE), adenine base editors (ABE), and RNA base editors, with a particular focus on their applications and recent research advances in the treatment of genetic diseases. We have also explored the potential challenges faced by base editing technology in treatment, including aspects such as targeting specificity, safety, and efficacy, and have enumerated a series of possible solutions to propel the clinical translation of base editing technology. In conclusion, this article not only underscores the present state of base editing technology but also envisions its tremendous potential in the future, providing a novel perspective on the treatment of genetic diseases. It underscores the vast potential of base editing technology in the realm of genetic medicine, providing support for the progression of gene medicine and the development of innovative approaches to genetic disease therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Xu
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Caiyan Zheng
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Weihui Xu
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shiyao Zhang
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shanshan Liu
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaopeng Chen
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Kai Yao
- Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- College of Life Sciences and Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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13
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Bieker JJ, Philipsen S. Erythroid Krüppel-Like Factor (KLF1): A Surprisingly Versatile Regulator of Erythroid Differentiation. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1459:217-242. [PMID: 39017846 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-62731-6_10] [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] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Erythroid Krüppel-like factor (KLF1), first discovered in 1992, is an erythroid-restricted transcription factor (TF) that is essential for terminal differentiation of erythroid progenitors. At face value, KLF1 is a rather inconspicuous member of the 26-strong SP/KLF TF family. However, 30 years of research have revealed that KLF1 is a jack of all trades in the molecular control of erythropoiesis. Initially described as a one-trick pony required for high-level transcription of the adult HBB gene, we now know that it orchestrates the entire erythroid differentiation program. It does so not only as an activator but also as a repressor. In addition, KLF1 was the first TF shown to be directly involved in enhancer/promoter loop formation. KLF1 variants underlie a wide range of erythroid phenotypes in the human population, varying from very mild conditions such as hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin and the In(Lu) blood type in the case of haploinsufficiency, to much more serious non-spherocytic hemolytic anemias in the case of compound heterozygosity, to dominant congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type IV invariably caused by a de novo variant in a highly conserved amino acid in the KLF1 DNA-binding domain. In this chapter, we present an overview of the past and present of KLF1 research and discuss the significance of human KLF1 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Bieker
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Sjaak Philipsen
- Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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14
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Martyn GE, Montgomery MT, Jones H, Guo K, Doughty BR, Linder J, Chen Z, Cochran K, Lawrence KA, Munson G, Pampari A, Fulco CP, Kelley DR, Lander ES, Kundaje A, Engreitz JM. Rewriting regulatory DNA to dissect and reprogram gene expression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.20.572268. [PMID: 38187584 PMCID: PMC10769263 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.572268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Regulatory DNA sequences within enhancers and promoters bind transcription factors to encode cell type-specific patterns of gene expression. However, the regulatory effects and programmability of such DNA sequences remain difficult to map or predict because we have lacked scalable methods to precisely edit regulatory DNA and quantify the effects in an endogenous genomic context. Here we present an approach to measure the quantitative effects of hundreds of designed DNA sequence variants on gene expression, by combining pooled CRISPR prime editing with RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization and cell sorting (Variant-FlowFISH). We apply this method to mutagenize and rewrite regulatory DNA sequences in an enhancer and the promoter of PPIF in two immune cell lines. Of 672 variant-cell type pairs, we identify 497 that affect PPIF expression. These variants appear to act through a variety of mechanisms including disruption or optimization of existing transcription factor binding sites, as well as creation of de novo sites. Disrupting a single endogenous transcription factor binding site often led to large changes in expression (up to -40% in the enhancer, and -50% in the promoter). The same variant often had different effects across cell types and states, demonstrating a highly tunable regulatory landscape. We use these data to benchmark performance of sequence-based predictive models of gene regulation, and find that certain types of variants are not accurately predicted by existing models. Finally, we computationally design 185 small sequence variants (≤10 bp) and optimize them for specific effects on expression in silico. 84% of these rationally designed edits showed the intended direction of effect, and some had dramatic effects on expression (-100% to +202%). Variant-FlowFISH thus provides a powerful tool to map the effects of variants and transcription factor binding sites on gene expression, test and improve computational models of gene regulation, and reprogram regulatory DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella E Martyn
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Basic Science and Engineering Initiative, Stanford Children's Health, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michael T Montgomery
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Basic Science and Engineering Initiative, Stanford Children's Health, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hank Jones
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Basic Science and Engineering Initiative, Stanford Children's Health, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Katherine Guo
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Basic Science and Engineering Initiative, Stanford Children's Health, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin R Doughty
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Ziwei Chen
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kelly Cochran
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kathryn A Lawrence
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Glen Munson
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anusri Pampari
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Charles P Fulco
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Present Address: Sanofi, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Eric S Lander
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anshul Kundaje
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jesse M Engreitz
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Basic Science and Engineering Initiative, Stanford Children's Health, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Stanford, CA, USA
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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15
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Han W, Qiu HY, Sun S, Fu ZC, Wang GQ, Qian X, Wang L, Zhai X, Wei J, Wang Y, Guo YL, Cao GH, Ji RJ, Zhang YZ, Ma H, Wang H, Zhao M, Wu J, Bi L, Chen QB, Li Z, Yu L, Mou X, Yin H, Yang L, Chen J, Yang B, Zhang Y. Base editing of the HBG promoter induces potent fetal hemoglobin expression with no detectable off-target mutations in human HSCs. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:1624-1639.e8. [PMID: 37989316 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.10.007] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Reactivating silenced γ-globin expression through the disruption of repressive regulatory domains offers a therapeutic strategy for treating β-hemoglobinopathies. Here, we used transformer base editor (tBE), a recently developed cytosine base editor with no detectable off-target mutations, to disrupt transcription-factor-binding motifs in hematopoietic stem cells. By performing functional screening of six motifs with tBE, we found that directly disrupting the BCL11A-binding motif in HBG1/2 promoters triggered the highest γ-globin expression. Via a side-by-side comparison with other clinical and preclinical strategies using Cas9 nuclease or conventional BEs (ABE8e and hA3A-BE3), we found that tBE-mediated disruption of the BCL11A-binding motif at the HBG1/2 promoters triggered the highest fetal hemoglobin in healthy and β-thalassemia patient hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells while exhibiting no detectable DNA or RNA off-target mutations. Durable therapeutic editing by tBE persisted in repopulating hematopoietic stem cells, demonstrating that tBE-mediated editing in HBG1/2 promoters is a safe and effective strategy for treating β-hemoglobinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyan Han
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hou-Yuan Qiu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Shangwu Sun
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Zhi-Can Fu
- Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Center for Molecular Medicine, Children's Hospital of Fudan University and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Guo-Quan Wang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xiaowen Qian
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Lijie Wang
- CorrectSequence Therapeutics, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xiaowen Zhai
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Jia Wei
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Children's Hospital of Fudan University and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yichuan Wang
- CorrectSequence Therapeutics, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yi-Lin Guo
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Children's Hospital of Fudan University and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Guo-Hua Cao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Rui-Jin Ji
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yi-Zhou Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Hongxia Ma
- CorrectSequence Therapeutics, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hongsheng Wang
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Mingli Zhao
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Jing Wu
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Lili Bi
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Qiu-Bing Chen
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Zifeng Li
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Ling Yu
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Xiaodun Mou
- CorrectSequence Therapeutics, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hao Yin
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Department of Pathology and Department of Urology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; TaiKang Centre for Life and Medical Sciences, TaiKang Medical School, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Yang
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Children's Hospital of Fudan University and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Jia Chen
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center for Biomacromolecules and Precision Medicine, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Bei Yang
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Frontiers Science Center for Biomacromolecules and Precision Medicine, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Medical Research Institute, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
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16
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Schraivogel D, Steinmetz LM, Parts L. Pooled Genome-Scale CRISPR Screens in Single Cells. Annu Rev Genet 2023; 57:223-244. [PMID: 37562410 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-072920-013842] [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: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Assigning functions to genes and learning how to control their expression are part of the foundation of cell biology and therapeutic development. An efficient and unbiased method to accomplish this is genetic screening, which historically required laborious clone generation and phenotyping and is still limited by scale today. The rapid technological progress on modulating gene function with CRISPR-Cas and measuring it in individual cells has now relaxed the major experimental constraints and enabled pooled screening with complex readouts from single cells. Here, we review the principles and practical considerations for pooled single-cell CRISPR screening. We discuss perturbation strategies, experimental model systems, matching the perturbation to the individual cells, reading out cell phenotypes, and data analysis. Our focus is on single-cell RNA sequencing and cell sorting-based readouts, including image-enabled cell sorting. We expect this transformative approach to fuel biomedical research for the next several decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schraivogel
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Lars M Steinmetz
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany;
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA;
- Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
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17
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Ryu J, Barkal S, Yu T, Jankowiak M, Zhou Y, Francoeur M, Phan QV, Li Z, Tognon M, Brown L, Love MI, Lettre G, Ascher DB, Cassa CA, Sherwood RI, Pinello L. Joint genotypic and phenotypic outcome modeling improves base editing variant effect quantification. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.09.08.23295253. [PMID: 37732177 PMCID: PMC10508837 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.08.23295253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR base editing screens are powerful tools for studying disease-associated variants at scale. However, the efficiency and precision of base editing perturbations vary, confounding the assessment of variant-induced phenotypic effects. Here, we provide an integrated pipeline that improves the estimation of variant impact in base editing screens. We perform high-throughput ABE8e-SpRY base editing screens with an integrated reporter construct to measure the editing efficiency and outcomes of each gRNA alongside their phenotypic consequences. We introduce BEAN, a Bayesian network that accounts for per-guide editing outcomes and target site chromatin accessibility to estimate variant impacts. We show this pipeline attains superior performance compared to existing tools in variant classification and effect size quantification. We use BEAN to pinpoint common variants that alter LDL uptake, implicating novel genes. Additionally, through saturation base editing of LDLR, we enable accurate quantitative prediction of the effects of missense variants on LDL-C levels, which aligns with measurements in UK Biobank individuals, and identify structural mechanisms underlying variant pathogenicity. This work provides a widely applicable approach to improve the power of base editor screens for disease-associated variant characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayoung Ryu
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sam Barkal
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tian Yu
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Yunzhuo Zhou
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Matthew Francoeur
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Quang Vinh Phan
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhijian Li
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Manuel Tognon
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Computer Science Department, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Lara Brown
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael I. Love
- Department of Genetics, Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Guillaume Lettre
- Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, QC H1T 1C8, Canada
- Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - David B. Ascher
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher A. Cassa
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Richard I. Sherwood
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Luca Pinello
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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18
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Vaitsiankova A, Thakar T, Ciccia A. Base-editing screens illuminate variant effects in human hematopoiesis. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2023; 3:100541. [PMID: 37533644 PMCID: PMC10391558 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
In a recent issue of Cell, Martin-Rufino et al. develop a strategy for performing high-throughput base-editing CRISPR screens coupled with single-cell readouts in the context of human hematopoiesis. Through a series of proof-of-principle experiments, the authors demonstrate the potential of base-editing screens for the study and treatment of hematological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Vaitsiankova
- Department of Genetics and Development, Institute for Cancer Genetics, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Tanay Thakar
- Department of Genetics and Development, Institute for Cancer Genetics, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Alberto Ciccia
- Department of Genetics and Development, Institute for Cancer Genetics, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
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19
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Lue NZ, Liau BB. Base editor screens for in situ mutational scanning at scale. Mol Cell 2023; 83:2167-2187. [PMID: 37390819 PMCID: PMC10330937 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental challenge in biology is understanding the molecular details of protein function. How mutations alter protein activity, regulation, and response to drugs is of critical importance to human health. Recent years have seen the emergence of pooled base editor screens for in situ mutational scanning: the interrogation of protein sequence-function relationships by directly perturbing endogenous proteins in live cells. These studies have revealed the effects of disease-associated mutations, discovered novel drug resistance mechanisms, and generated biochemical insights into protein function. Here, we discuss how this "base editor scanning" approach has been applied to diverse biological questions, compare it with alternative techniques, and describe the emerging challenges that must be addressed to maximize its utility. Given its broad applicability toward profiling mutations across the proteome, base editor scanning promises to revolutionize the investigation of proteins in their native contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Z Lue
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Brian B Liau
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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20
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Mayuranathan T, Newby GA, Feng R, Yao Y, Mayberry KD, Lazzarotto CR, Li Y, Levine RM, Nimmagadda N, Dempsey E, Kang G, Porter SN, Doerfler PA, Zhang J, Jang Y, Chen J, Bell HW, Crossley M, Bhoopalan SV, Sharma A, Tisdale JF, Pruett-Miller SM, Cheng Y, Tsai SQ, Liu DR, Weiss MJ, Yen JS. Potent and uniform fetal hemoglobin induction via base editing. Nat Genet 2023; 55:1210-1220. [PMID: 37400614 PMCID: PMC10722557 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01434-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Inducing fetal hemoglobin (HbF) in red blood cells can alleviate β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease. We compared five strategies in CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, using either Cas9 nuclease or adenine base editors. The most potent modification was adenine base editor generation of γ-globin -175A>G. Homozygous -175A>G edited erythroid colonies expressed 81 ± 7% HbF versus 17 ± 11% in unedited controls, whereas HbF levels were lower and more variable for two Cas9 strategies targeting a BCL11A binding motif in the γ-globin promoter or a BCL11A erythroid enhancer. The -175A>G base edit also induced HbF more potently than a Cas9 approach in red blood cells generated after transplantation of CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells into mice. Our data suggest a strategy for potent, uniform induction of HbF and provide insights into γ-globin gene regulation. More generally, we demonstrate that diverse indels generated by Cas9 can cause unexpected phenotypic variation that can be circumvented by base editing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gregory A Newby
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ruopeng Feng
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Yu Yao
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Kalin D Mayberry
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Cicera R Lazzarotto
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Yichao Li
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Rachel M Levine
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Nikitha Nimmagadda
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Erin Dempsey
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Guolian Kang
- Department of Biostatistics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Shaina N Porter
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Phillip A Doerfler
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Yoonjeong Jang
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jingjing Chen
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Henry W Bell
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Merlin Crossley
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Akshay Sharma
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - John F Tisdale
- Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Shondra M Pruett-Miller
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Yong Cheng
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Shengdar Q Tsai
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - David R Liu
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Mitchell J Weiss
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
| | - Jonathan S Yen
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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21
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Xiao Y, Wang J, Li J, Zhang P, Li J, Zhou Y, Zhou Q, Chen M, Sheng X, Liu Z, Han X, Guo G. An analytical framework for decoding cell type-specific genetic variation of gene regulation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3884. [PMID: 37391400 PMCID: PMC10313894 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39538-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A deeper understanding of genetic regulation and functional mechanisms underlying genetic associations with complex traits and diseases is impeded by cellular heterogeneity and linkage disequilibrium. To address these limits, we introduce Huatuo, a framework to decode genetic variation of gene regulation at cell type and single-nucleotide resolutions by integrating deep-learning-based variant predictions with population-based association analyses. We apply Huatuo to generate a comprehensive cell type-specific genetic variation landscape across human tissues and further evaluate their potential roles in complex diseases and traits. Finally, we show that Huatuo's inferences permit prioritizations of driver cell types associated with complex traits and diseases and allow for systematic insights into the mechanisms of phenotype-causal genetic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyu Xiao
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, China.
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China.
| | - Jiaqi Li
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, China
| | - Peijing Zhang
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China
| | - Jingyu Li
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, China
| | - Yincong Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Qing Zhou
- Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hang Zhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Ming Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Xin Sheng
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China
| | - Zhihong Liu
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China
| | - Xiaoping Han
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Li Dak Sum & Yip Yio Chin Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China.
| | - Guoji Guo
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, and Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, China.
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Li Dak Sum & Yip Yio Chin Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China.
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 314400, China.
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22
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Chaand M, Fiore C, Johnston B, D'Ippolito A, Moon DH, Carulli JP, Shearstone JR. Erythroid lineage chromatin accessibility maps facilitate identification and validation of NFIX as a fetal hemoglobin repressor. Commun Biol 2023; 6:640. [PMID: 37316562 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05025-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Human genetics has validated de-repression of fetal gamma globin (HBG) in adult erythroblasts as a powerful therapeutic paradigm in diseases involving defective adult beta globin (HBB)1. To identify factors involved in the switch from HBG to HBB expression, we performed Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq)2 on sorted erythroid lineage cells derived from bone marrow (BM) or cord blood (CB), representing adult and fetal states, respectively. BM to CB cell ATAC-seq profile comparisons revealed genome-wide enrichment of NFI DNA binding motifs and increased NFIX promoter chromatin accessibility, suggesting that NFIX may repress HBG. NFIX knockdown in BM cells increased HBG mRNA and fetal hemoglobin (HbF) protein levels, coincident with increased chromatin accessibility and decreased DNA methylation at the HBG promoter. Conversely, overexpression of NFIX in CB cells reduced HbF levels. Identification and validation of NFIX as a new target for HbF activation has implications in the development of therapeutics for hemoglobinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jeffrey R Shearstone
- Syros Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Scientific and Medical Writing Partners, Cambridge, MA, USA
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23
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Hamley JC, Li H, Denny N, Downes D, Davies JOJ. Determining chromatin architecture with Micro Capture-C. Nat Protoc 2023; 18:1687-1711. [PMID: 36991220 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00817-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Micro Capture-C (MCC) is a chromatin conformation capture (3C) method for visualizing reproducible three-dimensional contacts of specified regions of the genome at base pair resolution. These methods are an established family of techniques that use proximity ligation to assay the topology of chromatin. MCC can generate data at substantially higher resolution than previous techniques through multiple refinements of the 3C method. Using a sequence agnostic nuclease, the maintenance of cellular integrity and full sequencing of the ligation junctions, MCC achieves subnucleosomal levels of resolution, which can be used to reveal transcription factor binding sites analogous to DNAse I footprinting. Gene dense regions, close-range enhancer-promoter contacts, individual enhancers within super-enhancers and multiple other types of loci or regulatory regions that were previously challenging to assay with conventional 3C techniques, are readily observed using MCC. MCC requires training in common molecular biology techniques and bioinformatics to perform the experiment and analyze the data. The protocol can be expected to be completed in a 3 week timeframe for experienced molecular biologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph C Hamley
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hangpeng Li
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicholas Denny
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Damien Downes
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - James O J Davies
- MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Genomic Medicine and Cell and Gene Therapy Themes, Oxford, UK.
- National Institute of Health Research Blood and Transplant Research Unit, Oxford, UK.
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24
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Martin-Rufino JD, Castano N, Pang M, Grody EI, Joubran S, Caulier A, Wahlster L, Li T, Qiu X, Riera-Escandell AM, Newby GA, Al'Khafaji A, Chaudhary S, Black S, Weng C, Munson G, Liu DR, Wlodarski MW, Sims K, Oakley JH, Fasano RM, Xavier RJ, Lander ES, Klein DE, Sankaran VG. Massively parallel base editing to map variant effects in human hematopoiesis. Cell 2023; 186:2456-2474.e24. [PMID: 37137305 PMCID: PMC10225359 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Systematic evaluation of the impact of genetic variants is critical for the study and treatment of human physiology and disease. While specific mutations can be introduced by genome engineering, we still lack scalable approaches that are applicable to the important setting of primary cells, such as blood and immune cells. Here, we describe the development of massively parallel base-editing screens in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Such approaches enable functional screens for variant effects across any hematopoietic differentiation state. Moreover, they allow for rich phenotyping through single-cell RNA sequencing readouts and separately for characterization of editing outcomes through pooled single-cell genotyping. We efficiently design improved leukemia immunotherapy approaches, comprehensively identify non-coding variants modulating fetal hemoglobin expression, define mechanisms regulating hematopoietic differentiation, and probe the pathogenicity of uncharacterized disease-associated variants. These strategies will advance effective and high-throughput variant-to-function mapping in human hematopoiesis to identify the causes of diverse diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge D Martin-Rufino
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; PhD Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nicole Castano
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Michael Pang
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Samantha Joubran
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Chemical Biology PhD Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alexis Caulier
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Lara Wahlster
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Tongqing Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Yale Cancer Biology Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Xiaojie Qiu
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Gregory A Newby
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Aziz Al'Khafaji
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Susan Black
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Chen Weng
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Glen Munson
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - David R Liu
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Marcin W Wlodarski
- Department of Hematology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kacie Sims
- St. Jude Affiliate Clinic at Our Lady of the Lake Children's Health, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, USA
| | - Jamie H Oakley
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Ross M Fasano
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Ramnik J Xavier
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Department of Molecular Biology, and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Eric S Lander
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Daryl E Klein
- Department of Pharmacology and Yale Cancer Biology Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Vijay G Sankaran
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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25
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Chen HV, Lorenzini MH, Lavalle SN, Sajeev K, Fonseca A, Fiaux PC, Sen A, Luthra I, Ho AJ, Chen AR, Guruvayurappan K, O'Connor C, McVicker G. Deletion mapping of regulatory elements for GATA3 in T cells reveals a distal enhancer involved in allergic diseases. Am J Hum Genet 2023; 110:703-714. [PMID: 36990085 PMCID: PMC10119147 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2023.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
GATA3 is essential for T cell differentiation and is surrounded by genome-wide association study (GWAS) hits for immune traits. Interpretation of these GWAS hits is challenging because gene expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) studies lack power to detect variants with small effects on gene expression in specific cell types and the genome region containing GATA3 contains dozens of potential regulatory sequences. To map regulatory sequences for GATA3, we performed a high-throughput tiling deletion screen of a 2 Mb genome region in Jurkat T cells. This revealed 23 candidate regulatory sequences, all but one of which is within the same topological-associating domain (TAD) as GATA3. We then performed a lower-throughput deletion screen to precisely map regulatory sequences in primary T helper 2 (Th2) cells. We tested 25 sequences with ∼100 bp deletions and validated five of the strongest hits with independent deletion experiments. Additionally, we fine-mapped GWAS hits for allergic diseases in a distal regulatory element, 1 Mb downstream of GATA3, and identified 14 candidate causal variants. Small deletions spanning the candidate variant rs725861 decreased GATA3 levels in Th2 cells, and luciferase reporter assays showed regulatory differences between its two alleles, suggesting a causal mechanism for this variant in allergic diseases. Our study demonstrates the power of integrating GWAS signals with deletion mapping and identifies critical regulatory sequences for GATA3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiuyi V Chen
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Michael H Lorenzini
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA; Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shanna N Lavalle
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Karthyayani Sajeev
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA; School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ariana Fonseca
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Patrick C Fiaux
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA; Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Arko Sen
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ishika Luthra
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Aaron J Ho
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Aaron R Chen
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Karthik Guruvayurappan
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA; School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn O'Connor
- Flow Cytometry Core Facility, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Graham McVicker
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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26
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Borot F, Humbert O, Newby GA, Fields E, Kohli S, Radtke S, Laszlo GS, Mayuranathan T, Ali AM, Weiss MJ, Yen JS, Walter RB, Liu DR, Mukherjee S, Kiem HP. Multiplex Base Editing to Protect from CD33-Directed Therapy: Implications for Immune and Gene Therapy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.23.529353. [PMID: 36865281 PMCID: PMC9980058 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.23.529353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
On-target toxicity to normal cells is a major safety concern with targeted immune and gene therapies. Here, we developed a base editing (BE) approach exploiting a naturally occurring CD33 single nucleotide polymorphism leading to removal of full-length CD33 surface expression on edited cells. CD33 editing in human and nonhuman primate (NHP) hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) protects from CD33-targeted therapeutics without affecting normal hematopoiesis in vivo , thus demonstrating potential for novel immunotherapies with reduced off-leukemia toxicity. For broader applications to gene therapies, we demonstrated highly efficient (>70%) multiplexed adenine base editing of the CD33 and gamma globin genes, resulting in long-term persistence of dual gene-edited cells with HbF reactivation in NHPs. In vitro , dual gene-edited cells could be enriched via treatment with the CD33 antibody-drug conjugate, gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO). Together, our results highlight the potential of adenine base editors for improved immune and gene therapies. Graphical abstract
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27
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Ahmed M, Muffat J, Li Y. Understanding neural development and diseases using CRISPR screens in human pluripotent stem cell-derived cultures. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1158373. [PMID: 37101616 PMCID: PMC10123288 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1158373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain is arguably the most complex part of the human body in form and function. Much remains unclear about the molecular mechanisms that regulate its normal and pathological physiology. This lack of knowledge largely stems from the inaccessible nature of the human brain, and the limitation of animal models. As a result, brain disorders are difficult to understand and even more difficult to treat. Recent advances in generating human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs)-derived 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) neural cultures have provided an accessible system to model the human brain. Breakthroughs in gene editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 further elevate the hPSCs into a genetically tractable experimental system. Powerful genetic screens, previously reserved for model organisms and transformed cell lines, can now be performed in human neural cells. Combined with the rapidly expanding single-cell genomics toolkit, these technological advances culminate to create an unprecedented opportunity to study the human brain using functional genomics. This review will summarize the current progress of applying CRISPR-based genetic screens in hPSCs-derived 2D neural cultures and 3D brain organoids. We will also evaluate the key technologies involved and discuss their related experimental considerations and future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mai Ahmed
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Julien Muffat
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yun Li
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Yun Li,
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28
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Crossley M, Christakopoulos GE, Weiss MJ. Effective therapies for sickle cell disease: are we there yet? Trends Genet 2022; 38:1284-1298. [PMID: 35934593 PMCID: PMC9837857 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.07.003] [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: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a common genetic blood disorder associated with acute and chronic pain, progressive multiorgan damage, and early mortality. Recent advances in technologies to manipulate the human genome, a century of research and the development of techniques enabling the isolation, efficient genetic modification, and reimplantation of autologous patient hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), mean that curing most patients with SCD could soon be a reality in wealthy countries. In parallel, ongoing research is pursuing more facile treatments, such as in-vivo-delivered genetic therapies and new drugs that can eventually be administered in low- and middle-income countries where most SCD patients reside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merlin Crossley
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia 2052.
| | | | - Mitchell J Weiss
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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29
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Siegner SM, Ugalde L, Clemens A, Garcia-Garcia L, Bueren JA, Rio P, Karasu ME, Corn JE. Adenine base editing efficiently restores the function of Fanconi anemia hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6900. [PMID: 36371486 PMCID: PMC9653444 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34479-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fanconi Anemia (FA) is a debilitating genetic disorder with a wide range of severe symptoms including bone marrow failure and predisposition to cancer. CRISPR-Cas genome editing manipulates genotypes by harnessing DNA repair and has been proposed as a potential cure for FA. But FA is caused by deficiencies in DNA repair itself, preventing the use of editing strategies such as homology directed repair. Recently developed base editing (BE) systems do not rely on double stranded DNA breaks and might be used to target mutations in FA genes, but this remains to be tested. Here we develop a proof of concept therapeutic base editing strategy to address two of the most prevalent FANCA mutations in patient hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. We find that optimizing adenine base editor construct, vector type, guide RNA format, and delivery conditions leads to very effective genetic modification in multiple FA patient backgrounds. Optimized base editing restored FANCA expression, molecular function of the FA pathway, and phenotypic resistance to crosslinking agents. ABE8e mediated editing in primary hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from FA patients was both genotypically effective and restored FA pathway function, indicating the potential of base editing strategies for future clinical application in FA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian M. Siegner
- grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Laura Ugalde
- grid.5515.40000000119578126Division of Hematopoietic Innovative Therapies, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIEMAT/CIBERER) and Advanced Therapies Unit, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alexandra Clemens
- grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Laura Garcia-Garcia
- grid.5515.40000000119578126Division of Hematopoietic Innovative Therapies, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIEMAT/CIBERER) and Advanced Therapies Unit, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan A. Bueren
- grid.5515.40000000119578126Division of Hematopoietic Innovative Therapies, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIEMAT/CIBERER) and Advanced Therapies Unit, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Rio
- grid.5515.40000000119578126Division of Hematopoietic Innovative Therapies, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIEMAT/CIBERER) and Advanced Therapies Unit, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mehmet E. Karasu
- grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jacob E. Corn
- grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Shrestha D, Bag A, Wu R, Zhang Y, Tang X, Qi Q, Xing J, Cheng Y. Genomics and epigenetics guided identification of tissue-specific genomic safe harbors. Genome Biol 2022; 23:199. [PMID: 36131352 PMCID: PMC9490961 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02770-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genomic safe harbors are regions of the genome that can maintain transgene expression without disrupting the function of host cells. Genomic safe harbors play an increasingly important role in improving the efficiency and safety of genome engineering. However, limited safe harbors have been identified. Results Here, we develop a framework to facilitate searches for genomic safe harbors by integrating information from polymorphic mobile element insertions that naturally occur in human populations, epigenomic signatures, and 3D chromatin organization. By applying our framework to polymorphic mobile element insertions identified in the 1000 Genomes project and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, we identify 19 candidate safe harbors in blood cells and 5 in brain cells. For three candidate sites in blood, we demonstrate the stable expression of transgene without disrupting nearby genes in host erythroid cells. We also develop a computer program, Genomics and Epigenetic Guided Safe Harbor mapper (GEG-SH mapper), for knowledge-based tissue-specific genomic safe harbor selection. Conclusions Our study provides a new knowledge-based framework to identify tissue-specific genomic safe harbors. In combination with the fast-growing genome engineering technologies, our approach has the potential to improve the overall safety and efficiency of gene and cell-based therapy in the near future. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13059-022-02770-3.
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31
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Muhtaseb AW, Duan J. Modeling common and rare genetic risk factors of neuropsychiatric disorders in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Schizophr Res 2022:S0920-9964(22)00156-6. [PMID: 35459617 PMCID: PMC9735430 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and whole-exome sequencing of neuropsychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia, have identified a plethora of common and rare disease risk variants/genes. Translating the mounting human genetic discoveries into novel disease biology and more tailored clinical treatments is tied to our ability to causally connect genetic risk variants to molecular and cellular phenotypes. When combined with the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) nuclease-mediated genome editing system, human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neural cultures (both 2D and 3D organoids) provide a promising tractable cellular model for bridging the gap between genetic findings and disease biology. In this review, we first conceptualize the advances in understanding the disease polygenicity and convergence from the past decade of iPSC modeling of different types of genetic risk factors of neuropsychiatric disorders. We then discuss the major cell types and cellular phenotypes that are most relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders in iPSC modeling. Finally, we critically review the limitations of iPSC modeling of neuropsychiatric disorders and outline the need for implementing and developing novel methods to scale up the number of iPSC lines and disease risk variants in a systematic manner. Sufficiently scaled-up iPSC modeling and a better functional interpretation of genetic risk variants, in combination with cutting-edge CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and single-cell multi-omics methods, will enable the field to identify the specific and convergent molecular and cellular phenotypes in precision for neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdurrahman W Muhtaseb
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, United States of America; Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States of America
| | - Jubao Duan
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States of America.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sickle cell disease and β thalassemia are the principal β hemoglobinopathies. The complex pathophysiology of sickle cell disease is initiated by sickle hemoglobin polymerization. In β thalassemia, insufficient β-globin synthesis results in excessive free α globin, ineffective erythropoiesis and severe anemia. Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) prevents sickle hemoglobin polymerization; in β thalassemia HbF compensates for the deficit of normal hemoglobin. When HbF constitutes about a third of total cell hemoglobin, the complications of sickle cell disease are nearly totally prevented. Similarly, sufficient HbF in β thalassemia diminishes or prevents ineffective erythropoiesis and hemolysis. AREAS COVERED This article examines the pathophysiology of β hemoglobinopathies, the physiology of HbF, intracellular distribution and the regulation of HbF expression. Inducing high levels of HbF by targeting its regulatory pathways pharmacologically or with cell-based therapeutics provides major clinical benefit and perhaps a "cure." EXPERT OPINION Erythrocytes must contain about 10 pg of HbF to "cure" sickle cell disease. If HbF is the only hemoglobin present, much higher levels are needed to "cure" β thalassemia. These levels of HbF can be obtained by different iterations of gene therapy. Small molecule drugs that can achieve even modest pancellular HbF concentrations are a major unmet need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin H Steinberg
- Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine.,Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Center of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA, 02118, USA.,Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord St. Boston, MA 02118. ., Tel
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Cornean A, Gierten J, Welz B, Mateo JL, Thumberger T, Wittbrodt J. Precise in vivo functional analysis of DNA variants with base editing using ACEofBASEs target prediction. eLife 2022; 11:e72124. [PMID: 35373735 PMCID: PMC9033269 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Single nucleotide variants (SNVs) are prevalent genetic factors shaping individual trait profiles and disease susceptibility. The recent development and optimizations of base editors, rubber and pencil genome editing tools now promise to enable direct functional assessment of SNVs in model organisms. However, the lack of bioinformatic tools aiding target prediction limits the application of base editing in vivo. Here, we provide a framework for adenine and cytosine base editing in medaka (Oryzias latipes) and zebrafish (Danio rerio), ideal for scalable validation studies. We developed an online base editing tool ACEofBASEs (a careful evaluation of base-edits), to facilitate decision-making by streamlining sgRNA design and performing off-target evaluation. We used state-of-the-art adenine (ABE) and cytosine base editors (CBE) in medaka and zebrafish to edit eye pigmentation genes and transgenic GFP function with high efficiencies. Base editing in the genes encoding troponin T and the potassium channel ERG faithfully recreated known cardiac phenotypes. Deep-sequencing of alleles revealed the abundance of intended edits in comparison to low levels of insertion or deletion (indel) events for ABE8e and evoBE4max. We finally validated missense mutations in novel candidate genes of congenital heart disease (CHD) dapk3, ube2b, usp44, and ptpn11 in F0 and F1 for a subset of these target genes with genotype-phenotype correlation. This base editing framework applies to a wide range of SNV-susceptible traits accessible in fish, facilitating straight-forward candidate validation and prioritization for detailed mechanistic downstream studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Cornean
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
- Heidelberg Biosciences International Graduate School (HBIGS)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Jakob Gierten
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospital HeidelbergHeidelbergGermany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Bettina Welz
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
- Heidelberg Biosciences International Graduate School (HBIGS)HeidelbergGermany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Juan Luis Mateo
- Deparment of Computer Science, University of OviedoOviedoSpain
| | - Thomas Thumberger
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Joachim Wittbrodt
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research)HeidelbergGermany
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34
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Bock C, Datlinger P, Chardon F, Coelho MA, Dong MB, Lawson KA, Lu T, Maroc L, Norman TM, Song B, Stanley G, Chen S, Garnett M, Li W, Moffat J, Qi LS, Shapiro RS, Shendure J, Weissman JS, Zhuang X. High-content CRISPR screening. NATURE REVIEWS. METHODS PRIMERS 2022; 2:9. [PMID: 37214176 PMCID: PMC10200264 DOI: 10.1038/s43586-022-00098-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR screens are a powerful source of biological discovery, enabling the unbiased interrogation of gene function in a wide range of applications and species. In pooled CRISPR screens, various genetically encoded perturbations are introduced into pools of cells. The targeted cells proliferate under a biological challenge such as cell competition, drug treatment or viral infection. Subsequently, the perturbation-induced effects are evaluated by sequencing-based counting of the guide RNAs that specify each perturbation. The typical results of such screens are ranked lists of genes that confer sensitivity or resistance to the biological challenge of interest. Contributing to the broad utility of CRISPR screens, adaptations of the core CRISPR technology make it possible to activate, silence or otherwise manipulate the target genes. Moreover, high-content read-outs such as single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial imaging help characterize screened cells with unprecedented detail. Dedicated software tools facilitate bioinformatic analysis and enhance reproducibility. CRISPR screening has unravelled various molecular mechanisms in basic biology, medical genetics, cancer research, immunology, infectious diseases, microbiology and other fields. This Primer describes the basic and advanced concepts of CRISPR screening and its application as a flexible and reliable method for biological discovery, biomedical research and drug development - with a special emphasis on high-content methods that make it possible to obtain detailed biological insights directly as part of the screen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics, and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Datlinger
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florence Chardon
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Matthew B. Dong
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Keith A. Lawson
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tian Lu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Laetitia Maroc
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thomas M. Norman
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Program for Computational and Systems Biology, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bicna Song
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Geoff Stanley
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sidi Chen
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mathew Garnett
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Wei Li
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jason Moffat
- Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lei S. Qi
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca S. Shapiro
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jonathan S. Weissman
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xiaowei Zhuang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Nambiar TS, Baudrier L, Billon P, Ciccia A. CRISPR-based genome editing through the lens of DNA repair. Mol Cell 2022; 82:348-388. [PMID: 35063100 PMCID: PMC8887926 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Genome editing technologies operate by inducing site-specific DNA perturbations that are resolved by cellular DNA repair pathways. Products of genome editors include DNA breaks generated by CRISPR-associated nucleases, base modifications induced by base editors, DNA flaps created by prime editors, and integration intermediates formed by site-specific recombinases and transposases associated with CRISPR systems. Here, we discuss the cellular processes that repair CRISPR-generated DNA lesions and describe strategies to obtain desirable genomic changes through modulation of DNA repair pathways. Advances in our understanding of the DNA repair circuitry, in conjunction with the rapid development of innovative genome editing technologies, promise to greatly enhance our ability to improve food production, combat environmental pollution, develop cell-based therapies, and cure genetic and infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarun S Nambiar
- Department of Genetics and Development, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Lou Baudrier
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Robson DNA Science Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Pierre Billon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Robson DNA Science Centre, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
| | - Alberto Ciccia
- Department of Genetics and Development, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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36
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Li G, Li X, Zhuang S, Wang L, Zhu Y, Chen Y, Sun W, Wu Z, Zhou Z, Chen J, Huang X, Wang J, Li D, Li W, Wang H, Wei W. Gene editing and its applications in biomedicine. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 65:660-700. [PMID: 35235150 PMCID: PMC8889061 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-2057-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The steady progress in genome editing, especially genome editing based on the use of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and programmable nucleases to make precise modifications to genetic material, has provided enormous opportunities to advance biomedical research and promote human health. The application of these technologies in basic biomedical research has yielded significant advances in identifying and studying key molecular targets relevant to human diseases and their treatment. The clinical translation of genome editing techniques offers unprecedented biomedical engineering capabilities in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disease or disability. Here, we provide a general summary of emerging biomedical applications of genome editing, including open challenges. We also summarize the tools of genome editing and the insights derived from their applications, hoping to accelerate new discoveries and therapies in biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanglei Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Xiangyang Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Songkuan Zhuang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518035, China
| | - Liren Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yifan Zhu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yangcan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Wen Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zeguang Wu
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University Genome Editing Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Zhuo Zhou
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University Genome Editing Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jia Chen
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
| | - Xingxu Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518035, China.
| | - Dali Li
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
| | - Wei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Bejing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China.
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China.
| | - Haoyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Wensheng Wei
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University Genome Editing Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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Demirci S, Leonard A, Essawi K, Tisdale JF. CRISPR-Cas9 to induce fetal hemoglobin for the treatment of sickle cell disease. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2021; 23:276-285. [PMID: 34729375 PMCID: PMC8526756 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Genome editing is potentially a curative technique available to all individuals with β-hemoglobinopathies, including sickle cell disease (SCD). Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) inhibits sickle hemoglobin (HbS) polymerization, and it is well described that naturally occurring hereditary persistence of HbF (HPFH) alleviates disease symptoms; therefore, reawakening of developmentally silenced HbF in adult red blood cells (RBCs) has long been of interest as a therapeutic strategy. Recent advances in genome editing platforms, particularly with the use of CRISPR-Cas9, have paved the way for efficient HbF induction through the creation of artificial HPFH mutations, editing of transcriptional HbF silencers, and modulating epigenetic intermediates that govern HbF expression. Clinical trials investigating BCL11A enhancer editing in patients with β-hemoglobinopathies have demonstrated promising results, although follow-up is short and the number of patients treated to date is low. While practical, economic, and clinical challenges of genome editing are well recognized by the scientific community, potential solutions to overcome these hurdles are in development. Here, we review the recent progress and obstacles yet to be overcome for the most effective and feasible HbF reactivation practice using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing as a curative strategy for patients with SCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selami Demirci
- Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Alexis Leonard
- Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Khaled Essawi
- Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia
| | - John F. Tisdale
- Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
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Activation of γ-globin gene expression by GATA1 and NF-Y in hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin. Nat Genet 2021; 53:1177-1186. [PMID: 34341563 PMCID: PMC8610173 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00904-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) ameliorates β-hemoglobinopathies by inhibiting the developmental switch from γ-globin (HBG1/HBG2) to β-globin (HBB) gene expression. Some forms of HPFH are associated with γ-globin promoter variants that either disrupt binding motifs for transcriptional repressors or create new motifs for transcriptional activators. How these variants sustain γ-globin gene expression postnatally remains undefined. We mapped γ-globin promoter sequences functionally in erythroid cells harboring different HPFH variants. Those that disrupt a BCL11A repressor binding element induce γ-globin expression by facilitating the recruitment of transcription factors NF-Y to a nearby proximal CCAAT box and GATA1 to an upstream motif. The proximal CCAAT element becomes dispensable for HPFH variants that generate new binding motifs for activators NF-Y or KLF1, but GATA1 recruitment remains essential. Our findings define distinct mechanisms through which transcription factors and their cis-regulatory elements activate γ-globin expression in different forms of HPFH, some of which are being recreated by therapeutic genome editing.
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