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Cuevas-Ocaña S, Yang JY, Aushev M, Schlossmacher G, Bear CE, Hannan NRF, Perkins ND, Rossant J, Wong AP, Gray MA. A Cell-Based Optimised Approach for Rapid and Efficient Gene Editing of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10266. [PMID: 37373413 PMCID: PMC10299534 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210266] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introducing or correcting disease-causing mutations through genome editing in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) followed by tissue-specific differentiation provide sustainable models of multiorgan diseases, such as cystic fibrosis (CF). However, low editing efficiency resulting in extended cell culture periods and the use of specialised equipment for fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) make hPSC genome editing still challenging. We aimed to investigate whether a combination of cell cycle synchronisation, single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides, transient selection, manual clonal isolation, and rapid screening can improve the generation of correctly modified hPSCs. Here, we introduced the most common CF mutation, ΔF508, into the CFTR gene, using TALENs into hPSCs, and corrected the W1282X mutation using CRISPR-Cas9, in human-induced PSCs. This relatively simple method achieved up to 10% efficiency without the need for FACS, generating heterozygous and homozygous gene edited hPSCs within 3-6 weeks in order to understand genetic determinants of disease and precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Cuevas-Ocaña
- Biosciences Institute, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (G.S.); (N.D.P.); (M.A.G.)
- Biodiscovery Institute, Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK;
| | - Jin Ye Yang
- Programme in Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (J.Y.Y.); (J.R.); (A.P.W.)
| | - Magomet Aushev
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Institute of Genetic Medicine, Biomedicine West Wing, Centre for Life, Times Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3BZ, UK;
| | - George Schlossmacher
- Biosciences Institute, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (G.S.); (N.D.P.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Christine E. Bear
- Programme in Molecular Medicine, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada;
| | - Nicholas R. F. Hannan
- Biodiscovery Institute, Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK;
| | - Neil D. Perkins
- Biosciences Institute, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (G.S.); (N.D.P.); (M.A.G.)
| | - Janet Rossant
- Programme in Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (J.Y.Y.); (J.R.); (A.P.W.)
| | - Amy P. Wong
- Programme in Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (J.Y.Y.); (J.R.); (A.P.W.)
| | - Michael A. Gray
- Biosciences Institute, Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK; (G.S.); (N.D.P.); (M.A.G.)
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Li XF, Zhou YW, Cai PF, Fu WC, Wang JH, Chen JY, Yang QN. CRISPR/Cas9 facilitates genomic editing for large-scale functional studies in pluripotent stem cell cultures. Hum Genet 2019; 138:1217-1225. [PMID: 31606751 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-019-02071-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cell (PSC) cultures form an integral part of biomedical and medical research due to their capacity to rapidly proliferate and differentiate into hundreds of highly specialized cell types. This makes them a highly useful tool in exploring human physiology and disease. Genomic editing of PSC cultures is an essential method of attaining answers to basic physiological functions, developing in vitro models of human disease, and exploring potential therapeutic strategies and the identification of drug targets. Achieving reliable and efficient genomic editing is an important aspect of using large-scale PSC cultures. The CRISPR/Cas9 genomic editing tool has facilitated highly efficient gene knockout, gene correction, or gene modifications through the design and use of single-guide RNAs which are delivered to the target DNA via Cas9. CRISPR/Cas9 modification of PSCs has furthered the understanding of basic physiology and has been utilized to develop in vitro disease models, to test therapeutic strategies, and to facilitate regenerative or tissue repair approaches. In this review, we discuss the benefits of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in large-scale PSC cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Fei Li
- Department of Joint Surgery, Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital, No. 365 Renmin East Road, Wucheng District, Jinhua, 321000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong-Wei Zhou
- Department of Joint Surgery, Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital, No. 365 Renmin East Road, Wucheng District, Jinhua, 321000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng-Fei Cai
- Department of Joint Surgery, Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital, No. 365 Renmin East Road, Wucheng District, Jinhua, 321000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei-Cong Fu
- Department of Joint Surgery, Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital, No. 365 Renmin East Road, Wucheng District, Jinhua, 321000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Hua Wang
- Department of Joint Surgery, Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital, No. 365 Renmin East Road, Wucheng District, Jinhua, 321000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Yang Chen
- Research and Development Department, Zhejiang Healthfuture Institute for Cell-Based Applied Technology, Hangzhou, 310052, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi-Ning Yang
- Department of Joint Surgery, Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital, No. 365 Renmin East Road, Wucheng District, Jinhua, 321000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
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Use of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cells for neurodegenerative disease modeling and drug screening platform. Future Med Chem 2019; 11:1305-1322. [DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2018-0520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Most neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by a complex and mostly still unresolved pathology. This fact, together with the lack of reliable disease models, has precluded the development of effective therapies counteracting the disease progression. The advent of human pluripotent stem cells has revolutionized the field allowing the generation of disease-relevant neural cell types that can be used for disease modeling, drug screening and, possibly, cell transplantation purposes. In this Review, we discuss the applications of human pluripotent stem cells, the development of efficient protocols for the derivation of the different neural cells and their applicability for robust in vitro disease modeling and drug screening platforms for most common neurodegenerative conditions.
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Easy In Vitro Synthesis of Optimised Functioning Reporter mRNA from Common eGFP Plasmid. Mol Biotechnol 2018; 60:762-771. [PMID: 30120676 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-018-0112-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The extensive growth in number and importance of experiments and clinical-aimed techniques based solely or majorly on the activity of RNA strands, e.g. CRSPR/Cas9 and siRNA, has put emphasis on the necessity of standardisation of experiments with RNA. Considering RNA degradation during its handling seems to be a major hindrance in all RNA-based tools, the assessment of its integrity is of utmost importance. Furthermore, evaluating whether the RNA to be transfected is intact requires time-consuming electrophoresis protocol. In view of the RNA lability and the necessity for controlling experiments performed with this molecule, the transfection of a reporter mRNA may be of aid in optimising experiments. Nevertheless, commercial reporter mRNAs are far less available than plasmids for such purpose. Thus, in this work, we aimed at the optimisation of an easily performed protocol to produce a suitable eGFP mRNA. By utilising molecular biology kits customarily employed in molecular biology laboratories working with RNA-based techniques and starting from any eGFP coding vector, we produced four mRNA molecules: (1) eGFP mRNA (non-polyadenylated); (2) Kozak-eGFP mRNA (non-polyadenylated, produced from the Kozak-containing amplicon); (3) eGFP-PolyA mRNA (polyadenylated); (4) Kozak-eGFP-PolyA mRNA (containing both signals, Kozak sequence and poly(A) tail). These mRNA molecules were transfected into HEK 293 FT cells, readily transfectable, and into the MDBK bovine lineage, which has been observed as difficult-to-transfect DNA constructs. eGFP expression could be detected both by flow cytometry and by fluorescence microscopy after transfection with the polyadenylated mRNAs. Upon cytometric analysis, we noted a marked difference among the mRNA groups (p < 0.01), both in fluorescent population percentage and in florescence intensity. We showed here the necessity of the polyadenylation step in order to achieve cell expression of the eGFP observable under fluorescence microscopy. The presence of the Kozak sequence, as a 5' element, seems to augment significantly the level of protein produced upon mRNA transfection. We presented here an easy protocol to allow production of functioning mRNAs from any DNA construct. The molecules produced may aid in the standardisation and controlling most of the RNA-related experiments as well as it gives proper guidance for researchers performing expression of other proteins through mRNA transfection.
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Ouyang M, Hill W, Lee JH, Hur SC. Microscale Symmetrical Electroporator Array as a Versatile Molecular Delivery System. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44757. [PMID: 28317836 PMCID: PMC5357946 DOI: 10.1038/srep44757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful developments of new therapeutic strategies often rely on the ability to deliver exogenous molecules into cytosol. We have developed a versatile on-chip vortex-assisted electroporation system, engineered to conduct sequential intracellular delivery of multiple molecules into various cell types at low voltage in a dosage-controlled manner. Micro-patterned planar electrodes permit substantial reduction in operational voltages and seamless integration with an existing microfluidic technology. Equipped with real-time process visualization functionality, the system enables on-chip optimization of electroporation parameters for cells with varying properties. Moreover, the system’s dosage control and multi-molecular delivery capabilities facilitate intracellular delivery of various molecules as a single agent or in combination and its utility in biological research has been demonstrated by conducting RNA interference assays. We envision the system to be a powerful tool, aiding a wide range of applications, requiring single-cell level co-administrations of multiple molecules with controlled dosages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxing Ouyang
- Rowland Institute at Harvard University, 100 Edwin H. Land Blvd., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Winfield Hill
- Rowland Institute at Harvard University, 100 Edwin H. Land Blvd., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jung Hyun Lee
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Soojung Claire Hur
- Rowland Institute at Harvard University, 100 Edwin H. Land Blvd., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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Nii T, Kohara H, Marumoto T, Sakuma T, Yamamoto T, Tani K. Single-Cell-State Culture of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Increases Transfection Efficiency. Biores Open Access 2016; 5:127-36. [PMID: 27257519 PMCID: PMC4876534 DOI: 10.1089/biores.2016.0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient gene transfer into human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) holds great promise for regenerative medicine and pharmaceutical development. In the past decade, various methods were developed for gene transfer into hPSCs; however, hPSCs form tightly packed colonies, making gene transfer difficult. In this study, we established a stable culture method of hPSCs at a single-cell state to reduce cell density and investigated gene transfection efficiency followed by gene editing efficiency. hPSCs cultured in a single-cell state were transfected using nonliposomal transfection reagents with plasmid DNA or mRNA encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein. We found that most cells (DNA > 90%; mRNA > 99%) were transfected without the loss of undifferentiated PSC marker expression or pluripotency. Moreover, we demonstrated an efficient gene editing method using transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) targeting the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene. Our new method may improve hPSC gene transfer techniques, thus facilitating their use for human regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takenobu Nii
- Division of Molecular and Clinical Genetics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University , Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kohara
- Project Division of ALA Advanced Medical Research, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo , Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomotoshi Marumoto
- Division of Molecular and Clinical Genetics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.; Department of Advanced Molecular and Cell Therapy, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Sakuma
- Department of Mathematical and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University , Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takashi Yamamoto
- Department of Mathematical and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University , Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kenzaburo Tani
- Division of Molecular and Clinical Genetics, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.; Project Division of ALA Advanced Medical Research, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.; Department of Advanced Molecular and Cell Therapy, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
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