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Liu S, He Y, Fan T, Zhu M, Qi C, Ma Y, Yang M, Yang L, Tang X, Zhou J, Zhong Z, An X, Qi Y, Zhang Y. PAM-relaxed and temperature-tolerant CRISPR-Mb3Cas12a single transcript unit systems for efficient singular and multiplexed genome editing in rice, maize, and tomato. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024. [PMID: 39387219 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 09/25/2024] [Indexed: 10/15/2024]
Abstract
Class 2 Type V-A CRISPR-Cas (Cas12a) nucleases are powerful genome editing tools, particularly effective in A/T-rich genomic regions, complementing the widely used CRISPR-Cas9 in plants. To enhance the utility of Cas12a, we investigate three Cas12a orthologs-Mb3Cas12a, PrCas12a, and HkCas12a-in plants. Protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) requirements, editing efficiencies, and editing profiles are compared in rice. Among these orthologs, Mb3Cas12a exhibits high editing efficiency at target sites with a simpler, relaxed TTV PAM which is less restrictive than the canonical TTTV PAM of LbCas12a and AsCas12a. To optimize Mb3Cas12a, we develop an efficient single transcription unit (STU) system by refining the linker between Mb3Cas12a and CRISPR RNA (crRNA), nuclear localization signal (NLS), and direct repeat (DR). This optimized system enables precise genome editing in rice, particularly for fine-tuning target gene expression by editing promoter regions. Further, we introduced Arginine (R) substitutions at Aspartic acid (D) 172, Asparagine (N) 573, and Lysine (K) 579 of Mb3Cas12a, creating two temperature-tolerant variants: Mb3Cas12a-R (D172R) and Mb3Cas12a-RRR (D172R/N573R/K579R). These variants demonstrate significantly improved editing efficiency at lower temperatures (22 °C and 28 °C) in rice cells, with Mb3Cas12a-RRR showing the best performance. We extend this approach by developing efficient Mb3Cas12a-RRR STU systems in maize and tomato, achieving biallelic mutants targeting single or multiple genes in T0 lines cultivated at 28 °C and 25 °C, respectively. This study significantly expands Cas12a's targeting capabilities in plant genome editing, providing valuable tools for future research and practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shishi Liu
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Tree Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yao He
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Tree Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Tingting Fan
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Meirui Zhu
- Research Institute of Biology and Agriculture, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
| | - Caiyan Qi
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanqin Ma
- Horticulture Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Mengqiao Yang
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Liang Yang
- Horticulture Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xu Tang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Tree Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianping Zhou
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhaohui Zhong
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xueli An
- Research Institute of Biology and Agriculture, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
| | - Yiping Qi
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Yong Zhang
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Tree Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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Zhang R, Chai N, Liu T, Zheng Z, Lin Q, Xie X, Wen J, Yang Z, Liu YG, Zhu Q. The type V effectors for CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome engineering in plants. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 74:108382. [PMID: 38801866 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108382] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
A plethora of CRISPR effectors, such as Cas3, Cas9, and Cas12a, are commonly employed as gene editing tools. Among these, Cas12 effectors developed based on Class II type V proteins exhibit distinct characteristics compared to Class II type VI and type II effectors, such as their ability to generate non-allelic DNA double-strand breaks, their compact structures, and the presence of a single RuvC-like nuclease domain. Capitalizing on these advantages, Cas12 family proteins have been increasingly explored and utilized in recent years. However, the characteristics and applications of different subfamilies within the type V protein family have not been systematically summarized. In this review, we focus on the characteristics of type V effector (CRISPR/Cas12) proteins and the current methods used to discover new effector proteins. We also summarize recent modifications based on engineering of type V effectors. In addition, we introduce the applications of type V effectors for gene editing in animals and plants, including the development of base editors, tools for regulating gene expression, methods for gene targeting, and biosensors. We emphasize the prospects for development and application of CRISPR/Cas12 effectors with the goal of better utilizing toolkits based on this protein family for crop improvement and enhanced agricultural production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Nan Chai
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Taoli Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zhiye Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Qiupeng Lin
- College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xianrong Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jun Wen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zi Yang
- College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA 92507, USA
| | - Yao-Guang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Qinlong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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3
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Yang LZ, Min YH, Liu YX, Gao BQ, Liu XQ, Huang Y, Wang H, Yang L, Liu ZJ, Chen LL. CRISPR-array-mediated imaging of non-repetitive and multiplex genomic loci in living cells. Nat Methods 2024; 21:1646-1657. [PMID: 38965442 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-024-02333-3] [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: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Dynamic imaging of genomic loci is key for understanding gene regulation, but methods for imaging genomes, in particular non-repetitive DNAs, are limited. We developed CRISPRdelight, a DNA-labeling system based on endonuclease-deficient CRISPR-Cas12a (dCas12a), with an engineered CRISPR array to track DNA location and motion. CRISPRdelight enables robust imaging of all examined 12 non-repetitive genomic loci in different cell lines. We revealed the confined movement of the CCAT1 locus (chr8q24) at the nuclear periphery for repressed expression and active motion in the interior nucleus for transcription. We uncovered the selective repositioning of HSP gene loci to nuclear speckles, including a remarkable relocation of HSPH1 (chr13q12) for elevated transcription during stresses. Combining CRISPR-dCas12a and RNA aptamers allowed multiplex imaging of four types of satellite DNA loci with a single array, revealing their spatial proximity to the nucleolus-associated domain. CRISPRdelight is a user-friendly and robust system for imaging and tracking genomic dynamics and regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang-Zhong Yang
- Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Yi-Hui Min
- Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Xin Liu
- Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Bao-Qing Gao
- Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Qi Liu
- Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Youkui Huang
- Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Haifeng Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Yang
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Children's Hospital, 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, China
| | - Zhe J Liu
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Ling-Ling Chen
- Key Laboratory of RNA Innovation, Science and Engineering, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China.
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Shenzhen, China.
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4
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Wei Y, Hu Y, Wang L, Liu C, Abdullaewich YS, Yang Z, Mao H, Wan Y. Ultrasensitive detection of Salmonella typhi using a PAM-free Cas14a-based biosensor. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 259:116408. [PMID: 38781698 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116408] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The effectiveness of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-Cas14a1, widely utilized for pathogenic microorganism detection, has been limited by the requirement of a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) on the target DNA strands. To overcome this limitation, this study developed a Single Primer isothermal amplification integrated-Cas14a1 biosensor (SPCas) for detecting Salmonella typhi that does not rely on a PAM sequence. The SPCas biosensor utilizes a novel primer design featuring an RNA-DNA primer and a 3'-biotin-modified primer capable of binding to the same single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) in the presence of the target gene. The RNA-DNA primer undergoes amplification and is blocked at the biotin-modified end. Subsequently, strand replacement is initiated to generate ssDNA assisted by RNase H and Bst enzymes, which activate the trans-cleavage activity of Cas14a1 even in the absence of a PAM sequence. Leveraging both cyclic chain replacement reaction amplification and Cas14a1 trans-cleavage activity, the SPCas biosensor exhibits a remarkable diagnostic sensitivity of 5 CFU/mL. Additionally, in the assessment of 20 milk samples, the SPCas platform demonstrated 100% diagnostic accuracy, which is consistent with the gold standard qPCR. This platform introduces a novel approach for developing innovative CRISPR-Cas-dependent biosensors without a PAM sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangdao Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, 56 Renmin Road, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Yuanzhao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, 56 Renmin Road, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Luchao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, 56 Renmin Road, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Chunsheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, 56 Renmin Road, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Yuldoshov Sherzod Abdullaewich
- Department of Cellulose and its Derivatives Chemistry and Technology, Institute of Polymer Chemistry and Physics, Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, str. A. Khodiriy 7b, Tashkent, 100128, Uzbekistan
| | - Zhiqing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, 56 Renmin Road, Haikou, 570228, China.
| | - Haimei Mao
- Products Quality Supervision and Testing Institute of Hainan Province, Haikou, 570003, China.
| | - Yi Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, 56 Renmin Road, Haikou, 570228, China
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5
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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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6
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Mishra S, Nayak S, Tuteja N, Poosapati S, Swain DM, Sahoo RK. CRISPR/Cas-Mediated Genome Engineering in Plants: Application and Prospectives. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1884. [PMID: 39065411 PMCID: PMC11279650 DOI: 10.3390/plants13141884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Genetic engineering has become an essential element in developing climate-resilient crops and environmentally sustainable solutions to respond to the increasing need for global food security. Genome editing using CRISPR/Cas [Clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated protein (Cas)] technology is being applied to a variety of organisms, including plants. This technique has become popular because of its high specificity, effectiveness, and low production cost. Therefore, this technology has the potential to revolutionize agriculture and contribute to global food security. Over the past few years, increasing efforts have been seen in its application in developing higher-yielding, nutrition-rich, disease-resistant, and stress-tolerant "crops", fruits, and vegetables. Cas proteins such as Cas9, Cas12, Cas13, and Cas14, among others, have distinct architectures and have been used to create new genetic tools that improve features that are important for agriculture. The versatility of Cas has accelerated genomic analysis and facilitated the use of CRISPR/Cas to manipulate and alter nucleic acid sequences in cells of different organisms. This review provides the evolution of CRISPR technology exploring its mechanisms and contrasting it with traditional breeding and transgenic approaches to improve different aspects of stress tolerance. We have also discussed the CRISPR/Cas system and explored three Cas proteins that are currently known to exist: Cas12, Cas13, and Cas14 and their potential to generate foreign-DNA-free or non-transgenic crops that could be easily regulated for commercialization in most countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swetaleena Mishra
- Department of Biotechnology, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar 752050, India;
| | - Subhendu Nayak
- Vidya USA Corporation, Otis Stone Hunter Road, Bunnell, FL 32100, USA;
| | - Narendra Tuteja
- Plant Molecular Biology Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi 110067, India;
| | - Sowmya Poosapati
- Plant Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego, CA 92037, USA
| | - Durga Madhab Swain
- MU Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Ranjan Kumar Sahoo
- Department of Biotechnology, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar 752050, India;
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7
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Burbano DA, Kiattisewee C, Karanjia AV, Cardiff RAL, Faulkner ID, Sugianto W, Carothers JM. CRISPR Tools for Engineering Prokaryotic Systems: Recent Advances and New Applications. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2024; 15:389-430. [PMID: 38598861 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-100522-114706] [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: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
In the past decades, the broad selection of CRISPR-Cas systems has revolutionized biotechnology by enabling multimodal genetic manipulation in diverse organisms. Rooted in a molecular engineering perspective, we recapitulate the different CRISPR components and how they can be designed for specific genetic engineering applications. We first introduce the repertoire of Cas proteins and tethered effectors used to program new biological functions through gene editing and gene regulation. We review current guide RNA (gRNA) design strategies and computational tools and how CRISPR-based genetic circuits can be constructed through regulated gRNA expression. Then, we present recent advances in CRISPR-based biosensing, bioproduction, and biotherapeutics across in vitro and in vivo prokaryotic systems. Finally, we discuss forthcoming applications in prokaryotic CRISPR technology that will transform synthetic biology principles in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Alba Burbano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Cholpisit Kiattisewee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Ava V Karanjia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Ryan A L Cardiff
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Ian D Faulkner
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Widianti Sugianto
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - James M Carothers
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
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8
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Liu Z, Liu H, Huang C, Zhou Q, Luo Y. Hybrid Cas12a Variants with Relaxed PAM Requirements Expand Genome Editing Compatibility. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:1809-1819. [PMID: 38819403 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Cas12a is a widely used programmable nuclease for genome editing across a variety of organisms, but its application is limited by its PAM recognition restriction. To alleviate these PAM constraints, protein engineering efforts have been applied to expand the PAM recognition range. In this study, we designed and constructed 990 synthetic hybrid Cas12a chimeras through domain shuffling and screened an efficient hybrid Cas12a (ehCas12a) that could recognize a broad range PAM of 5'-TYYN-3' (Y is T or C and N is A, T, C, or G). Furthermore, we constructed an ehCas12a variant, ehCas12a RRVR (T167R/N572R/K578V/N582R), with expanded PAM preference to 5'-TNYN, TWRV-3' (W is A or T, R is A or G, and V is A, C, or G), which can efficiently recognize -2* A/G PAMs that are barely recognized by Cas12a-type proteins and their mutants. Finally, we demonstrated that the DNase-inactivated ehCas12a RRVR base editor (dehCas12a RRVR-BE) was capable of targeting noncanonical PAMs in vivo and disease-related loci for potential therapeutic applications. Overall, our findings highlight the modular design and reconfiguration of Cas proteins for enhanced functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Huayi Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Chaoqun Huang
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Qun Zhou
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yunzi Luo
- Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Georgia Tech Shenzhen Institute, Tianjin University, Tangxing Road 133, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518071, China
- Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations, Tianjin 300192, China
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9
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Liu Y, Liu X, Wei D, Dang L, Xu X, Huang S, Li L, Wu S, Wu J, Liu X, Sun W, Tao W, Wei Y, Huang X, Li K, Wang X, Zhou F. CoHIT: a one-pot ultrasensitive ERA-CRISPR system for detecting multiple same-site indels. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5014. [PMID: 38866774 PMCID: PMC11169540 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49414-7] [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] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetic testing is crucial for precision cancer medicine. However, detecting multiple same-site insertions or deletions (indels) is challenging. Here, we introduce CoHIT (Cas12a-based One-for-all High-speed Isothermal Test), a one-pot CRISPR-based assay for indel detection. Leveraging an engineered AsCas12a protein variant with high mismatch tolerance and broad PAM scope, CoHIT can use a single crRNA to detect multiple NPM1 gene c.863_864 4-bp insertions in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). After optimizing multiple parameters, CoHIT achieves a detection limit of 0.01% and rapid results within 30 minutes, without wild-type cross-reactivity. It successfully identifies NPM1 mutations in 30 out of 108 AML patients and demonstrates potential in monitoring minimal residual disease (MRD) through continuous sample analysis from three patients. The CoHIT method is also competent for detecting indels of KIT, BRAF, and EGFR genes. Integration with lateral flow test strips and microfluidic chips highlights CoHIT's adaptability and multiplexing capability, promising significant advancements in clinical cancer diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Liu
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Wuhan University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinyi Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modeatarn Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dongyi Wei
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lu Dang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoran Xu
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | | | - Liwen Li
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modeatarn Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Sanyun Wu
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinxian Wu
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoyan Liu
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenjun Sun
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wanyu Tao
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongchang Wei
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xingxu Huang
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kui Li
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modeatarn Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Xinjie Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modeatarn Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Fuling Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
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10
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Xin C, Qiao D, Wang J, Sun W, Cao Z, Lu Y, Jiang Y, Chai Y, Wang XC, Chen QJ. Enhanced editing efficiency in Arabidopsis with a LbCas12a variant harboring D156R and E795L mutations. ABIOTECH 2024; 5:117-126. [PMID: 38978783 PMCID: PMC11229449 DOI: 10.1007/s42994-024-00144-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Cas12a (Cpf1), a Class 2 Type V CRISPR/Cas nuclease, has several unique attributes for genome editing and may provide a valuable alternative to Cas9. However, a low editing efficiency due to temperature sensitivity and insufficient cleavage activity of the Cas12a nuclease are major obstacles to its broad application. In this report, we generated two variants, ttAsCas12 Ultra and ttLbCas12a Ultra harboring three (E174R, M537R, and F870L) or two (D156R and E795L) mutations, respectively, by combining the mutations from the temperature-tolerant variants ttAsCas12a (E174R) and ttLbCas12a (D156R), and those from the highly active variants AsCas12a Ultra (M537R and F870L) and LbCas12a Ultra (E795L). We compared editing efficiencies of the five resulting Cas12a variants (LbCas12a, ttLbCas12a, ttLbCas12a Ultra, AsCas12a Ultra, and ttAsCas12 Ultra) at six target sites of four genes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The variant ttLbCas12a Ultra, harboring the D156R and E795L mutations, exhibited the highest editing efficiency of all variants tested in Arabidopsis and can be used to generate homozygous or biallelic mutants in a single generation in Arabidopsis plants grown at 22 °C. In addition, optimization of ttLbCas12a Ultra, by varying nuclear localization signal sequences and codon usage, further greatly improved editing efficiency. Collectively, our results indicate that ttLbCas12a Ultra is a valuable alternative to Cas9 for editing genes or promoters in Arabidopsis. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42994-024-00144-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiping Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Dexin Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Junya Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhenghong Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yu Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuanyuan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yiping Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Xue-Chen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Qi-jun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
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11
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Olivi L, Bagchus C, Pool V, Bekkering E, Speckner K, Offerhaus H, Wu W, Depken M, Martens KA, Staals RJ, Hohlbein J. Live-cell imaging reveals the trade-off between target search flexibility and efficiency for Cas9 and Cas12a. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:5241-5256. [PMID: 38647045 PMCID: PMC11109954 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae283] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems have widely been adopted as genome editing tools, with two frequently employed Cas nucleases being SpyCas9 and LbCas12a. Although both nucleases use RNA guides to find and cleave target DNA sites, the two enzymes differ in terms of protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) requirements, guide architecture and cleavage mechanism. In the last years, rational engineering led to the creation of PAM-relaxed variants SpRYCas9 and impLbCas12a to broaden the targetable DNA space. By employing their catalytically inactive variants (dCas9/dCas12a), we quantified how the protein-specific characteristics impact the target search process. To allow quantification, we fused these nucleases to the photoactivatable fluorescent protein PAmCherry2.1 and performed single-particle tracking in cells of Escherichia coli. From our tracking analysis, we derived kinetic parameters for each nuclease with a non-targeting RNA guide, strongly suggesting that interrogation of DNA by LbdCas12a variants proceeds faster than that of SpydCas9. In the presence of a targeting RNA guide, both simulations and imaging of cells confirmed that LbdCas12a variants are faster and more efficient in finding a specific target site. Our work demonstrates the trade-off of relaxing PAM requirements in SpydCas9 and LbdCas12a using a powerful framework, which can be applied to other nucleases to quantify their DNA target search.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Olivi
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Cleo Bagchus
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Victor Pool
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ezra Bekkering
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Konstantin Speckner
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hidde Offerhaus
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Wen Y Wu
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Depken
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Koen J A Martens
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Raymond H J Staals
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes Hohlbein
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Microspectroscopy Research Facility, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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12
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Rananaware SR, Meister KS, Shoemaker GM, Vesco EK, Sandoval LSW, Lewis JG, Bodin AP, Karalkar VN, Lange IH, Pizzano BLM, Chang M, Ahmadimashhadi MR, Flannery SJ, Nguyen LT, Wang GP, Jain PK. PAM-free diagnostics with diverse type V CRISPR-Cas systems. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.05.02.24306194. [PMID: 38746294 PMCID: PMC11092703 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.02.24306194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Type V CRISPR-Cas effectors have revolutionized molecular diagnostics by facilitating the detection of nucleic acid biomarkers. However, their dependence on the presence of protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sites on the target double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) greatly limits their flexibility as diagnostic tools. Here we present a novel method named PICNIC that solves the PAM problem for CRISPR-based diagnostics with just a simple ∼10-min modification to contemporary CRISPR-detection protocols. Our method involves the separation of dsDNA into individual single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) strands through a high- temperature and high-pH treatment. We then detect the released ssDNA strands with diverse Cas12 enzymes in a PAM-free manner. We show the utility of PICNIC by successfully applying it for PAM-free detection with three different subtypes of the Cas12 family- Cas12a, Cas12b, and Cas12i. Notably, by combining PICNIC with a truncated 15-nucleotide spacer containing crRNA, we demonstrate PAM-independent detection of clinically important single- nucleotide polymorphisms with CRISPR. We apply this approach to detect the presence of a drug-resistant variant of HIV-1, specifically the K103N mutant, that lacks a PAM site in the vicinity of the mutation. Additionally, we successfully translate our approach to clinical samples by detecting and genotyping HCV-1a and HCV-1b variants with 100% specificity at a PAM-less site within the HCV genome. In summary, PICNIC is a simple yet groundbreaking method that enhances the flexibility and precision of CRISPR-Cas12-based diagnostics by eliminating the restriction of the PAM sequence.
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13
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Wang H, Zhou J, Lei J, Mo G, Wu Y, Liu H, Pang Z, Du M, Zhou Z, Paek C, Sun Z, Chen Y, Wang Y, Chen P, Yin L. Engineering of a compact, high-fidelity EbCas12a variant that can be packaged with its crRNA into an all-in-one AAV vector delivery system. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002619. [PMID: 38814985 PMCID: PMC11139299 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002619] [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: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR-associated endonuclease Cas12a has become a powerful genome-editing tool in biomedical research due to its ease of use and low off-targeting. However, the size of Cas12a severely limits clinical applications such as adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy. Here, we characterized a novel compact Cas12a ortholog, termed EbCas12a, from the metagenome-assembled genome of a currently unclassified Erysipelotrichia. It has the PAM sequence of 5'-TTTV-3' (V = A, G, C) and the smallest size of approximately 3.47 kb among the Cas12a orthologs reported so far. In addition, enhanced EbCas12a (enEbCas12a) was also designed to have comparable editing efficiency with higher specificity to AsCas12a and LbCas12a in mammalian cells at multiple target sites. Based on the compact enEbCas12a, an all-in-one AAV delivery system with crRNA for Cas12a was developed for both in vitro and in vivo applications. Overall, the novel smallest high-fidelity enEbCas12a, this first case of the all-in-one AAV delivery for Cas12a could greatly boost future gene therapy and scientific research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jun Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Guosheng Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yankang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Huan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ziyan Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingkun Du
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zihao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chonil Paek
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zaiqiao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongshun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Peng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lei Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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14
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Wang Z, Cheng W, Dong Z, Yao X, Deng X, Ou C. A CRISPR/LbCas12a-based method for detection of bacterial fruit blotch pathogens in watermelon. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0384623. [PMID: 38299831 PMCID: PMC10913525 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03846-23] [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: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Acidovorax citrulli is the main pathogen causing bacterial fruit blotch, which seriously threatens the global watermelon industry. At present, rapid, sensitive, and low-cost detection methods are urgently needed. The established CRISPR/LbCas12a visual detection method can specifically detect A. citrulli and does not cross-react with other pathogenic bacteria such as Erwinia tracheiphila, Pseudomonas syringae, and Xanthomonas campestris. The sensitivity of this method for genomic DNA detection is as low as 0.7 copies/μL, which is higher than conventional PCR and real-time PCR. In addition, this method only takes 2.5 h from DNA extraction to quantitative detection and does not require complex operation and sample treatment. Additionally, the technique was applied to test real watermelon seed samples for A. citrulli, and the results were contrasted with those of real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and conventional PCR. The high sensitivity and specificity have broad application prospects in the rapid detection of bacterial fruit blotch bacterial pathogens of watermelon.IMPORTANCEBacterial fruit blotch, Acidovorax citrulli, is an important seed-borne bacterial disease of watermelon, melon, and other cucurbits. The lack of rapid, sensitive, and reliable pathogen detection methods has hampered research on fruit spot disease prevention and control. Here, we demonstrate the CRISPR/Cas12a system to analyze aspects of the specificity and sensitivity of A. citrulli and to test actual watermelon seed samples. The results showed that the CRISPR/Cas12a-based free-amplification method for detecting bacterial fruit blotch pathogens of watermelons was specific for A. citrulli target genes and 100-fold more sensitive than conventional PCR with quantitative real-time PCR. This method provides a new technical tool for the detection of A. citrulli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelu Wang
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Anti-aging Chinese Herbal Medicine, School of Biology and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, Anhui, China
| | - Wenhui Cheng
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Anti-aging Chinese Herbal Medicine, School of Biology and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, Anhui, China
| | - Zhiyu Dong
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Anti-aging Chinese Herbal Medicine, School of Biology and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, Anhui, China
| | - Xiamei Yao
- School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Anhui Jianzhu University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xu Deng
- Southern Subtropicals Grops Research Institute, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
| | - Chun Ou
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Anti-aging Chinese Herbal Medicine, School of Biology and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, Anhui, China
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15
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Chen P, Zhou J, Liu H, Zhou E, He B, Wu Y, Wang H, Sun Z, Paek C, Lei J, Chen Y, Zhang X, Yin L. Engineering of Cas12a nuclease variants with enhanced genome-editing specificity. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002514. [PMID: 38483978 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002514] [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: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas12a system is a powerful tool in gene editing; however, crRNA-DNA mismatches might induce unwanted cleavage events, especially at the distal end of the PAM. To minimize this limitation, we engineered a hyper fidelity AsCas12a variant carrying the mutations S186A/R301A/T315A/Q1014A/K414A (termed HyperFi-As) by modifying amino acid residues interacting with the target DNA and crRNA strand. HyperFi-As retains on-target activities comparable to wild-type AsCas12a (AsCas12aWT) in human cells. We demonstrated that HyperFi-As has dramatically reduced off-target effects in human cells, and HyperFi-As possessed notably a lower tolerance to mismatch at the position of the PAM-distal region compared with the wild type. Further, a modified single-molecule DNA unzipping assay at proper constant force was applied to evaluate the stability and transient stages of the CRISPR/Cas ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex. Multiple states were sensitively detected during the disassembly of the DNA-Cas12a-crRNA complexes. On off-target DNA substrates, the HyperFi-As-crRNA was harder to maintain the R-loop complex state compared to the AsCas12aWT, which could explain exactly why the HyperFi-As has low off-targeting effects in human cells. Our findings provide a novel version of AsCas12a variant with low off-target effects, especially capable of dealing with the high off-targeting in the distal region from the PAM. An insight into how the AsCas12a variant behaves at off-target sites was also revealed at the single-molecule level and the unzipping assay to evaluate multiple states of CRISPR/Cas RNP complexes might be greatly helpful for a deep understanding of how CRISPR/Cas behaves and how to engineer it in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Huan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Erchi Zhou
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Boxiao He
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yankang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongjian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zaiqiao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chonil Paek
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- The Faculty of Life Science, KIM IL SUNG University, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongshun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinghua Zhang
- The Institute for Advanced Studies, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lei Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Department of Clinical Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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16
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Pacesa M, Pelea O, Jinek M. Past, present, and future of CRISPR genome editing technologies. Cell 2024; 187:1076-1100. [PMID: 38428389 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.042] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Genome editing has been a transformative force in the life sciences and human medicine, offering unprecedented opportunities to dissect complex biological processes and treat the underlying causes of many genetic diseases. CRISPR-based technologies, with their remarkable efficiency and easy programmability, stand at the forefront of this revolution. In this Review, we discuss the current state of CRISPR gene editing technologies in both research and therapy, highlighting limitations that constrain them and the technological innovations that have been developed in recent years to address them. Additionally, we examine and summarize the current landscape of gene editing applications in the context of human health and therapeutics. Finally, we outline potential future developments that could shape gene editing technologies and their applications in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Pacesa
- Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Oana Pelea
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Jinek
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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17
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Nomura T, Kim J, Ishikawa M, Suzuki K, Mochida K. High-efficiency genome editing by Cas12a ribonucleoprotein complex in Euglena gracilis. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14393. [PMID: 38332568 PMCID: PMC10884871 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14393] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Transgene-free genome editing based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technology is key to achieving genetic engineering in microalgae for basic research and industrial applications. Euglena gracilis, a unicellular phytoflagellate microalga, is a promising biomaterial for foods, feeds, cosmetics and biofuels. However, methods for the genetic manipulation of E. gracilis are still limited. Here, we developed a high-efficiency, transgene-free genome editing method for E. gracilis using Lachnospiraceae bacterium CRISPR-associated protein 12a (LbCas12a) ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex, which complements the previously established Cas9 RNP-based method. Through the direct delivery of LbCas12a-containing RNPs, our method reached mutagenesis rates of approximately 77.2-94.5% at two different E. gracilis target genes, Glucan synthase-like 2 (EgGSL2) and a phytoene synthase gene (EgcrtB). Moreover, in addition to targeted mutagenesis, we demonstrated efficient knock-in and base editing at the target site using LbCas12a-based RNPs with a single-stranded DNA donor template in E. gracilis. This study extends the genetic engineering capabilities of Euglena to accelerate its basic use for research and engineering for bioproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihisa Nomura
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource ScienceYokohamaJapan
- RIKEN Baton Zone ProgramYokohamaJapan
- Faculty of AgricultureYamagata UniversityTsuruokaJapan
| | - June‐Silk Kim
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource ScienceYokohamaJapan
- Institute of Plant Science and ResourcesOkayama UniversityOkayamaJapan
| | - Marumi Ishikawa
- RIKEN Baton Zone ProgramYokohamaJapan
- Euglena Co., Ltd.TokyoJapan
| | - Kengo Suzuki
- RIKEN Baton Zone ProgramYokohamaJapan
- Euglena Co., Ltd.TokyoJapan
| | - Keiichi Mochida
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource ScienceYokohamaJapan
- RIKEN Baton Zone ProgramYokohamaJapan
- Kihara Institute for Biological ResearchYokohama City UniversityYokohamaKanagawaJapan
- Graduate School of NanobioscienceYokohama City UniversityYokohamaKanagawaJapan
- School of Information and Data SciencesNagasaki UniversityNagasakiJapan
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18
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Koonin EV, Gootenberg JS, Abudayyeh OO. Discovery of Diverse CRISPR-Cas Systems and Expansion of the Genome Engineering Toolbox. Biochemistry 2023; 62:3465-3487. [PMID: 37192099 PMCID: PMC10734277 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR systems mediate adaptive immunity in bacteria and archaea through diverse effector mechanisms and have been repurposed for versatile applications in therapeutics and diagnostics thanks to their facile reprogramming with RNA guides. RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas targeting and interference are mediated by effectors that are either components of multisubunit complexes in class 1 systems or multidomain single-effector proteins in class 2. The compact class 2 CRISPR systems have been broadly adopted for multiple applications, especially genome editing, leading to a transformation of the molecular biology and biotechnology toolkit. The diversity of class 2 effector enzymes, initially limited to the Cas9 nuclease, was substantially expanded via computational genome and metagenome mining to include numerous variants of Cas12 and Cas13, providing substrates for the development of versatile, orthogonal molecular tools. Characterization of these diverse CRISPR effectors uncovered many new features, including distinct protospacer adjacent motifs (PAMs) that expand the targeting space, improved editing specificity, RNA rather than DNA targeting, smaller crRNAs, staggered and blunt end cuts, miniature enzymes, promiscuous RNA and DNA cleavage, etc. These unique properties enabled multiple applications, such as harnessing the promiscuous RNase activity of the type VI effector, Cas13, for supersensitive nucleic acid detection. class 1 CRISPR systems have been adopted for genome editing, as well, despite the challenge of expressing and delivering the multiprotein class 1 effectors. The rich diversity of CRISPR enzymes led to rapid maturation of the genome editing toolbox, with capabilities such as gene knockout, base editing, prime editing, gene insertion, DNA imaging, epigenetic modulation, transcriptional modulation, and RNA editing. Combined with rational design and engineering of the effector proteins and associated RNAs, the natural diversity of CRISPR and related bacterial RNA-guided systems provides a vast resource for expanding the repertoire of tools for molecular biology and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene V. Koonin
- National
Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, United States
| | - Jonathan S. Gootenberg
- McGovern
Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Omar O. Abudayyeh
- McGovern
Institute for Brain Research at MIT, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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Zhang M, Zhu Z, Xun G, Zhao H. To Cut or not to Cut: Next-generation Genome Editors for Precision Genome Engineering. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2023; 28:100489. [PMID: 37593347 PMCID: PMC10430874 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2023.100489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Since the original report of repurposing the CRISPR/Cas9 system for genome engineering, the past decade has witnessed profound improvement in our ability to efficiently manipulate the mammalian genome. However, significant challenges lie ahead that hinder the translation of CRISPR-based gene editing technologies into safe and effective therapeutics. The CRISPR systems often have a limited target scope due to PAM restrictions, and the off-target activity also poses serious risks for therapeutic applications. Moreover, the first-generation genome editors typically achieve desired genomic modifications by inducing double-strand breaks (DSBs) at target site(s). Despite being highly efficient, this "cut and fix" strategy is less favorable in clinical settings due to drawbacks associated with the nuclease-induced DSBs. In this review, we focus on recent advances that help address these challenges, including the engineering and discovery of novel CRISPR/Cas systems with improved functionalities and the development of DSB-free genome editors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zhixin Zhu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Guanhua Xun
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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Zhu Z, Zhang M, Liu D, Liu D, Sun T, Yang Y, Dong J, Zhai H, Sun W, Liu Q, Tian C. Development of the thermophilic fungus Myceliophthora thermophila into glucoamylase hyperproduction system via the metabolic engineering using improved AsCas12a variants. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:150. [PMID: 37568174 PMCID: PMC10416393 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02149-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glucoamylase is an important enzyme for starch saccharification in the food and biofuel industries and mainly produced from mesophilic fungi such as Aspergillus and Rhizopus species. Enzymes produced from thermophilic fungi can save the fermentation energy and reduce costs as compared to the fermentation system using mesophiles. Thermophilic fungus Myceliophthora thermophila is industrially deployed fungus to produce enzymes and biobased chemicals from biomass during optimal growth at 45 °C. This study aimed to construct the M. thermophila platform for glucoamylase hyper-production by broadening genomic targeting range of the AsCas12a variants, identifying key candidate genes and strain engineering. RESULTS In this study, to increase the genome targeting range, we upgraded the CRISPR-Cas12a-mediated technique by engineering two AsCas12a variants carrying the mutations S542R/K607R and S542R/K548V/N552R. Using the engineered AsCas12a variants, we deleted identified key factors involved in the glucoamylase expression and secretion in M. thermophila, including Mtstk-12, Mtap3m, Mtdsc-1 and Mtsah-2. Deletion of four targets led to more than 1.87- and 1.85-fold higher levels of secretion and glucoamylases activity compared to wild-type strain MtWT. Transcript level of the major amylolytic genes showed significantly increased in deletion mutants. The glucoamylase hyper-production strain MtGM12 was generated from our previously strain MtYM6 via genetically engineering these targets Mtstk-12, Mtap3m, Mtdsc-1 and Mtsah-2 and overexpressing Mtamy1 and Mtpga3. Total secreted protein and activities of amylolytic enzymes in the MtGM12 were about 35.6-fold and 51.9‒55.5-fold higher than in MtWT. Transcriptional profiling analyses revealed that the amylolytic gene expression levels were significantly up-regulated in the MtGM12 than in MtWT. More interestingly, the MtGM12 showed predominantly short and highly bulging hyphae with proliferation of rough ER and abundant mitochondria, secretion vesicles and vacuoles when culturing on starch. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed that these AsCas12a variants worked well for gene deletions in M. thermophila. We successfully constructed the glucoamylase hyper-production strain of M. thermophila by the rational redesigning and engineering the transcriptional regulatory and secretion pathway. This targeted engineering strategy will be very helpful to improve industrial fungal strains and promote the morphology engineering for enhanced enzyme production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijian Zhu
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Manyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, 300308, China
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Dandan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, 300308, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Defei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Yujing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, 300308, China
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Jiacheng Dong
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, 300308, China
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Huanhuan Zhai
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Wenliang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, 300308, China.
| | - Chaoguang Tian
- Key Laboratory of Engineering Biology for Low-Carbon Manufacturing, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.
- National Technology Innovation Center of Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, 300308, China.
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21
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Hu Y, Qiao Y, Li XQ, Xiang Z, Wan Y, Wang P, Yang Z. Development of an inducible Cas9 nickase and PAM-free Cas12a platform for bacterial diagnostics. Talanta 2023; 265:124931. [PMID: 37451121 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.124931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Rapid, efficient, specific and sensitive diagnostic techniques are critical for selecting appropriate treatments for drug-resistant bacterial infections. To address this challenge, we have developed a novel diagnostic method, called the Dual-Cas Tandem Diagnostic Platform (DTDP), which combines the use of Cas9 nickase (Cas9n) and Cas12a. DTDP works by utilizing the Cas9n-sgRNA complex to create a nick in the target strand's double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). This prompts DNA polymerase to displace the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and leads to cycles of DNA replication through nicking, displacement, and extension. The ssDNA is then detected by the Cas12a-crRNA complex (which is PAM-free), activating trans-cleavage and generating a fluorescent signal from the fluorescent reporter. DTDP exhibits a high sensitivity (1 CFU/mL or 100 ag/μL), high specificity (specifically to MRSA in nine pathogenic species), and excellent accuracy (100%). The dual RNA recognition process in our method improves diagnostic specificity by decreasing the limitations of Cas12a in detecting dsDNA protospacer adjacent motifs (PAMs) and leverages multiple advantages of multi-Cas enzymes in diagnostics. This novel approach to pathogenic microorganism detection has also great potential for clinical diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanzhao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Marine College, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Yuefeng Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Marine College, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Xiu-Qing Li
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 4Z7, Canada; Nutra Health Products and Technologies Inc., Fredericton NB E3B 6J5, Canada
| | - Zhenbo Xiang
- Rizhao Science and Technology Innovation Service Center, 369 Jining Road, Rizhao, Shandong, China
| | - Yi Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Marine College, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Peng Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Corrosion and Bio-fouling Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
| | - Zhiqing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Marine College, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; Rizhao Science and Technology Innovation Service Center, 369 Jining Road, Rizhao, Shandong, China.
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22
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Bendixen L, Jensen TI, Bak RO. CRISPR-Cas-mediated transcriptional modulation: The therapeutic promises of CRISPRa and CRISPRi. Mol Ther 2023; 31:1920-1937. [PMID: 36964659 PMCID: PMC10362391 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR-Cas system is commonly known for its ability to cleave DNA in a programmable manner, which has democratized gene editing and facilitated recent breakthroughs in gene therapy. However, newer iterations of the technology using nuclease-disabled Cas enzymes have spurred a variety of different types of genetic engineering platforms such as transcriptional modulation using the CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) systems. This review introduces the creation of these programmable transcriptional modulators, various methods of delivery utilized for these systems, and recent technological developments. CRISPRa and CRISPRi have also been implemented in genetic screens for interrogating gene function and discovering genes involved in various biological pathways. We describe recent compelling examples of how these tools have become powerful means to unravel genetic networks and uncovering important information about devastating diseases. Finally, we provide an overview of preclinical studies in which transcriptional modulation has been used therapeutically, and we discuss potential future directions of these novel modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Bendixen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Trine I Jensen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Rasmus O Bak
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
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23
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Huang Z, Lyon CJ, Wang J, Lu S, Hu TY. CRISPR Assays for Disease Diagnosis: Progress to and Barriers Remaining for Clinical Applications. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2301697. [PMID: 37162202 PMCID: PMC10369298 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202301697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Numerous groups have employed the special properties of CRISPR/Cas systems to develop platforms that have broad potential applications for sensitive and specific detection of nucleic acid (NA) targets. However, few of these approaches have progressed to commercial or clinical applications. This review summarizes the properties of known CRISPR/Cas systems and their applications, challenges associated with the development of such assays, and opportunities to improve their performance or address unmet assay needs using nano-/micro-technology platforms. These include rapid and efficient sample preparation, integrated single-tube, amplification-free, quantifiable, multiplex, and non-NA assays. Finally, this review discusses the current outlook for such assays, including remaining barriers for clinical or point-of-care applications and their commercial development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Huang
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious DiseasesShenzhen Third People's HospitalSouthern University of Science and Technology29 Bulan RoadShenzhenGuangdong518112China
- Center for Cellular and Molecular DiagnosticsTulane University School of Medicine1430 Tulane AveNew OrleansLA70112USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyTulane University School of Medicine1430 Tulane AveNew OrleansLA70112USA
| | - Christopher J. Lyon
- Center for Cellular and Molecular DiagnosticsTulane University School of Medicine1430 Tulane AveNew OrleansLA70112USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyTulane University School of Medicine1430 Tulane AveNew OrleansLA70112USA
| | - Jin Wang
- Tolo Biotechnology Company Limited333 Guiping RoadShanghai200233China
| | - Shuihua Lu
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious DiseasesShenzhen Third People's HospitalSouthern University of Science and Technology29 Bulan RoadShenzhenGuangdong518112China
| | - Tony Y. Hu
- Center for Cellular and Molecular DiagnosticsTulane University School of Medicine1430 Tulane AveNew OrleansLA70112USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyTulane University School of Medicine1430 Tulane AveNew OrleansLA70112USA
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24
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Abstract
DNA-editing enzymes perform chemical reactions on DNA nucleobases. These reactions can change the genetic identity of the modified base or modulate gene expression. Interest in DNA-editing enzymes has burgeoned in recent years due to the advent of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat-associated (CRISPR-Cas) systems, which can be used to direct their DNA-editing activity to specific genomic loci of interest. In this review, we showcase DNA-editing enzymes that have been repurposed or redesigned and developed into programmable base editors. These include deaminases, glycosylases, methyltransferases, and demethylases. We highlight the astounding degree to which these enzymes have been redesigned, evolved, and refined and present these collective engineering efforts as a paragon for future efforts to repurpose and engineer other families of enzymes. Collectively, base editors derived from these DNA-editing enzymes facilitate programmable point mutation introduction and gene expression modulation by targeted chemical modification of nucleobases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kartik L Rallapalli
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA;
| | - Alexis C Komor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA;
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25
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Liang Y, Chen F, Wang K, Lai L. Base editors: development and applications in biomedicine. Front Med 2023; 17:359-387. [PMID: 37434066 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-023-1013-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Base editor (BE) is a gene-editing tool developed by combining the CRISPR/Cas system with an individual deaminase, enabling precise single-base substitution in DNA or RNA without generating a DNA double-strand break (DSB) or requiring donor DNA templates in living cells. Base editors offer more precise and secure genome-editing effects than other conventional artificial nuclease systems, such as CRISPR/Cas9, as the DSB induced by Cas9 will cause severe damage to the genome. Thus, base editors have important applications in the field of biomedicine, including gene function investigation, directed protein evolution, genetic lineage tracing, disease modeling, and gene therapy. Since the development of the two main base editors, cytosine base editors (CBEs) and adenine base editors (ABEs), scientists have developed more than 100 optimized base editors with improved editing efficiency, precision, specificity, targeting scope, and capacity to be delivered in vivo, greatly enhancing their application potential in biomedicine. Here, we review the recent development of base editors, summarize their applications in the biomedical field, and discuss future perspectives and challenges for therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhui Liang
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory on Biomedicine and Health, CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Research Unit of Generation of Large Animal Disease Models, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU015), Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Sanya Institute of Swine Resource, Hainan Provincial Research Centre of Laboratory Animals, Sanya, 572000, China
| | - Fangbing Chen
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory on Biomedicine and Health, CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Research Unit of Generation of Large Animal Disease Models, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU015), Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Sanya Institute of Swine Resource, Hainan Provincial Research Centre of Laboratory Animals, Sanya, 572000, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, 529020, China
| | - Kepin Wang
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory on Biomedicine and Health, CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Research Unit of Generation of Large Animal Disease Models, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU015), Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Sanya Institute of Swine Resource, Hainan Provincial Research Centre of Laboratory Animals, Sanya, 572000, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, 529020, China
| | - Liangxue Lai
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory on Biomedicine and Health, CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- Research Unit of Generation of Large Animal Disease Models, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU015), Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- Sanya Institute of Swine Resource, Hainan Provincial Research Centre of Laboratory Animals, Sanya, 572000, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, 529020, China.
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26
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Chen K, Dai L, Zhao J, Deng M, Song L, Bai D, Wu Y, Zhou X, Yang Y, Yang S, Zhao L, Chen X, Xie G, Li J. Temperature-boosted PAM-less activation of CRISPR-Cas12a combined with selective inhibitors enhances detection of SNVs with VAFs below 0.01. Talanta 2023; 261:124674. [PMID: 37201341 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.124674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The precise identification of rare single nucleotide variations (SNVs) concomitant with excess wild-type DNA is a valuable method for minimally invasive disease diagnosis and early prediction of drug responsiveness. Selective enrichment of mutant variants via strand displacement reaction offers an ideal approach of SNVs analysis but fails to differentiate wildtype from mutants with variant allele fraction (VAF) < 0.01%. Here, we demonstrate that integration of PAM-less CRISPR-Cas12a and adjacent mutation-enhanced inhibition of wild-type alleles enables highly sensitive measurement of SNVs well below the 0.01% VAF threshold. Raising the reaction temperature to the upper limit of LbaCas12a helps to boost PAM-less activation of collateral DNase activity, which can be further enhanced using PCR additives, leading to ideal discriminative performance for single point mutations. Along with selective inhibitors bearing additional adjacent mutation, it allowed detection of model EGFR L858R mutants down to 0.001% with high sensitivity and specificity. Preliminary investigation on adulterated genomic samples prepared in two different ways also suggests that it can accurately measure ultralow-abundance SNVs extracted directly from clinical samples. We believe that our design, which combines the superior SNV enrichment capability of strand displacement reaction and unparalleled programmability of CRISPR-Cas12a, has the potential to significantly advance current SNV profiling technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kena Chen
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Ling Dai
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Jie Zhao
- The Center for Clinical Molecular Medical Detection, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Mengjun Deng
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Lin Song
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Dan Bai
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - You Wu
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Xi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Yujun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Shuangshuang Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Lin Zhao
- The Department of Emergency & Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China
| | - Xueping Chen
- The Center for Clinical Molecular Medical Detection, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China.
| | - Guoming Xie
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China.
| | - Junjie Li
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (Chinese Ministry of Education), College of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical Laboratory Microfluidics and SPRi Engineering Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China.
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27
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Wang X, Jin W, Yang Y, Ma H, Liu H, Lei J, Wu Y, Zhang L. CRISPR/Cas12a-mediated Enzymatic recombinase amplification for rapid visual quantitative authentication of halal food. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1255:341144. [PMID: 37032058 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Economically motivated adulteration (EMA) has become a concern in food safety. We propose a CRISPR/Cas12a Mediated Enzymatic Recombinase Amplification detection system (CAMERA) that integrates Enzymatic Recombinase Amplification (ERA) and Cas12a cleavage to detect halal food adulteration. We designed and screened crRNA targeting CLEC, a porcine-specific nuclear single-copy gene, and optimized the reagent concentrations and incubation times for the ERA and Cas12a cleavage steps. CAMERA was highly specific for pork ingredients detection. The DNA concentration and fluorescence signal intensity relationship was linear at DNA concentrations of 20-0.032 ng/μL. CAMERA detected as few as two CLEC copies and quantified samples with porcine DNA content as low as 5% within 25 min. The system could be operated in a miniaturized working mode that requires no technical expertise or professional equipment, making CAMERA a valuable tool in resource-limited areas for the qualitative and quantitative detection of pork ingredients in halal food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Wang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Wenyu Jin
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Yao Yang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, 430074, China; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms Traceability of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Huizi Ma
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Honghong Liu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Jiawen Lei
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Yuhua Wu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms Traceability of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Science, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, 430074, China.
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Jiao J, Liu Y, Yang M, Zheng J, Liu C, Ye W, Song S, Bai T, Song C, Wang M, Shi J, Wan R, Zhang K, Hao P, Feng J, Zheng X. The engineered CRISPR-Mb2Cas12a variant enables sensitive and fast nucleic acid-based pathogens diagnostics in the field. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023. [PMID: 37069831 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Existing CRISPR/Cas12a-based diagnostic platforms offer accurate and vigorous monitoring of nucleic acid targets, but have the potential to be further optimized for more efficient detection. Here, we profiled 16 Cas12a orthologs, focusing on their trans-cleavage activity and their potential as diagnostic enzymes. We observed the Mb2Cas12a has more robust trans-cleavage activity than other orthologs, especially at lower temperatures. An engineered Mb2Cas12a-RRVRR variant presented robust trans-cleavage activity and looser PAM constraints. Moreover, we found the existing one-pot assay, which simultaneously performed Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) and Cas12a reaction in one system, resulted in the loss of single-base discrimination during diagnosis. Therefore, we designed a reaction vessel that physically separated the RPA and Cas12a steps while maintaining a closed system. This isolated but closed system made diagnostics more sensitive and specific and effectively prevented contamination. This shelved Mb2Cas12a-RRVRR variant-mediated assay detected various targets in less than 15 min and exhibited equal or greater sensitivity than qPCR when detecting bacterial pathogens, plant RNA viruses and genetically modified crops. Overall, our findings further improved the efficiency of the current CRISPR-based diagnostic system and undoubtedly have great potential for highly sensitive and specific detection of multiple sample types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Jiao
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Fruit and Cucurbit Biology, Zhengzhou, China
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Yiqi Liu
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Mengli Yang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jingcheng Zheng
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chonghuai Liu
- Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wenxiu Ye
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences at Weifang, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Shangwei Song
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Tuanhui Bai
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chunhui Song
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Miaomiao Wang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jiangli Shi
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ran Wan
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Kunxi Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Pengbo Hao
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jiancan Feng
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xianbo Zheng
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
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Wang S, Li H, Dong K, Shu W, Zhang J, Zhang J, Zhao R, Wei S, Feng D, Xiao X, Zhang W. A universal and specific RNA biosensor via DNA circuit-mediated PAM-independent CRISPR/Cas12a and PolyA-rolling circle amplification. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 226:115139. [PMID: 36774734 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Point of care testing (POCT) has important clinical significance for the diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of diseases. At present, the biosensor based on CRISPR/Cas12a has become a powerful diagnostic tool due to its high sensitivity. However, CRISPR/Cas12a requires PAM sequence to recognize target double strand and only can recognize specific sequence, so it is not universal. The current RNA detection techniques either lack consideration for specificity and universality, are expensive and difficult, or both. Therefore, it is crucial to create a CRISPR/Cas12a-based RNA detection system that is easy to use, cheap, specific, and universal in order to further its use in molecular diagnostics. Here, we established a DNA circuit-mediated PAM-independent CRISPR/Cas12a coupled PolyA-rolling circle amplification for RNA detection biosensor, namely DCPRBiosensor. The DCPRBiosensor not only functions as a simple, inexpensive, and highly sensitive RNA detection sensor, but it also boasts innovative specificity and universality features. More importantly, DCPRBiosensor removes the PAM restriction of CRISPR/Cas12a. The DCPRBiosensor's detection limit reached 100 aM and it had a linear relationship between 100 aM and 10 pM. We detected four piRNAs to verify the universality and stability of DCPRBiosensor. Then, we verified that DCPRBiosensor has good discrimination ability for single-base mismatch. Finally, we successfully detected piRNA in DLD-1 and HCT-116 cells and urine mixed samples within 4.5 h. In conclusion, we believe that DCPRBiosensor will have a substantial impact on both the development of CRISPR/as12a's applications and the investigation of the clinical value of piRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sidan Wang
- Queen Mary School, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Haojia Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430000, China
| | - Kejun Dong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430000, China
| | - Wan Shu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430000, China
| | - Jiarui Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430000, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430000, China
| | - Rong Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430000, China
| | - Sitian Wei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430000, China
| | - Dilu Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430000, China.
| | - Xianjin Xiao
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430000, China.
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Fast and visual detection of nucleic acids using a one-step RPA-CRISPR detection (ORCD) system unrestricted by the PAM. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1248:340938. [PMID: 36813457 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.340938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas12a (Cpf1) is widely used for pathogen detection. However, most Cas12a nucleic acid detection methods are limited by a PAM sequence requirement. Moreover, preamplification and Cas12a cleavage are separate. Here, we developed a one-step RPA-CRISPR detection (ORCD) system unrestricted by the PAM sequence with high sensitivity and specificity that offers one-tube, rapid, and visually observable detection of nucleic acids. In this system, Cas12a detection and RPA amplification are performed simultaneously, without separate preamplification and product transfer steps, and 0.2 copies/μL of DNA and 0.4 copies/μL of RNA can be detected. In the ORCD system, the activity of Cas12a is the key to the nucleic acid detection; specifically, reducing Cas12a activity increases the sensitivity of ORCD assay detection of the PAM target. Furthermore, by combining this detection technique with a nucleic acid extraction-free method, our ORCD system can be used to extract, amplify and detect samples within 30 min, as verified with tests of 82 Bordetella pertussis clinical samples with a sensitivity and specificity of 97.30% and 100% compared with PCR. We also tested 13 SARS-CoV-2 samples with RT-ORCD, and the results were consistent with RT-PCR.
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Adeyinka OS, Tabassum B, Koloko BL, Ogungbe IV. Enhancing the quality of staple food crops through CRISPR/Cas-mediated site-directed mutagenesis. PLANTA 2023; 257:78. [PMID: 36913066 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04110-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The enhancement of CRISPR-Cas gene editing with robust nuclease activity promotes genetic modification of desirable agronomic traits, such as resistance to pathogens, drought tolerance, nutritional value, and yield-related traits in crops. The genetic diversity of food crops has reduced tremendously over the past twelve millennia due to plant domestication. This reduction presents significant challenges for the future especially considering the risks posed by global climate change to food production. While crops with improved phenotypes have been generated through crossbreeding, mutation breeding, and transgenic breeding over the years, improving phenotypic traits through precise genetic diversification has been challenging. The challenges are broadly associated with the randomness of genetic recombination and conventional mutagenesis. This review highlights how emerging gene-editing technologies reduce the burden and time necessary for developing desired traits in plants. Our focus is to provide readers with an overview of the advances in CRISPR-Cas-based genome editing for crop improvement. The use of CRISPR-Cas systems in generating genetic diversity to enhance the quality and nutritional value of staple food crops is discussed. We also outlined recent applications of CRISPR-Cas in developing pest-resistant crops and removing unwanted traits, such as allergenicity from crops. Genome editing tools continue to evolve and present unprecedented opportunities to enhance crop germplasm via precise mutations at the desired loci of the plant genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olawale Samuel Adeyinka
- Department of Chemistry, Physics and Atmospheric Sciences Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA.
| | - Bushra Tabassum
- School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Ifedayo Victor Ogungbe
- Department of Chemistry, Physics and Atmospheric Sciences Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA
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Li ZH, Wang J, Xu JP, Wang J, Yang X. Recent advances in CRISPR-based genome editing technology and its applications in cardiovascular research. Mil Med Res 2023; 10:12. [PMID: 36895064 PMCID: PMC9999643 DOI: 10.1186/s40779-023-00447-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of genome editing technology has brought major breakthroughs in the fields of life science and medicine. In recent years, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based genome editing toolbox has been greatly expanded, not only with emerging CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) nucleases, but also novel applications through combination with diverse effectors. Recently, transposon-associated programmable RNA-guided genome editing systems have been uncovered, adding myriads of potential new tools to the genome editing toolbox. CRISPR-based genome editing technology has also revolutionized cardiovascular research. Here we first summarize the advances involving newly identified Cas orthologs, engineered variants and novel genome editing systems, and then discuss the applications of the CRISPR-Cas systems in precise genome editing, such as base editing and prime editing. We also highlight recent progress in cardiovascular research using CRISPR-based genome editing technologies, including the generation of genetically modified in vitro and animal models of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) as well as the applications in treating different types of CVD. Finally, the current limitations and future prospects of genome editing technologies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Hua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Jun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Jing-Ping Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, 100071, China.,Yaneng BIOScience (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, 518102, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, 100071, China.
| | - Xiao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, 100071, China.
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33
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Aggarwal N, Liang Y, Foo JL, Ling H, Hwang IY, Chang MW. FELICX: A robust nucleic acid detection method using flap endonuclease and CRISPR-Cas12. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 222:115002. [PMID: 36527830 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.115002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Nucleic acid detection is crucial for monitoring diseases for which rapid, sensitive, and easy-to-deploy diagnostic tools are needed. CRISPR-based technologies can potentially fulfill this need for nucleic acid detection. However, their widespread use has been restricted by the requirement of a protospacer adjacent motif in the target and extensive guide RNA optimization. In this study, we developed FELICX, a technique that can overcome these limitations and provide a useful alternative to existing technologies. FELICX comprises flap endonuclease, Taq ligase and CRISPR-Cas for diagnostics (X) and can be used for detecting nucleic acids and single-nucleotide polymorphisms. This method can be deployed as a point-of-care test, as only two temperatures are needed without thermocycling for its functionality, with the result generated on lateral flow strips. As a proof-of-concept, we showed that up to 0.6 copies/μL of DNA and RNA could be detected by FELICX in 60 min and 90 min, respectively, using simulated samples. Additionally, FELICX could be used to probe any base pair, unlike other CRISPR-based technologies. Finally, we demonstrated the versatility of FELICX by employing it for virus detection in infected human cells, the identification of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and cancer diagnostics using simulated samples. Based on its unique advantages, we envision the use of FELICX as a next-generation CRISPR-based technology in nucleic acid diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Aggarwal
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore; Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yuanmei Liang
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore; Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jee Loon Foo
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore; Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hua Ling
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore; Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - In Young Hwang
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore; Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Matthew Wook Chang
- NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore; Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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Ansari AH, Kumar M, Sarkar S, Maiti S, Chakraborty D. CriSNPr, a single interface for the curated and de novo design of gRNAs for CRISPR diagnostics using diverse Cas systems. eLife 2023; 12:e77976. [PMID: 36752591 PMCID: PMC9940907 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-based diagnostics (CRISPRDx) have improved clinical decision-making, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, by detecting nucleic acids and identifying variants. This has been accelerated by the discovery of new and engineered CRISPR effectors, which have expanded the portfolio of diagnostic applications to include a broad range of pathogenic and non-pathogenic conditions. However, each diagnostic CRISPR pipeline necessitates customized detection schemes based on the fundamental principles of the Cas protein used, its guide RNA (gRNA) design parameters, and the assay readout. This is especially relevant for variant detection, a low-cost alternative to sequencing-based approaches for which no in silico pipeline for the ready-to-use design of CRISPRDx currently exists. In this manuscript, we fill this lacuna using a unified web server, CriSNPr (CRISPR-based SNP recognition), which provides the user with the opportunity to de novo design gRNAs based on six CRISPRDx proteins of choice (Fn/enFnCas9, LwCas13a, LbCas12a, AaCas12b, and Cas14a) and query for ready-to-use oligonucleotide sequences for validation on relevant samples. Furthermore, we provide a database of curated pre-designed gRNAs as well as target/off-target for all human and SARS-CoV-2 variants reported thus far. CriSNPr has been validated on multiple Cas proteins, demonstrating its broad and immediate applicability across multiple detection platforms. CriSNPr can be found at http://crisnpr.igib.res.in/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asgar H Ansari
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics & Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR)GhaziabadIndia
| | - Manoj Kumar
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics & Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR)GhaziabadIndia
| | - Sajal Sarkar
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics & Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR)GhaziabadIndia
| | - Souvik Maiti
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics & Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR)GhaziabadIndia
| | - Debojyoti Chakraborty
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics & Integrative BiologyNew DelhiIndia
- Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR)GhaziabadIndia
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35
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Khan S, Sallard E. Current and Prospective Applications of CRISPR-Cas12a in Pluricellular Organisms. Mol Biotechnol 2023; 65:196-205. [PMID: 35939208 PMCID: PMC9841005 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-022-00538-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems play a critical role in the prokaryotic adaptive immunity against mobile genetic elements, such as phages and foreign plasmids. In the last decade, Cas9 has been established as a powerful and versatile gene editing tool. In its wake, the novel RNA-guided endonuclease system CRISPR-Cas12a is transforming biological research due to its unique properties, such as its high specificity or its ability to target T-rich motifs, to induce staggered double-strand breaks and to process RNA arrays. Meanwhile, there is an increasing need for efficient and safe gene activation, repression or editing in pluricellular organisms for crop improvement, gene therapy, research model development, and other goals. In this article, we review CRISPR-Cas12a applications in pluricellular organisms and discuss how the challenges characteristic of these complex models, such as vectorization or temperature variations in ectothermic species, can be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaheen Khan
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy ,Division of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University and Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Erwan Sallard
- Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Health, Institute for Virology and Microbiology, Witten/Herdecke University, 58453 Witten, Germany
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Ma E, Chen K, Shi H, Stahl EC, Adler B, Trinidad M, Liu J, Zhou K, Ye J, Doudna J. Improved genome editing by an engineered CRISPR-Cas12a. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:12689-12701. [PMID: 36537251 PMCID: PMC9825149 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas12a is an RNA-guided, programmable genome editing enzyme found within bacterial adaptive immune pathways. Unlike CRISPR-Cas9, Cas12a uses only a single catalytic site to both cleave target double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) (cis-activity) and indiscriminately degrade single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) (trans-activity). To investigate how the relative potency of cis- versus trans-DNase activity affects Cas12a-mediated genome editing, we first used structure-guided engineering to generate variants of Lachnospiraceae bacterium Cas12a that selectively disrupt trans-activity. The resulting engineered mutant with the biggest differential between cis- and trans-DNase activity in vitro showed minimal genome editing activity in human cells, motivating a second set of experiments using directed evolution to generate additional mutants with robust genome editing activity. Notably, these engineered and evolved mutants had enhanced ability to induce homology-directed repair (HDR) editing by 2-18-fold compared to wild-type Cas12a when using HDR donors containing mismatches with crRNA at the PAM-distal region. Finally, a site-specific reversion mutation produced improved Cas12a (iCas12a) variants with superior genome editing efficiency at genomic sites that are difficult to edit using wild-type Cas12a. This strategy establishes a pipeline for creating improved genome editing tools by combining structural insights with randomization and selection. The available structures of other CRISPR-Cas enzymes will enable this strategy to be applied to improve the efficacy of other genome-editing proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enbo Ma
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kai Chen
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Honglue Shi
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Elizabeth C Stahl
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ben Adler
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Marena Trinidad
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Junjie Liu
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kaihong Zhou
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jinjuan Ye
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jennifer A Doudna
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94114, USA
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37
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Biochemical characterization of the two novel mgCas12a proteins from the human gut metagenome. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20857. [PMID: 36460704 PMCID: PMC9718762 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25227-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 and Cas12a belonging to the Class II CRISPR system are characterized by a single-component effector protein. Despite unique features of Cas12a like DNA cleavage with 5' staggered ends and a single crRNA, Cas12a has not been adopted in biotechnological applications to the similar extent as Cas9. To better understand the CRISPR/Cas12 systems, we selected two candidates, designated mgCas12a-1 and mgCas12a-2, from an analysis of the human microbiome metagenome (mg) and provided biochemical characterization. These new Cas12a proteins shared about 37% identity in amino acid sequences and shared the same direct repeat sequences in the crRNA with FnCas12a from Francisella novicida. The purification yield of the recombinant proteins was up to 3.6-fold greater than that of FnCas12a. In cell-free DNA cleavage assays, both mgCas12a proteins showed the higher cleavage efficiencies when Mn2+ was provided with KCl (< 100 mM) than tested other divalent ions. They were able to tolerate ranges of pH points and temperature, and showed the highest cleavage efficiencies at pH 8.0 and 50 °C. In addition, mgCas12a proteins showed 51% less crRNA-independent and 56% less crRNA-dependent non-specific nuclease activity upon prolonged incubation than did FnCas12a. Considering their greater yield in protein preparation and reduced non-specific nuclease activity, our findings may expedite the use of Cas12a especially when genome editing needs to be practiced with the form of ribonucleoproteins.
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CRISPR-Based Tools for Fighting Rare Diseases. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12121968. [PMID: 36556333 PMCID: PMC9787644 DOI: 10.3390/life12121968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Rare diseases affect the life of a tremendous number of people globally. The CRISPR-Cas system emerged as a powerful genome engineering tool and has facilitated the comprehension of the mechanism and development of therapies for rare diseases. This review focuses on current efforts to develop the CRISPR-based toolbox for various rare disease therapy applications and compares the pros and cons of different tools and delivery methods. We further discuss the therapeutic applications of CRISPR-based tools for fighting different rare diseases.
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Misiurina MA, Chirinskaite AV, Fotina AS, Zelinsky AA, Sopova JV, Leonova EI. New PAM Improves the Single-Base Specificity of crRNA-Guided LbCas12a Nuclease. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12111927. [PMID: 36431062 PMCID: PMC9698171 DOI: 10.3390/life12111927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The RNA-guided Cas12a nuclease forms a complex with a CRISPR RNA (crRNA) to cleave the double-stranded DNA target. Among others, Cas12a protein from Lachnospiraceae bacterium (LbCas12a) is widely used for biomedical research. For target recognition, LbCas12a requires a specific nucleotide sequence, named a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM). Besides the canonical TTTV PAM, LbCas12a can recognize other suboptimal PAMs. We examined a novel TTAA PAM for the LbCas12a nuclease and found that the specificity of cleavage was increased. We found that single nucleotide substitutions at all positions of the guide RNA except the 20th position blocked the cleavage of the target DNA. The type of nucleotide substitutions (U-A, U-C or U-G) did not affect the efficiency of cleavage in the 20th position. When we used the canonical PAM under the same conditions, we observed the cleavage of target DNA by LbCas12a in many positions, showing less specificity in given conditions. The efficiency and specificity of the LbCas12a nuclease were evaluated both by gel-electrophoresis and using FAM-labeled single-stranded probes. We were able to assess the change in fluorescence intensity only for several variants of guide RNAs. High specificity allows us to type single nucleotide substitutions and small deletions/insertions (1-2 nucleotides) and look for target mutations when knocking out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia A. Misiurina
- Center of Transgenesis and Genome Editing, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaja Emb., 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Angelina V. Chirinskaite
- Center of Transgenesis and Genome Editing, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaja Emb., 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Aleksandra S. Fotina
- Center of Transgenesis and Genome Editing, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaja Emb., 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Andrey A. Zelinsky
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaja Emb., 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Julia V. Sopova
- Center of Transgenesis and Genome Editing, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaja Emb., 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Laboratory of Amyloid Biology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaja Emb., 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elena I. Leonova
- Center of Transgenesis and Genome Editing, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaja Emb., 7/9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence:
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40
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Multiplexed base editing through Cas12a variant-mediated cytosine and adenine base editors. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1163. [PMID: 36323848 PMCID: PMC9630288 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04152-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cas12a can process multiple sgRNAs from a single transcript of CRISPR array, conferring advantages in multiplexed base editing when incorporated into base editor systems, which is extremely helpful given that phenotypes commonly involve multiple genes or single-nucleotide variants. However, multiplexed base editing through Cas12a-derived base editors has been barely reported, mainly due to the compromised efficiencies and restricted protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) of TTTV for wild-type Cas12a. Here, we develop Cas12a-mediated cytosine base editor (CBE) and adenine base editor (ABE) systems with elevated efficiencies and expanded targeting scope, by combining highly active deaminases with Lachnospiraceae bacterium Cas12a (LbCas12a) variants. We confirm that these CBEs and ABEs can perform efficient C-to-T and A-to-G conversions, respectively, on targets with PAMs of NTTN, TYCN, and TRTN. Notably, multiplexed base editing can be conducted using the developed CBEs and ABEs in somatic cells and embryos. These Cas12a variant-mediated base editors will serve as versatile tools for multiplexed point mutation, which is notably important in genetic improvement, disease modeling, and gene therapy.
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Schüller A, Studt-Reinhold L, Strauss J. How to Completely Squeeze a Fungus-Advanced Genome Mining Tools for Novel Bioactive Substances. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1837. [PMID: 36145585 PMCID: PMC9505985 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal species have the capability of producing an overwhelming diversity of bioactive substances that can have beneficial but also detrimental effects on human health. These so-called secondary metabolites naturally serve as antimicrobial "weapon systems", signaling molecules or developmental effectors for fungi and hence are produced only under very specific environmental conditions or stages in their life cycle. However, as these complex conditions are difficult or even impossible to mimic in laboratory settings, only a small fraction of the true chemical diversity of fungi is known so far. This also implies that a large space for potentially new pharmaceuticals remains unexplored. We here present an overview on current developments in advanced methods that can be used to explore this chemical space. We focus on genetic and genomic methods, how to detect genes that harbor the blueprints for the production of these compounds (i.e., biosynthetic gene clusters, BGCs), and ways to activate these silent chromosomal regions. We provide an in-depth view of the chromatin-level regulation of BGCs and of the potential to use the CRISPR/Cas technology as an activation tool.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joseph Strauss
- Institute of Microbial Genetics, Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, A-3430 Tulln/Donau, Austria
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Wongpalee SP, Thananchai H, Chewapreecha C, Roslund HB, Chomkatekaew C, Tananupak W, Boonklang P, Pakdeerat S, Seng R, Chantratita N, Takarn P, Khamnoi P. Highly specific and sensitive detection of Burkholderia pseudomallei genomic DNA by CRISPR-Cas12a. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010659. [PMID: 36037185 PMCID: PMC9423629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Detection of Burkholderia pseudomallei, a causative bacterium for melioidosis, remains a challenging undertaking due to long assay time, laboratory requirements, and the lack of specificity and sensitivity of many current assays. In this study, we are presenting a novel method that circumvents those issues by utilizing CRISPR-Cas12a coupled with isothermal amplification to identify B. pseudomallei DNA from clinical isolates. Through in silico search for conserved CRISPR-Cas12a target sites, we engineered the CRISPR-Cas12a to contain a highly specific spacer to B. pseudomallei, named crBP34. The crBP34-based detection assay can detect as few as 40 copies of B. pseudomallei genomic DNA while discriminating against other tested common pathogens. When coupled with a lateral flow dipstick, the assay readout can be simply performed without the loss of sensitivity and does not require expensive equipment. This crBP34-based detection assay provides high sensitivity, specificity and simple detection method for B. pseudomallei DNA. Direct use of this assay on clinical samples may require further optimization as these samples are complexed with high level of human DNA. Melioidosis is a fatal infectious disease caused by a Gram-negative bacterium called Burkholderia pseudomallei. The bacteria can be found in many parts of the world, especially in the tropical and subtropical regions. Infection displays a variety of symptoms such as pneumonia, organ abscess and septicemia. The latter can lead to death within 24–48 hours if not properly diagnosed and treated. Rapid and accurate diagnosis, consequently, are essential for saving patients’ lives. Currently, culturing B. pseudomallei is a gold standard diagnostic method, but the assay turnaround time is 2–4 days, and the result could be of low sensitivity. Other detection methods such as real-time PCR and serological assays are limited by availability of equipment and by low specificity in endemic areas, respectively. For these reasons, in this study we developed a specific, sensitive and rapid detection assay for B. pseudomallei DNA, that is based on CRISPR-Cas12a system. The CRISPR-Cas12a is a protein-RNA complex that recognizes DNA. The RNA can be reprogramed to guide the detection of any DNA of interest, which in our case B. pseudomallei genomic DNA. Our data showed that this assay exhibited a 100% specificity to B. pseudomallei while discriminating against 10 other pathogens and human. The assay can detect B. pseudomallei DNA in less than one hour and does not require sophisticated equipment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somsakul Pop Wongpalee
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- * E-mail:
| | - Hathairat Thananchai
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Claire Chewapreecha
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Henrik B. Roslund
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Chalita Chomkatekaew
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Warunya Tananupak
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Phumrapee Boonklang
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sukritpong Pakdeerat
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rathanin Seng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Narisara Chantratita
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Piyawan Takarn
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Phadungkiat Khamnoi
- Microbiology Unit, Diagnostic Laboratory, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Mighell TL, Nishida A, O'Connell BL, Miller CV, Grindstaff S, Thornton CA, Adey AC, Doherty D, O'Roak BJ. Cas12a-Capture: A Novel, Low-Cost, and Scalable Method for Targeted Sequencing. CRISPR J 2022; 5:548-557. [PMID: 35833801 PMCID: PMC9419982 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2021.0140] [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: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted sequencing remains a valuable technique for clinical and research applications. However, many existing technologies suffer from pervasive guanine-cytosine (GC) sequence content bias, high input DNA requirements, and high cost for custom panels. We have developed Cas12a-Capture, a low-cost and highly scalable method for targeted sequencing. The method utilizes preprogrammed guide RNAs to direct CRISPR-Cas12a cleavage of double-stranded DNA in vitro and then takes advantage of the resulting four to five nucleotide overhangs for selective ligation with a custom sequencing adapter. Addition of a second sequencing adapter and enrichment for ligation products generates a targeted sequence library. We first performed a pilot experiment with 7176 guides targeting 3.5 Mb of DNA. Using these data, we modeled the sequence determinants of Cas12a-Capture efficiency, then designed an optimized set of 11,438 guides targeting 3.0 Mb. The optimized guide set achieves an average 64-fold enrichment of targeted regions with minimal GC bias. Cas12a-Capture variant calls had strong concordance with Illumina Platinum Genome calls, especially for single nucleotide variants, which could be improved by applying basic variant quality heuristics. We believe Cas12a-Capture has a wide variety of potential clinical and research applications and is amendable for selective enrichment for any double-stranded DNA template or genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor L. Mighell
- Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Andrew Nishida
- Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Brendan L. O'Connell
- Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Caitlin V. Miller
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; and Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Sally Grindstaff
- Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Casey A. Thornton
- Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Andrew C. Adey
- Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland, Oregon, USA
- Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Daniel Doherty
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; and Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Brian J. O'Roak
- Department of Molecular & Medical Genetics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland, Oregon, USA
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44
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Luk K, Liu P, Zeng J, Wang Y, Maitland SA, Idrizi F, Ponnienselvan K, Iyer S, Zhu LJ, Luban J, Bauer DE, Wolfe SA. Optimization of Nuclear Localization Signal Composition Improves CRISPR-Cas12a Editing Rates in Human Primary Cells. GEN BIOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 1:271-284. [PMID: 38405215 PMCID: PMC10887433 DOI: 10.1089/genbio.2022.0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Type V CRISPR-Cas12a systems are an attractive Cas9-alternative nuclease platform for specific genome editing applications. However, previous studies demonstrate that there is a gap in overall activity between Cas12a and Cas9 in primary cells.1 Here we describe optimization to the NLS composition and architecture of Cas12a to facilitate highly efficient targeted mutagenesis in human transformed cell lines (HEK293T, Jurkat, and K562 cells) and primary cells (NK cells and CD34+ HSPCs), regardless of Cas12a ortholog. Our 3xNLS Cas12a architecture resulted in the most robust editing platform. The improved editing activity of Cas12a in both NK cells and CD34+ HSPCs resulted in pronounced phenotypic changes associated with target gene editing. Lastly, we demonstrated that optimization of the NLS composition and architecture of Cas12a did not increase editing at potential off-target sites in HEK293T or CD34+ HSPCs. Our new Cas12a NLS variant provides an improved nuclease platform for therapeutic genome editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Luk
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Pengpeng Liu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Jing Zeng
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yetao Wang
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research on Immune-Mediated Skin Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs, Institute of Dermatology, Beijing, Beijing, CN
| | - Stacy A. Maitland
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Feston Idrizi
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Karthikeyan Ponnienselvan
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Sukanya Iyer
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Lihua Julie Zhu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Jeremy Luban
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Daniel E. Bauer
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Scot A. Wolfe
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
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Mattiello L, Rütgers M, Sua-Rojas MF, Tavares R, Soares JS, Begcy K, Menossi M. Molecular and Computational Strategies to Increase the Efficiency of CRISPR-Based Techniques. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:868027. [PMID: 35712599 PMCID: PMC9194676 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.868027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The prokaryote-derived Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas mediated gene editing tools have revolutionized our ability to precisely manipulate specific genome sequences in plants and animals. The simplicity, precision, affordability, and robustness of this technology have allowed a myriad of genomes from a diverse group of plant species to be successfully edited. Even though CRISPR/Cas, base editing, and prime editing technologies have been rapidly adopted and implemented in plants, their editing efficiency rate and specificity varies greatly. In this review, we provide a critical overview of the recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9-derived technologies and their implications on enhancing editing efficiency. We highlight the major efforts of engineering Cas9, Cas12a, Cas12b, and Cas12f proteins aiming to improve their efficiencies. We also provide a perspective on the global future of agriculturally based products using DNA-free CRISPR/Cas techniques. The improvement of CRISPR-based technologies efficiency will enable the implementation of genome editing tools in a variety of crop plants, as well as accelerate progress in basic research and molecular breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Mattiello
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Mark Rütgers
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Maria Fernanda Sua-Rojas
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Rafael Tavares
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - José Sérgio Soares
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Kevin Begcy
- Environmental Horticulture Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Marcelo Menossi
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
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46
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Hamdan MF, Mohd Noor SN, Abd-Aziz N, Pua TL, Tan BC. Green Revolution to Gene Revolution: Technological Advances in Agriculture to Feed the World. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:1297. [PMID: 35631721 PMCID: PMC9146367 DOI: 10.3390/plants11101297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Technological applications in agriculture have evolved substantially to increase crop yields and quality to meet global food demand. Conventional techniques, such as seed saving, selective breeding, and mutation breeding (variation breeding), have dramatically increased crop production, especially during the 'Green Revolution' in the 1990s. However, newer issues, such as limited arable lands, climate change, and ever-increasing food demand, pose challenges to agricultural production and threaten food security. In the following 'Gene Revolution' era, rapid innovations in the biotechnology field provide alternative strategies to further improve crop yield, quality, and resilience towards biotic and abiotic stresses. These innovations include the introduction of DNA recombinant technology and applications of genome editing techniques, such as transcription activator-like effector (TALEN), zinc-finger nucleases (ZFN), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associated (CRISPR/Cas) systems. However, the acceptance and future of these modern tools rely on the regulatory frameworks governing their development and production in various countries. Herein, we examine the evolution of technological applications in agriculture, focusing on the motivations for their introduction, technical challenges, possible benefits and concerns, and regulatory frameworks governing genetically engineered product development and production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Fadhli Hamdan
- Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia;
| | - Siti Nurfadhlina Mohd Noor
- Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (IMEN), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia;
| | - Nazrin Abd-Aziz
- Innovation Centre in Agritechnology for Advanced Bioprocessing (ICA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Pagoh 84600, Malaysia;
| | - Teen-Lee Pua
- Topplant Laboratories Sdn. Bhd., Jalan Ulu Beranang, Negeri Sembilan 71750, Malaysia;
| | - Boon Chin Tan
- Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia;
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Shin J, Miller M, Wang YC. Recent advances in CRISPR-based systems for the detection of foodborne pathogens. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2022; 21:3010-3029. [PMID: 35483732 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
There has long been a need for more advanced forms of pathogen detection in the food industry. Though in its infancy, biosensing based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) has the potential to solve many problems that cannot be addressed using conventional methods. In this review, we briefly introduce and classify the various CRISPR/Cas protein effectors that have thus far been used in biosensors. We then assess the current state of CRISPR technology in food-safety contexts; describe how each Cas effector is utilized in foodborne-pathogen detection; and discuss the limitations of the current technology, as well as how it might usefully be applied in other areas of the food industry. We conclude that, if the limitations of existing CRISPR/Cas-based detection methods are overcome, they can be deployed on a wide scale and produce a range of positive food-safety outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyong Shin
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Michael Miller
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Yi-Cheng Wang
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Center for Digital Agriculture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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48
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Huang H, Huang G, Tan Z, Hu Y, Shan L, Zhou J, Zhang X, Ma S, Lv W, Huang T, Liu Y, Wang D, Zhao X, Lin Y, Rong Z. Engineered Cas12a-Plus nuclease enables gene editing with enhanced activity and specificity. BMC Biol 2022; 20:91. [PMID: 35468792 PMCID: PMC9040236 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01296-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The CRISPR-Cas12a (formerly Cpf1) system is a versatile gene-editing tool with properties distinct from the broadly used Cas9 system. Features such as recognition of T-rich protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) and generation of sticky breaks, as well as amenability for multiplex editing in a single crRNA and lower off-target nuclease activity, broaden the targeting scope of available tools and enable more accurate genome editing. However, the widespread use of the nuclease for gene editing, especially in clinical applications, is hindered by insufficient activity and specificity despite previous efforts to improve the system. Currently reported Cas12a variants achieve high activity with a compromise of specificity. Here, we used structure-guided protein engineering to improve both editing efficiency and targeting accuracy of Acidaminococcus sp. Cas12a (AsCas12a) and Lachnospiraceae bacterium Cas12a (LbCas12a). Results We created new AsCas12a variant termed “AsCas12a-Plus” with increased activity (1.5~2.0-fold improvement) and specificity (reducing off-targets from 29 to 23 and specificity index increased from 92% to 94% with 33 sgRNAs), and this property was retained in multiplex editing and transcriptional activation. When used to disrupt the oncogenic BRAFV600E mutant, AsCas12a-Plus showed less off-target activity while maintaining comparable editing efficiency and BRAFV600E cancer cell killing. By introducing the corresponding substitutions into LbCas12a, we also generated LbCas12a-Plus (activity improved ~1.1-fold and off-targets decreased from 20 to 12 while specificity index increased from 78% to 89% with 15 sgRNAs), suggesting this strategy may be generally applicable across Cas12a orthologs. We compared Cas12a-Plus, other variants described in this study, and the reported enCas12a-HF, enCas12a, and Cas12a-ultra, and found that Cas12a-Plus outperformed other variants with a good balance for enhanced activity and improved specificity. Conclusions Our discoveries provide alternative AsCas12a and LbCas12a variants with high specificity and activity, which expand the gene-editing toolbox and can be more suitable for clinical applications. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01296-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxin Huang
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510091, China
| | - Guanjie Huang
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Disease, Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research (Ministry of Education), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Zhihong Tan
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Disease, Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research (Ministry of Education), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yongfei Hu
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510091, China.,Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Lin Shan
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Disease, Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research (Ministry of Education), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Jiajian Zhou
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510091, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Disease, Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research (Ministry of Education), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Shufeng Ma
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Disease, Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research (Ministry of Education), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Weiqi Lv
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510091, China
| | - Tao Huang
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510091, China.,Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Disease, Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research (Ministry of Education), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yuchen Liu
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Disease, Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research (Ministry of Education), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510091, China.,Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Xiaoyang Zhao
- Department of Development, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Lin
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Disease, Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research (Ministry of Education), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China. .,Experimental Education/Administration Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
| | - Zhili Rong
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510091, China. .,Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Disease, Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research (Ministry of Education), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China. .,Experimental Education/Administration Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
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49
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Jiao J, Yang M, Zhang T, Zhang Y, Yang M, Li M, Liu C, Song S, Bai T, Song C, Wang M, Pang H, Feng J, Zheng X. A sensitive visual method for onsite detection of quarantine pathogenic bacteria from horticultural crops using an LbCas12a variant system. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 426:128038. [PMID: 34953258 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.128038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Pre-planting testing of seeds and plantlets for the existence of quarantine pathogens is an important phytosanitary measure. The CRISPR-mediated molecular diagnostic methodologies are being developed for pathogens detection, but many challenges remain. Here, we profiled an engineered Crispr/LbCas12a variant (LbCas12a-5M) that has more robust trans-cleavage activity and a wider PAM sequences (TNTN) preference than wild type. We developed a procedure for screening specific sequences of bacterial plant pathogens, and the designed species-specific crRNA displayed no cross-reactions with other bacterial species. Combined with a simple extraction of bacterial DNA, an LbCas12a-5M-based visual detection technique was established and optimized for detecting quarantine pathogens Erwinia amylovora and Acidovorax citrulli with detection limits up to 40 CFU/reaction and a sensitivity consistent with qPCR assay. This protocol was faster and simpler than qPCR, requiring 40 min or less from sample preparation. We further validated the potential application of the method by showing that it can be used for rapid and accurate diagnosis of A. citrulli on seeds of watermelon, with 100% agreement with the results of qPCR assay. The developed method simplifies the detection of pathogens and provides cost-effective countermeasures to quarantine interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Jiao
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Fruit and Cucurbit Biology, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Mengjie Yang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Tengfei Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Yingli Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Mengli Yang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Ming Li
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Chonghuai Liu
- Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shangwei Song
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Tuanhui Bai
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Chunhui Song
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Miaomiao Wang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Hongguang Pang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Jiancan Feng
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Xianbo Zheng
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
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50
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Liu P, Wang X, Liang J, Dong Q, Zhang J, Liu D, Wang S, Bi J, Liu W, Wang Z, Chen L, Liu L, Huang X, Zhang G. A Recombinase Polymerase Amplification-Coupled Cas12a Mutant-Based Module for Efficient Detection of Streptomycin-Resistant Mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:796916. [PMID: 35069497 PMCID: PMC8770913 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.796916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a serious public health problem and threat to global TB prevention and control. Streptomycin (STR) is the earliest and classical anti-TB drug, and it is the earliest drug that generated resistance to anti-TB treatment, which limits its use in treating TB and impedes TB control efforts. The rapid, economical, and highly sensitive detection of STR-resistant TB may help reduce disease transmission and morbimortality. CRISPR/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) is a new-generation pathogen detection method that can detect single-nucleotide polymorphisms with high sensitivity and good specificity. In this study, a Cas12a RR detection system that can recognize more non-traditional protospacer-adjacent motif-targeting sequences was developed based on Cas12a combined with recombinase polymerase amplification technology. This system detects 0.1% of the target substance, and the entire detection process can be completed within 60 min. Its sensitivity and specificity for detecting clinical STR-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis were both 100%. Overall, the Cas12 RR detection system provides a novel alternative for the rapid, simple, sensitive, and specific detection of STR-resistant TB, which may contribute to the prompt treatment and prevention of disease transmission in STR-resistant TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Liu
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Tuberculosis, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinjie Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Juan Liang
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qian Dong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan, China
| | - Jinping Zhang
- Intensive Care Unit, Liyuan Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Dongxin Liu
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Tuberculosis, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Tuberculosis, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jing Bi
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Tuberculosis, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wenqi Liu
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Tuberculosis, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhaoqin Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Tuberculosis, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Guangdong Center for Tuberculosis Control, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lei Liu
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Tuberculosis, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xingxu Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guoliang Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Tuberculosis, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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