1
|
Shaver AO, Andersen EC. Integrating metabolomics into the diagnosis and investigation of anthelmintic resistance. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:1097-1106. [PMID: 39572328 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2024] [Revised: 10/22/2024] [Accepted: 10/22/2024] [Indexed: 12/07/2024]
Abstract
Anthelmintic resistance (AR) in parasitic nematodes poses a global health problem in livestock and domestic animals and is an emerging problem in humans. Consequently, we must understand the mechanisms of AR, including target-site resistance (TSR), in which mutations affect drug binding, and non-target site resistance (NTSR), which involves alterations in drug metabolism and detoxification processes. Because much of the focus has been on TSR, NTSR has received less attention. Here, we describe how metabolomics approaches using Caenorhabditis elegans offer the ability to disentangle nematode drug metabolism, identify metabolic changes associated with resistance, uncover novel biomarkers, and enhance diagnostic methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda O Shaver
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Erik C Andersen
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wolstenholme AJ, Andersen EC, Choudhary S, Ebner F, Hartmann S, Holden-Dye L, Kashyap SS, Krücken J, Martin RJ, Midha A, Nejsum P, Neveu C, Robertson AP, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Walker R, Wang J, Whitehead BJ, Williams PDE. Getting around the roundworms: Identifying knowledge gaps and research priorities for the ascarids. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2024; 123:51-123. [PMID: 38448148 PMCID: PMC11143470 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
The ascarids are a large group of parasitic nematodes that infect a wide range of animal species. In humans, they cause neglected diseases of poverty; many animal parasites also cause zoonotic infections in people. Control measures include hygiene and anthelmintic treatments, but they are not always appropriate or effective and this creates a continuing need to search for better ways to reduce the human, welfare and economic costs of these infections. To this end, Le Studium Institute of Advanced Studies organized a two-day conference to identify major gaps in our understanding of ascarid parasites with a view to setting research priorities that would allow for improved control. The participants identified several key areas for future focus, comprising of advances in genomic analysis and the use of model organisms, especially Caenorhabditis elegans, a more thorough appreciation of the complexity of host-parasite (and parasite-parasite) communications, a search for novel anthelmintic drugs and the development of effective vaccines. The participants agreed to try and maintain informal links in the future that could form the basis for collaborative projects, and to co-operate to organize future meetings and workshops to promote ascarid research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrian J Wolstenholme
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE), Université de Tours, ISP, Nouzilly, France.
| | - Erik C Andersen
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Shivani Choudhary
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Friederike Ebner
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Susanne Hartmann
- Institute for Immunology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lindy Holden-Dye
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Sudhanva S Kashyap
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Jürgen Krücken
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Richard J Martin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Ankur Midha
- Institute for Immunology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Nejsum
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Cedric Neveu
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE), Université de Tours, ISP, Nouzilly, France
| | - Alan P Robertson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | | | - Robert Walker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Jianbin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | | | - Paul D E Williams
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Schwartz HT, Tan CH, Peraza J, Raymundo KLT, Sternberg PW. Molecular identification of a peroxidase gene controlling body size in the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema hermaphroditum. Genetics 2024; 226:iyad209. [PMID: 38078889 PMCID: PMC11491526 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema hermaphroditum was recently rediscovered and is being developed as a genetically tractable experimental system for the study of previously unexplored biology, including parasitism of its insect hosts and mutualism with its bacterial endosymbiont Xenorhabdus griffiniae. Through whole-genome re-sequencing and genetic mapping we have for the first time molecularly identified the gene responsible for a mutationally defined phenotypic locus in an entomopathogenic nematode. In the process we observed an unexpected mutational spectrum following ethyl methansulfonate mutagenesis in this species. We find that the ortholog of the essential Caenorhabditis elegans peroxidase gene skpo-2 controls body size and shape in S. hermaphroditum. We confirmed this identification by generating additional loss-of-function mutations in the gene using CRISPR-Cas9. We propose that the identification of skpo-2 will accelerate gene targeting in other Steinernema entomopathogenic nematodes used commercially in pest control, as skpo-2 is X-linked and males hemizygous for loss of its function can mate, making skpo-2 an easily recognized and maintained marker for use in co-CRISPR.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hillel T Schwartz
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Chieh-Hsiang Tan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Jackeline Peraza
- Department of Biology, Barnard College of Columbia University, NewYork, NY 10027, USA
| | | | - Paul W Sternberg
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Dong K, Liu WC, Su Y, Lyu Y, Huang H, Zheng N, Rogers JA, Nan K. Scalable Electrophysiology of Millimeter-Scale Animals with Electrode Devices. BME FRONTIERS 2023; 4:0034. [PMID: 38435343 PMCID: PMC10907027 DOI: 10.34133/bmef.0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Millimeter-scale animals such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila larvae, zebrafish, and bees serve as powerful model organisms in the fields of neurobiology and neuroethology. Various methods exist for recording large-scale electrophysiological signals from these animals. Existing approaches often lack, however, real-time, uninterrupted investigations due to their rigid constructs, geometric constraints, and mechanical mismatch in integration with soft organisms. The recent research establishes the foundations for 3-dimensional flexible bioelectronic interfaces that incorporate microfabricated components and nanoelectronic function with adjustable mechanical properties and multidimensional variability, offering unique capabilities for chronic, stable interrogation and stimulation of millimeter-scale animals and miniature tissue constructs. This review summarizes the most advanced technologies for electrophysiological studies, based on methods of 3-dimensional flexible bioelectronics. A concluding section addresses the challenges of these devices in achieving freestanding, robust, and multifunctional biointerfaces.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kairu Dong
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- College of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument Science,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
| | - Wen-Che Liu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yuyan Su
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital,
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yidan Lyu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hao Huang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Nenggan Zheng
- Qiushi Academy for Advanced Studies,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- College of Computer Science and Technology,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- State Key Lab of Brain-Machine Intelligence,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- CCAI by MOE and Zhejiang Provincial Government (ZJU), Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - John A. Rogers
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics,
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Kewang Nan
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Jinhua Institute of Zhejiang University, Jinhua 321299, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Chen Y, Arlt VM, Stürzenbaum SR. MosSCI-mediated exogenous gene expression is modulated by genomic positioning. Biotechnol J 2023; 18:e2300062. [PMID: 37177911 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300062] [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: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Although the Mos1-mediated single-copy insertion (MosSCI) technique has been widely used to generate stable transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans strains, the link between stability of expression and integration site still needs to be explored. Here, experimental evidence is provided that transgenes are not able to match the level of transcription of their native counterpart, and that insertions at certain locations can result in an external stress-mediated increase in expression. Insertion site ttTi5605 on chromosome II was shown to be a superior location, at least when introducing reproduction related genes. Thus, this study provides a reference for the selection of an optimal site for MosSCI which provides acceptable expression performance whilst minimizing undesirable secondary effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhi Chen
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Volker M Arlt
- Toxicology Department, GAB Consulting GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephen R Stürzenbaum
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kukhtar D, Fussenegger M. Synthetic biology in multicellular organisms: Opportunities in nematodes. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023. [PMID: 37448225 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology has mainly focused on introducing new or altered functionality in single cell systems: primarily bacteria, yeast, or mammalian cells. Here, we describe the extension of synthetic biology to nematodes, in particular the well-studied model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, as a convenient platform for developing applications in a multicellular setting. We review transgenesis techniques for nematodes, as well as the application of synthetic biology principles to construct nematode gene switches and genetic devices to control motility. Finally, we discuss potential applications of engineered nematodes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dmytro Kukhtar
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Life Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Maushe D, Ogi V, Divakaran K, Verdecia Mogena AM, Himmighofen PA, Machado RAR, Towbin BD, Ehlers RU, Molina C, Parisod C, Maud Robert CA. Stress tolerance in entomopathogenic nematodes: Engineering superior nematodes for precision agriculture. J Invertebr Pathol 2023:107953. [PMID: 37336478 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2023.107953] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are soil-dwelling parasitic roundworms commonly used as biocontrol agents of insect pests in agriculture. EPN dauer juveniles locate and infect a host in which they will grow and multiply until resource depletion. During their free-living stage, EPNs face a series of internal and environmental stresses. Their ability to overcome these challenges is crucial to determine their infection success and survival. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of EPN response to stresses associated with starvation, low/elevated temperatures, desiccation, osmotic stress, hypoxia, and ultra-violet light. We further report EPN defense strategies to cope with biotic stressors such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and predatory insects. By comparing the genetic and biochemical basis of these strategies to the nematode model Caenorhabditis elegans, we provide new avenues and targets to select and engineer precision nematodes adapted to specific field conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy Maushe
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Vera Ogi
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Keerthi Divakaran
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Paul Anton Himmighofen
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ricardo A R Machado
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Daniel Towbin
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 4, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ralf-Udo Ehlers
- e- nema GmbH, Klausdorfer Str. 28-36, DE-24223 Schwentinental, Germany
| | - Carlos Molina
- e- nema GmbH, Klausdorfer Str. 28-36, DE-24223 Schwentinental, Germany
| | - Christian Parisod
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Christelle Aurélie Maud Robert
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013 Bern, Switzerland; Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 4, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Rabaan AA, AlSaihati H, Bukhamsin R, Bakhrebah MA, Nassar MS, Alsaleh AA, Alhashem YN, Bukhamseen AY, Al-Ruhimy K, Alotaibi M, Alsubki RA, Alahmed HE, Al-Abdulhadi S, Alhashem FA, Alqatari AA, Alsayyah A, Farahat RA, Abdulal RH, Al-Ahmed AH, Imran M, Mohapatra RK. Application of CRISPR/Cas9 Technology in Cancer Treatment: A Future Direction. Curr Oncol 2023; 30:1954-1976. [PMID: 36826113 PMCID: PMC9955208 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30020152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene editing, especially with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9), has advanced gene function science. Gene editing's rapid advancement has increased its medical/clinical value. Due to its great specificity and efficiency, CRISPR/Cas9 can accurately and swiftly screen the whole genome. This simplifies disease-specific gene therapy. To study tumor origins, development, and metastasis, CRISPR/Cas9 can change genomes. In recent years, tumor treatment research has increasingly employed this method. CRISPR/Cas9 can treat cancer by removing genes or correcting mutations. Numerous preliminary tumor treatment studies have been conducted in relevant fields. CRISPR/Cas9 may treat gene-level tumors. CRISPR/Cas9-based personalized and targeted medicines may shape tumor treatment. This review examines CRISPR/Cas9 for tumor therapy research, which will be helpful in providing references for future studies on the pathogenesis of malignancy and its treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ali A. Rabaan
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran 31311, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Public Health and Nutrition, The University of Haripur, Haripur 22610, Pakistan
| | - Hajir AlSaihati
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Hafr Al Batin, Hafr Al Batin 39831, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rehab Bukhamsin
- Dammam Regional Laboratory and Blood Bank, Dammam 31411, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammed A. Bakhrebah
- Life Science and Environment Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
| | - Majed S. Nassar
- Life Science and Environment Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulmonem A. Alsaleh
- Clinical Laboratory Science Department, Mohammed Al-Mana College for Medical Sciences, Dammam 34222, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yousef N. Alhashem
- Clinical Laboratory Science Department, Mohammed Al-Mana College for Medical Sciences, Dammam 34222, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ammar Y. Bukhamseen
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalil Al-Ruhimy
- Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 14235, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Alotaibi
- Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 14235, Saudi Arabia
| | - Roua A. Alsubki
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11362, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hejji E. Alahmed
- Department of Laboratory and Blood Bank, King Fahad Hospital, Al Hofuf 36441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh Al-Abdulhadi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Riyadh 11942, Saudi Arabia
- Saleh Office for Medical Genetic and Genetic Counseling Services, The House of Expertise, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Dammam 32411, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fatemah A. Alhashem
- Laboratory Medicine Department, Hematopathology Division, King Fahad Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahlam A. Alqatari
- Hematopathology Department, Clinical Pathology, Al-Dorr Specialist Medical Center, Qatif 31911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Alsayyah
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Rwaa H. Abdulal
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Vaccines and Immunotherapy Unit, King Fahad Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali H. Al-Ahmed
- Dammam Health Network, Eastern Health Cluster, Dammam 31444, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd. Imran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Northern Border University, Rafha 91911, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ranjan K. Mohapatra
- Department of Chemistry, Government College of Engineering, Keonjhar 758002, India
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Thapliyal S, Glauser DA. Neurogenetic Analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans. Neurogenetics 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-07793-7_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
10
|
El Mouridi S, Alkhaldi F, Frøkjær-Jensen C. Modular safe-harbor transgene insertion for targeted single-copy and extrachromosomal array integration in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac184. [PMID: 35900171 PMCID: PMC9434227 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Efficient and reproducible transgenesis facilitates and accelerates research using genetic model organisms. Here, we describe a modular safe-harbor transgene insertion (MosTI) for use in Caenorhabditis elegans which improves targeted insertion of single-copy transgenes by homology directed repair and targeted integration of extrachromosomal arrays by nonhomologous end-joining. MosTI allows easy conversion between selection markers at insertion site and a collection of universal targeting vectors with commonly used promoters and fluorophores. Insertions are targeted at three permissive safe-harbor intergenic locations and transgenes are reproducibly expressed in somatic and germ cells. Chromosomal integration is mediated by CRISPR/Cas9, and positive selection is based on a set of split markers (unc-119, hygroR, and gfp) where only animals with chromosomal insertions are rescued, resistant to antibiotics, or fluorescent, respectively. Single-copy insertion is efficient using either constitutive or heat-shock inducible Cas9 expression (25-75%) and insertions can be generated from a multiplexed injection mix. Extrachromosomal array integration is also efficient (7-44%) at modular safe-harbor transgene insertion landing sites or at the endogenous unc-119 locus. We use short-read sequencing to estimate the plasmid copy numbers for 8 integrated arrays (6-37 copies) and long-read Nanopore sequencing to determine the structure and size (5.4 Mb) of 1 array. Using universal targeting vectors, standardized insertion strains, and optimized protocols, it is possible to construct complex transgenic strains which should facilitate the study of increasingly complex biological problems in C. elegans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia El Mouridi
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Faisal Alkhaldi
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Christian Frøkjær-Jensen
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Li WJ, Wang CW, Tao L, Yan YH, Zhang MJ, Liu ZX, Li YX, Zhao HQ, Li XM, He XD, Xue Y, Dong MQ. Insulin signaling regulates longevity through protein phosphorylation in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4568. [PMID: 34315882 PMCID: PMC8316574 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24816-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Insulin/IGF-1 Signaling (IIS) is known to constrain longevity by inhibiting the transcription factor FOXO. How phosphorylation mediated by IIS kinases regulates lifespan beyond FOXO remains unclear. Here, we profile IIS-dependent phosphorylation changes in a large-scale quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of wild-type and three IIS mutant Caenorhabditis elegans strains. We quantify more than 15,000 phosphosites and find that 476 of these are differentially phosphorylated in the long-lived daf-2/insulin receptor mutant. We develop a machine learning-based method to prioritize 25 potential lifespan-related phosphosites. We perform validations to show that AKT-1 pT492 inhibits DAF-16/FOXO and compensates the loss of daf-2 function, that EIF-2α pS49 potently inhibits protein synthesis and daf-2 longevity, and that reduced phosphorylation of multiple germline proteins apparently transmits reduced DAF-2 signaling to the soma. In addition, an analysis of kinases with enriched substrates detects that casein kinase 2 (CK2) subunits negatively regulate lifespan. Our study reveals detailed functional insights into longevity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jun Li
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chen-Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Center for Artificial Intelligence Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Nanjing University Institute of Artificial Intelligence Biomedicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Li Tao
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yong-Hong Yan
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mei-Jun Zhang
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
- Annoroad Gene Tech. Co., Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Ze-Xian Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Center for Artificial Intelligence Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Xin Li
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Han-Qing Zhao
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Mei Li
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xian-Dong He
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Xue
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Center for Artificial Intelligence Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
- Nanjing University Institute of Artificial Intelligence Biomedicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Meng-Qiu Dong
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Kranse O, Beasley H, Adams S, Pires-daSilva A, Bell C, Lilley CJ, Urwin PE, Bird D, Miska E, Smant G, Gheysen G, Jones J, Viney M, Abad P, Maier TR, Baum TJ, Siddique S, Williamson V, Akay A, Eves-van den Akker S. Toward genetic modification of plant-parasitic nematodes: delivery of macromolecules to adults and expression of exogenous mRNA in second stage juveniles. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6135037. [PMID: 33585878 PMCID: PMC8022973 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkaa058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Plant-parasitic nematodes are a continuing threat to food security, causing an estimated 100 billion USD in crop losses each year. The most problematic are the obligate sedentary endoparasites (primarily root knot nematodes and cyst nematodes). Progress in understanding their biology is held back by a lack of tools for functional genetics: forward genetics is largely restricted to studies of natural variation in populations and reverse genetics is entirely reliant on RNA interference. There is an expectation that the development of functional genetic tools would accelerate the progress of research on plant-parasitic nematodes, and hence the development of novel control solutions. Here, we develop some of the foundational biology required to deliver a functional genetic tool kit in plant-parasitic nematodes. We characterize the gonads of male Heterodera schachtii and Meloidogyne hapla in the context of spermatogenesis. We test and optimize various methods for the delivery, expression, and/or detection of exogenous nucleic acids in plant-parasitic nematodes. We demonstrate that delivery of macromolecules to cyst and root knot nematode male germlines is difficult, but possible. Similarly, we demonstrate the delivery of oligonucleotides to root knot nematode gametes. Finally, we develop a transient expression system in plant-parasitic nematodes by demonstrating the delivery and expression of exogenous mRNA encoding various reporter genes throughout the body of H. schachtii juveniles using lipofectamine-based transfection. We anticipate these developments to be independently useful, will expedite the development of genetic modification tools for plant-parasitic nematodes, and ultimately catalyze research on a group of nematodes that threaten global food security.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olaf Kranse
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Helen Beasley
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Sally Adams
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | | | - Christopher Bell
- Centre for Plant Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Catherine J Lilley
- Centre for Plant Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Peter E Urwin
- Centre for Plant Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David Bird
- Entomology and Plant Pathology, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7613, USA
| | - Eric Miska
- Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute and Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Geert Smant
- Laboratory of Nematology, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Godelieve Gheysen
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - John Jones
- Cell & Molecular Sciences Department, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK.,School of Biology, Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Mark Viney
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Pierre Abad
- INRAE, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, ISA, F-06903 Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Thomas R Maier
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Thomas J Baum
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Shahid Siddique
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Valerie Williamson
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Alper Akay
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Evans KS, van Wijk MH, McGrath PT, Andersen EC, Sterken MG. From QTL to gene: C. elegans facilitates discoveries of the genetic mechanisms underlying natural variation. Trends Genet 2021; 37:933-947. [PMID: 34229867 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2021.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Although many studies have examined quantitative trait variation across many species, only a small number of genes and thereby molecular mechanisms have been discovered. Without these data, we can only speculate about evolutionary processes that underlie trait variation. Here, we review how quantitative and molecular genetics in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans led to the discovery and validation of 37 quantitative trait genes over the past 15 years. Using these data, we can start to make inferences about evolution from these quantitative trait genes, including the roles that coding versus noncoding variation, gene family expansion, common versus rare variants, pleiotropy, and epistasis play in trait variation across this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn S Evans
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Marijke H van Wijk
- Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick T McGrath
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Erik C Andersen
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
| | - Mark G Sterken
- Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Wit J, Dilks CM, Andersen EC. Complementary Approaches with Free-living and Parasitic Nematodes to Understanding Anthelmintic Resistance. Trends Parasitol 2020; 37:240-250. [PMID: 33317926 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Anthelmintic drugs are the major line of defense against parasitic nematode infections, but the arsenal is limited and resistance threatens sustained efficacy of the available drugs. Discoveries of the modes of action of these drugs and mechanisms of resistance have predominantly come from studies of a related nonparasitic nematode species, Caenorhabditis elegans, and the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus. Here, we discuss how our understanding of anthelmintic resistance and modes of action came from the interplay of results from each of these species. We argue that this 'cycle of discovery', where results from one species inform the design of experiments in the other, can use the complementary strengths of both to understand anthelmintic modes of action and mechanisms of resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janneke Wit
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Clayton M Dilks
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Erik C Andersen
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Jolany vangah S, Katalani C, Booneh HA, Hajizade A, Sijercic A, Ahmadian G. CRISPR-Based Diagnosis of Infectious and Noninfectious Diseases. Biol Proced Online 2020; 22:22. [PMID: 32939188 PMCID: PMC7489454 DOI: 10.1186/s12575-020-00135-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Interest in CRISPR technology, an instrumental component of prokaryotic adaptive immunity which enables prokaryotes to detect any foreign DNA and then destroy it, has gained popularity among members of the scientific community. This is due to CRISPR's remarkable gene editing and cleaving abilities. While the application of CRISPR in human genome editing and diagnosis needs to be researched more fully, and any potential side effects or ambiguities resolved, CRISPR has already shown its capacity in an astonishing variety of applications related to genome editing and genetic engineering. One of its most currently relevant applications is in diagnosis of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Since its initial discovery, 6 types and 22 subtypes of CRISPR systems have been discovered and explored. Diagnostic CRISPR systems are most often derived from types II, V, and VI. Different types of CRISPR-Cas systems which have been identified in different microorganisms can target DNA (e.g. Cas9 and Cas12 enzymes) or RNA (e.g. Cas13 enzyme). Viral, bacterial, and non-infectious diseases such as cancer can all be diagnosed using the cleavage activity of CRISPR enzymes from the aforementioned types. Diagnostic tests using Cas12 and Cas13 enzymes have already been developed for detection of the emerging SARS-CoV-2 virus. Additionally, CRISPR diagnostic tests can be performed using simple reagents and paper-based lateral flow assays, which can potentially reduce laboratory and patient costs significantly. In this review, the classification of CRISPR-Cas systems as well as the basis of the CRISPR/Cas mechanisms of action will be presented. The application of these systems in medical diagnostics with emphasis on the diagnosis of COVID-19 will be discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Somayeh Jolany vangah
- Department of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, P.O.BOX: 14155-6343 Iran
| | - Camellia Katalani
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Agricultural Science, Sari Agricultural Science and Natural Resource University, Sari, Iran
| | - Hannah A. Booneh
- Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, International Burch University, Francuske Revolucije bb, Ilidza, 71210 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Abbas Hajizade
- Applied Microbiology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Adna Sijercic
- Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, International Burch University, Francuske Revolucije bb, Ilidza, 71210 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Gholamreza Ahmadian
- Department of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, P.O.BOX: 14155-6343 Iran
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Russell JC, Burnaevskiy N, Ma B, Mailig MA, Faust F, Crane M, Kaeberlein M, Mendenhall A. Electrophysiological Measures of Aging Pharynx Function in C. elegans Reveal Enhanced Organ Functionality in Older, Long-lived Mutants. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2020; 74:1173-1179. [PMID: 29165668 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glx230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The function of the pharynx, an organ in the model system Caenorhabditis elegans, has been correlated with life span and motility (another measure of health) since 1980. In this study, in order to further understand the relationship between organ function and life span, we measured the age-related decline of the pharynx using an electrophysiological approach. We measured and analyzed electropharyngeograms (EPG) of wild type animals, short-lived hsf-1 mutants, and long-lived animals with genetically decreased insulin signaling or increased heat shock pathway signaling; we recorded a total of 2,478 EPGs from 1,374 individuals. As expected, the long-lived daf-2(e1370) and hsf-1OE(uthIs235) animals maintained pharynx function relatively closer to the youthful state during aging, whereas the hsf-1(sy441) and wild type animals' pharynx function deviated significantly further from the youthful state at advanced age. Measures of the amount of variation in organ function can act as biomarkers of youthful physiology as well. Intriguingly, the long-lived animals had greater variation in the duration of pharynx contraction at older ages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Bridget Ma
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle
| | | | - Franklin Faust
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Matt Crane
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Culp E, Richman C, Sharanya D, Jhaveri N, van den Berg W, Gupta BP. Genome editing in the nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Biol Methods Protoc 2020; 5:bpaa003. [PMID: 32395632 PMCID: PMC7200835 DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpaa003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas system has recently emerged as a powerful tool to engineer the genome of an organism. The system is adopted from bacteria where it confers immunity against invading foreign DNA. This work reports the first successful use of the CRISPR/Cas system in Caenorhabditis briggsae (a cousin of the well-known nematode C. elegans), to generate mutations via non-homologous end joining. We recovered deletion alleles of several conserved genes by microinjecting plasmids that express Cas9 endonuclease and an engineered CRISPR RNA corresponding to the DNA sequence to be cleaved. Evidence for somatic mutations and off-target mutations are also reported. Our approach allows for the generation of loss-of-function mutations in C. briggsae genes thereby facilitating a comparative study of gene function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Culp
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S-4K1, Canada
| | - Cory Richman
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S-4K1, Canada
| | - Devika Sharanya
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S-4K1, Canada
| | - Nikita Jhaveri
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S-4K1, Canada
| | - Wouter van den Berg
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S-4K1, Canada
| | - Bhagwati P Gupta
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S-4K1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Crane MM, Sands B, Battaglia C, Johnson B, Yun S, Kaeberlein M, Brent R, Mendenhall A. In vivo measurements reveal a single 5'-intron is sufficient to increase protein expression level in Caenorhabditis elegans. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9192. [PMID: 31235724 PMCID: PMC6591249 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45517-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Introns can increase gene expression levels using a variety of mechanisms collectively referred to as Intron Mediated Enhancement (IME). IME has been measured in cell culture and plant models by quantifying expression of intronless and intron-bearing reporter genes in vitro. We developed hardware and software to implement microfluidic chip-based gene expression quantification in vivo. We altered position, number and sequence of introns in reporter genes controlled by the hsp-90 promoter. Consistent with plant and mammalian studies, we determined a single, natural or synthetic, 5'-intron is sufficient for the full IME effect conferred by three synthetic introns, while a 3'-intron is not. We found coding sequence can affect IME; the same three synthetic introns that increase mcherry protein concentration by approximately 50%, increase mEGFP by 80%. We determined IME effect size is not greatly affected by the stronger vit-2 promoter. Our microfluidic imaging approach should facilitate screens for factors affecting IME and other intron-dependent processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew M Crane
- University of Washington, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Bryan Sands
- University of Washington, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christian Battaglia
- University of Washington, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Brock Johnson
- University of Washington, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Soo Yun
- University of Washington, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Matt Kaeberlein
- University of Washington, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Roger Brent
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Division of Basic Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alex Mendenhall
- University of Washington, School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Seattle, WA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Vicencio J, Martínez-Fernández C, Serrat X, Cerón J. Efficient Generation of Endogenous Fluorescent Reporters by Nested CRISPR in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2019; 211:1143-1154. [PMID: 30696716 PMCID: PMC6456308 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.301965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-based genome-editing methods in model organisms are evolving at an extraordinary speed. Whereas the generation of deletion or missense mutants is quite straightforward, the production of endogenous fluorescent reporters is more challenging. We have developed Nested CRISPR, a cloning-free ribonucleoprotein-driven method that robustly produces endogenous fluorescent reporters with EGFP, mCherry or wrmScarlet in Caenorhabditis elegans This method is based on the division of the fluorescent protein (FP) sequence in three fragments. In the first step, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) donors (≤200 bp) are used to insert the 5' and 3' fragments of the FP in the locus of interest. In the second step, these sequences act as homology regions for homology-directed repair using a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) donor (PCR product) containing the middle fragment, thus completing the FP sequence. In Nested CRISPR, the first step involving ssDNA donors is a well-established method that yields high editing efficiencies, and the second step is reliable because it uses universal CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) and PCR products. We have also used Nested CRISPR in a nonessential gene to produce a deletion mutant in the first step and a transcriptional reporter in the second step. In the search for modifications to optimize the method, we tested synthetic single guide RNAs (sgRNAs), but did not observe a significant increase in efficiency. To streamline the approach, we combined all step 1 and step 2 reagents in a single injection and were successful in three of five loci tested with editing efficiencies of up to 20%. Finally, we discuss the prospects of this method in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Vicencio
- Genes, Diseases, and Therapies Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen Martínez-Fernández
- Genes, Diseases, and Therapies Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xènia Serrat
- Genes, Diseases, and Therapies Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julián Cerón
- Genes, Diseases, and Therapies Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Iyer J, DeVaul N, Hansen T, Nebenfuehr B. Using Microinjection to Generate Genetically Modified Caenorhabditis elegans by CRISPR/Cas9 Editing. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1874:431-457. [PMID: 30353529 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8831-0_25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In this chapter, we describe the procedure for generating genetically modified Caenorhabditis elegans using microinjection via the Cas9-mediated Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) editing technique. Specifically, we describe the detailed method of performing CRISPR editing by microinjection using the Cloning-free Co-CRISPR method described by the Seydoux lab. This microinjection protocol can also be used for CRISPR editing with protocols from other labs as well as for a variety of other editing techniques including Mos1-mediated single-copy transgene insertions (MosSCI), transcriptional activator-like nucleases (TALENs), and zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs). Further, this microinjection protocol can also be used for injecting plasmid DNA to generate heritable extrachromosomal arrays for gene expression and mosaic analysis, performing RNAi by injection and delivering RNA, dyes or other molecules into the C. elegans germline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Iyer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA.
| | - Nicole DeVaul
- The Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Tyler Hansen
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Ben Nebenfuehr
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Tulsa, OK, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Sands B, Burnaevskiy N, Yun SR, Crane MM, Kaeberlein M, Mendenhall A. A toolkit for DNA assembly, genome engineering and multicolor imaging for C. elegans. TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE OF AGING 2018; 2:1-10. [PMID: 33693300 DOI: 10.1016/j.tma.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
One way scientists can observe and quantify processes in living cells is to engineer the genomes of animals to express multiple fluorescent proteins and then quantify those signals by various imaging techniques. To allow our laboratories to confidently quantify mixed (overlapping) fluorescent signals for our studies in the basic biology of gene expression and aging in C. elegans, we developed a comprehensive toolkit for C. elegans that we describe here. The Toolkit consists of two components: 1) a series of vectors for DNA assembly by homologous recombination (HR) in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and 2) a set of ten worm strains that each express a single, spectrally distinct fluorescent protein, under control of either the daf21 or eft-3 promoters. We measured the in vivo emission spectrum (3nm resolution) for each fluorescent protein in live C. elegans and showed that we can use those pure spectra to unmix overlapping fluorescent signals in spectral images of intestine cells. Seven of ten fluorescent proteins had signals that appeared to be localized in vesicular/elliptical foci or tubules in the hypodermis. We conducted fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments and showed that these structures have recovery kinetics more consistent with freely diffusing protein than aggregates (Q35::YFP). This toolkit will allow researchers to quickly and efficiently generate mutlti-fragment DNA assemblies for genome editing in C. elegans. Additionally, the transgenic C. elegans and the measured emission spectra should serve as a resource for scientists seeking to perform, or test their ability to perform, multidimensional (multi-color) imaging experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Sands
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Nikolay Burnaevskiy
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Soo R Yun
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Mathew M Crane
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Matt Kaeberlein
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Alexander Mendenhall
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Vazquez N, Sanchez L, Marks R, Martinez E, Fanniel V, Lopez A, Salinas A, Flores I, Hirschmann J, Gilkerson R, Schuenzel E, Dearth R, Halaby R, Innis-Whitehouse W, Keniry M. A protocol for custom CRISPR Cas9 donor vector construction to truncate genes in mammalian cells using pcDNA3 backbone. BMC Mol Biol 2018; 19:3. [PMID: 29540148 PMCID: PMC5853148 DOI: 10.1186/s12867-018-0105-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) RNA-guided adaptive immune systems are found in prokaryotes to defend cells from foreign DNA. CRISPR Cas9 systems have been modified and employed as genome editing tools in wide ranging organisms. Here, we provide a detailed protocol to truncate genes in mammalian cells using CRISPR Cas9 editing. We describe custom donor vector construction using Gibson assembly with the commonly utilized pcDNA3 vector as the backbone. RESULTS We describe a step-by-step method to truncate genes of interest in mammalian cell lines using custom-made donor vectors. Our method employs 2 guide RNAs, mutant Cas9D10A nickase (Cas9 = CRISPR associated sequence 9), and a custom-made donor vector for homologous recombination to precisely truncate a gene of interest with a selectable neomycin resistance cassette (NPTII: Neomycin Phosphotransferase II). We provide a detailed protocol on how to design and construct a custom donor vector using Gibson assembly (and the commonly utilized pcDNA3 vector as the backbone) allowing researchers to obtain specific gene modifications of interest (gene truncation, gene deletion, epitope tagging or knock-in mutation). Selection of mutants in mammalian cell lines with G418 (Geneticin) combined with several screening methods: western blot analysis, polymerase chain reaction, and Sanger sequencing resulted in streamlined mutant isolation. Proof of principle experiments were done in several mammalian cell lines. CONCLUSIONS Here we describe a detailed protocol to employ CRISPR Cas9 genome editing to truncate genes of interest using the commonly employed expression vector pcDNA3 as the backbone for the donor vector. Providing a detailed protocol for custom donor vector design and construction will enable researchers to develop unique genome editing tools. To date, detailed protocols for CRISPR Cas9 custom donor vector construction are limited (Lee et al. in Sci Rep 5:8572, 2015; Ma et al. in Sci Rep 4:4489, 2014). Custom donor vectors are commercially available, but can be expensive. Our goal is to share this protocol to aid researchers in performing genetic investigations that require custom donor vectors for specialized applications (specific gene truncations, knock-in mutations, and epitope tagging applications).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neftali Vazquez
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| | - Lilia Sanchez
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| | - Rebecca Marks
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| | - Eduardo Martinez
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| | - Victor Fanniel
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| | - Alma Lopez
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| | - Andrea Salinas
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| | - Itzel Flores
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| | - Jesse Hirschmann
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| | - Robert Gilkerson
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| | - Erin Schuenzel
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| | - Robert Dearth
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| | - Reginald Halaby
- Department of Biology, Montclair State University, 1 Normal Ave., Montclair, NJ 07043 USA
| | - Wendy Innis-Whitehouse
- School of Medicine, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| | - Megan Keniry
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539 USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Pir GJ, Choudhary B, Mandelkow E. Caenorhabditis elegans models of tauopathy. FASEB J 2017; 31:5137-5148. [PMID: 29191965 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201701007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
One of the hallmarks of the tauopathies, which include the neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer disease (AD), corticobasal degeneration, frontotemporal dementia, and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), is the abnormal accumulation of post-translationally modified, insoluble tau. The result is a loss of neurons, decreased mental function, and complete dependence of patients on others. Aggregation of tau, which under physiologic conditions is a highly soluble protein, is thought to be central to the pathogenesis of these diseases. Indeed one of the strongest lines of evidence is the MAPT gene polymorphisms that lead to the familial forms of tauopathy. Extensive research in animal models over the years has contributed some of the most important findings regarding the pathogenesis of these diseases. Despite this, the precise molecular mechanisms that lead to abnormal tau folding, accumulation, and spreading remain unknown. Owing to the fact that most of the biochemical pathways are conserved, Caenorhabditis elegans provides an alternative approach to identify cellular mechanisms and druggable genes that operate in such disorders. Many human genes implicated in neurodegenerative diseases have counterparts in C. elegans, making it an excellent model in which to study their pathogenesis. In this article, we review some of the important findings gained from C. elegans tauopathy models.-Pir, G. J., Choudhary, B., Mandelkow, E. Caenorhabditiselegans models of tauopathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ghulam Jeelani Pir
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; .,Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research-Cologne, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bikash Choudhary
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.,Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research-Cologne, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Eckhard Mandelkow
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.,Max-Planck-Institute for Metabolism Research-Cologne, Hamburg, Germany.,Caesar Research Center, Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Highly Efficient, Rapid and Co-CRISPR-Independent Genome Editing in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2017; 7:3693-3698. [PMID: 28893845 PMCID: PMC5677160 DOI: 10.1534/g3.117.300216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
We describe a rapid and highly efficient method to generate point mutations in Caenorhabditis elegans using direct injection of CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoproteins. This versatile method does not require sensitized genetic backgrounds or co-CRISPR selection-based methods, and represents a single strategy that can be used for creating genomic point mutations, regardless of location. As proof of principle, we show that knock-in mutants more faithfully report variant-associated phenotypes as compared to transgenic overexpression. Data for nine knock-in mutants across five genes are presented that demonstrate high editing efficiencies (60%), a reduced screening workload (24 F1 progeny), and a rapid timescale (4–5 d). This optimized method simplifies genome engineering and is readily adaptable to other model systems.
Collapse
|
25
|
El Mouridi S, Lecroisey C, Tardy P, Mercier M, Leclercq-Blondel A, Zariohi N, Boulin T. Reliable CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Engineering in Caenorhabditis elegans Using a Single Efficient sgRNA and an Easily Recognizable Phenotype. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2017; 7:1429-1437. [PMID: 28280211 PMCID: PMC5427500 DOI: 10.1534/g3.117.040824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering strategies allow the directed modification of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome to introduce point mutations, generate knock-out mutants, and insert coding sequences for epitope or fluorescent tags. Three practical aspects, however, complicate such experiments. First, the efficiency and specificity of single-guide RNAs (sgRNA) cannot be reliably predicted. Second, the detection of animals carrying genome edits can be challenging in the absence of clearly visible or selectable phenotypes. Third, the sgRNA target site must be inactivated after editing to avoid further double-strand break events. We describe here a strategy that addresses these complications by transplanting the protospacer of a highly efficient sgRNA into a gene of interest to render it amenable to genome engineering. This sgRNA targeting the dpy-10 gene generates genome edits at comparatively high frequency. We demonstrate that the transplanted protospacer is cleaved at the same time as the dpy-10 gene. Our strategy generates scarless genome edits because it no longer requires the introduction of mutations in endogenous sgRNA target sites. Modified progeny can be easily identified in the F1 generation, which drastically reduces the number of animals to be tested by PCR or phenotypic analysis. Using this strategy, we reliably generated precise deletion mutants, transcriptional reporters, and translational fusions with epitope tags and fluorescent reporter genes. In particular, we report here the first use of the new red fluorescent protein mScarlet in a multicellular organism. wrmScarlet, a C. elegans-optimized version, dramatically surpassed TagRFP-T by showing an eightfold increase in fluorescence in a direct comparison.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia El Mouridi
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR-5310, INSERM U-1217, Institut NeuroMyoGène, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Claire Lecroisey
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR-5310, INSERM U-1217, Institut NeuroMyoGène, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Philippe Tardy
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR-5310, INSERM U-1217, Institut NeuroMyoGène, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Marine Mercier
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR-5310, INSERM U-1217, Institut NeuroMyoGène, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Alice Leclercq-Blondel
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR-5310, INSERM U-1217, Institut NeuroMyoGène, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Nora Zariohi
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR-5310, INSERM U-1217, Institut NeuroMyoGène, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Thomas Boulin
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR-5310, INSERM U-1217, Institut NeuroMyoGène, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
You X, Xi J, Cao Y, Zhang J, Luan Y. 4-Bromodiphenyl Ether Induces Germ Cell Apoptosis by Induction of ROS and DNA Damage in Caenorhabditis elegans. Toxicol Sci 2017; 157:510-518. [DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfx064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
|
27
|
Lok JB, Shao H, Massey HC, Li X. Transgenesis in Strongyloides and related parasitic nematodes: historical perspectives, current functional genomic applications and progress towards gene disruption and editing. Parasitology 2017; 144:327-342. [PMID: 27000743 PMCID: PMC5364836 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182016000391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Transgenesis for Strongyloides and Parastrongyloides was accomplished in 2006 and is based on techniques derived for Caenorhabditis elegans over two decades earlier. Adaptation of these techniques has been possible because Strongyloides and related parasite genera carry out at least one generation of free-living development, with adult males and females residing in soil contaminated by feces from an infected host. Transgenesis in this group of parasites is accomplished by microinjecting DNA constructs into the syncytia of the distal gonads of free-living females. In Strongyloides stercoralis, plasmid-encoded transgenes are expressed in promoter-regulated fashion in the F1 generation following gene transfer but are silenced subsequently. Stable inheritance and expression of transgenes in S. stercoralis requires their integration into the genome, and stable lines have been derived from integrants created using the piggyBac transposon system. More direct investigations of gene function involving expression of mutant transgene constructs designed to alter intracellular trafficking and developmental regulation have shed light on the function of the insulin-regulated transcription factor Ss-DAF-16. Transgenesis in Strongyloides and Parastrongyloides opens the possibility of powerful new methods for genome editing and transcriptional manipulation in this group of parasites. Proof of principle for one of these, CRISPR/Cas9, is presented in this review.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J B Lok
- Department of Pathobiology,School of Veterinary Medicine,University of Pennsylvania,3800 Spruce Street,Philadelphia,PA 19104,USA
| | - H Shao
- Department of Pathobiology,School of Veterinary Medicine,University of Pennsylvania,3800 Spruce Street,Philadelphia,PA 19104,USA
| | - H C Massey
- Department of Pathobiology,School of Veterinary Medicine,University of Pennsylvania,3800 Spruce Street,Philadelphia,PA 19104,USA
| | - X Li
- Department of Pathobiology,School of Veterinary Medicine,University of Pennsylvania,3800 Spruce Street,Philadelphia,PA 19104,USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
The Bright Fluorescent Protein mNeonGreen Facilitates Protein Expression Analysis In Vivo. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2017; 7:607-615. [PMID: 28108553 PMCID: PMC5295605 DOI: 10.1534/g3.116.038133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) has been tremendously useful in investigating cell architecture, protein localization, and protein function. Recent developments in transgenesis and genome editing methods now enable working with fewer transgene copies and, consequently, with physiological expression levels. However, lower signal intensity might become a limiting factor. The recently developed mNeonGreen protein is a brighter alternative to GFP in vitro. The goal of the present study was to determine how mNeonGreen performs in vivo in Caenorhabditis elegans—a model used extensively for fluorescence imaging in intact animals. We started with a side-by-side comparison between cytoplasmic forms of mNeonGreen and GFP expressed in the intestine, and in different neurons, of adult animals. While both proteins had similar photostability, mNeonGreen was systematically 3–5 times brighter than GFP. mNeonGreen was also used successfully to trace endogenous proteins, and label specific subcellular compartments such as the nucleus or the plasma membrane. To further demonstrate the utility of mNeonGreen, we tested transcriptional reporters for nine genes with unknown expression patterns. While mNeonGreen and GFP reporters gave overall similar expression patterns, low expression tissues were detected only with mNeonGreen. As a whole, our work establishes mNeonGreen as a brighter alternative to GFP for in vivo imaging in a multicellular organism. Furthermore, the present research illustrates the utility of mNeonGreen to tag proteins, mark subcellular regions, and describe new expression patterns, particularly in tissues with low expression.
Collapse
|
29
|
Cook DE, Zdraljevic S, Roberts JP, Andersen EC. CeNDR, the Caenorhabditis elegans natural diversity resource. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 45:D650-D657. [PMID: 27701074 PMCID: PMC5210618 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies in model organisms have yielded considerable insights into the etiology of disease and our understanding of evolutionary processes. Caenorhabditis elegans is among the most powerful model organisms used to understand biology. However, C. elegans is not used as extensively as other model organisms to investigate how natural variation shapes traits, especially through the use of genome-wide association (GWA) analyses. Here, we introduce a new platform, the C. elegans Natural Diversity Resource (CeNDR) to enable statistical genetics and genomics studies of C. elegans and to connect the results to human disease. CeNDR provides the research community with wild strains, genome-wide sequence and variant data for every strain, and a GWA mapping portal for studying natural variation in C. elegans. Additionally, researchers outside of the C. elegans community can benefit from public mappings and integrated tools for comparative analyses. CeNDR uses several databases that are continually updated through the addition of new strains, sequencing data, and association mapping results. The CeNDR data are accessible through a freely available web portal located at http://www.elegansvariation.org or through an application programming interface.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Cook
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.,Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Stefan Zdraljevic
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.,Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Joshua P Roberts
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Erik C Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Braeckman BP, Smolders A, Back P, De Henau S. In Vivo Detection of Reactive Oxygen Species and Redox Status in Caenorhabditis elegans. Antioxid Redox Signal 2016; 25:577-92. [PMID: 27306519 PMCID: PMC5041511 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2016.6751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Due to its large families of redox-active enzymes, genetic amenability, and complete transparency, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has the potential to become an important model for the in vivo study of redox biology. RECENT ADVANCES The recent development of several genetically encoded ratiometric reactive oxygen species (ROS) and redox sensors has revolutionized the quantification and precise localization of ROS and redox signals in living organisms. Only few exploratory studies have applied these sensors in C. elegans and undoubtedly much remains to be discovered in this model. As a follow-up to our recent findings that the C. elegans somatic gonad uses superoxide and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) signals to communicate with the germline, we here analyze the patterns of H2O2 inside the C. elegans germline. CRITICAL ISSUES Despite the advantages of genetically encoded ROS and redox sensors over classic chemical sensors, still several general as well as C. elegans-specific issues need to be addressed. The major concerns for the application of these sensors in C. elegans are (i) decreased vitality of some reporter strains, (ii) interference of autofluorescent compartments with the sensor signal, and (iii) the use of immobilization methods that do not influence the worm's redox physiology. FUTURE DIRECTIONS We propose that several of the current issues may be solved by designing reporter strains carrying single copies of codon-optimized sensors. Preferably, these sensors should have their emission wavelengths in the red region, where autofluorescence is absent. Worm analysis could be optimized using four-dimensional ratiometric fluorescence microscopy of worms immobilized in microfluidic chips. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 25, 577-592.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Arne Smolders
- Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Patricia Back
- Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sasha De Henau
- Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Untrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Evolution of New cis-Regulatory Motifs Required for Cell-Specific Gene Expression in Caenorhabditis. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006278. [PMID: 27588814 PMCID: PMC5010242 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Patterning of C. elegans vulval cell fates relies on inductive signaling. In this induction event, a single cell, the gonadal anchor cell, secretes LIN-3/EGF and induces three out of six competent precursor cells to acquire a vulval fate. We previously showed that this developmental system is robust to a four-fold variation in lin-3/EGF genetic dose. Here using single-molecule FISH, we find that the mean level of expression of lin-3 in the anchor cell is remarkably conserved. No change in lin-3 expression level could be detected among C. elegans wild isolates and only a low level of change—less than 30%—in the Caenorhabditis genus and in Oscheius tipulae. In C. elegans, lin-3 expression in the anchor cell is known to require three transcription factor binding sites, specifically two E-boxes and a nuclear-hormone-receptor (NHR) binding site. Mutation of any of these three elements in C. elegans results in a dramatic decrease in lin-3 expression. Yet only a single E-box is found in the Drosophilae supergroup of Caenorhabditis species, including C. angaria, while the NHR-binding site likely only evolved at the base of the Elegans group. We find that a transgene from C. angaria bearing a single E-box is sufficient for normal expression in C. elegans. Even a short 58 bp cis-regulatory fragment from C. angaria with this single E-box is able to replace the three transcription factor binding sites at the endogenous C. elegans lin-3 locus, resulting in the wild-type expression level. Thus, regulatory evolution occurring in cis within a 58 bp lin-3 fragment, results in a strict requirement for the NHR binding site and a second E-box in C. elegans. This single-cell, single-molecule, quantitative and functional evo-devo study demonstrates that conserved expression levels can hide extensive change in cis-regulatory site requirements and highlights the evolution of new cis-regulatory elements required for cell-specific gene expression. Diversification of mechanisms regulating gene expression of key developmental factors is a major force in the evolution of development. However, in the past, comparisons of gene expression across different species have often been qualitative (i.e. ‘expression is on versus off’ in a certain cell) without precise quantification. New experimental methods now allow us to quantitatively compare the expression of gene homologs across species, with single cell resolution. Moreover, the development of genome editing tools enables the dissection of regulatory DNA sequences that drive gene expression. We use here a well-established “textbook” example of animal organogenesis in the microscopic nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, focusing on the expression of lin-3, coding for the main inducer of the vulva, in a single cell called the anchor cell. We find that the lin-3 expression level is remarkably conserved, with 20–25 messenger RNAs per anchor cell, in species that are molecularly as distant as fish and mammals. This conservation occurs despite substantial changes and compensation in the regulatory elements required for cell-specific gene expression.
Collapse
|
32
|
Gasser RB, Schwarz EM, Korhonen PK, Young ND. Understanding Haemonchus contortus Better Through Genomics and Transcriptomics. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2016; 93:519-67. [PMID: 27238012 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2016.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Parasitic roundworms (nematodes) cause substantial mortality and morbidity in animals globally. The barber's pole worm, Haemonchus contortus, is one of the most economically significant parasitic nematodes of small ruminants worldwide. Although this and related nematodes can be controlled relatively well using anthelmintics, resistance against most drugs in common use has become a major problem. Until recently, almost nothing was known about the molecular biology of H. contortus on a global scale. This chapter gives a brief background on H. contortus and haemonchosis, immune responses, vaccine research, chemotherapeutics and current problems associated with drug resistance. It also describes progress in transcriptomics before the availability of H. contortus genomes and the challenges associated with such work. It then reviews major progress on the two draft genomes and developmental transcriptomes of H. contortus, and summarizes their implications for the molecular biology of this worm in both the free-living and the parasitic stages of its life cycle. The chapter concludes by considering how genomics and transcriptomics can accelerate research on Haemonchus and related parasites, and can enable the development of new interventions against haemonchosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R B Gasser
- The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - E M Schwarz
- The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - P K Korhonen
- The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - N D Young
- The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Schwartz ML, Jorgensen EM. SapTrap, a Toolkit for High-Throughput CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Modification in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2016; 202:1277-88. [PMID: 26837755 PMCID: PMC4905529 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.184275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In principle, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 allows genetic tags to be inserted at any locus. However, throughput is limited by the laborious construction of repair templates and guide RNA constructs and by the identification of modified strains. We have developed a reagent toolkit and plasmid assembly pipeline, called "SapTrap," that streamlines the production of targeting vectors for tag insertion, as well as the selection of modified Caenorhabditis elegans strains. SapTrap is a high-efficiency modular plasmid assembly pipeline that produces single plasmid targeting vectors, each of which encodes both a guide RNA transcript and a repair template for a particular tagging event. The plasmid is generated in a single tube by cutting modular components with the restriction enzyme SapI, which are then "trapped" in a fixed order by ligation to generate the targeting vector. A library of donor plasmids supplies a variety of protein tags, a selectable marker, and regulatory sequences that allow cell-specific tagging at either the N or the C termini. All site-specific sequences, such as guide RNA targeting sequences and homology arms, are supplied as annealed synthetic oligonucleotides, eliminating the need for PCR or molecular cloning during plasmid assembly. Each tag includes an embedded Cbr-unc-119 selectable marker that is positioned to allow concurrent expression of both the tag and the marker. We demonstrate that SapTrap targeting vectors direct insertion of 3- to 4-kb tags at six different loci in 10-37% of injected animals. Thus SapTrap vectors introduce the possibility for high-throughput generation of CRISPR/Cas9 genome modifications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Schwartz
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0840 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0840
| | - Erik M Jorgensen
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0840 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0840
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Ertl I, Porta-de-la-Riva M, Gómez-Orte E, Rubio-Peña K, Aristizábal-Corrales D, Cornes E, Fontrodona L, Osteikoetxea X, Ayuso C, Askjaer P, Cabello J, Cerón J. Functional Interplay of Two Paralogs Encoding SWI/SNF Chromatin-Remodeling Accessory Subunits During Caenorhabditis elegans Development. Genetics 2016; 202:961-75. [PMID: 26739451 PMCID: PMC4788132 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.183533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
SWI/SNF ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes have been related to several cellular processes such as transcription, regulation of chromosomal stability, and DNA repair. The Caenorhabditis elegans gene ham-3 (also known as swsn-2.1) and its paralog swsn-2.2 encode accessory subunits of SWI/SNF complexes. Using RNA interference (RNAi) assays and diverse alleles we investigated whether ham-3 and swsn-2.2 have different functions during C. elegans development since they encode proteins that are probably mutually exclusive in a given SWI/SNF complex. We found that ham-3 and swsn-2.2 display similar functions in vulva specification, germline development, and intestinal cell proliferation, but have distinct roles in embryonic development. Accordingly, we detected functional redundancy in some developmental processes and demonstrated by RNA sequencing of RNAi-treated L4 animals that ham-3 and swsn-2.2 regulate the expression of a common subset of genes but also have specific targets. Cell lineage analyses in the embryo revealed hyper-proliferation of intestinal cells in ham-3 null mutants whereas swsn-2.2 is required for proper cell divisions. Using a proteomic approach, we identified SWSN-2.2-interacting proteins needed for early cell divisions, such as SAO-1 and ATX-2, and also nuclear envelope proteins such as MEL-28. swsn-2.2 mutants phenocopy mel-28 loss-of-function, and we observed that SWSN-2.2 and MEL-28 colocalize in mitotic and meiotic chromosomes. Moreover, we demonstrated that SWSN-2.2 is required for correct chromosome segregation and nuclear reassembly after mitosis including recruitment of MEL-28 to the nuclear periphery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iris Ertl
- Cancer and Human Molecular Genetics, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Montserrat Porta-de-la-Riva
- Cancer and Human Molecular Genetics, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain C. elegans Core Facility, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Gómez-Orte
- Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), 26006 Logroño, Spain
| | - Karinna Rubio-Peña
- Cancer and Human Molecular Genetics, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Aristizábal-Corrales
- Cancer and Human Molecular Genetics, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eric Cornes
- Cancer and Human Molecular Genetics, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Fontrodona
- Cancer and Human Molecular Genetics, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xabier Osteikoetxea
- Cancer and Human Molecular Genetics, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Ayuso
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Junta de Andalucia/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Peter Askjaer
- Andalusian Center for Developmental Biology (CABD), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Junta de Andalucia/Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Juan Cabello
- Center for Biomedical Research of La Rioja (CIBIR), 26006 Logroño, Spain
| | - Julián Cerón
- Cancer and Human Molecular Genetics, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL, 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Champer J, Buchman A, Akbari OS. Cheating evolution: engineering gene drives to manipulate the fate of wild populations. Nat Rev Genet 2016; 17:146-59. [PMID: 26875679 DOI: 10.1038/nrg.2015.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 248] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Engineered gene drives - the process of stimulating the biased inheritance of specific genes - have the potential to enable the spread of desirable genes throughout wild populations or to suppress harmful species, and may be particularly useful for the control of vector-borne diseases such as malaria. Although several types of selfish genetic elements exist in nature, few have been successfully engineered in the laboratory thus far. With the discovery of RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR-associated 9) nucleases, which can be utilized to create, streamline and improve synthetic gene drives, this is rapidly changing. Here, we discuss the different types of engineered gene drives and their potential applications, as well as current policies regarding the safety and regulation of gene drives for the manipulation of wild populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jackson Champer
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Center for Disease Vector Research, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Anna Buchman
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Center for Disease Vector Research, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Omar S Akbari
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Center for Disease Vector Research, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Genome Editing in C. elegans and Other Nematode Species. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:295. [PMID: 26927083 PMCID: PMC4813159 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17030295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Revised: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans, a 1 mm long free-living nematode, is a popular model animal that has been widely utilized for genetic investigations of various biological processes. Characteristic features that make C. elegans a powerful model of choice for eukaryotic genetic studies include its rapid life cycle (development from egg to adult in 3.5 days at 20 °C), well-annotated genome, simple morphology (comprising only 959 somatic cells in the hermaphrodite), and transparency (which facilitates non-invasive fluorescence observations). However, early approaches to introducing mutations in the C. elegans genome, such as chemical mutagenesis and imprecise excision of transposons, have required large-scale mutagenesis screens. To avoid this laborious and time-consuming procedure, genome editing technologies have been increasingly used in nematodes including C. briggsae and Pristionchus pacificus, thereby facilitating their genetic analyses. Here, I review the recent progress in genome editing technologies using zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcriptional activator-like nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 in nematodes and offer perspectives on their use in the future.
Collapse
|
37
|
Mendenhall A, Driscoll M, Brent R. Using measures of single-cell physiology and physiological state to understand organismic aging. Aging Cell 2016; 15:4-13. [PMID: 26616110 PMCID: PMC4717262 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetically identical organisms in homogeneous environments have different lifespans and healthspans. These differences are often attributed to stochastic events, such as mutations and 'epimutations', changes in DNA methylation and chromatin that change gene function and expression. But work in the last 10 years has revealed differences in lifespan- and health-related phenotypes that are not caused by lasting changes in DNA or identified by modifications to DNA or chromatin. This work has demonstrated persistent differences in single-cell and whole-organism physiological states operationally defined by values of reporter gene signals in living cells. While some single-cell states, for example, responses to oxygen deprivation, were defined previously, others, such as a generally heightened ability to make proteins, were, revealed by direct experiment only recently, and are not well understood. Here, we review technical progress that promises to greatly increase the number of these measurable single-cell physiological variables and measureable states. We discuss concepts that facilitate use of single-cell measurements to provide insight into physiological states and state transitions. We assert that researchers will use this information to relate cell level physiological readouts to whole-organism outcomes, to stratify aging populations into groups based on different physiologies, to define biomarkers predictive of outcomes, and to shed light on the molecular processes that bring about different individual physiologies. For these reasons, quantitative study of single-cell physiological variables and state transitions should provide a valuable complement to genetic and molecular explanations of how organisms age.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Monica Driscoll
- Department of Molecular Biology and BiochemistryRutgersThe State University of New JerseyPiscatawayNJUSA
| | - Roger Brent
- Division of Basic SciencesFred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleWAUSA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
The Development and Use of Zinc-Finger Nucleases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3509-3_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
|
39
|
O'Hagan R, Barr MM. Kymographic Analysis of Transport in an Individual Neuronal Sensory Cilium in Caenorhabditis elegans. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1454:107-22. [PMID: 27514919 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3789-9_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Intraflagellar Transport (IFT) is driven by molecular motors that travel upon microtubule-based ciliary axonemes. In the single-celled alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, movement of a single anterograde IFT motor, heterotrimeric kinesin-II, is required to generate two identical motile flagella. The function of this canonical anterograde IFT motor is conserved among all eukaryotes, yet multicellular organisms can generate cilia of diverse structures and functions, ranging from simple threadlike non-motile primary cilia to the elaborate cilia that make up rod and cone photoreceptors in the retina. An emerging theme is that additional molecular motors modulate the canonical IFT machinery to give rise to differing ciliary morphologies. Therefore, a complete understanding of the trafficking of ciliary receptors, as well as the biogenesis, maintenance, specialization, and function of cilia, requires the characterization of motor molecules.Here, we describe in detail our method for measuring the motility of proteins in cilia or dendrites of C. elegans male-specific CEM ciliated sensory neurons using time-lapse microscopy and kymography of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged motors, receptors, and cargos. We describe, as a specific example, OSM-3::GFP puncta moving in cilia, but also include (Fig. 1) with settings that have worked well for us measuring movement of heterotrimeric kinesin-II, IFT particles, and the polycystin TRP channel PKD-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert O'Hagan
- Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 145 Bevier Rd., Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
| | - Maureen M Barr
- Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 145 Bevier Rd., Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Chen X, Li M, Feng X, Guang S. Targeted Chromosomal Translocations and Essential Gene Knockout Using CRISPR/Cas9 Technology in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics 2015; 201:1295-306. [PMID: 26482793 PMCID: PMC4676527 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.181883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many genes play essential roles in development and fertility; their disruption leads to growth arrest or sterility. Genetic balancers have been widely used to study essential genes in many organisms. However, it is technically challenging and laborious to generate and maintain the loss-of-function mutations of essential genes. The CRISPR/Cas9 technology has been successfully applied for gene editing and chromosome engineering. Here, we have developed a method to induce chromosomal translocations and produce genetic balancers using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology and have applied this approach to edit essential genes in Caenorhabditis elegans. The co-injection of dual small guide RNA targeting genes on different chromosomes resulted in reciprocal translocation between nonhomologous chromosomes. These animals with chromosomal translocations were subsequently crossed with animals that contain normal sets of chromosomes. The F1 progeny were subjected to a second round of Cas9-mediated gene editing. Through this method, we successfully produced nematode strains with specified chromosomal translocations and generated a number of loss-of-function alleles of two essential genes (csr-1 and mes-6). Therefore, our method provides an easy and efficient approach to generate and maintain loss-of-function alleles of essential genes with detailed genetic background information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyang Chen
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, People's Republic of China
| | - Mu Li
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuezhu Feng
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, People's Republic of China
| | - Shouhong Guang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Chen X, Barclay JW, Burgoyne RD, Morgan A. Using C. elegans to discover therapeutic compounds for ageing-associated neurodegenerative diseases. Chem Cent J 2015; 9:65. [PMID: 26617668 PMCID: PMC4661952 DOI: 10.1186/s13065-015-0143-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-associated neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease are a major public health challenge, due to the demographic increase in the proportion of older individuals in society. However, the relatively few currently approved drugs for these conditions provide only symptomatic relief. A major goal of neurodegeneration research is therefore to identify potential new therapeutic compounds that can slow or even reverse disease progression, either by impacting directly on the neurodegenerative process or by activating endogenous physiological neuroprotective mechanisms that decline with ageing. This requires model systems that can recapitulate key features of human neurodegenerative diseases that are also amenable to compound screening approaches. Mammalian models are very powerful, but are prohibitively expensive for high-throughput drug screens. Given the highly conserved neurological pathways between mammals and invertebrates, Caenorhabditis elegans has emerged as a powerful tool for neuroprotective compound screening. Here we describe how C. elegans has been used to model various human ageing-associated neurodegenerative diseases and provide an extensive list of compounds that have therapeutic activity in these worm models and so may have translational potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 3BX UK ; Centre for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, 333 Bostwick Avenue NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, MI 49503 USA
| | - Jeff W Barclay
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 3BX UK
| | - Robert D Burgoyne
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 3BX UK
| | - Alan Morgan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool, L69 3BX UK
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Xu S. The application of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Genet Genomics 2015; 42:413-21. [PMID: 26336798 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2015.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Revised: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Genome editing using the Cas9 endonuclease of Streptococcus pyogenes has demonstrated unparalleled efficacy and facility for modifying genomes in a wide variety of organisms. Caenorhabditis elegans is one of the most convenient multicellular organisms for genetic analysis, and the application of this novel genome editing technique to this organism promises to revolutionize analysis of gene function in the future. CRISPR-Cas9 has been successfully used to generate imprecise insertions and deletions via non-homologous end-joining mechanisms and to create precise mutations by homology-directed repair from donor templates. Key variables are the methods used to deliver the Cas9 endonuclease and the efficiency of the single guide RNAs. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated editing appears to be highly specific in C. elegans, with no reported off-target effects. In this review, I briefly summarize recent progress in CRISPR-Cas9-based genome editing in C. elegans, highlighting technical improvements in mutagenesis and mutation detection, and discuss potential future applications of this technique.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suhong Xu
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Maduro MF. 20 Years of unc-119 as a transgene marker. WORM 2015; 4:e1046031. [PMID: 26430568 PMCID: PMC4588520 DOI: 10.1080/21624054.2015.1046031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
This fall marks 20 years since the cloning of unc-119 was reported. Despite having a strong phenotype that makes animals somewhat difficult to grow and handle, unc-119 mutant rescue has become one of the most frequently-used markers for C. elegans transformation. In this Commentary, I describe the history of how unc-119 rescue traveled through the worm community, contributing to the development of transgene methods in C. elegans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morris F Maduro
- Biology Department; University of California, Riverside ; Riverside, CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
A little over 50 years ago, Sydney Brenner had the foresight to develop the nematode (round worm) Caenorhabditis elegans as a genetic model for understanding questions of developmental biology and neurobiology. Over time, research on C. elegans has expanded to explore a wealth of diverse areas in modern biology including studies of the basic functions and interactions of eukaryotic cells, host-parasite interactions, and evolution. C. elegans has also become an important organism in which to study processes that go awry in human diseases. This primer introduces the organism and the many features that make it an outstanding experimental system, including its small size, rapid life cycle, transparency, and well-annotated genome. We survey the basic anatomical features, common technical approaches, and important discoveries in C. elegans research. Key to studying C. elegans has been the ability to address biological problems genetically, using both forward and reverse genetics, both at the level of the entire organism and at the level of the single, identified cell. These possibilities make C. elegans useful not only in research laboratories, but also in the classroom where it can be used to excite students who actually can see what is happening inside live cells and tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ann K Corsi
- Biology Department, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064
| | - Bruce Wightman
- Biology Department, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pennsylvania 18104
| | - Martin Chalfie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Thomas CG, Wang W, Jovelin R, Ghosh R, Lomasko T, Trinh Q, Kruglyak L, Stein LD, Cutter AD. Full-genome evolutionary histories of selfing, splitting, and selection in Caenorhabditis. Genome Res 2015; 25:667-78. [PMID: 25783854 PMCID: PMC4417115 DOI: 10.1101/gr.187237.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae is a model for comparative developmental evolution with C. elegans. Worldwide collections of C. briggsae have implicated an intriguing history of divergence among genetic groups separated by latitude, or by restricted geography, that is being exploited to dissect the genetic basis to adaptive evolution and reproductive incompatibility; yet, the genomic scope and timing of population divergence is unclear. We performed high-coverage whole-genome sequencing of 37 wild isolates of the nematode C. briggsae and applied a pairwise sequentially Markovian coalescent (PSMC) model to 703 combinations of genomic haplotypes to draw inferences about population history, the genomic scope of natural selection, and to compare with 40 wild isolates of C. elegans. We estimate that a diaspora of at least six distinct C. briggsae lineages separated from one another approximately 200,000 generations ago, including the “Temperate” and “Tropical” phylogeographic groups that dominate most samples worldwide. Moreover, an ancient population split in its history approximately 2 million generations ago, coupled with only rare gene flow among lineage groups, validates this system as a model for incipient speciation. Low versus high recombination regions of the genome give distinct signatures of population size change through time, indicative of widespread effects of selection on highly linked portions of the genome owing to extreme inbreeding by self-fertilization. Analysis of functional mutations indicates that genomic context, owing to selection that acts on long linkage blocks, is a more important driver of population variation than are the functional attributes of the individually encoded genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristel G Thomas
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
| | - Richard Jovelin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
| | - Rajarshi Ghosh
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA; Department of Pediatrics-Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Tatiana Lomasko
- Informatics and Bio-Computing, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 0A3
| | - Quang Trinh
- Informatics and Bio-Computing, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 0A3
| | - Leonid Kruglyak
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA; Departments of Human Genetics and Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Lincoln D Stein
- Informatics and Bio-Computing, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 0A3; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2; Bioinformatics and Genomics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Asher D Cutter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2; Center for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Abstract
The clustered, regularly interspaced, short, palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated (CAS) nuclease Cas9 has been used in many organisms to generate specific mutations and transgene insertions. Here we describe a method using the S. pyogenes Cas9 in C. elegans that provides a convenient and effective approach for making heritable changes to the worm genome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John A Calarco
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Northwest Lab Building, 52 Oxford Street, B227.80, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Warburton-Pitt SRF, Silva M, Nguyen KCQ, Hall DH, Barr MM. The nphp-2 and arl-13 genetic modules interact to regulate ciliogenesis and ciliary microtubule patterning in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004866. [PMID: 25501555 PMCID: PMC4263411 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cilia are microtubule-based cellular organelles that mediate signal transduction. Cilia are organized into several structurally and functionally distinct compartments: the basal body, the transition zone (TZ), and the cilia shaft. In vertebrates, the cystoprotein Inversin localizes to a portion of the cilia shaft adjacent to the TZ, a region termed the "Inversin compartment" (InvC). The mechanisms that establish and maintain the InvC are unknown. In the roundworm C. elegans, the cilia shafts of amphid channel and phasmid sensory cilia are subdivided into two regions defined by different microtubule ultrastructure: a proximal doublet-based region adjacent to the TZ, and a distal singlet-based region. It has been suggested that C. elegans cilia also possess an InvC, similarly to mammalian primary cilia. Here we explored the biogenesis, structure, and composition of the C. elegans ciliary doublet region and InvC. We show that the InvC is conserved and distinct from the doublet region. nphp-2 (the C. elegans Inversin homolog) and the doublet region genes arl-13, klp-11, and unc-119 are redundantly required for ciliogenesis. InvC and doublet region genes can be sorted into two modules-nphp-2+klp-11 and arl-13+unc-119-which are both antagonized by the hdac-6 deacetylase. The genes of this network modulate the sizes of the NPHP-2 InvC and ARL-13 doublet region. Glutamylation, a tubulin post-translational modification, is not required for ciliary targeting of InvC and doublet region components; rather, glutamylation is modulated by nphp-2, arl-13, and unc-119. The ciliary targeting and restricted localization of NPHP-2, ARL-13, and UNC-119 does not require TZ-, doublet region, and InvC-associated genes. NPHP-2 does require its calcium binding EF hand domain for targeting to the InvC. We conclude that the C. elegans InvC is distinct from the doublet region, and that components in these two regions interact to regulate ciliogenesis via cilia placement, ciliary microtubule ultrastructure, and protein localization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simon R. F. Warburton-Pitt
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Malan Silva
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Ken C. Q. Nguyen
- Center for C. elegans Anatomy, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - David H. Hall
- Center for C. elegans Anatomy, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Maureen M. Barr
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Horii T, Hatada I. Genome engineering using the CRISPR/Cas system. World J Med Genet 2014; 4:69-76. [DOI: 10.5496/wjmg.v4.i3.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2013] [Revised: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, an epoch-making genome engineering technology using clustered regularly at interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR associated (Cas) nucleases, was developed. Previous technologies for genome manipulation require the time-consuming design and construction of genome-engineered nucleases for each target and have, therefore, not been widely used in mouse research where standard techniques based on homologous recombination are commonly used. The CRISPR/Cas system only requires the design of sequences complementary to a target locus, making this technology fast and straightforward. In addition, CRISPR/Cas can be used to generate mice carrying mutations in multiple genes in a single step, an achievement not possible using other methods. Here, we review the uses of this technology in genetic analysis and manipulation, including achievements made possible to date and the prospects for future therapeutic applications.
Collapse
|
49
|
DAF-16 target identification in C. elegans: past, present and future. Biogerontology 2014; 16:221-34. [PMID: 25156270 PMCID: PMC4361755 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-014-9527-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In C. elegans, mutations in the conserved insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway lead to a robust extension in lifespan, improved late life health, and protection from age-related disease. These effects are mediated by the FoxO transcription factor DAF-16 which lies downstream of the IIS kinase cascade. Identifying and functionally testing DAF-16 target genes has been a focal point of ageing research for the last 10 years. Here, I review the recent advances in identifying and understanding IIS/DAF-16 targets. These studies continue to reveal the intricate nature of the IIS/DAF-16 gene regulation network and are helping us to understand the mechanisms that control lifespan. Ageing and age related disease is an area of intense public interest, and the biochemical characterization of the genes involved will be critical for identifying drugs to improve the health of our ageing population.
Collapse
|
50
|
Shen Z, Zhang X, Chai Y, Zhu Z, Yi P, Feng G, Li W, Ou G. Conditional knockouts generated by engineered CRISPR-Cas9 endonuclease reveal the roles of coronin in C. elegans neural development. Dev Cell 2014; 30:625-36. [PMID: 25155554 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2014.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2014] [Revised: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Conditional gene knockout animals are valuable tools for studying the mechanisms underlying cell and developmental biology. We developed a conditional knockout strategy by spatiotemporally manipulating the expression of an RNA-guided DNA endonuclease, CRISPR-Cas9, in Caenorhabditis elegans somatic cell lineages. We showed that this somatic CRISPR-Cas9 technology provides a quick and efficient approach to generate conditional knockouts in various cell types at different developmental stages. Furthermore, we demonstrated that this method outperforms our recently developed somatic TALEN technique and enables the one-step generation of multiple conditional knockouts. By combining these techniques with live-cell imaging, we showed that an essential embryonic gene, Coronin, which is associated with human neurobehavioral dysfunction, regulates actin organization and cell morphology during C. elegans postembryonic neuroblast migration and neuritogenesis. We propose that the somatic CRISPR-Cas9 platform is uniquely suited for conditional gene editing-based biomedical research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongfu Shen
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xianliang Zhang
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yongping Chai
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhiwen Zhu
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Peishan Yi
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Guoxin Feng
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Wei Li
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Guangshuo Ou
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| |
Collapse
|