1
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Cardiff RL, Faulkner I, Beall J, Carothers JM, Zalatan J. CRISPR-Cas tools for simultaneous transcription & translation control in bacteria. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:5406-5419. [PMID: 38613390 PMCID: PMC11109947 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Robust control over gene translation at arbitrary mRNA targets is an outstanding challenge in microbial synthetic biology. The development of tools that can regulate translation will greatly expand our ability to precisely control genes across the genome. In Escherichia coli, most genes are contained in multi-gene operons, which are subject to polar effects where targeting one gene for repression leads to silencing of other genes in the same operon. These effects pose a challenge for independently regulating individual genes in multi-gene operons. Here, we use CRISPR-dCas13 to address this challenge. We find dCas13-mediated repression exhibits up to 6-fold lower polar effects compared to dCas9. We then show that we can selectively activate single genes in a synthetic multi-gene operon by coupling dCas9 transcriptional activation of an operon with dCas13 translational repression of individual genes within the operon. We also show that dCas13 and dCas9 can be multiplexed for improved biosynthesis of a medically-relevant human milk oligosaccharide. Taken together, our findings suggest that combining transcriptional and translational control can access effects that are difficult to achieve with either mode independently. These combined tools for gene regulation will expand our abilities to precisely engineer bacteria for biotechnology and perform systematic genetic screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan A L Cardiff
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Ian D Faulkner
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Juliana G Beall
- Department of Chemistry University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - James M Carothers
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
| | - Jesse G Zalatan
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
- Department of Chemistry University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 USA
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2
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Montagud‐Martínez R, Márquez‐Costa R, Heras‐Hernández M, Dolcemascolo R, Rodrigo G. On the ever-growing functional versatility of the CRISPR-Cas13 system. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14418. [PMID: 38381083 PMCID: PMC10880580 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems evolved in prokaryotes to implement a powerful antiviral immune response as a result of sequence-specific targeting by ribonucleoproteins. One of such systems consists of an RNA-guided RNA endonuclease, known as CRISPR-Cas13. In very recent years, this system is being repurposed in different ways in order to decipher and engineer gene expression programmes. Here, we discuss the functional versatility of the CRISPR-Cas13 system, which includes the ability for RNA silencing, RNA editing, RNA tracking, nucleic acid detection and translation regulation. This functional palette makes the CRISPR-Cas13 system a relevant tool in the broad field of systems and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roser Montagud‐Martínez
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio)CSIC – University of ValenciaPaternaSpain
| | - Rosa Márquez‐Costa
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio)CSIC – University of ValenciaPaternaSpain
| | - María Heras‐Hernández
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio)CSIC – University of ValenciaPaternaSpain
| | - Roswitha Dolcemascolo
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio)CSIC – University of ValenciaPaternaSpain
| | - Guillermo Rodrigo
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio)CSIC – University of ValenciaPaternaSpain
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3
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Kuo HC, Prupes J, Chou CW, Finkelstein IJ. Massively parallel profiling of RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas13d. Nat Commun 2024; 15:498. [PMID: 38216559 PMCID: PMC10786891 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44738-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas13d cleaves RNA and is used in vivo and for diagnostics. However, a systematic understanding of its RNA binding and cleavage specificity is lacking. Here, we describe an RNA Chip-Hybridized Association-Mapping Platform (RNA-CHAMP) for measuring the binding affinity for > 10,000 RNAs containing structural perturbations and other alterations relative to the CRISPR RNA (crRNA). Deep profiling of Cas13d reveals that it does not require a protospacer flanking sequence but is exquisitely sensitive to secondary structure within the target RNA. Cas13d binding is penalized by mismatches in the distal crRNA-target RNA region, while alterations in the proximal region inhibit nuclease activity. A biophysical model built from these data reveals that target recognition initiates in the distal end of the target RNA. Using this model, we design crRNAs that can differentiate between SARS-CoV-2 variants by modulating nuclease activation. This work describes the key determinants of RNA targeting by a type VI CRISPR enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Che Kuo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Joshua Prupes
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Chia-Wei Chou
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Ilya J Finkelstein
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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4
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Ma YF, Zhang MQ, Gong LL, Liu XZ, Long GJ, Guo H, Hull JJ, Dewer Y, He M, He P. Efficient nanoparticle-based CRISPR-Cas13d induced mRNA disruption of an eye pigmentation gene in the white-backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera. INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 30:1552-1564. [PMID: 37202920 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13203] [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] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) system has driven gene manipulation technology to a new era with applications reported in organisms that span the tree of life. The utility of CRISPR-mediated editing was further expanded to mRNA following identification of the RNA-targeting Cas13 family of smaller endonuclease proteins. Application of this family to insect research, however, has been more limited. In this study, the smallest Cas13 family member, Cas13d, and guide RNAs (gRNAs) were complexed with a versatile nanomaterial (star polycation, SPc) to generate a proof-of-concept RNA-editing platform capable of disrupting mRNA expression of the eye pigmentation gene tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (SfTO) in white-backed planthoppers (WBPHs). The resulting red-eye phenotype was present in 19.76% (with SPc) and 22.99% (without SPc) of the treatment groups and was comparable to the red-eye phenotype generated following conventional RNA interference knockdown (22.22%). Furthermore, the Cas13/gRNA phenotype manifested more quickly than RNA interference. Consistent with the expected Cas13d mechanism, SfTO transcript levels were significantly reduced. Taken together, the results indicate that the SPc-CRISPR-Cas13d/gRNA complex negatively impacted expression of the target gene. These findings confirm the utility of this novel mRNA disruption system in insects and lay the foundation for further development of these tools in the implementation of green agricultural pest management tactics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Feng Ma
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals of Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Meng-Qi Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals of Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Lang-Lang Gong
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals of Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xuan-Zheng Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals of Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Gui-Jun Long
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals of Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Huan Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals of Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - J Joe Hull
- USDA-ARS Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, USA
| | - Youssef Dewer
- Phytotoxicity Research Department, Central Agricultural Pesticide Laboratory, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Ming He
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals of Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Peng He
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for R&D of Fine Chemicals of Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
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5
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Kuo HC, Prupes J, Chou CW, Finkelstein IJ. Massively Parallel Profiling of RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas13d. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.27.534188. [PMID: 37034598 PMCID: PMC10081190 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.27.534188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Type VI CRISPR enzymes cleave target RNAs and are widely used for gene regulation, RNA tracking, and diagnostics. However, a systematic understanding of their RNA binding specificity and cleavage activation is lacking. Here, we describe RNA chip-hybridized association-mapping platform (RNA-CHAMP), a massively parallel platform that repurposes next-generation DNA sequencing chips to measure the binding affinity for over 10,000 RNA targets containing structural perturbations, mismatches, insertions, and deletions relative to the CRISPR RNA (crRNA). Deep profiling of Cas13d, a compact and widely used RNA nuclease, reveals that it does not require a protospacer flanking sequence (PFS) but is exquisitely sensitive to secondary structure within the target RNA. Cas13d binding is strongly penalized by mismatches, insertions, and deletions in the distal crRNA-target RNA regions, while alterations in the proximal region inhibit nuclease activity without affecting binding. A biophysical model built from these data reveals that target recognition begins at the distal end of unstructured target RNAs and proceeds to the proximal end. Using this model, we designed a series of partially mismatched guide RNAs that modulate nuclease activity to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. This work describes the key determinants of RNA targeting by a type VI CRISPR enzyme to improve CRISPR diagnostics and in vivo RNA editing. More broadly, RNA-CHAMP provides a quantitative platform for systematically measuring protein-RNA interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Che Kuo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Joshua Prupes
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Chia-Wei Chou
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Ilya J. Finkelstein
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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6
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Montagud-Martínez R, Márquez-Costa R, Rodrigo G. Programmable regulation of translation by harnessing the CRISPR-Cas13 system. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:2616-2619. [PMID: 36757178 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc00058c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The ability to control protein expression at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels is instrumental for the cell to integrate multiple molecular signals and then reach high operational sophistication. Although challenging, fully artificial regulations at different levels are required for boosting systems and synthetic biology. Here, we report the development of a novel framework to regulate translation by repurposing the CRISPR-Cas13 immune system, which uses an RNA-guided ribonuclease. By exploiting a cell-free expression system for prototyping gene regulatory structures, our results demonstrate that CRISPR-dCas13a ribonucleoproteins (d means catalytically dead) can be programmed to repress or activate translation initiation. The performance assessment of the engineered systems also revealed guide RNA design principles. Moreover, we show that the system can work in vivo. This development complements the ability to regulate transcription with other CRISPR-Cas systems and offers potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roser Montagud-Martínez
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), CSIC - University of Valencia, 46980, Paterna, Spain.
| | - Rosa Márquez-Costa
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), CSIC - University of Valencia, 46980, Paterna, Spain.
| | - Guillermo Rodrigo
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), CSIC - University of Valencia, 46980, Paterna, Spain.
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7
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Wong KH, Lal SK. Alternative antiviral approaches to combat influenza A virus. Virus Genes 2023; 59:25-35. [PMID: 36260242 PMCID: PMC9832087 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-022-01935-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Influenza A (IAV) is a major human respiratory pathogen that contributes to a significant threat to health security, worldwide. Despite vaccinations and previous immunisations through infections, humans can still be infected with influenza several times throughout their lives. This phenomenon is attributed to the antigenic changes of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) proteins in IAV via genetic mutation and reassortment, conferring antigenic drift and antigenic shift, respectively. Numerous findings indicate that slow antigenic drift and reassortment-derived antigenic shift exhibited by IAV are key processes that allow IAVs to overcome the previously acquired host immunity, which eventually leads to the annual re-emergence of seasonal influenza and even pandemic influenza, in rare occasions. As a result, current therapeutic options hit a brick wall quickly. As IAV remains a constant threat for new outbreaks worldwide, the underlying processes of genetic changes and alternative antiviral approaches for IAV should be further explored to improve disease management. In the light of the above, this review discusses the characteristics and mechanisms of mutations and reassortments that contribute to IAV's evolution. We also discuss several alternative RNA-targeting antiviral approaches, namely the CRISPR/Cas13 systems, RNA interference (RNAi), and antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) as potential antiviral approaches against IAV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Heng Wong
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor DE, Malaysia
| | - Sunil K Lal
- School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor DE, Malaysia.
- Tropical Medicine & Biology Multidisciplinary Platform, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Selangor, Malaysia.
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8
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Wu S, Tian P, Tan T. CRISPR-Cas13 technology portfolio and alliance with other genetic tools. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 61:108047. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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9
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Li J, Zhu D, Hu S, Nie Y. CRISPR-CasRx knock-in mice for RNA degradation. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 65:2248-2256. [PMID: 35412223 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-2059-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The RNA editing tool CRISPR-CasRx has provided a platform for a range of transcriptome analysis tools and therapeutic approaches with its broad efficacy and high specificity. To enable the application of CasRx in vivo, we established a Credependent CasRx knock-in mouse. Using these mice, we specifically knocked down the expression of Meis1 and Hoxb13 in cardiomyocytes, which induced cardiac regeneration after myocardial infarction. We also knocked down the lncRNA Mhrt in cardiomyocytes with the CasRx knock-in mice, causing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In summary, we generated a Credependent CasRx knock-in mouse that can efficiently knock down coding gene and lncRNA expression in specific somatic cells. This in vivo CRISPR-CasRx system is promising for gene function research and disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital and Cardiovascular Institute, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China
| | - Dekun Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital and Cardiovascular Institute, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China
| | - Shengshou Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital and Cardiovascular Institute, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China.
| | - Yu Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital and Cardiovascular Institute, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China.
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine, Fuwai Central-China Hospital, Central-China Branch of National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
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10
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Jiang Y, Hoenisch RC, Chang Y, Bao X, Cameron CE, Lian XL. Robust genome and RNA editing via CRISPR nucleases in PiggyBac systems. Bioact Mater 2022; 14:313-320. [PMID: 35386818 PMCID: PMC8964983 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.01.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) offers unprecedented opportunities for developing in vitro disease modeling, drug screening and cell-based therapies. To efficiently deliver the CRISPR components, here we developed two all-in-one vectors containing Cas9/gRNA and inducible Cas13d/gRNA cassettes for robust genome editing and RNA interference respectively. These vectors utilized the PiggyBac transposon system, which allows stable expression of CRISPR components in hPSCs. The Cas9 vector PB-CRISPR exhibited high efficiency (up to 99%) of inducing gene knockout in both protein-coding genes and long non-coding RNAs. The other inducible Cas13d vector achieved extremely high efficiency in RNA knockdown (98% knockdown for CD90) with optimized gRNA designs. Taken together, our PiggyBac CRISPR vectors can serve as powerful toolkits for studying gene functions in hPSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqian Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Rachel Catherine Hoenisch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Yun Chang
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Xiaoping Bao
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Craig E. Cameron
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Xiaojun Lance Lian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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11
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Call SN, Andrews LB. CRISPR-Based Approaches for Gene Regulation in Non-Model Bacteria. Front Genome Ed 2022; 4:892304. [PMID: 35813973 PMCID: PMC9260158 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2022.892304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) and CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) have become ubiquitous approaches to control gene expression in bacteria due to their simple design and effectiveness. By regulating transcription of a target gene(s), CRISPRi/a can dynamically engineer cellular metabolism, implement transcriptional regulation circuitry, or elucidate genotype-phenotype relationships from smaller targeted libraries up to whole genome-wide libraries. While CRISPRi/a has been primarily established in the model bacteria Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, a growing numbering of studies have demonstrated the extension of these tools to other species of bacteria (here broadly referred to as non-model bacteria). In this mini-review, we discuss the challenges that contribute to the slower creation of CRISPRi/a tools in diverse, non-model bacteria and summarize the current state of these approaches across bacterial phyla. We find that despite the potential difficulties in establishing novel CRISPRi/a in non-model microbes, over 190 recent examples across eight bacterial phyla have been reported in the literature. Most studies have focused on tool development or used these CRISPRi/a approaches to interrogate gene function, with fewer examples applying CRISPRi/a gene regulation for metabolic engineering or high-throughput screens and selections. To date, most CRISPRi/a reports have been developed for common strains of non-model bacterial species, suggesting barriers remain to establish these genetic tools in undomesticated bacteria. More efficient and generalizable methods will help realize the immense potential of programmable CRISPR-based transcriptional control in diverse bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie N. Call
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Lauren B. Andrews
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
- Biotechnology Training Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Lauren B. Andrews,
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12
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Guo Y, Han L, Han S, Tang H, Wang S, Cui C, Chen B, Li H, Shu Y. Specific knockdown of Htra2 by CRISPR-CasRx prevents acquired sensorineural hearing loss in mice. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 28:643-655. [PMID: 35615000 PMCID: PMC9112053 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
CasRx, a recently discovered member of the type VI CRISPR system with minimum size, offers a new approach for RNA manipulation with high efficiency and specificity in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. However, in vivo studies of functional recovery using the CasRx system have not been well characterized. Here, we sought to establish an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-CasRx-guide RNA (gRNA) system for the specific knockdown of Htra2 transcript to protect mice from aminoglycosides-induced hearing loss. For the study, we verified an optimized gRNA in vitro, which was packaged into a single AAV with CasRx, and injected the packaged AAV into mice with hearing loss induced by neomycin and auditory functions investigated by auditory brainstem response tests. Upon using the AAV-CasRx-gRNA system, we found the knockdown of Htra2 transcript led to less cochlear hair cell loss and improved auditory function, with low off-target and adverse side effects. Additionally, the decrease in Htra2 significantly inhibits mRNA expression of Casp3 and Casp9. In conclusion, the AAV-CasRx-gRNA-mediated knockdown of Htra2 transcript in mice has been proved effective and safe for preventing hearing loss induced by aminoglycosides and, thus, represents a promising genetic approach for the future clinical applications for treating non-inherited hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Guo
- ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.,Institute of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Lei Han
- ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.,Institute of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China.,Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Shuang Han
- ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.,Institute of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China.,Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130041, China
| | - Honghai Tang
- ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.,Institute of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shengyi Wang
- Institute of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Chong Cui
- ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.,Institute of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Bing Chen
- ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.,Institute of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Huawei Li
- ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.,Institute of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China.,The Institutes of Brain Science and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yilai Shu
- ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.,Institute of Biomedical Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.,NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai 200032, China
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Habimana JDD, Huang R, Muhoza B, Kalisa YN, Han X, Deng W, Li Z. Mechanistic insights of CRISPR/Cas nucleases for programmable targeting and early-stage diagnosis: A review. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 203:114033. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Gupta R, Ghosh A, Chakravarti R, Singh R, Ravichandiran V, Swarnakar S, Ghosh D. Cas13d: A New Molecular Scissor for Transcriptome Engineering. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:866800. [PMID: 35433685 PMCID: PMC9008242 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.866800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and its associated Cas endonucleases in bacterial and archaeal species allowed scientists to modify, utilized, and revolutionize this tool for genetic alterations in any species. Especially the type II CRISPR-Cas9 system has been extensively studied and utilized for precise and efficient DNA manipulation in plant and mammalian systems over the past few decades. Further, the discovery of the type V CRISPR-Cas12 (Cpf1) system provides more flexibility and precision in DNA manipulation in prokaryotes, plants, and animals. However, much effort has been made to employ and utilize the above CRISPR tools for RNA manipulation but the ability of Cas9 and Cas12 to cut DNA involves the nuisance of off-target effects on genes and thus may not be employed in all RNA-targeting applications. Therefore, the search for new and diverse Cas effectors which can precisely detect and manipulate the targeted RNA begins and this led to the discovery of a novel RNA targeting class 2, type VI CRISPR-Cas13 system. The CRISPR-Cas13 system consists of single RNA-guided Cas13 effector nucleases that solely target single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) in a programmable way without altering the DNA. The Cas13 effectors family comprises four subtypes (a-d) and each subtype has distinctive primary sequence divergence except the two consensuses Higher eukaryotes and prokaryotes nucleotide-binding domain (HEPN) that includes RNase motifs i.e. R-X4-6-H. These two HEPN domains are solely responsible for executing targetable RNA cleavage activity with high efficiency. Further, recent studies have shown that Cas13d exhibits higher efficiency and specificity in cleaving targeted RNA in the mammalian system compared to other Cas13 endonucleases of the Cas13 enzyme family. In addition to that, Cas13d has shown additional advantages over other Cas13 variants, structurally as well as functionally which makes it a prominent and superlative tool for RNA engineering and editing. Therefore considering the advantages of Cas13d over previously characterized Cas13 subtypes, in this review, we encompass the structural and mechanistic properties of type VI CRISPR-Cas13d systems, an overview of the current reported various applications of Cas13d, and the prospects to improve Cas13d based tools for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Gupta
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | - Arijit Ghosh
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, India
| | - Rudra Chakravarti
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, India
| | - Rajveer Singh
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, India
| | - Velayutham Ravichandiran
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, India
- *Correspondence: Dipanjan Ghosh, ; Snehasikta Swarnakar, ; Velayutham Ravichandiran,
| | - Snehasikta Swarnakar
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
- *Correspondence: Dipanjan Ghosh, ; Snehasikta Swarnakar, ; Velayutham Ravichandiran,
| | - Dipanjan Ghosh
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, India
- *Correspondence: Dipanjan Ghosh, ; Snehasikta Swarnakar, ; Velayutham Ravichandiran,
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Wen X, Zhang Y, Cheng H, An J, Guo Y, Wang L, Wang M. A CRISPR/dCas9-assisted system to clone toxic genes in Escherichia coli. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2021; 1865:129994. [PMID: 34450195 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2021.129994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cloning of toxic genes in E. coli requires strict regulation of the target genes' leaky expression. Many methods facilitating successful gene cloning of toxic genes are commonly exploited, but the applicability is severely limited. METHODS A CRISPR/dCas9-assisted system was used to clone toxic genes in E. coli. The plasmid-based and genome-integrated systems were designed in this study. And the green fluorescent protein characterization system was used to test the repression efficiency of the two systems. RESULTS We optimized the plasmid-based CRISPR/dCas9-assisted repression system via testing different sgRNAs targeting the Ptrc promoter and achieved inhibition efficiency up to 64.8%. The genome-integrated system represented 35.9% decreased GFP expression and was successfully employed to cloned four toxic genes from Corynebacterium glutamicum in E. coli. CONCLUSIONS Using this method, we successfully cloned four C. glutamicum-derived toxic genes that had been failed to clone in conventional ways. The CRISPR/dCas9-assisted gene cloning method was a promising tool to facilitate precise gene cloning of different origins in E. coli. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE This system will be useful for cloning toxic genes from different origins in E. coli, and can accelerate the related research of gene characterization and heterologous expression in the metagenomic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wen
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Haijiao Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Jingjing An
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Yanmei Guo
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Lixian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Meng Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China; Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China.
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16
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Palaz F, Kalkan AK, Can Ö, Demir AN, Tozluyurt A, Özcan A, Ozsoz M. CRISPR-Cas13 System as a Promising and Versatile Tool for Cancer Diagnosis, Therapy, and Research. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:1245-1267. [PMID: 34037380 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decades, significant progress has been made in targeted cancer therapy. In precision oncology, molecular profiling of cancer patients enables the use of targeted cancer therapeutics. However, current diagnostic methods for molecular analysis of cancer are costly and require sophisticated equipment. Moreover, targeted cancer therapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule drugs may cause off-target effects and they are available for only a minority of cancer driver proteins. Therefore, there is still a need for versatile, efficient, and precise tools for cancer diagnostics and targeted cancer treatment. In recent years, the CRISPR-based genome and transcriptome engineering toolbox has expanded rapidly. Particularly, the RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas13 system has unique biochemical properties, making Cas13 a promising tool for cancer diagnosis, therapy, and research. Cas13-based diagnostic methods allow early detection and monitoring of cancer markers from liquid biopsy samples without the need for complex instrumentation. In addition, Cas13 can be used for targeted cancer therapy through degrading and manipulating cancer-associated transcripts with high efficiency and specificity. Moreover, Cas13-mediated programmable RNA manipulation tools offer invaluable opportunities for cancer research, identification of drug-resistance mechanisms, and discovery of novel therapeutic targets. Here, we review and discuss the current use and potential applications of the CRISPR-Cas13 system in cancer diagnosis, therapy, and research. Thus, researchers will gain a deep understanding of CRISPR-Cas13 technologies, which have the potential to be used as next-generation cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahreddin Palaz
- Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara 06100, Turkey
| | | | - Özgür Can
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Koc University, Istanbul 34450, Turkey
| | - Ayça Nur Demir
- Faculty of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, Afyonkarahisar 03100, Turkey
| | - Abdullah Tozluyurt
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara 06100, Turkey
| | - Ahsen Özcan
- Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, TUBITAK Marmara Research Center, Kocaeli 41470, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Ozsoz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Near East University, 10 Mersin, Nicosia, Turkey
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Qi M, Zhang B, Jiang L, Xu S, Dong C, Du YL, Zhou Z, Huang L, Xu Z, Lian J. PCR & Go: A Pre-installed Expression Chassis for Facile Integration of Multi-Gene Biosynthetic Pathways. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 8:613771. [PMID: 33520963 PMCID: PMC7841387 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.613771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of multi-gene metabolic pathways is generally the first step for the construction of microbial cell factories and plays an essential role in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. Here, we developed a “PCR & Go” system for facile integration and assembly of multi-gene pathways into the chromosome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The core component of the “PCR & Go” system was an expression chassis, where eight promoter/terminator pairs were pre-installed into the yeast chromosome and PCR amplified gene fragments could be inserted directly for functional expression. In combination with the CRISPR/Cas9 system and a gRNA plasmid library, the β-carotene (three genes), zeaxanthin (four genes), and astaxanthin (five genes) biosynthetic pathways were integrated and assembled into the yeast genome with an efficiency of ~93, ~85, and 69%, respectively, using PCR amplified gene fragments with ~40 bp homology arms in a single step. Therefore, the “PCR & Go” system can be used for fast construction of yeast cell factories harboring multi-gene pathways with high efficiency and flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Qi
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Center for Synthetic Biology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Bei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Center for Synthetic Biology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lihong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Center for Synthetic Biology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Saijuan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Center for Synthetic Biology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chang Dong
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Center for Synthetic Biology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi-Ling Du
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhan Zhou
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lei Huang
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhinan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiazhang Lian
- Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Center for Synthetic Biology, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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