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Davison C, Harzman H, Nicholson J, Entriken S, Mobley K, Krull A, Singhal M, Skow C, Matthews N, Kopp L, Gillette B, Weide TJ, Hukvari JR, Stumpf SC, Feldmann OM, McGrail M, Srivastava R, Essner JJ. Tagging the tjp1a Gene in Zebrafish with Monomeric Red Fluorescent Protein Using Biotin Homology Arms. Zebrafish 2024; 21:191-197. [PMID: 38621205 PMCID: PMC11035848 DOI: 10.1089/zeb.2023.0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Tjp1a and other tight junction and adherens proteins play important roles in cell-cell adhesion, scaffolding, and forming seals between cells in epithelial and endothelial tissues. In this study, we labeled Tjp1a of zebrafish with the monomeric red fluorescent protein (mRFP) using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted integration of biotin-labeled polymerase chain reaction (PCR) generated templates. Labeling Tjp1a with RFP allowed us to follow membrane and junctional dynamics of epithelial and endothelial cells throughout zebrafish embryo development. For targeted integration, we used short 35 bp homology arms on each side of the Cas9 genomic target site at the C-terminal of the coding sequence in tjp1a. Through PCR using 5' biotinylated primers containing the homology arms, we generated a double-stranded template for homology directed repair containing a flexible linker followed by RFP. Cas9 protein was complexed with the tjp1a gRNA before mixing with the repair template and microinjected into one-cell zebrafish embryos. We confirmed and recovered a precise integration allele at the desired site at the tjp1a C-terminus. Examination of fluorescence reveals RFP cell-cell junctional labeling using confocal imaging. We are currently using this stable tjp1a-mRFPis86 line to examine the behavior and interactions between cells during vascular formation in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor Davison
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Hamelynn Harzman
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Jessie Nicholson
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Seth Entriken
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Kierinn Mobley
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Abigail Krull
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Manik Singhal
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Caleb Skow
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Nathan Matthews
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Lindsey Kopp
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Benjamin Gillette
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Tyler J. Weide
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Jana R. Hukvari
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Sofia C.P. Stumpf
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Olivia M. Feldmann
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Maura McGrail
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Renu Srivastava
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Jeffrey J. Essner
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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2
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Liu J, Li W, Jin X, Lin F, Han J, Zhang Y. Optimal tagging strategies for illuminating expression profiles of genes with different abundance in zebrafish. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1300. [PMID: 38129658 PMCID: PMC10739737 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05686-1] [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: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-mediated knock-in (KI) technology opens a new era of fluorescent-protein labeling in zebrafish, a preferred model organism for in vivo imaging. We described here an optimized zebrafish gene-tagging strategy, which enables easy and high-efficiency KI, ensures high odds of obtaining seamless KI germlines and is suitable for wide applications. Plasmid donors for 3'-labeling were optimized by shortening the microhomologous arms and by reducing the number and reversing the sequence of the consensus Cas9/sgRNA binding sites. To allow for scar-less KI across the genome, linearized dsDNA donors with 5'-chemical modifications were generated and successfully incorporated into our method. To refine the germline screen workflow and expedite the screen process, we combined fluorescence enrichment and caudal-fin junction-PCR. Furthermore, to trace proteins expressed at a low abundance, we developed a fluorescent signal amplifier using the transcriptional activation strategy. Together, our strategies enable efficient gene-tagging and sensitive expression detection for almost every gene in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiannan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Wenyuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Xuepu Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Fanjia Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Jiahuai Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
- Laboratory Animal Center, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
- Research Unit of Cellular Stress of CAMS, Cancer Research Center of Xiamen University, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
| | - Yingying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, 361102, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
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3
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Clark B, Kuwalekar M, Fischer B, Woltering J, Biran J, Juntti S, Kratochwil CF, Santos ME, Almeida MV. Genome editing in East African cichlids and tilapias: state-of-the-art and future directions. Open Biol 2023; 13:230257. [PMID: 38018094 PMCID: PMC10685126 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.230257] [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: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
African cichlid fishes of the Cichlidae family are a group of teleosts important for aquaculture and research. A thriving research community is particularly interested in the cichlid radiations of the East African Great Lakes. One key goal is to pinpoint genetic variation underlying phenotypic diversification, but the lack of genetic tools has precluded thorough dissection of the genetic basis of relevant traits in cichlids. Genome editing technologies are well established in teleost models like zebrafish and medaka. However, this is not the case for emerging model organisms, such as East African cichlids, where these technologies remain inaccessible to most laboratories, due in part to limited exchange of knowledge and expertise. The Cichlid Science 2022 meeting (Cambridge, UK) hosted for the first time a Genome Editing Workshop, where the community discussed recent advances in genome editing, with an emphasis on CRISPR/Cas9 technologies. Based on the workshop findings and discussions, in this review we define the state-of-the-art of cichlid genome editing, share resources and protocols, and propose new possible avenues to further expand the cichlid genome editing toolkit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethan Clark
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Muktai Kuwalekar
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusimaa 00014, Finland
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusimaa 00014, Finland
| | - Bettina Fischer
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joost Woltering
- Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg 78457, Germany
| | - Jakob Biran
- Department of Poultry and Aquaculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon Lezion, Israel
| | - Scott Juntti
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Claudius F. Kratochwil
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusimaa 00014, Finland
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Uusimaa 00014, Finland
| | | | - Miguel Vasconcelos Almeida
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome/CRUK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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4
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Moody J, Mears E, Trevarton AJ, Broadhurst M, Molenaar A, Chometon T, Lopdell T, Littlejohn M, Snell R. Successful editing and maintenance of lactogenic gene expression in primary bovine mammary epithelial cells. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2023:10.1007/s11626-023-00762-6. [PMID: 37278965 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-023-00762-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In vitro investigation of bovine lactation processes is limited by a lack of physiologically representative cell models. This deficiency is most evident through the minimal or absent expression of lactation-specific genes in cultured bovine mammary tissues. Primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (pbMECs) extracted from lactating mammary tissue and grown in culture initially express milk protein transcripts at relatively representative levels. However, expression drops dramatically after only three or four passages, which greatly reduces the utility of primary cells to model and further examine lactogenesis. To investigate the effects of alternate alleles in pbMECs including effects on transcription, we have developed methods to deliver CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing reagents to primary mammary cells, resulting in very high editing efficiencies. We have also found that culturing the cells on an imitation basement membrane composed of Matrigel, results in the restoration of a more representative lactogenic gene expression profile and the cells forming three-dimensional structures in vitro. Here, we present data from four pbMEC lines recovered from pregnant cows and detail the expression profile of five key milk synthesis genes in these MECs grown on Matrigel. Additionally, we describe an optimised method for preferentially selecting CRISPR-Cas9-edited cells conferring a knock-out of DGAT1, using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The combination of these techniques facilitates the use of pbMECs as a model to investigate the effects of gene introgressions and genetic variation in lactating mammary tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle Moody
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Emily Mears
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Alexander J Trevarton
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | | | - Thaize Chometon
- Faculty of Sciences, Auckland Cytometry, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Thomas Lopdell
- Livestock Improvement Corporation, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | | | - Russell Snell
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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5
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Henke K, Farmer DT, Niu X, Kraus JM, Galloway JL, Youngstrom DW. Genetically engineered zebrafish as models of skeletal development and regeneration. Bone 2023; 167:116611. [PMID: 36395960 PMCID: PMC11080330 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2022.116611] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are aquatic vertebrates with significant homology to their terrestrial counterparts. While zebrafish have a centuries-long track record in developmental and regenerative biology, their utility has grown exponentially with the onset of modern genetics. This is exemplified in studies focused on skeletal development and repair. Herein, the numerous contributions of zebrafish to our understanding of the basic science of cartilage, bone, tendon/ligament, and other skeletal tissues are described, with a particular focus on applications to development and regeneration. We summarize the genetic strengths that have made the zebrafish a powerful model to understand skeletal biology. We also highlight the large body of existing tools and techniques available to understand skeletal development and repair in the zebrafish and introduce emerging methods that will aid in novel discoveries in skeletal biology. Finally, we review the unique contributions of zebrafish to our understanding of regeneration and highlight diverse routes of repair in different contexts of injury. We conclude that zebrafish will continue to fill a niche of increasing breadth and depth in the study of basic cellular mechanisms of skeletal biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Henke
- Department of Orthopaedics, Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - D'Juan T Farmer
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Xubo Niu
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - Jessica M Kraus
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
| | - Jenna L Galloway
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - Daniel W Youngstrom
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
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6
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Sieliwonczyk E, Vandendriessche B, Claes C, Mayeur E, Alaerts M, Holmgren P, Canter Cremers T, Snyders D, Loeys B, Schepers D. Improved selection of zebrafish CRISPR editing by early next-generation sequencing based genotyping. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1491. [PMID: 36707549 PMCID: PMC9883431 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27503-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite numerous prior attempts to improve knock-in (KI) efficiency, the introduction of precise base pair substitutions by the CRISPR-Cas9 technique in zebrafish remains challenging. In our efforts to generate KI zebrafish models of human CACNA1C mutations, we have tested the effect of several CRISPR determinants on KI efficiency across two sites in a single gene and developed a novel method for early selection to ameliorate KI efficiency. We identified optimal KI conditions for Cas9 protein and non-target asymmetric PAM-distal single stranded deoxynucleotide repair templates at both cacna1c sites. An effect of distance to the cut site on the KI efficiency was only observed for a single repair template conformation at one of the two sites. By combining minimally invasive early genotyping with the zebrafish embryo genotyper (ZEG) device and next-generation sequencing, we were able to obtain an almost 17-fold increase in somatic editing efficiency. The added benefit of the early selection procedure was particularly evident for alleles with lower somatic editing efficiencies. We further explored the potential of the ZEG selection procedure for the improvement of germline transmission by demonstrating germline transmission events in three groups of pre-selected embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Sieliwonczyk
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Center for Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Bert Vandendriessche
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Center for Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Claes
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Center for Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Evy Mayeur
- Experimental Neurobiology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Maaike Alaerts
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Center for Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Philip Holmgren
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Center for Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tycho Canter Cremers
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Center for Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dirk Snyders
- Experimental Neurobiology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Bart Loeys
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Center for Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Clinical Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dorien Schepers
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Center for Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium.,Experimental Neurobiology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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7
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SpG and SpRY variants expand the CRISPR toolbox for genome editing in zebrafish. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3421. [PMID: 35701400 PMCID: PMC9198057 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31034-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Precise genetic modifications in model organisms are essential for biomedical research. The recent development of PAM-less base editors makes it possible to assess the functional impact and pathogenicity of nucleotide mutations in animals. Here we first optimize SpG and SpRY systems in zebrafish by purifying protein combined with synthetically modified gRNA. SpG shows high editing efficiency at NGN PAM sites, whereas SpRY efficiently edit PAM-less sites in the zebrafish genome. Then, we generate the SpRY-mediated cytosine base editor SpRY-CBE4max and SpRY-mediated adenine base editor zSpRY-ABE8e. Both target relaxed PAM with up to 96% editing efficiency and high product purity. With these tools, some previously inaccessible disease-relevant genetic variants are generated in zebrafish, supporting the utility of high-resolution targeting across genome-editing applications. Our study significantly improves CRISPR-Cas targeting in the genomic landscape of zebrafish, promoting the application of this model organism in revealing gene function, physiological mechanisms, and disease pathogenesis.
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8
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Kalvaitytė M, Balciunas D. Conditional mutagenesis strategies in zebrafish. Trends Genet 2022; 38:856-868. [PMID: 35662532 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.04.007] [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: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Gene disruption or knockout is an essential tool for elucidating gene function. Conditional knockout methodology was developed to further advance these studies by enabling gene disruption at a predefined time and/or in discrete cells. While the conditional knockout method is widely used in the mouse, technical limitations have stifled direct adoption of this methodology in other animal models including the zebrafish. Recent advances in genome editing have enabled engineering of distinct classes of conditional mutants in zebrafish. To further accelerate the development and application of conditional mutants, we will review diverse methods of conditional knockout engineering and discuss the advantages of different conditional alleles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Darius Balciunas
- Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania; Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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