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Maurer AC, Benyamini B, Fan VB, Whitney ON, Dailey GM, Darzacq X, Weitzman MD, Tjian R. Double-Strand Break Repair Pathways Differentially Affect Processing and Transduction by Dual AAV Vectors. bioRxiv 2023:2023.09.19.558438. [PMID: 37790316 PMCID: PMC10542147 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.19.558438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAV) are a powerful tool for gene delivery but have a limited DNA carrying capacity. Efforts to expand this genetic payload have focused on engineering the vector components, such as dual trans-splicing vectors which double the delivery size by exploiting the natural concatenation of rAAV genomes in host nuclei. We hypothesized that inefficient dual vector transduction could be improved by modulating host factors which affect concatenation. Since factors mediating concatenation are not well defined, we performed a genome-wide screen to identify host cell regulators. We discovered that Homologous Recombination (HR) is inhibitory to dual vector transduction. We demonstrate that depletion or inhibition of HR factors BRCA1 and Rad51 significantly increase reconstitution of a large split transgene by increasing both concatenation and expression from rAAVs. Our results define new roles for DNA damage repair in rAAV transduction and highlight the potential for pharmacological intervention to increase genetic payload of rAAV vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C. Maurer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- CIRM Center of Excellence, University of California, Berkeley, CA
| | - Brian Benyamini
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vinson B. Fan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Oscar N. Whitney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Gina M. Dailey
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical & Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Xavier Darzacq
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical & Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Matthew D. Weitzman
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert Tjian
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical & Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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2
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Wheeler JR, Whitney ON, Vogler TO, Nguyen ED, Pawlikowski B, Lester E, Cutler A, Elston T, Dalla Betta N, Parker KR, Yost KE, Vogel H, Rando TA, Chang HY, Johnson AM, Parker R, Olwin BB. RNA-binding proteins direct myogenic cell fate decisions. eLife 2022; 11:e75844. [PMID: 35695839 PMCID: PMC9191894 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), essential for skeletal muscle regeneration, cause muscle degeneration and neuromuscular disease when mutated. Why mutations in these ubiquitously expressed RBPs orchestrate complex tissue regeneration and direct cell fate decisions in skeletal muscle remains poorly understood. Single-cell RNA-sequencing of regenerating Mus musculus skeletal muscle reveals that RBP expression, including the expression of many neuromuscular disease-associated RBPs, is temporally regulated in skeletal muscle stem cells and correlates with specific stages of myogenic differentiation. By combining machine learning with RBP engagement scoring, we discovered that the neuromuscular disease-associated RBP Hnrnpa2b1 is a differentiation-specifying regulator of myogenesis that controls myogenic cell fate transitions during terminal differentiation in mice. The timing of RBP expression specifies cell fate transitions by providing post-transcriptional regulation of messenger RNAs that coordinate stem cell fate decisions during tissue regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua R Wheeler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of ColoradoBoulderUnited States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of ColoradoBoulderUnited States
- Department of Pathology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Neuropathology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Oscar N Whitney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Thomas O Vogler
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of ColoradoBoulderUnited States
- Department of Surgery, University of ColoradoAuroraUnited States
| | - Eric D Nguyen
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
- Molecular Biology Program and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Bradley Pawlikowski
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of ColoradoBoulderUnited States
| | - Evan Lester
- Department of Biochemistry, University of ColoradoBoulderUnited States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Alicia Cutler
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of ColoradoBoulderUnited States
| | - Tiffany Elston
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of ColoradoBoulderUnited States
| | - Nicole Dalla Betta
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of ColoradoBoulderUnited States
| | - Kevin R Parker
- Center for Personal and Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford UniversityPalo AltoUnited States
| | - Kathryn E Yost
- Center for Personal and Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford UniversityPalo AltoUnited States
| | - Hannes Vogel
- Department of Pathology, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Thomas A Rando
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
- Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordUnited States
- Center for Tissue Regeneration, Repair, and Restoration, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care SystemPalo AltoUnited States
| | - Howard Y Chang
- Center for Personal and Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford UniversityPalo AltoUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Aaron M Johnson
- Molecular Biology Program and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraUnited States
| | - Roy Parker
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of ColoradoBoulderUnited States
| | - Bradley B Olwin
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of ColoradoBoulderUnited States
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3
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Avena JS, McIntosh BB, Whitney ON, Wiens A, Knight JK. Successful Problem Solving in Genetics Varies Based on Question Content. CBE Life Sci Educ 2021; 20:ar51. [PMID: 34546101 PMCID: PMC8715770 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.21-01-0016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Problem solving is a critical skill in many disciplines but is often a challenge for students to learn. To examine the processes both students and experts undertake to solve constructed-response problems in genetics, we collected the written step-by-step procedures individuals used to solve problems in four different content areas. We developed a set of codes to describe each cognitive and metacognitive process and then used these codes to describe more than 1800 student and 149 expert answers. We found that students used some processes differently depending on the content of the question, but reasoning was consistently predictive of successful problem solving across all content areas. We also confirmed previous findings that the metacognitive processes of planning and checking were more common in expert answers than student answers. We provide suggestions for instructors on how to highlight key procedures based on each specific genetics content area that can help students learn the skill of problem solving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S. Avena
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
- School of Education, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
| | - Betsy B. McIntosh
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
- School of Education, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
| | | | - Ashton Wiens
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309
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4
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Greenwald HD, Kennedy LC, Hinkle A, Whitney ON, Fan VB, Crits-Christoph A, Harris-Lovett S, Flamholz AI, Al-Shayeb B, Liao LD, Beyers M, Brown D, Chakrabarti AR, Dow J, Frost D, Koekemoer M, Lynch C, Sarkar P, White E, Kantor R, Nelson KL. Tools for interpretation of wastewater SARS-CoV-2 temporal and spatial trends demonstrated with data collected in the San Francisco Bay Area. Water Res X 2021; 12:100111. [PMID: 34373850 DOI: 10.1101/2021.05.04.21256418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA can be integrated with COVID-19 case data to inform timely pandemic response. However, more research is needed to apply and develop systematic methods to interpret the true SARS-CoV-2 signal from noise introduced in wastewater samples (e.g., from sewer conditions, sampling and extraction methods, etc.). In this study, raw wastewater was collected weekly from five sewersheds and one residential facility. The concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater samples were compared to geocoded COVID-19 clinical testing data. SARS-CoV-2 was reliably detected (95% positivity) in frozen wastewater samples when reported daily new COVID-19 cases were 2.4 or more per 100,000 people. To adjust for variation in sample fecal content, four normalization biomarkers were evaluated: crAssphage, pepper mild mottle virus, Bacteroides ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and human 18S rRNA. Of these, crAssphage displayed the least spatial and temporal variability. Both unnormalized SARS-CoV-2 RNA signal and signal normalized to crAssphage had positive and significant correlation with clinical testing data (Kendall's Tau-b (τ)=0.43 and 0.38, respectively), but no normalization biomarker strengthened the correlation with clinical testing data. Locational dependencies and the date associated with testing data impacted the lead time of wastewater for clinical trends, and no lead time was observed when the sample collection date (versus the result date) was used for both wastewater and clinical testing data. This study supports that trends in wastewater surveillance data reflect trends in COVID-19 disease occurrence and presents tools that could be applied to make wastewater signal more interpretable and comparable across studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah D Greenwald
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Berkeley Water Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lauren C Kennedy
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Berkeley Water Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Adrian Hinkle
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Berkeley Water Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Oscar N Whitney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vinson B Fan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Crits-Christoph
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Avi I Flamholz
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Basem Al-Shayeb
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lauren D Liao
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Matt Beyers
- Alameda County Public Health Department, San Leandro, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Jason Dow
- Central Marin Sanitation Agency, San Rafael, CA, USA
| | - Dan Frost
- Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, Martinez, CA, USA
| | | | - Chris Lynch
- Contra Costa Health Services, Martinez, CA, USA
| | - Payal Sarkar
- San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility, San José, CA, USA
| | - Eileen White
- East Bay Municipal Utility District, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Rose Kantor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Berkeley Water Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kara L Nelson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Berkeley Water Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
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5
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Greenwald HD, Kennedy LC, Hinkle A, Whitney ON, Fan VB, Crits-Christoph A, Harris-Lovett S, Flamholz AI, Al-Shayeb B, Liao LD, Beyers M, Brown D, Chakrabarti AR, Dow J, Frost D, Koekemoer M, Lynch C, Sarkar P, White E, Kantor R, Nelson KL. Tools for interpretation of wastewater SARS-CoV-2 temporal and spatial trends demonstrated with data collected in the San Francisco Bay Area. Water Res X 2021; 12:100111. [PMID: 34373850 PMCID: PMC8325558 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2021.100111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA can be integrated with COVID-19 case data to inform timely pandemic response. However, more research is needed to apply and develop systematic methods to interpret the true SARS-CoV-2 signal from noise introduced in wastewater samples (e.g., from sewer conditions, sampling and extraction methods, etc.). In this study, raw wastewater was collected weekly from five sewersheds and one residential facility. The concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater samples were compared to geocoded COVID-19 clinical testing data. SARS-CoV-2 was reliably detected (95% positivity) in frozen wastewater samples when reported daily new COVID-19 cases were 2.4 or more per 100,000 people. To adjust for variation in sample fecal content, four normalization biomarkers were evaluated: crAssphage, pepper mild mottle virus, Bacteroides ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and human 18S rRNA. Of these, crAssphage displayed the least spatial and temporal variability. Both unnormalized SARS-CoV-2 RNA signal and signal normalized to crAssphage had positive and significant correlation with clinical testing data (Kendall's Tau-b (τ)=0.43 and 0.38, respectively), but no normalization biomarker strengthened the correlation with clinical testing data. Locational dependencies and the date associated with testing data impacted the lead time of wastewater for clinical trends, and no lead time was observed when the sample collection date (versus the result date) was used for both wastewater and clinical testing data. This study supports that trends in wastewater surveillance data reflect trends in COVID-19 disease occurrence and presents tools that could be applied to make wastewater signal more interpretable and comparable across studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah D. Greenwald
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Berkeley Water Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lauren C. Kennedy
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Berkeley Water Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Adrian Hinkle
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Berkeley Water Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Oscar N. Whitney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vinson B. Fan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Crits-Christoph
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Avi I. Flamholz
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Basem Al-Shayeb
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lauren D. Liao
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Matt Beyers
- Alameda County Public Health Department, San Leandro, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Jason Dow
- Central Marin Sanitation Agency, San Rafael, CA, USA
| | - Dan Frost
- Central Contra Costa Sanitary District, Martinez, CA, USA
| | | | - Chris Lynch
- Contra Costa Health Services, Martinez, CA, USA
| | - Payal Sarkar
- San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility, San José, CA, USA
| | - Eileen White
- East Bay Municipal Utility District, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Rose Kantor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Berkeley Water Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kara L. Nelson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Berkeley Water Center, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
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6
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Whitney ON, Kennedy LC, Fan VB, Hinkle A, Kantor R, Greenwald H, Crits-Christoph A, Al-Shayeb B, Chaplin M, Maurer AC, Tjian R, Nelson KL. Sewage, Salt, Silica, and SARS-CoV-2 (4S): An Economical Kit-Free Method for Direct Capture of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from Wastewater. Environ Sci Technol 2021. [PMID: 33759506 DOI: 10.17504/protocols.io.biwfkfbn] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology is an emerging tool to monitor COVID-19 infection levels by measuring the concentration of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in wastewater. There remains a need to improve wastewater RNA extraction methods' sensitivity, speed, and reduce reliance on often expensive commercial reagents to make wastewater-based epidemiology more accessible. We present a kit-free wastewater RNA extraction method, titled "Sewage, Salt, Silica and SARS-CoV-2" (4S), that employs the abundant and affordable reagents sodium chloride (NaCl), ethanol, and silica RNA capture matrices to recover sixfold more SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater than an existing ultrafiltration-based method. The 4S method concurrently recovered pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) and human 18S ribosomal subunit rRNA, which have been proposed as fecal concentration controls. The SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations measured in three sewersheds corresponded to the relative prevalence of COVID-19 infection determined via clinical testing. Lastly, controlled experiments indicate that the 4S method prevented RNA degradation during storage of wastewater samples, was compatible with heat pasteurization, and in our experience, 20 samples can be processed by one lab technician in approximately 2 h. Overall, the 4S method is promising for effective, economical, and accessible wastewater-based epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2, providing another tool to fight the global pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar N Whitney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Lauren C Kennedy
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Vinson B Fan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Adrian Hinkle
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Rose Kantor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Hannah Greenwald
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Alexander Crits-Christoph
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California 94704, United States
| | - Basem Al-Shayeb
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California 94704, United States
| | - Mira Chaplin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Anna C Maurer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Robert Tjian
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Kara L Nelson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California 94704, United States
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7
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Whitney ON, Kennedy LC, Fan VB, Hinkle A, Kantor R, Greenwald H, Crits-Christoph A, Al-Shayeb B, Chaplin M, Maurer AC, Tjian R, Nelson KL. Sewage, Salt, Silica, and SARS-CoV-2 (4S): An Economical Kit-Free Method for Direct Capture of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from Wastewater. Environ Sci Technol 2021. [PMID: 33759506 DOI: 10.17504/protocols.io.biwekfbe] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology is an emerging tool to monitor COVID-19 infection levels by measuring the concentration of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in wastewater. There remains a need to improve wastewater RNA extraction methods' sensitivity, speed, and reduce reliance on often expensive commercial reagents to make wastewater-based epidemiology more accessible. We present a kit-free wastewater RNA extraction method, titled "Sewage, Salt, Silica and SARS-CoV-2" (4S), that employs the abundant and affordable reagents sodium chloride (NaCl), ethanol, and silica RNA capture matrices to recover sixfold more SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater than an existing ultrafiltration-based method. The 4S method concurrently recovered pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) and human 18S ribosomal subunit rRNA, which have been proposed as fecal concentration controls. The SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations measured in three sewersheds corresponded to the relative prevalence of COVID-19 infection determined via clinical testing. Lastly, controlled experiments indicate that the 4S method prevented RNA degradation during storage of wastewater samples, was compatible with heat pasteurization, and in our experience, 20 samples can be processed by one lab technician in approximately 2 h. Overall, the 4S method is promising for effective, economical, and accessible wastewater-based epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2, providing another tool to fight the global pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar N Whitney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Lauren C Kennedy
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Vinson B Fan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Adrian Hinkle
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Rose Kantor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Hannah Greenwald
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Alexander Crits-Christoph
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California 94704, United States
| | - Basem Al-Shayeb
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California 94704, United States
| | - Mira Chaplin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Anna C Maurer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
| | - Robert Tjian
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Kara L Nelson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1710, United States
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California 94704, United States
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8
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Crits-Christoph A, Kantor RS, Olm MR, Whitney ON, Al-Shayeb B, Lou YC, Flamholz A, Kennedy LC, Greenwald H, Hinkle A, Hetzel J, Spitzer S, Koble J, Tan A, Hyde F, Schroth G, Kuersten S, Banfield JF, Nelson KL. Genome Sequencing of Sewage Detects Regionally Prevalent SARS-CoV-2 Variants. mBio 2021; 12:e02703-20. [PMID: 33468686 PMCID: PMC7845645 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02703-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 71.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral genome sequencing has guided our understanding of the spread and extent of genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 viral genomes are usually sequenced from nasopharyngeal swabs of individual patients to track viral spread. Recently, RT-qPCR of municipal wastewater has been used to quantify the abundance of SARS-CoV-2 in several regions globally. However, metatranscriptomic sequencing of wastewater can be used to profile the viral genetic diversity across infected communities. Here, we sequenced RNA directly from sewage collected by municipal utility districts in the San Francisco Bay Area to generate complete and nearly complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes. The major consensus SARS-CoV-2 genotypes detected in the sewage were identical to clinical genomes from the region. Using a pipeline for single nucleotide variant calling in a metagenomic context, we characterized minor SARS-CoV-2 alleles in the wastewater and detected viral genotypes which were also found within clinical genomes throughout California. Observed wastewater variants were more similar to local California patient-derived genotypes than they were to those from other regions within the United States or globally. Additional variants detected in wastewater have only been identified in genomes from patients sampled outside California, indicating that wastewater sequencing can provide evidence for recent introductions of viral lineages before they are detected by local clinical sequencing. These results demonstrate that epidemiological surveillance through wastewater sequencing can aid in tracking exact viral strains in an epidemic context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Crits-Christoph
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Rose S Kantor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Matthew R Olm
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Oscar N Whitney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Basem Al-Shayeb
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Yue Clare Lou
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Avi Flamholz
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Lauren C Kennedy
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Hannah Greenwald
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Adrian Hinkle
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Asako Tan
- Illumina, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jillian F Banfield
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kara L Nelson
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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Crits-Christoph A, Kantor RS, Olm MR, Whitney ON, Al-Shayeb B, Lou YC, Flamholz A, Kennedy LC, Greenwald H, Hinkle A, Hetzel J, Spitzer S, Koble J, Tan A, Hyde F, Schroth G, Kuersten S, Banfield JF, Nelson KL. Genome Sequencing of Sewage Detects Regionally Prevalent SARS-CoV-2 Variants. mBio 2021. [PMID: 33468686 DOI: 10.1101/2020.09.13.20193805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral genome sequencing has guided our understanding of the spread and extent of genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 viral genomes are usually sequenced from nasopharyngeal swabs of individual patients to track viral spread. Recently, RT-qPCR of municipal wastewater has been used to quantify the abundance of SARS-CoV-2 in several regions globally. However, metatranscriptomic sequencing of wastewater can be used to profile the viral genetic diversity across infected communities. Here, we sequenced RNA directly from sewage collected by municipal utility districts in the San Francisco Bay Area to generate complete and nearly complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes. The major consensus SARS-CoV-2 genotypes detected in the sewage were identical to clinical genomes from the region. Using a pipeline for single nucleotide variant calling in a metagenomic context, we characterized minor SARS-CoV-2 alleles in the wastewater and detected viral genotypes which were also found within clinical genomes throughout California. Observed wastewater variants were more similar to local California patient-derived genotypes than they were to those from other regions within the United States or globally. Additional variants detected in wastewater have only been identified in genomes from patients sampled outside California, indicating that wastewater sequencing can provide evidence for recent introductions of viral lineages before they are detected by local clinical sequencing. These results demonstrate that epidemiological surveillance through wastewater sequencing can aid in tracking exact viral strains in an epidemic context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Crits-Christoph
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Rose S Kantor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Matthew R Olm
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Oscar N Whitney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Basem Al-Shayeb
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Yue Clare Lou
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Avi Flamholz
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Lauren C Kennedy
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Hannah Greenwald
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Adrian Hinkle
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Asako Tan
- Illumina, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jillian F Banfield
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kara L Nelson
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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Crits-Christoph A, Kantor RS, Olm MR, Whitney ON, Al-Shayeb B, Lou YC, Flamholz A, Kennedy LC, Greenwald H, Hinkle A, Hetzel J, Spitzer S, Koble J, Tan A, Hyde F, Schroth G, Kuersten S, Banfield JF, Nelson KL. Genome Sequencing of Sewage Detects Regionally Prevalent SARS-CoV-2 Variants. mBio 2021. [PMID: 33468686 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02703-20%j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral genome sequencing has guided our understanding of the spread and extent of genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 viral genomes are usually sequenced from nasopharyngeal swabs of individual patients to track viral spread. Recently, RT-qPCR of municipal wastewater has been used to quantify the abundance of SARS-CoV-2 in several regions globally. However, metatranscriptomic sequencing of wastewater can be used to profile the viral genetic diversity across infected communities. Here, we sequenced RNA directly from sewage collected by municipal utility districts in the San Francisco Bay Area to generate complete and nearly complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes. The major consensus SARS-CoV-2 genotypes detected in the sewage were identical to clinical genomes from the region. Using a pipeline for single nucleotide variant calling in a metagenomic context, we characterized minor SARS-CoV-2 alleles in the wastewater and detected viral genotypes which were also found within clinical genomes throughout California. Observed wastewater variants were more similar to local California patient-derived genotypes than they were to those from other regions within the United States or globally. Additional variants detected in wastewater have only been identified in genomes from patients sampled outside California, indicating that wastewater sequencing can provide evidence for recent introductions of viral lineages before they are detected by local clinical sequencing. These results demonstrate that epidemiological surveillance through wastewater sequencing can aid in tracking exact viral strains in an epidemic context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Crits-Christoph
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Rose S Kantor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Matthew R Olm
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Oscar N Whitney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Basem Al-Shayeb
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Yue Clare Lou
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Avi Flamholz
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Lauren C Kennedy
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Hannah Greenwald
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Adrian Hinkle
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Asako Tan
- Illumina, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jillian F Banfield
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kara L Nelson
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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Whitney ON, Kennedy LC, Fan V, Hinkle A, Kantor R, Greenwald H, Crits-Christoph A, Al-Shayeb B, Chaplin M, Maurer AC, Tjian R, Nelson KL. Sewage, Salt, Silica and SARS-CoV-2 (4S): An economical kit-free method for direct capture of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater. medRxiv 2020:2020.12.01.20242131. [PMID: 33300015 PMCID: PMC7724686 DOI: 10.1101/2020.12.01.20242131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Wastewater-based epidemiology is an emerging tool to monitor COVID-19 infection levels by measuring the concentration of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in wastewater. There remains a need to improve wastewater RNA extraction methods' sensitivity, speed, and reduce reliance on often expensive commercial reagents to make wastewater-based epidemiology more accessible. We present a kit-free wastewater RNA extraction method, titled "Sewage, Salt, Silica and SARS-CoV-2" (4S), that employs the abundant and affordable reagents sodium chloride (NaCl), ethanol and silica RNA capture matrices to recover 6-fold more SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater than an existing ultrafiltration-based method. The 4S method concurrently recovered pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) and human 18S ribosomal subunit rRNA, both suitable as fecal concentration controls. The SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations measured in three sewersheds corresponded to the relative prevalence of COVID-19 infection determined via clinical testing. Lastly, controlled experiments indicate that the 4S method prevented RNA degradation during storage of wastewater samples, was compatible with heat pasteurization, and could be performed in approximately 3 hours. Overall, the 4S method is promising for effective, economical, and accessible wastewater-based epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2, providing another tool to fight the global pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar N. Whitney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lauren C. Kennedy
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vinson Fan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Adrian Hinkle
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Rose Kantor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Hannah Greenwald
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Crits-Christoph
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
| | - Basem Al-Shayeb
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
| | - Mira Chaplin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Anna C. Maurer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Robert Tjian
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Kara L. Nelson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, 94704, USA
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Esbin MN, Whitney ON, Chong S, Maurer A, Darzacq X, Tjian R. Overcoming the bottleneck to widespread testing: a rapid review of nucleic acid testing approaches for COVID-19 detection. RNA 2020; 26:771-783. [PMID: 32358057 PMCID: PMC7297120 DOI: 10.1261/rna.076232.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 334] [Impact Index Per Article: 83.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The current COVID-19 pandemic presents a serious public health crisis, and a better understanding of the scope and spread of the virus would be aided by more widespread testing. Nucleic-acid-based tests currently offer the most sensitive and early detection of COVID-19. However, the "gold standard" test pioneered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention takes several hours to complete and requires extensive human labor, materials such as RNA extraction kits that could become in short supply, and relatively scarce qPCR machines. It is clear that a huge effort needs to be made to scale up current COVID-19 testing by orders of magnitude. There is thus a pressing need to evaluate alternative protocols, reagents, and approaches to allow nucleic-acid testing to continue in the face of these potential shortages. There has been a tremendous explosion in the number of papers written within the first weeks of the pandemic evaluating potential advances, comparable reagents, and alternatives to the "gold-standard" CDC RT-PCR test. Here we present a collection of these recent advances in COVID-19 nucleic acid testing, including both peer-reviewed and preprint articles. Due to the rapid developments during this crisis, we have included as many publications as possible, but many of the cited sources have not yet been peer-reviewed, so we urge researchers to further validate results in their own laboratories. We hope that this review can urgently consolidate and disseminate information to aid researchers in designing and implementing optimized COVID-19 testing protocols to increase the availability, accuracy, and speed of widespread COVID-19 testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meagan N Esbin
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Oscar N Whitney
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Shasha Chong
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Anna Maurer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Xavier Darzacq
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Robert Tjian
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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