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Vladimirov N, Voigt FF, Naert T, Araujo GR, Cai R, Reuss AM, Zhao S, Schmid P, Hildebrand S, Schaettin M, Groos D, Mateos JM, Bethge P, Yamamoto T, Aerne V, Roebroeck A, Ertürk A, Aguzzi A, Ziegler U, Stoeckli E, Baudis L, Lienkamp SS, Helmchen F. Benchtop mesoSPIM: a next-generation open-source light-sheet microscope for cleared samples. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2679. [PMID: 38538644 PMCID: PMC10973490 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46770-2] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
In 2015, we launched the mesoSPIM initiative, an open-source project for making light-sheet microscopy of large cleared tissues more accessible. Meanwhile, the demand for imaging larger samples at higher speed and resolution has increased, requiring major improvements in the capabilities of such microscopes. Here, we introduce the next-generation mesoSPIM ("Benchtop") with a significantly increased field of view, improved resolution, higher throughput, more affordable cost, and simpler assembly compared to the original version. We develop an optical method for testing detection objectives that enables us to select objectives optimal for light-sheet imaging with large-sensor cameras. The improved mesoSPIM achieves high spatial resolution (1.5 µm laterally, 3.3 µm axially) across the entire field of view, magnification up to 20×, and supports sample sizes ranging from sub-mm up to several centimeters while being compatible with multiple clearing techniques. The microscope serves a broad range of applications in neuroscience, developmental biology, pathology, and even physics.
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Grants
- U01 NS090475 NINDS NIH HHS
- This work was supported by the University Research Priority Program (URPP) “Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD)” of the University of Zurich (N.V., E.S. and F.H.). Additionally, F.F.V. is supported by an HFSP fellowship (LT00687), T.N. received funding from H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (xenCAKUT - 891127), A.R. and S.H. were supported by a Dutch Science Foundation VIDI Grant (14637), and A.R. was supported by an ERC Starting Grant (MULTICONNECT, 639938). Further funding support came from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF grant nos. 31003B-170269, 310030_192617 and CRSII5-18O316 to F.H., 310030_189102 to S.S.L., 200020_204950 to L.B., G.R.A, and V.A.); from an ERC Starting Grant by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (grant agreement no. 804474, DiRECT, S.S.L); and the US Brain Initiative (1U01NS090475-01, F.H.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Vladimirov
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Center for Microscopy and Image Analysis (ZMB), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Fabian F Voigt
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Thomas Naert
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Kidney Center (ZKC), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Ruiyao Cai
- Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM), Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anna Maria Reuss
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shan Zhao
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patricia Schmid
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Kidney Center (ZKC), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sven Hildebrand
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Martina Schaettin
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dominik Groos
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - José María Mateos
- Center for Microscopy and Image Analysis (ZMB), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Bethge
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Taiyo Yamamoto
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Kidney Center (ZKC), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Valentino Aerne
- Department of Physics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alard Roebroeck
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ali Ertürk
- Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM), Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Urs Ziegler
- Center for Microscopy and Image Analysis (ZMB), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Esther Stoeckli
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Laura Baudis
- Department of Physics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Soeren S Lienkamp
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Kidney Center (ZKC), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Voigt FF, Reuss AM, Naert T, Hildebrand S, Schaettin M, Hotz AL, Whitehead L, Bahl A, Neuhauss SCF, Roebroeck A, Stoeckli ET, Lienkamp SS, Aguzzi A, Helmchen F. Reflective multi-immersion microscope objectives inspired by the Schmidt telescope. Nat Biotechnol 2024; 42:65-71. [PMID: 36997681 PMCID: PMC10791577 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01717-8] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Imaging large, cleared samples requires microscope objectives that combine a large field of view (FOV) with a long working distance (WD) and a high numerical aperture (NA). Ideally, such objectives should be compatible with a wide range of immersion media, which is challenging to achieve with conventional lens-based objective designs. Here we introduce the multi-immersion 'Schmidt objective' consisting of a spherical mirror and an aspherical correction plate as a solution to this problem. We demonstrate that a multi-photon variant of the Schmidt objective is compatible with all homogeneous immersion media and achieves an NA of 1.08 at a refractive index of 1.56, 1.1-mm FOV and 11-mm WD. We highlight its versatility by imaging cleared samples in various media ranging from air and water to benzyl alcohol/benzyl benzoate, dibenzyl ether and ethyl cinnamate and by imaging of neuronal activity in larval zebrafish in vivo. In principle, the concept can be extended to any imaging modality, including wide-field, confocal and light-sheet microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian F Voigt
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Anna Maria Reuss
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Naert
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sven Hildebrand
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Martina Schaettin
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adriana L Hotz
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lachlan Whitehead
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Armin Bahl
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Stephan C F Neuhauss
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alard Roebroeck
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Esther T Stoeckli
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
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3
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Vladimirov N, Voigt FF, Naert T, Araujo GR, Cai R, Reuss AM, Zhao S, Schmid P, Hildebrand S, Schaettin M, Groos D, Mateos JM, Bethge P, Yamamoto T, Aerne V, Roebroeck A, Ertürk A, Aguzzi A, Ziegler U, Stoeckli E, Baudis L, Lienkamp SS, Helmchen F. The Benchtop mesoSPIM: a next-generation open-source light-sheet microscope for large cleared samples. bioRxiv 2023:2023.06.16.545256. [PMID: 38168219 PMCID: PMC10760166 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.16.545256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
In 2015, we launched the mesoSPIM initiative (www.mesospim.org), an open-source project for making light-sheet microscopy of large cleared tissues more accessible. Meanwhile, the demand for imaging larger samples at higher speed and resolution has increased, requiring major improvements in the capabilities of light-sheet microscopy. Here, we introduce the next-generation mesoSPIM ("Benchtop") with significantly increased field of view, improved resolution, higher throughput, more affordable cost and simpler assembly compared to the original version. We developed a new method for testing objectives, enabling us to select detection objectives optimal for light-sheet imaging with large-sensor sCMOS cameras. The new mesoSPIM achieves high spatial resolution (1.5 μm laterally, 3.3 μm axially) across the entire field of view, a magnification up to 20x, and supports sample sizes ranging from sub-mm up to several centimetres, while being compatible with multiple clearing techniques. The new microscope serves a broad range of applications in neuroscience, developmental biology, and even physics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Vladimirov
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP) Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for Microscopy and Image Analysis (ZMB), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fabian F. Voigt
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Present address: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Thomas Naert
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Kidney Center (ZKC), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Ruiyao Cai
- Present address: Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM), Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Munich, German
| | - Anna Maria Reuss
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shan Zhao
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patricia Schmid
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Kidney Center (ZKC), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sven Hildebrand
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Martina Schaettin
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dominik Groos
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - José María Mateos
- Center for Microscopy and Image Analysis (ZMB), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Bethge
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Taiyo Yamamoto
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Kidney Center (ZKC), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Valentino Aerne
- Department of Physics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alard Roebroeck
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Ali Ertürk
- Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM), Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Munich, German
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Urs Ziegler
- Center for Microscopy and Image Analysis (ZMB), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Esther Stoeckli
- University Research Priority Program (URPP) Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Laura Baudis
- Department of Physics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Soeren S. Lienkamp
- Institute of Anatomy and Zurich Kidney Center (ZKC), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- University Research Priority Program (URPP) Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Tulkens D, Boelens M, Naert T, Carron M, Demuynck S, Dewaele S, Van Isterdael G, Creytens D, Pieters T, Goossens S, Van Vlierberghe P, Vleminckx K. Mutations in the histone methyltransferase Ezh2 drive context-dependent leukemia in Xenopus tropicalis. Leukemia 2023; 37:2404-2413. [PMID: 37794102 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-023-02052-2] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-mediated simultaneous targeting of candidate tumor suppressor genes in Xenopus tropicalis allows fast functional assessment of co-driver genes for various solid tumors. Genotyping of tumors that emerge in the mosaic mutant animals rapidly exposes the gene mutations under positive selection for tumor establishment. However, applying this simple approach to the blood lineage has not been attempted. Multiple hematologic malignancies have mutations in EZH2, encoding the catalytic subunit of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2. Interestingly, EZH2 can act as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor, depending on cellular context and disease stage. We show here that mosaic CRISPR/Cas9 mediated ezh2 disruption in the blood lineage resulted in early and penetrant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) induction. While animals were co-targeted with an sgRNA that induces notch1 gain-of-function mutations, sequencing of leukemias revealed positive selection towards biallelic ezh2 mutations regardless of notch1 mutational status. Co-targeting dnm2, recurrently mutated in T/ETP-ALL, induced a switch from myeloid towards acute T-cell leukemia. Both myeloid and T-cell leukemias engrafted in immunocompromised hosts. These data underline the potential of Xenopus tropicalis for modeling human leukemia, where mosaic gene disruption, combined with deep amplicon sequencing of the targeted genomic regions, can rapidly and efficiently expose co-operating driver gene mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Tulkens
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marthe Boelens
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas Naert
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marjolein Carron
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Suzan Demuynck
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sylviane Dewaele
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gert Van Isterdael
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Flow Core, VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Ghent, Belgium
| | - David Creytens
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tim Pieters
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steven Goossens
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Van Vlierberghe
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Vleminckx
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium.
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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Grand K, Stoltz M, Rizzo L, Röck R, Kaminski MM, Salinas G, Getwan M, Naert T, Pichler R, Lienkamp SS. HNF1B Alters an Evolutionarily Conserved Nephrogenic Program of Target Genes. J Am Soc Nephrol 2023; 34:412-432. [PMID: 36522156 PMCID: PMC10103355 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2022010076] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mutations in hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 β ( HNF1B ) are the most common monogenic causes of congenital renal malformations. HNF1B is necessary to directly reprogram fibroblasts to induced renal tubule epithelial cells (iRECs) and, as we demonstrate, can induce ectopic pronephric tissue in Xenopus ectodermal organoids. Using these two systems, we analyzed the effect of HNF1B mutations found in patients with cystic dysplastic kidney disease. We found cross-species conserved targets of HNF1B, identified transcripts that are differentially regulated by the patient-specific mutant protein, and functionally validated novel HNF1B targets in vivo . These results highlight evolutionarily conserved transcriptional mechanisms and provide insights into the genetic circuitry of nephrogenesis. BACKGROUND Hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 β (HNF1B) is an essential transcription factor during embryogenesis. Mutations in HNF1B are the most common monogenic causes of congenital cystic dysplastic renal malformations. The direct functional consequences of mutations in HNF1B on its transcriptional activity are unknown. METHODS Direct reprogramming of mouse fibroblasts to induced renal tubular epithelial cells was conducted both with wild-type HNF1B and with patient mutations. HNF1B was expressed in Xenopus ectodermal explants. Transcriptomic analysis by bulk RNA-Seq identified conserved targets with differentially regulated expression by the wild-type or R295C mutant. CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in Xenopus embryos evaluated transcriptional targets in vivo . RESULTS HNF1B is essential for reprogramming mouse fibroblasts to induced renal tubular epithelial cells and induces development of ectopic renal organoids from pluripotent Xenopus cells. The mutation R295C retains reprogramming and inductive capacity but alters the expression of specific sets of downstream target genes instead of diminishing overall transcriptional activity of HNF1B. Surprisingly, targets associated with polycystic kidney disease were less affected than genes affected in congenital renal anomalies. Cross-species-conserved transcriptional targets were dysregulated in hnf1b CRISPR-depleted Xenopus embryos, confirming their dependence on hnf1b . CONCLUSIONS HNF1B activates an evolutionarily conserved program of target genes that disease-causing mutations selectively disrupt. These findings provide insights into the renal transcriptional network that controls nephrogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelli Grand
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martine Stoltz
- The University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ludovica Rizzo
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ruth Röck
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael M. Kaminski
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Maike Getwan
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Naert
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roman Pichler
- The University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Soeren S. Lienkamp
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- The University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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6
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Klämbt V, Buerger F, Wang C, Naert T, Richter K, Nauth T, Weiss AC, Sieckmann T, Lai E, Connaughton DM, Seltzsam S, Mann N, Majmundar AJ, Wu CHW, Onuchic-Whitford AC, Shril S, Schneider S, Schierbaum L, Dai R, Bekheirnia MR, Joosten M, Shlomovitz O, Vivante A, Banne E, Mane S, Lifton RP, Kirschner KM, Kispert A, Rosenberger G, Fischer KD, Lienkamp SS, Zegers MM, Hildebrandt F. Genetic Variants in ARHGEF6 Cause Congenital Anomalies of the Kidneys and Urinary Tract in Humans, Mice, and Frogs. J Am Soc Nephrol 2023; 34:273-290. [PMID: 36414417 PMCID: PMC10103091 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2022010050] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND About 40 disease genes have been described to date for isolated CAKUT, the most common cause of childhood CKD. However, these genes account for only 20% of cases. ARHGEF6, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor that is implicated in biologic processes such as cell migration and focal adhesion, acts downstream of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and parvin proteins. A genetic variant of ILK that causes murine renal agenesis abrogates the interaction of ILK with a murine focal adhesion protein encoded by Parva , leading to CAKUT in mice with this variant. METHODS To identify novel genes that, when mutated, result in CAKUT, we performed exome sequencing in an international cohort of 1265 families with CAKUT. We also assessed the effects in vitro of wild-type and mutant ARHGEF6 proteins, and the effects of Arhgef6 deficiency in mouse and frog models. RESULTS We detected six different hemizygous variants in the gene ARHGEF6 (which is located on the X chromosome in humans) in eight individuals from six families with CAKUT. In kidney cells, overexpression of wild-type ARHGEF6 -but not proband-derived mutant ARHGEF6 -increased active levels of CDC42/RAC1, induced lamellipodia formation, and stimulated PARVA-dependent cell spreading. ARHGEF6-mutant proteins showed loss of interaction with PARVA. Three-dimensional Madin-Darby canine kidney cell cultures expressing ARHGEF6-mutant proteins exhibited reduced lumen formation and polarity defects. Arhgef6 deficiency in mouse and frog models recapitulated features of human CAKUT. CONCLUSIONS Deleterious variants in ARHGEF6 may cause dysregulation of integrin-parvin-RAC1/CDC42 signaling, thereby leading to X-linked CAKUT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Klämbt
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Nephrology and Metabolic Diseases, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Biomedical Innovation Academy, BIH Charité Clinician Scientist Program, Berlin, Germany
| | - Florian Buerger
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Chunyan Wang
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Thomas Naert
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karin Richter
- Institute for Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Theresa Nauth
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anna-Carina Weiss
- Institut für Molekularbiologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Tobias Sieckmann
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Translatationale Physiologie, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ethan Lai
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Dervla M. Connaughton
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Steve Seltzsam
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nina Mann
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Amar J. Majmundar
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Chen-Han W. Wu
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Departments of Genetics and Urology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Ana C. Onuchic-Whitford
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Shirlee Shril
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sophia Schneider
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Luca Schierbaum
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rufeng Dai
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mir Reza Bekheirnia
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Marieke Joosten
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Omer Shlomovitz
- Department of Pediatrics B, Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Asaf Vivante
- Department of Pediatrics B, Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Ehud Banne
- The Genetics Institute, Kaplan Medical Center—Rehovot, Hebrew University and Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shrikant Mane
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale Center for Mendelian Genomics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Richard P. Lifton
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Yale Center for Mendelian Genomics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Laboratory of Human Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Karin M. Kirschner
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Translatationale Physiologie, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Kispert
- Institut für Molekularbiologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Georg Rosenberger
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Klaus-Dieter Fischer
- Institute for Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Soeren S. Lienkamp
- Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mirjam M.P. Zegers
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Friedhelm Hildebrandt
- Division of Nephrology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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7
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Naert T, Çiçek Ö, Ogar P, Bürgi M, Shaidani NI, Kaminski MM, Xu Y, Grand K, Vujanovic M, Prata D, Hildebrandt F, Brox T, Ronneberger O, Voigt FF, Helmchen F, Loffing J, Horb ME, Willsey HR, Lienkamp SS. Deep learning is widely applicable to phenotyping embryonic development and disease. Development 2021; 148:273338. [PMID: 34739029 PMCID: PMC8602947 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Genome editing simplifies the generation of new animal models for congenital disorders. However, the detailed and unbiased phenotypic assessment of altered embryonic development remains a challenge. Here, we explore how deep learning (U-Net) can automate segmentation tasks in various imaging modalities, and we quantify phenotypes of altered renal, neural and craniofacial development in Xenopus embryos in comparison with normal variability. We demonstrate the utility of this approach in embryos with polycystic kidneys (pkd1 and pkd2) and craniofacial dysmorphia (six1). We highlight how in toto light-sheet microscopy facilitates accurate reconstruction of brain and craniofacial structures within X. tropicalis embryos upon dyrk1a and six1 loss of function or treatment with retinoic acid inhibitors. These tools increase the sensitivity and throughput of evaluating developmental malformations caused by chemical or genetic disruption. Furthermore, we provide a library of pre-trained networks and detailed instructions for applying deep learning to the reader's own datasets. We demonstrate the versatility, precision and scalability of deep neural network phenotyping on embryonic disease models. By combining light-sheet microscopy and deep learning, we provide a framework for higher-throughput characterization of embryonic model organisms. This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Naert
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Özgün Çiçek
- Department of Computer Science, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg 79100, Germany
| | - Paulina Ogar
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Max Bürgi
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Nikko-Ideen Shaidani
- National Xenopus Resource and Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Michael M Kaminski
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin 10115, Germany.,Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Yuxiao Xu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Kelli Grand
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Marko Vujanovic
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Prata
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Friedhelm Hildebrandt
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115,USA
| | - Thomas Brox
- Department of Computer Science, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg 79100, Germany
| | - Olaf Ronneberger
- Department of Computer Science, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg 79100, Germany.,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, Albert-Ludwigs-University, Freiburg, Germany.,DeepMind, London WC2H 8AG , UK
| | - Fabian F Voigt
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Loffing
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Marko E Horb
- National Xenopus Resource and Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Helen Rankin Willsey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Soeren S Lienkamp
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland; Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Kidney Control of Homeostasis (Kidney.CH), Zurich 8057, Switzerland
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8
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Naert T, Tulkens D, Edwards NA, Carron M, Shaidani NI, Wlizla M, Boel A, Demuynck S, Horb ME, Coucke P, Willaert A, Zorn AM, Vleminckx K. Maximizing CRISPR/Cas9 phenotype penetrance applying predictive modeling of editing outcomes in Xenopus and zebrafish embryos. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14662. [PMID: 32887910 PMCID: PMC7473854 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71412-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has revolutionized functional genomics in vertebrates. However, CRISPR/Cas9 edited F0 animals too often demonstrate variable phenotypic penetrance due to the mosaic nature of editing outcomes after double strand break (DSB) repair. Even with high efficiency levels of genome editing, phenotypes may be obscured by proportional presence of in-frame mutations that still produce functional protein. Recently, studies in cell culture systems have shown that the nature of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutations can be dependent on local sequence context and can be predicted by computational methods. Here, we demonstrate that similar approaches can be used to forecast CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing outcomes in Xenopus tropicalis, Xenopus laevis, and zebrafish. We show that a publicly available neural network previously trained in mouse embryonic stem cell cultures (InDelphi-mESC) is able to accurately predict CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing outcomes in early vertebrate embryos. Our observations can have direct implications for experiment design, allowing the selection of guide RNAs with predicted repair outcome signatures enriched towards frameshift mutations, allowing maximization of CRISPR/Cas9 phenotype penetrance in the F0 generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Naert
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent (Zwijnaarde), Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dieter Tulkens
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent (Zwijnaarde), Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nicole A Edwards
- Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, and Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM), Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, USA
| | - Marjolein Carron
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent (Zwijnaarde), Belgium
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nikko-Ideen Shaidani
- National Xenopus Resource and Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Marcin Wlizla
- National Xenopus Resource and Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Annekatrien Boel
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Suzan Demuynck
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent (Zwijnaarde), Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marko E Horb
- National Xenopus Resource and Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Paul Coucke
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Andy Willaert
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Aaron M Zorn
- Division of Developmental Biology, Perinatal Institute, and Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM), Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, USA
| | - Kris Vleminckx
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052, Ghent (Zwijnaarde), Belgium.
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
- Center for Medical Genetics, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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9
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Naert T, Dimitrakopoulou D, Tulkens D, Demuynck S, Carron M, Noelanders R, Eeckhout L, Van Isterdael G, Deforce D, Vanhove C, Van Dorpe J, Creytens D, Vleminckx K. RBL1 (p107) functions as tumor suppressor in glioblastoma and small-cell pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma in Xenopus tropicalis. Oncogene 2020; 39:2692-2706. [PMID: 32001819 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-1173-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Alterations of the retinoblastoma and/or the p53 signaling network are associated with specific cancers such as high-grade astrocytoma/glioblastoma, small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), choroid plexus tumors, and small-cell pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (SC-PaNEC). However, the intricate functional redundancy between RB1 and the related pocket proteins RBL1/p107 and RBL2/p130 in suppressing tumorigenesis remains poorly understood. Here we performed lineage-restricted parallel inactivation of rb1 and rbl1 by multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in the true diploid Xenopus tropicalis to gain insight into this in vivo redundancy. We show that while rb1 inactivation is sufficient to induce choroid plexus papilloma, combined rb1 and rbl1 inactivation is required and sufficient to drive SC-PaNEC, retinoblastoma and astrocytoma. Further, using a novel Li-Fraumeni syndrome-mimicking tp53 mutant X. tropicalis line, we demonstrate increased malignancy of rb1/rbl1-mutant glioma towards glioblastoma upon concomitant inactivation of tp53. Interestingly, although clinical SC-PaNEC samples are characterized by abnormal p53 expression or localization, in the current experimental models, the tp53 status had little effect on the establishment and growth of SC-PaNEC, but may rather be essential for maintaining chromosomal stability. SCLC was only rarely observed in our experimental setup, indicating requirement of additional or alternative oncogenic insults. In conclusion, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to delineate the tumor suppressor properties of Rbl1, generating new insights in the functional redundancy within the retinoblastoma protein family in suppressing neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer and glioma/glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Naert
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dionysia Dimitrakopoulou
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dieter Tulkens
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Suzan Demuynck
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marjolein Carron
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rivka Noelanders
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Liza Eeckhout
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Dieter Deforce
- Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Christian Vanhove
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
- Infinity lab, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jo Van Dorpe
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - David Creytens
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Vleminckx
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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10
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Kariminejad A, Szenker-Ravi E, Lekszas C, Tajsharghi H, Moslemi AR, Naert T, Tran HT, Ahangari F, Rajaei M, Nasseri M, Haaf T, Azad A, Superti-Furga A, Maroofian R, Ghaderi-Sohi S, Najmabadi H, Abbaszadegan MR, Vleminckx K, Nikuei P, Reversade B. Homozygous Null TBX4 Mutations Lead to Posterior Amelia with Pelvic and Pulmonary Hypoplasia. Am J Hum Genet 2019; 105:1294-1301. [PMID: 31761294 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2019.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [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] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of hindlimbs in tetrapod species relies specifically on the transcription factor TBX4. In humans, heterozygous loss-of-function TBX4 mutations cause dominant small patella syndrome (SPS) due to haploinsufficiency. Here, we characterize a striking clinical entity in four fetuses with complete posterior amelia with pelvis and pulmonary hypoplasia (PAPPA). Through exome sequencing, we find that PAPPA syndrome is caused by homozygous TBX4 inactivating mutations during embryogenesis in humans. In two consanguineous couples, we uncover distinct germline TBX4 coding mutations, p.Tyr113∗ and p.Tyr127Asn, that segregated with SPS in heterozygous parents and with posterior amelia with pelvis and pulmonary hypoplasia syndrome (PAPPAS) in one available homozygous fetus. A complete absence of TBX4 transcripts in this proband with biallelic p.Tyr113∗ stop-gain mutations revealed nonsense-mediated decay of the endogenous mRNA. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated TBX4 deletion in Xenopus embryos confirmed its restricted role during leg development. We conclude that SPS and PAPPAS are allelic diseases of TBX4 deficiency and that TBX4 is an essential transcription factor for organogenesis of the lungs, pelvis, and hindlimbs in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emmanuelle Szenker-Ravi
- Institute of Medical Biology, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, 8A Biomedical Grove, Singapore 138648, Republic of Singapore
| | - Caroline Lekszas
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius-Maximilians-Universität, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Homa Tajsharghi
- School of Health Sciences, Division Biomedicine, University of Skövde, 54128 Skövde, Sweden
| | - Ali-Reza Moslemi
- Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg University, 41390 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Thomas Naert
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hong Thi Tran
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Fatemeh Ahangari
- Kariminejad-Najmabadi Pathology and Genetics Center, Tehran 14665, Iran
| | - Minoo Rajaei
- Fertility and Infertility Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas 7919915519, Iran
| | - Mojila Nasseri
- Pardis Clinical and Genetics Laboratory, Mashhad 9177948974, Iran
| | - Thomas Haaf
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius-Maximilians-Universität, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Afrooz Azad
- Fertility and Infertility Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas 7919915519, Iran
| | - Andrea Superti-Furga
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Reza Maroofian
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St. George's University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | | | - Hossein Najmabadi
- Kariminejad-Najmabadi Pathology and Genetics Center, Tehran 14665, Iran; Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran 1985713834, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Abbaszadegan
- Pardis Clinical and Genetics Laboratory, Mashhad 9177948974, Iran; Division of Human Genetics, Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 15731, Iran
| | - Kris Vleminckx
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pooneh Nikuei
- Fertility and Infertility Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas 7919915519, Iran.
| | - Bruno Reversade
- Institute of Medical Biology, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, 8A Biomedical Grove, Singapore 138648, Republic of Singapore; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, 61 Biopolis Drive, Singapore 138673, Republic of Singapore; Department of Medical Genetics, Koç University, School of Medicine, 34010 Topkapı, Istanbul, Turkey.
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11
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Abstract
At this time, no molecular targeted therapies exist for treatment of retinoblastoma. This can be, in part, attributed to the lack of animal models that allow for both rapid identification of novel therapeutic targets and hypothesis driven drug testing. Within this scope, we have recently reported the first genuine genetic nonmammalian retinoblastoma cancer model within the aquatic model organism Xenopus tropicalis (Naert et al., Sci Rep 6: 35263, 2016). Here we describe the methods to generate rb1 mosaic mutant Xenopus tropicalis by employing the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. In depth, we discuss short guide RNA (sgRNA) design parameters, generation, quality control, quantification, and delivery followed by several methods for assessing genome editing efficiencies. As such the reader should be capable, by minor changes to the methods described here, to (co-) target rb1 or any one or multiple gene(s) within the Xenopus tropicalis genome by multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Naert
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Vleminckx
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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12
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Naert T, Vleminckx K. CRISPR/Cas9 disease models in zebrafish and Xenopus: The genetic renaissance of fish and frogs. Drug Discov Today Technol 2018; 28:41-52. [PMID: 30205880 DOI: 10.1016/j.ddtec.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The speed by which clinical genomics is currently identifying novel potentially pathogenic variants is outperforming the speed by which these can be functionally (genotype-phenotype) annotated in animal disease models. However, over the past few years the emergence of CRISPR/Cas9 as a straight-forward genome editing technology has revolutionized disease modeling in vertebrate non-mammalian model organisms such as zebrafish, medaka and Xenopus. It is now finally possible, by CRISPR/Cas9, to rapidly establish clinically relevant disease models in these organisms. Interestingly, these can provide both cost-effective genotype-phenotype correlations for gene-(variants) and genomic rearrangements obtained from clinical practice, as well as be exploited to perform translational research to improve prospects of disease afflicted patients. In this review, we show an extensive overview of these new CRISPR/Cas9-mediated disease models and provide future prospects that will allow increasingly accurate modeling of human disease in zebrafish, medaka and Xenopus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Naert
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Vleminckx
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Belgium; Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Belgium.
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13
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Dimitrakopoulou D, Tulkens D, Naert T, Vlierberghe PV, Vleminckx K. PO-206 Modelling T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia using CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing in Xenopus tropicalis. ESMO Open 2018. [DOI: 10.1136/esmoopen-2018-eacr25.724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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14
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Szenker-Ravi E, Altunoglu U, Leushacke M, Bosso-Lefèvre C, Khatoo M, Thi Tran H, Naert T, Noelanders R, Hajamohideen A, Beneteau C, de Sousa SB, Karaman B, Latypova X, Başaran S, Yücel EB, Tan TT, Vlaminck L, Nayak SS, Shukla A, Girisha KM, Le Caignec C, Soshnikova N, Uyguner ZO, Vleminckx K, Barker N, Kayserili H, Reversade B. RSPO2 inhibition of RNF43 and ZNRF3 governs limb development independently of LGR4/5/6. Nature 2018; 557:564-569. [PMID: 29769720 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0118-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The four R-spondin secreted ligands (RSPO1-RSPO4) act via their cognate LGR4, LGR5 and LGR6 receptors to amplify WNT signalling1-3. Here we report an allelic series of recessive RSPO2 mutations in humans that cause tetra-amelia syndrome, which is characterized by lung aplasia and a total absence of the four limbs. Functional studies revealed impaired binding to the LGR4/5/6 receptors and the RNF43 and ZNRF3 transmembrane ligases, and reduced WNT potentiation, which correlated with allele severity. Unexpectedly, however, the triple and ubiquitous knockout of Lgr4, Lgr5 and Lgr6 in mice did not recapitulate the known Rspo2 or Rspo3 loss-of-function phenotypes. Moreover, endogenous depletion or addition of exogenous RSPO2 or RSPO3 in triple-knockout Lgr4/5/6 cells could still affect WNT responsiveness. Instead, we found that the concurrent deletion of rnf43 and znrf3 in Xenopus embryos was sufficient to trigger the outgrowth of supernumerary limbs. Our results establish that RSPO2, without the LGR4/5/6 receptors, serves as a direct antagonistic ligand to RNF43 and ZNRF3, which together constitute a master switch that governs limb specification. These findings have direct implications for regenerative medicine and WNT-associated cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Umut Altunoglu
- Medical Genetics Department, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Marc Leushacke
- Institute of Medical Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Célia Bosso-Lefèvre
- Institute of Medical Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Paediatrics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Muznah Khatoo
- Institute of Medical Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hong Thi Tran
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas Naert
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rivka Noelanders
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | | | - Sergio B de Sousa
- Medical Genetics Unit, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,University Clinic of Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Birsen Karaman
- Medical Genetics Department, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Xenia Latypova
- CHU Nantes, Service de Génétique Médicale, Nantes, France
| | - Seher Başaran
- Medical Genetics Department, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Esra Börklü Yücel
- Medical Genetics Department, Koç University School of Medicine (KUSOM), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Thong Teck Tan
- Institute of Medical Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lena Vlaminck
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Shalini S Nayak
- Department of Medical Genetics, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, India
| | - Anju Shukla
- Department of Medical Genetics, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, India
| | - Katta Mohan Girisha
- Department of Medical Genetics, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, India
| | - Cédric Le Caignec
- CHU Nantes, Service de Génétique Médicale, Nantes, France.,INSERM, UMR1238, Bone Sarcoma and Remodeling of Calcified Tissue, Université Bretagne Loire, Nantes, France
| | | | - Zehra Oya Uyguner
- Medical Genetics Department, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Kris Vleminckx
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. .,Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Nick Barker
- Institute of Medical Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore. .,Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Japan. .,Centre for Regenerative Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Hülya Kayserili
- Medical Genetics Department, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. .,Medical Genetics Department, Koç University School of Medicine (KUSOM), Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Bruno Reversade
- Institute of Medical Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore. .,Department of Paediatrics, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,Medical Genetics Department, Koç University School of Medicine (KUSOM), Istanbul, Turkey. .,Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore. .,Reproductive Biology Laboratory, Academic Medical Center (AMC), Amsterdam-Zuidoost, The Netherlands.
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15
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Abstract
The targeted nuclease revolution (ZFN, TALEN, and CRISPR/Cas9) has led to a myriad of reports describing genotyping methodologies for genome edited founders (F0-crispants) and their offspring (F1). As such, choosing a specific genotyping methodology for your Xenopus CRISPR/Cas9 experiments can be challenging. In this chapter we will discuss, with emphasis on Xenopus tropicalis (X. tropicalis), different methods for assessing genome editing efficiencies within F0 CRISPR/Cas9 founders and for identification of their hetero-, compound hetero-, and homozygous mutant F1 offspring. For F0 crispants, we will provide the protocols and the respective (dis)advantages of genotyping with heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA), subclone Sanger sequencing, and sequence trace decomposition. Furthermore, we provide a previously unpublished pipe-line for rapid genotyping of F1 offspring-high resolution melting analysis (HRMA) and sequence trace decomposition-procured from breeding with F0 crispants. As such, we report here the current state-of-the-art cost- and time-effective approaches to perform genotyping of CRISPR/Cas9 experiments for the Xenopus tropicalis researcher.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Naert
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Vleminckx
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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16
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Naert T, Vleminckx K. Cancer Models in Xenopus tropicalis by CRISPR/Cas9 Mediated Knockout of Tumor Suppressors. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1865:147-161. [PMID: 30151765 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8784-9_11] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The recent advent of CRISPR/Cas9 as a straightforward genome editing tool has allowed the establishment of the first bona fide genetic cancer models within the diploid aquatic model organism Xenopus tropicalis (X. tropicalis). Within this chapter, we demonstrate the methods for targeting tumor suppressors with the CRISPR/Cas9 system in the developing X. tropicalis embryo. We further illustrate genotyping and phenotyping of the resulting tumor-bearing F0 mosaic mutant animals (crispants). We focus in detail on the histopathological analysis of cancer neoplasms, the methodology to illustrate high proliferative index by proliferation marker immunofluorescence and how to isolate specific (tumor) cell populations by laser capture microdissection. As such, the described pipeline allows for rapid establishment of novel cancer models by CRISPR/Cas9 targeting of established tumor suppressor genes, or novel candidates obtained from clinical data. In conclusion, we thus provide the methodology for modeling human cancer with the highly efficient CRISPR/Cas9 system in F0 X. tropicalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Naert
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Vleminckx
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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17
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Abstract
In this chapter, we convey a state-of-the art update to the 2014 Nakayama protocol for CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering in Xenopus tropicalis (X. tropicalis). We discuss in depth, gRNA design software and rules, gRNA synthesis, and procedures for tissue- and tissue-specific CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing by targeted microinjection in X. tropicalis embryos. We demonstrate the methodology by which any standard equipped Xenopus researcher with microinjection experience can generate F0 CRISPR/Cas9 mediated mosaic mutants (crispants) within one to two work-week(s). The described methodology allows CRISPR/Cas9 efficiencies to be high enough to read out phenotypic consequences, and thus perform gene function analysis, in the F0 crispant. Additionally, we provide the framework for performing multiplex tissue-specific CRISPR/Cas9 experiments generating crispants mosaic mutant in up to four genes simultaneously, which can be of importance for Laevis researchers aiming to target by CRISPR/Cas9 both the S and L homeolog of a gene simultaneously. Finally, we discuss off-target concerns, how to minimize these and ways to rapidly bypass reviewer off-target critique by exploiting the advantages of X. tropicalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Naert
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Vleminckx
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium.
- Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
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18
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Naert T, Van Nieuwenhuysen T, Vleminckx K. TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 fuel genetically engineered clinically relevant Xenopus tropicalis tumor models. Genesis 2017; 55. [PMID: 28095622 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Revised: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The targeted nuclease revolution (TALENs, CRISPR/Cas9) now allows Xenopus researchers to rapidly generate custom on-demand genetic knockout models. These novel methods to perform reverse genetics are unprecedented and are fueling a wide array of human disease models within the aquatic diploid model organism Xenopus tropicalis (X. tropicalis). This emerging technology review focuses on the tools to rapidly generate genetically engineered X. tropicalis models (GEXM), with a focus on establishment of genuine genetic and clinically relevant cancer models. We believe that due to particular advantageous characteristics, outlined within this review, GEXM will become a valuable alternative animal model for modeling human cancer. Furthermore, we provide perspectives of how GEXM will be used as a platform for elucidation of novel therapeutic targets and for preclinical drug validation. Finally, we also discuss some future prospects on how the recent expansions and adaptations of the CRISPR/Cas9 toolbox might influence and push forward X. tropicalis cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Naert
- Developmental Biology Unit, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Tom Van Nieuwenhuysen
- Developmental Biology Unit, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Kris Vleminckx
- Developmental Biology Unit, Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Belgium.,Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University and Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
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19
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Van Nieuwenhuysen T, Naert T, Creytens D, Van Roy F, Vleminckx K. Abstract 5140: TALEN mediated mutation of apc and β-catenin in Xenopus tropicalis as powerful models for Wnt driven cancer and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP). Cancer Res 2015. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2015-5140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Hyperactivation of the Wnt pathway is a common hallmark of many cancers. Deregulation of the pathway is mostly due to mutations in the tumor suppressor gene Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) or the transcriptional regulator of the Wnt pathway β-catenin (CTNNB1). Heterozygous germline mutations in the Mutation Cluster Region (MCR) of the APC gene cause Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP), a condition characterized by multiple colorectal polyps, which over time become malignant. FAP patients also frequently suffer from extracolonic manifestations, such as Congenital Hypertrophy of the Retinal Pigment Epithelium (CHRPE), desmoid tumors and medulloblastoma.
Despite many mouse models and the clear etiology of colorectal cancer and FAP, no drugs targeting the Wnt pathway have reached the clinic and there is a need for new genetic animal models. The recent TALEN (Transcription Activator Like Effector Nuclease) and CRISPR/Cas9 gene targeting technologies open the door for novel genetic cancer models. Xenopus tropicalis, an aquatic tetrapod with a true diploid genome, offers unique experimental opportunities to model human cancer.
We have adopted the TALEN technology in Xenopus tropicalis to generate a model for Wnt deregulated cancer, by targeting either APC or β-catenin. Targeting of the apc gene in the MCR region induces phenotypes reminiscent of FAP in tadpoles and froglets, including hyperplasia of the intestinal epithelium, desmoid tumors, retinal hyperproliferation and medulloblastoma. These neoplasms show bi-allelic truncating mutations in the apc gene, associated with activation of the Wnt signalling pathway and increased cell proliferation. Secondly, we generated a more direct model for the hyperactivation of the Wnt pathway by developing TALENs against the Ser33 phosphorylation site of β-catenin. Small in frame deletions removing this phosphorylation site will result in a stabilized dominant active form of β-catenin, activating Wnt signalling at the transcriptional endpoint. Injection of this TALEN pair induces similar neoplasms as apc TALEN injection, including desmoid and brain tumors, indicating that these tumors are the consequence of activated Wnt signalling, rather than any of the other disrupted functions of APC. In addition we were able to achieve very efficient double bi-allelic mutation of apc and other genes in different tumors by co-injection of two TALEN pairs. This creates the opportunity to use our model for therapeutic target validation, simply by co-injection of TALENs (or CRISPR/Cas9) against potential targets together with the apc TALENs.
We have developed the first genetic cancer models in Xenopus tropicalis by using apc or β-catenin TALENs. These models closely resemble human FAP and will be used for preclinical drug screening and to evaluate potential novel therapeutic targets by multiplexed gene targeting via TALEN and CRISPR/Cas9 technology.
Citation Format: Tom Van Nieuwenhuysen, Thomas Naert, David Creytens, Frans Van Roy, Kris Vleminckx. TALEN mediated mutation of apc and β-catenin in Xenopus tropicalis as powerful models for Wnt driven cancer and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5140. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5140
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