1
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Barnkob MB, Michaels YS, André V, Macklin PS, Gileadi U, Valvo S, Rei M, Kulicke C, Chen JL, Jain V, Woodcock VK, Colin-York H, Hadjinicolaou AV, Kong Y, Mayya V, Mazet JM, Mead GJ, Bull JA, Rijal P, Pugh CW, Townsend AR, Gérard A, Olsen LR, Fritzsche M, Fulga TA, Dustin ML, Jones EY, Cerundolo V. Publisher Correction: Semaphorin 3A causes immune suppression by inducing cytoskeletal paralysis in tumour-specific CD8 + T cells. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3448. [PMID: 38658563 PMCID: PMC11043410 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47775-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mike B Barnkob
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
- Centre for Cellular Immunotherapy of Haematological Cancer Odense (CITCO), Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Yale S Michaels
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute, CancerCare Manitoba, 675 Mcdermot Ave, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0V9, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Bannatyne Ave, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 3N4, Canada
| | - Violaine André
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Philip S Macklin
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Medicine Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Uzi Gileadi
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Salvatore Valvo
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Margarida Rei
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Corinna Kulicke
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, US
| | - Ji-Li Chen
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Vitul Jain
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Victoria K Woodcock
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Huw Colin-York
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Andreas V Hadjinicolaou
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
- Early Cancer Institute, Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
| | - Youxin Kong
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Viveka Mayya
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Julie M Mazet
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Gracie-Jennah Mead
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Joshua A Bull
- Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Pramila Rijal
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Christopher W Pugh
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Medicine Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Alain R Townsend
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Audrey Gérard
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Lars R Olsen
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, Building 345C, 2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marco Fritzsche
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Tudor A Fulga
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Michael L Dustin
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.
| | - Vincenzo Cerundolo
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
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2
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Barnkob MB, Michaels YS, André V, Macklin PS, Gileadi U, Valvo S, Rei M, Kulicke C, Chen JL, Jain V, Woodcock VK, Colin-York H, Hadjinicolaou AV, Kong Y, Mayya V, Mazet JM, Mead GJ, Bull JA, Rijal P, Pugh CW, Townsend AR, Gérard A, Olsen LR, Fritzsche M, Fulga TA, Dustin ML, Jones EY, Cerundolo V. Semmaphorin 3 A causes immune suppression by inducing cytoskeletal paralysis in tumour-specific CD8 + T cells. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3173. [PMID: 38609390 PMCID: PMC11017241 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47424-z] [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: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Semaphorin-3A (SEMA3A) functions as a chemorepulsive signal during development and can affect T cells by altering their filamentous actin (F-actin) cytoskeleton. The exact extent of these effects on tumour-specific T cells are not completely understood. Here we demonstrate that Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) and Plexin-A1 and Plexin-A4 are upregulated on stimulated CD8+ T cells, allowing tumour-derived SEMA3A to inhibit T cell migration and assembly of the immunological synapse. Deletion of NRP1 in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells enhance CD8+ T-cell infiltration into tumours and restricted tumour growth in animal models. Conversely, over-expression of SEMA3A inhibit CD8+ T-cell infiltration. We further show that SEMA3A affects CD8+ T cell F-actin, leading to inhibition of immune synapse formation and motility. Examining a clear cell renal cell carcinoma patient cohort, we find that SEMA3A expression is associated with reduced survival, and that T-cells appear trapped in SEMA3A rich regions. Our study establishes SEMA3A as an inhibitor of effector CD8+ T cell tumour infiltration, suggesting that blocking NRP1 could improve T cell function in tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike B Barnkob
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
- Centre for Cellular Immunotherapy of Haematological Cancer Odense (CITCO), Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Yale S Michaels
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute, CancerCare Manitoba, 675 Mcdermot Ave, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0V9, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Bannatyne Ave, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 3N4, Canada
| | - Violaine André
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Philip S Macklin
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Medicine Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Uzi Gileadi
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Salvatore Valvo
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Margarida Rei
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Corinna Kulicke
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, US
| | - Ji-Li Chen
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Vitul Jain
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Victoria K Woodcock
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Huw Colin-York
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Andreas V Hadjinicolaou
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Cambridge University Hospitals, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
- Early Cancer Institute, Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
| | - Youxin Kong
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Viveka Mayya
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Julie M Mazet
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Gracie-Jennah Mead
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Joshua A Bull
- Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Pramila Rijal
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Christopher W Pugh
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Medicine Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Alain R Townsend
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Audrey Gérard
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Lars R Olsen
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, Building 345C, 2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marco Fritzsche
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Tudor A Fulga
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Michael L Dustin
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK
| | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.
| | - Vincenzo Cerundolo
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
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Michaels YS, Durland LJ, Zandstra PW. Engineering T Cell Development for the Next Generation of Stem Cell-Derived Immunotherapies. GEN Biotechnol 2023; 2:106-119. [PMID: 37928777 PMCID: PMC10624212 DOI: 10.1089/genbio.2023.0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Engineered T cells are at the leading edge of clinical cell therapy. T cell therapies have had a remarkable impact on patient care for a subset of hematological malignancies. This foundation has motivated the development of off-the-shelf engineered cell therapies for a broad range of devastating indications. Achieving this vision will require cost-effective manufacturing of precision cell products capable of addressing multiple process and clinical-design challenges. Pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived engineered T cells are emerging as a solution of choice. To unleash the full potential of PSC-derived T cell therapies, the field will require technologies capable of robustly orchestrating the complex series of time- and dose-dependent signaling events needed to recreate functional T cell development in the laboratory. In this article, we review the current state of allogenic T cell therapies, focusing on strategies to generate engineered lymphoid cells from PSCs. We highlight exciting recent progress in this field and outline timely opportunities for advancement with an emphasis on niche engineering and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yale S. Michaels
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; and University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Lauren J. Durland
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Peter W. Zandstra
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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4
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Wu Q, Michaels YS, Fulga TA. Interrogation of Functional miRNA-Target Interactions by CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Engineering. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2630:243-264. [PMID: 36689187 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2982-6_16] [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] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Posttranscriptional silencing by microRNAs (miRNAs) is a critical constituent of eukaryotic gene regulation. miRNAs are short (~22 nt) noncoding RNAs capable of specifically targeting the miRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC) to transcripts bearing a complementary miRNA response element (MRE). Although recent methodological advances have greatly improved our understanding of miRNA biogenesis and the mechanisms by which miRNAs repress their cognate targets, exploring the physiological relevance of direct miRNA-target interactions in vivo has remained an outstanding challenge. Here we describe the experimental protocol underlying a novel approach, which allows direct in situ interrogation of specific miRNA-MRE interactions by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome engineering (Bassett G et al., Nat Commun 5, 4640, 2014). In this instance, the CRISPR/Cas9 system is first used to catalyze homology-directed replacement of candidate MREs with molecular barcodes at endogenous loci. Subsequently, the effect of MRE mutation on transcript abundance (i.e., MRE activity) can be rapidly evaluated by routine quantitative PCR. This strategy enables functional investigation of a putative miRNA-target pair in a pool of transiently transfected cells, obviating the need for generation of clonal cell lines or transgenic animals. This protocol can be implemented in any cell line in less than 2 weeks and can readily be scaled up for multiplex studies. To facilitate the conceptual workflow underlying this strategy, we also describe a genome-wide resource for automated design and computational evaluation of CRISPR/Cas9 guide RNAs targeting all predicted MREs in various species (miR-CRISPR).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yale S Michaels
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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5
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Prochazka L, Michaels YS, Lau C, Jones RD, Siu M, Yin T, Wu D, Jang E, Vázquez‐Cantú M, Gilbert PM, Kaul H, Benenson Y, Zandstra PW. Synthetic gene circuits for cell state detection and protein tuning in human pluripotent stem cells. Mol Syst Biol 2022; 18:e10886. [PMID: 36366891 PMCID: PMC9650275 DOI: 10.15252/msb.202110886] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During development, cell state transitions are coordinated through changes in the identity of molecular regulators in a cell type‐ and dose‐specific manner. The ability to rationally engineer such transitions in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) will enable numerous applications in regenerative medicine. Herein, we report the generation of synthetic gene circuits that can detect a desired cell state using AND‐like logic integration of endogenous miRNAs (classifiers) and, upon detection, produce fine‐tuned levels of output proteins using an miRNA‐mediated output fine‐tuning technology (miSFITs). Specifically, we created an “hPSC ON” circuit using a model‐guided miRNA selection and circuit optimization approach. The circuit demonstrates robust PSC‐specific detection and graded output protein production. Next, we used an empirical approach to create an “hPSC‐Off” circuit. This circuit was applied to regulate the secretion of endogenous BMP4 in a state‐specific and fine‐tuned manner to control the composition of differentiating hPSCs. Our work provides a platform for customized cell state‐specific control of desired physiological factors in hPSC, laying the foundation for programming cell compositions in hPSC‐derived tissues and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Prochazka
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME) University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
| | - Yale S Michaels
- Michael Smith Laboratories University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Charles Lau
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME) University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Michael Smith Laboratories University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Ross D Jones
- Michael Smith Laboratories University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Mona Siu
- Michael Smith Laboratories University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Ting Yin
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME) University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
| | - Diana Wu
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME) University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
| | - Esther Jang
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME) University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
| | - Mercedes Vázquez‐Cantú
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME) University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D‐BSSE) Basel Switzerland
| | - Penney M Gilbert
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME) University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
| | - Himanshu Kaul
- School of Engineering University of Leicester Leicester UK
- Department of Respiratory Sciences University of Leicester Leicester UK
| | - Yaakov Benenson
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D‐BSSE) Basel Switzerland
| | - Peter W Zandstra
- Michael Smith Laboratories University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
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6
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Michaels YS, Edgar JM, Major MC, Castle EL, Zimmerman C, Yin T, Hagner A, Lau C, Hsu HH, Ibañez-Rios MI, Durland LJ, Knapp DJHF, Zandstra PW. DLL4 and VCAM1 enhance the emergence of T cell-competent hematopoietic progenitors from human pluripotent stem cells. Sci Adv 2022; 8:eabn5522. [PMID: 36001668 PMCID: PMC9401626 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn5522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
T cells show tremendous efficacy as cellular therapeutics. However, obtaining primary T cells from human donors is expensive and variable. Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have the potential to provide a renewable source of T cells, but differentiating PSCs into hematopoietic progenitors with T cell potential remains an important challenge. Here, we report an efficient serum- and feeder-free system for differentiating human PSCs into hematopoietic progenitors and T cells. This fully defined approach allowed us to study the impact of individual proteins on blood emergence and differentiation. Providing DLL4 and VCAM1 during the endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition enhanced downstream progenitor T cell output by ~80-fold. These two proteins synergized to activate notch signaling in nascent hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and VCAM1 additionally promoted an inflammatory transcriptional program. We also established optimized medium formulations that enabled efficient and chemically defined maturation of functional CD8αβ+, CD4-, CD3+, TCRαβ+ T cells with a diverse TCR repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yale S. Michaels
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - John M. Edgar
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Matthew C. Major
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Elizabeth L. Castle
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Carla Zimmerman
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Ting Yin
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Andrew Hagner
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Charles Lau
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Han Hsuan Hsu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - M. Iliana Ibañez-Rios
- Institut de recherche en immunologie et en cancérologie and Département de pathologie et biologie cellulaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Lauren J. Durland
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - David J. H. F. Knapp
- Institut de recherche en immunologie et en cancérologie and Département de pathologie et biologie cellulaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Peter W. Zandstra
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
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7
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Rota IA, Handel AE, Maio S, Klein F, Dhalla F, Deadman ME, Cheuk S, Newman JA, Michaels YS, Zuklys S, Prevot N, Hublitz P, Charles PD, Gkazi AS, Adamopoulou E, Qasim W, Davies EG, Hanson I, Pagnamenta AT, Camps C, Dreau HM, White A, James K, Fischer R, Gileadi O, Taylor JC, Fulga T, Lagerholm BC, Anderson G, Sezgin E, Holländer GA. FOXN1 forms higher-order nuclear condensates displaced by mutations causing immunodeficiency. Sci Adv 2021; 7:eabj9247. [PMID: 34860543 PMCID: PMC8641933 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj9247] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The transcription factor FOXN1 is a master regulator of thymic epithelial cell (TEC) development and function. Here, we demonstrate that FOXN1 expression is differentially regulated during organogenesis and participates in multimolecular nuclear condensates essential for the factor’s transcriptional activity. FOXN1’s C-terminal sequence regulates the diffusion velocity within these aggregates and modulates the binding to proximal gene regulatory regions. These dynamics are altered in a patient with a mutant FOXN1 that is modified in its C-terminal sequence. This mutant is transcriptionally inactive and acts as a dominant negative factor displacing wild-type FOXN1 from condensates and causing athymia and severe lymphopenia in heterozygotes. Expression of the mutated mouse ortholog selectively impairs mouse TEC differentiation, revealing a gene dose dependency for individual TEC subtypes. We have therefore identified the cause for a primary immunodeficiency disease and determined the mechanism by which this FOXN1 gain-of-function mutant mediates its dominant negative effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna A. Rota
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Adam E. Handel
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stefano Maio
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fabian Klein
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fatima Dhalla
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mary E. Deadman
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stanley Cheuk
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Joseph A. Newman
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford, ORCRB, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Yale S. Michaels
- Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Saulius Zuklys
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children’s Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Prevot
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip Hublitz
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Genome engineering services, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Philip D. Charles
- Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Athina Soragia Gkazi
- Great Ormond Street Hospital and Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Eleni Adamopoulou
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Waseem Qasim
- Great Ormond Street Hospital and Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Edward Graham Davies
- Great Ormond Street Hospital and Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Imelda Hanson
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Immunology, Allergy, and Retrovirology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alistair T. Pagnamenta
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Carme Camps
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Helene M. Dreau
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Andrea White
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Kieran James
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Roman Fischer
- Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Opher Gileadi
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford, ORCRB, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK
| | - Jenny C. Taylor
- National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Tudor Fulga
- Genome Engineering and Synthetic Biology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - B. Christoffer Lagerholm
- Wolfson Imaging Centre Oxford, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Headley Way, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Graham Anderson
- Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Erdinc Sezgin
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children’s Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Georg A. Holländer
- Department of Paediatrics and the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Paediatric Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel and University Children’s Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
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8
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Brandt LJB, Barnkob MB, Michaels YS, Heiselberg J, Barington T. Emerging Approaches for Regulation and Control of CAR T Cells: A Mini Review. Front Immunol 2020; 11:326. [PMID: 32194561 PMCID: PMC7062233 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have emerged as a promising treatment for patients with advanced B-cell cancers. However, widespread application of the therapy is currently limited by potentially life-threatening toxicities due to a lack of control of the highly potent transfused cells. Researchers have therefore developed several regulatory mechanisms in order to control CAR T cells in vivo. Clinical adoption of these control systems will depend on several factors, including the need for temporal and spatial control, the immunogenicity of the requisite components as well as whether the system allows reversible control or induces permanent elimination. Here we describe currently available and emerging control methods and review their function, advantages, and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lærke J B Brandt
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Mike B Barnkob
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Yale S Michaels
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Julia Heiselberg
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Torben Barington
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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9
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Knapp DJHF, Michaels YS, Jamilly M, Ferry QRV, Barbosa H, Milne TA, Fulga TA. Decoupling tRNA promoter and processing activities enables specific Pol-II Cas9 guide RNA expression. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1490. [PMID: 30940799 PMCID: PMC6445147 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09148-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial/temporal control of Cas9 guide RNA expression could considerably expand the utility of CRISPR-based technologies. Current approaches based on tRNA processing offer a promising strategy but suffer from high background. Here, to address this limitation, we present a screening platform which allows simultaneous measurements of the promoter strength, 5', and 3' processing efficiencies across a library of tRNA variants. This analysis reveals that the sequence determinants underlying these activities, while overlapping, are dissociable. Rational design based on the ensuing principles allowed us to engineer an improved tRNA scaffold that enables highly specific guide RNA production from a Pol-II promoter. When benchmarked against other reported systems this tRNA scaffold is superior to most alternatives, and is equivalent in function to an optimized version of the Csy4-based guide RNA release system. The results and methods described in this manuscript enable avenues of research both in genome engineering and basic tRNA biology.
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MESH Headings
- CRISPR-Associated Protein 9/metabolism
- Gene Editing
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Humans
- Nucleic Acid Conformation
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- RNA Polymerase II/genetics
- RNA Polymerase II/metabolism
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/chemistry
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/metabolism
- RNA, Transfer/chemistry
- RNA, Transfer/genetics
- RNA, Transfer/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- David J H F Knapp
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
| | - Yale S Michaels
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Max Jamilly
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Quentin R V Ferry
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Hector Barbosa
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Thomas A Milne
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Programme, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Tudor A Fulga
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
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10
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Prywes N, Michaels YS, Pal A, Oh SS, Szostak JW. Thiolated uridine substrates and templates improve the rate and fidelity of ribozyme-catalyzed RNA copying. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 52:6529-32. [PMID: 27109314 DOI: 10.1039/c6cc02692c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Ribozyme-catalyzed RNA polymerization is inefficient and error prone. Here we demonstrate that two alternative bases, 2-thio-uridine (s(2)U) and 2-thio-ribo-thymidine (s(2)T), improve the rate and fidelity of ribozyme catalyzed nucleotide addition as NTP substrates and as template bases. We also demonstrate the functionality of s(2)U and s(2)T-containing ribozymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noam Prywes
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford St., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Yale S Michaels
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA and Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Ayan Pal
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
| | - Seung Soo Oh
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
| | - Jack W Szostak
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford St., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
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11
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Wu Q, Ferry QRV, Baeumler TA, Michaels YS, Vitsios DM, Habib O, Arnold R, Jiang X, Maio S, Steinkraus BR, Tapia M, Piazza P, Xu N, Holländer GA, Milne TA, Kim JS, Enright AJ, Bassett AR, Fulga TA. In situ functional dissection of RNA cis-regulatory elements by multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering. Nat Commun 2017; 8:2109. [PMID: 29235467 PMCID: PMC5727397 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00686-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA regulatory elements (RREs) are an important yet relatively under-explored facet of gene regulation. Deciphering the prevalence and functional impact of this post-transcriptional control layer requires technologies for disrupting RREs without perturbing cellular homeostasis. Here we describe genome-engineering based evaluation of RNA regulatory element activity (GenERA), a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 platform for in situ high-content functional analysis of RREs. We use GenERA to survey the entire regulatory landscape of a 3′UTR, and apply it in a multiplex fashion to analyse combinatorial interactions between sets of miRNA response elements (MREs), providing strong evidence for cooperative activity. We also employ this technology to probe the functionality of an entire MRE network under cellular homeostasis, and show that high-resolution analysis of the GenERA dataset can be used to extract functional features of MREs. This study provides a genome editing-based multiplex strategy for direct functional interrogation of RNA cis-regulatory elements in a native cellular environment. RNA regulatory elements (RREs) are important post-transcriptional control features but studying them requires disrupting their activity without disturbing cellular homeostasis. Here the authors present GenERA, a CRISPR-Cas9 screening platform of in situ analysis of native RREs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianxin Wu
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.,Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Quentin R V Ferry
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Toni A Baeumler
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Yale S Michaels
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Dimitrios M Vitsios
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory-European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Omer Habib
- Center for Genome Engineering, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Roland Arnold
- Molecular and Population Genetics Laboratory, Oxford Centre for Cancer Gene Research, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Xiaowei Jiang
- Molecular and Population Genetics Laboratory, Oxford Centre for Cancer Gene Research, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Stefano Maio
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Developmental Immunology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Bruno R Steinkraus
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Marta Tapia
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Programme, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Paolo Piazza
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Ni Xu
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Georg A Holländer
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Developmental Immunology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.,Department of Biomedicine, Laboratory of Paediatric Immunology, University of Basel, CH-4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas A Milne
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Programme, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Jin-Soo Kim
- Center for Genome Engineering, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.,Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-747, Republic of Korea
| | - Anton J Enright
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory-European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Andrew R Bassett
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RF, UK.,Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Tudor A Fulga
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK.
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12
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Abstract
Post-transcriptional silencing by microRNAs (miRNAs) is a critical constituent of eukaryotic gene regulation. miRNAs are short (~22nt) noncoding RNAs capable of specifically targeting the miRNA-induced-silencing-complex (miRISC) to transcripts bearing a complementary miRNA response element (MRE). Although recent methodological advances have greatly improved our understanding of miRNA biogenesis and the mechanisms by which miRNAs repress their cognate targets, exploring the physiological relevance of direct miRNA-target interactions in vivo has remained an outstanding challenge. Here we describe the experimental protocol underlying a novel approach, which allows direct interrogation of specific miRNA-MRE interactions by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome engineering. In this instance, the CRISPR/Cas9 system is first used to catalyze homology-directed replacement of candidate MREs with molecular barcodes at endogenous loci. Subsequently, the effect of MRE mutation on transcript abundance (i.e., MRE activity) can be rapidly evaluated by routine quantitative PCR. This strategy enables functional investigation of a putative miRNA-target pair in a pool of transiently transfected cells, obviating the need for generation of clonal cell lines or transgenic animals. This protocol can be implemented in any cell line in less than 2 weeks, and can readily be scaled up for multiplex studies. To facilitate the conceptual workflow underlying this strategy, we also describe a genome-wide resource for automated design and computational evaluation of CRISPR/Cas9 guide RNAs targeting all predicted MREs in various species (miR-CRISPR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yale S Michaels
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, OX3 9DS, Oxford, UK
| | - Qianxin Wu
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, OX3 9DS, Oxford, UK
| | - Tudor A Fulga
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, OX3 9DS, Oxford, UK.
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