RESUMO
Mammalian DNA methylation plays an essential role in development. To date, only snapshots of different mouse and human cell types have been generated, providing a static view on DNA methylation. To enable monitoring of methylation status as it changes over time, we establish a reporter of genomic methylation (RGM) that relies on a minimal imprinted gene promoter driving a fluorescent protein. We show that insertion of RGM proximal to promoter-associated CpG islands reports the gain or loss of DNA methylation. We further utilized RGM to report endogenous methylation dynamics of non-coding regulatory elements, such as the pluripotency-specific super enhancers of Sox2 and miR290. Loci-specific DNA methylation changes and their correlation with transcription were visualized during cell-state transition following differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells and during reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotency. RGM will allow the investigation of dynamic methylation changes during development and disease at single-cell resolution.
Assuntos
Metilação de DNA , Análise de Célula Única , Animais , Ilhas de CpG , Metilases de Modificação do DNA/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Embrionárias , Elementos Facilitadores Genéticos , Humanos , Camundongos , MicroRNAs/metabolismo , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Fatores de Transcrição SOXB1/metabolismoRESUMO
The type II bacterial CRISPR/Cas system is a novel genome-engineering technology with the ease of multiplexed gene targeting. Here, we created reporter and conditional mutant mice by coinjection of zygotes with Cas9 mRNA and different guide RNAs (sgRNAs) as well as DNA vectors of different sizes. Using this one-step procedure we generated mice carrying a tag or a fluorescent reporter construct in the Nanog, the Sox2, and the Oct4 gene as well as Mecp2 conditional mutant mice. In addition, using sgRNAs targeting two separate sites in the Mecp2 gene, we produced mice harboring the predicted deletions of about 700 bps. Finally, we analyzed potential off-targets of five sgRNAs in gene-modified mice and ESC lines and identified off-target mutations in only rare instances.
Assuntos
Marcação de Genes/métodos , Camundongos/genética , Animais , Sequência de Bases , Engenharia Genética , MutaçãoRESUMO
Mice carrying mutations in multiple genes are traditionally generated by sequential recombination in embryonic stem cells and/or time-consuming intercrossing of mice with a single mutation. The CRISPR/Cas system has been adapted as an efficient gene-targeting technology with the potential for multiplexed genome editing. We demonstrate that CRISPR/Cas-mediated gene editing allows the simultaneous disruption of five genes (Tet1, 2, 3, Sry, Uty--8 alleles) in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells with high efficiency. Coinjection of Cas9 mRNA and single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) targeting Tet1 and Tet2 into zygotes generated mice with biallelic mutations in both genes with an efficiency of 80%. Finally, we show that coinjection of Cas9 mRNA/sgRNAs with mutant oligos generated precise point mutations simultaneously in two target genes. Thus, the CRISPR/Cas system allows the one-step generation of animals carrying mutations in multiple genes, an approach that will greatly accelerate the in vivo study of functionally redundant genes and of epistatic gene interactions.
Assuntos
Marcação de Genes/métodos , Camundongos/genética , Animais , Sequência de Bases , Células-Tronco Embrionárias/metabolismo , Feminino , Masculino , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Endogâmicos DBA , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Pequeno RNA não TraduzidoRESUMO
AIMers are short, chemically modified oligonucleotides that induce A-to-I RNA editing through interaction with endogenous adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes. Here, we describe the development of new AIMer designs with base, sugar and backbone modifications that improve RNA editing efficiency over our previous design. AIMers incorporating a novel pattern of backbone and 2' sugar modifications support enhanced editing efficiency across multiple sequences. Further efficiency gains were achieved through incorporation of an N-3-uridine (N3U), in place of cytidine (C), in the 'orphan base' position opposite the edit site. Molecular modeling suggests that N3U might enhance ADAR catalytic activity by stabilizing the AIMer-ADAR interaction and potentially reducing the energy required to flip the target base into the active site. Supporting this hypothesis, AIMers containing N3U consistently enhanced RNA editing over those containing C across multiple target sequences and multiple nearest neighbor sequence combinations. AIMers combining N3U and the novel pattern of 2' sugar chemistry and backbone modifications improved RNA editing both in vitro and in vivo. We provide detailed N3U synthesis methods and, for the first time, explore the impact of N3U and its analogs on ADAR-mediated RNA editing efficiency and targetable sequence space.
RESUMO
Although recent regulatory approval of splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs) for the treatment of neuromuscular disease such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy has been an advance for the splice-switching field, current SSO chemistries have shown limited clinical benefit due to poor pharmacology. To overcome limitations of existing technologies, we engineered chimeric stereopure oligonucleotides with phosphorothioate (PS) and phosphoryl guanidine-containing (PN) backbones. We demonstrate that these chimeric stereopure oligonucleotides have markedly improved pharmacology and efficacy compared with PS-modified oligonucleotides, preventing premature death and improving median survival from 49 days to at least 280 days in a dystrophic mouse model with an aggressive phenotype. These data demonstrate that chemical optimization alone can profoundly impact oligonucleotide pharmacology and highlight the potential for continued innovation around the oligonucleotide backbone. More specifically, we conclude that chimeric stereopure oligonucleotides are a promising splice-switching modality with potential for the treatment of neuromuscular and other genetic diseases impacting difficult to reach tissues such as the skeletal muscle and heart.
Assuntos
Distrofia Muscular de Duchenne , Oligonucleotídeos Antissenso/química , Oligonucleotídeos Fosforotioatos/química , Animais , Éxons , Camundongos , Músculo Esquelético , Distrofia Muscular de Duchenne/tratamento farmacológico , Distrofia Muscular de Duchenne/terapia , Oligonucleotídeos Antissenso/genética , Oligonucleotídeos Antissenso/farmacologia , Oligonucleotídeos Fosforotioatos/farmacologia , Splicing de RNA/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous genetic variants associated with complex diseases, but mechanistic insights are impeded by a lack of understanding of how specific risk variants functionally contribute to the underlying pathogenesis. It has been proposed that cis-acting effects of non-coding risk variants on gene expression are a major factor for phenotypic variation of complex traits and disease susceptibility. Recent genome-scale epigenetic studies have highlighted the enrichment of GWAS-identified variants in regulatory DNA elements of disease-relevant cell types. Furthermore, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-specific changes in transcription factor binding are correlated with heritable alterations in chromatin state and considered a major mediator of sequence-dependent regulation of gene expression. Here we describe a novel strategy to functionally dissect the cis-acting effect of genetic risk variants in regulatory elements on gene expression by combining genome-wide epigenetic information with clustered regularly-interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 genome editing in human pluripotent stem cells. By generating a genetically precisely controlled experimental system, we identify a common Parkinson's disease associated risk variant in a non-coding distal enhancer element that regulates the expression of α-synuclein (SNCA), a key gene implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Our data suggest that the transcriptional deregulation of SNCA is associated with sequence-dependent binding of the brain-specific transcription factors EMX2 and NKX6-1. This work establishes an experimental paradigm to functionally connect genetic variation with disease-relevant phenotypes.
Assuntos
Elementos Facilitadores Genéticos/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Predisposição Genética para Doença/genética , Doença de Parkinson/genética , alfa-Sinucleína/genética , Alelos , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Sistemas CRISPR-Cas/genética , Epigênese Genética/genética , Engenharia Genética , Genoma Humano/genética , Proteínas de Homeodomínio/metabolismo , Humanos , Modelos Genéticos , Células-Tronco Pluripotentes/metabolismo , Risco , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismoRESUMO
Simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen (SVT) interferes with normal cell regulation and thus has been used to identify cellular components controlling proliferation and homeostasis. We have previously shown that SVT-mediated transformation requires interaction with the histone acetyltransferases (HATs) CBP/p300 and now report that the ectopic expression of SVT in several cell types in vivo and in vitro results in a significant increase in the steady-state levels of CBP/p300. Furthermore, SVT-expressing cells contain higher levels of acetylated CBP/p300, a modification that has been linked to increased HAT activity. Concomitantly, the acetylation levels of histone residues H3K56 and H4K12 are markedly increased in SVT-expressing cells. Other polyomavirus-encoded large T antigens also increase the levels of CBP/p300 and sustain a rise in the acetylation levels of H3K56 and H4K12. SVT does not affect the transcription of CBP/p300, but rather, alters their overall levels through increasing the loading of CBP/p300 mRNAs onto polysomes. Two distinct regions within SVT, one located in the amino terminus and one in the carboxy terminus, can independently alter both the levels of CBP/p300 and the loading of CBP/p300 transcripts onto polysomes. Within the amino-terminal fragment, a functional J domain is necessary for increasing CBP/p300 and specific histone acetylation levels, as well as for immortalizing primary cells. These studies uncover the action of polyomavirus T antigens on cellular CBP/p300 and suggest that additional mechanisms are used by T antigens to induce cell immortalization and transformation.
Assuntos
Antígenos Transformantes de Poliomavirus/química , Antígenos Transformantes de Poliomavirus/metabolismo , Proteína de Ligação a CREB/metabolismo , Transformação Celular Viral , Proteína p300 Associada a E1A/metabolismo , Histonas/metabolismo , Infecções por Polyomavirus/metabolismo , Vírus 40 dos Símios/fisiologia , Acetilação , Motivos de Aminoácidos , Animais , Antígenos Transformantes de Poliomavirus/genética , Proteína de Ligação a CREB/genética , Células Cultivadas , Proteína p300 Associada a E1A/genética , Fibroblastos/metabolismo , Fibroblastos/virologia , Histonas/química , Histonas/genética , Humanos , Infecções por Polyomavirus/enzimologia , Infecções por Polyomavirus/genética , Infecções por Polyomavirus/virologia , Vírus 40 dos Símios/química , Vírus 40 dos Símios/genética , Infecções Tumorais por Vírus/enzimologia , Infecções Tumorais por Vírus/genética , Infecções Tumorais por Vírus/metabolismo , Infecções Tumorais por Vírus/virologiaRESUMO
Technologies that recruit and direct the activity of endogenous RNA-editing enzymes to specific cellular RNAs have therapeutic potential, but translating them from cell culture into animal models has been challenging. Here we describe short, chemically modified oligonucleotides called AIMers that direct efficient and specific A-to-I editing of endogenous transcripts by endogenous adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes, including the ubiquitously and constitutively expressed ADAR1 p110 isoform. We show that fully chemically modified AIMers with chimeric backbones containing stereopure phosphorothioate and nitrogen-containing linkages based on phosphoryl guanidine enhanced potency and editing efficiency 100-fold compared with those with uniformly phosphorothioate-modified backbones in vitro. In vivo, AIMers targeted to hepatocytes with N-acetylgalactosamine achieve up to 50% editing with no bystander editing of the endogenous ACTB transcript in non-human primate liver, with editing persisting for at least one month. These results support further investigation of the therapeutic potential of stereopure AIMers.
Assuntos
Oligonucleotídeos , Edição de RNA , Animais , Primatas/genética , Primatas/metabolismo , RNA , Edição de RNA/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/metabolismoRESUMO
Purpose: Antisense oligonucleotides have been under investigation as potential therapeutics for many diseases, including inherited retinal diseases. Chemical modifications, such as chiral phosphorothioate (PS) backbone modification, are often used to improve stability and pharmacokinetic properties of these molecules. We aimed to generate a stereopure MALAT1 (metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1) antisense oligonucleotide as a tool to assess the impact stereochemistry has on potency, efficacy, and durability of oligonucleotide activity when delivered by intravitreal injection to eye. Methods: We generated a stereopure oligonucleotide (MALAT1-200) and assessed the potency, efficacy, and durability of its MALAT1 RNA-depleting activity compared with a stereorandom mixture, MALAT1-181, and other controls in in vitro assays, in vivo mouse and nonhuman primate (NHP) eyes, and ex vivo human retina cultures. Results: The activity of the stereopure oligonucleotide is superior to its stereorandom mixture counterpart with the same sequence and chemical modification pattern in in vitro assays, in vivo mouse and NHP eyes, and ex vivo human retina cultures. Findings in NHPs showed durable activity of the stereopure oligonucleotide in the retina, with nearly 95% reduction of MALAT1 RNA maintained for 4 months postinjection. Conclusions: An optimized, stereopure antisense oligonucleotide shows enhanced potency, efficacy, and durability of MALAT1 RNA depletion in the eye compared with its stereorandom counterpart in multiple preclinical models. Translational Relevance: As novel therapeutics, stereopure oligonucleotides have the potential to enable infrequent administration and low-dose regimens for patients with genetic diseases of the eye.
Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma de Pulmão , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Animais , Olho , Humanos , Camundongos , Oligonucleotídeos , Oligonucleotídeos Antissenso/genéticaRESUMO
Phelan-McDermid syndrome (also known as 22q13.3 deletion syndrome) is a syndromic form of autism spectrum disorder and currently thought to be caused by heterozygous loss of SHANK3. However, patients most frequently present with large chromosomal deletions affecting several additional genes. We used human pluripotent stem cell technology and genome editing to further dissect molecular and cellular mechanisms. We found that loss of JIP2 (MAPK8IP2) may contribute to a distinct neurodevelopmental phenotype in neural progenitor cells (NPCs) affecting neuronal maturation. This is most likely due to a simultaneous down-regulation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) proteins, leading to impaired generation of mature neurons. Furthermore, semaphorin signaling appears to be impaired in patient NPCs and neurons. Pharmacological activation of neuropilin receptor 1 (NRP1) rescued impaired semaphorin pathway activity and JNK expression in patient neurons. Our results suggest a novel disease-specific mechanism involving the JIP/JNK complex and identify NRP1 as a potential new therapeutic target.
RESUMO
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are regulated by pluripotency-related transcription factors in concert with chromatin regulators. To identify additional stem cell regulators, we screened a library of endogenously labeled fluorescent fusion proteins in mouse ESCs for fluorescence loss during differentiation. We identified SET, which displayed a rapid isoform shift during early differentiation from the predominant isoform in ESCs, SETα, to the primary isoform in differentiated cells, SETß, through alternative promoters. SETα is selectively bound and regulated by pluripotency factors. SET depletion causes proliferation slowdown and perturbed neuronal differentiation in vitro and developmental arrest in vivo, and photobleaching methods demonstrate SET's role in maintaining a dynamic chromatin state in ESCs. This work identifies an important regulator of pluripotency and early differentiation, which is controlled by alternative promoter usage.
Assuntos
Diferenciação Celular/genética , Células-Tronco Embrionárias/citologia , Células-Tronco Embrionárias/metabolismo , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento , Histona Acetiltransferases/genética , Proteínas de Neoplasias/genética , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/genética , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Fatores Associados à Proteína de Ligação a TATA/genética , Fator de Transcrição TFIID/genética , Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal , Animais , Proliferação de Células , Sobrevivência Celular/genética , Montagem e Desmontagem da Cromatina , Histonas/metabolismo , Camundongos , Células-Tronco Embrionárias Murinas/citologia , Células-Tronco Embrionárias Murinas/metabolismo , Placa Neural/citologia , Fator 3 de Transcrição de Octâmero/metabolismo , Isoformas de ProteínasRESUMO
Parent-specific differentially methylated regions (DMRs) are established during gametogenesis and regulate parent-specific expression of imprinted genes. Monoallelic expression of imprinted genes is essential for development, suggesting that imprints are faithfully maintained in embryos and adults. To test this hypothesis, we targeted a reporter for genomic methylation to the imprinted Dlk1-Dio3 intergenic DMR (IG-DMR) to assess the methylation of both parental alleles at single-cell resolution. Biallelic gain or loss of IG-DMR methylation occurred in a small fraction of mouse embryonic stem cells, significantly affecting developmental potency. Mice carrying the reporter in either parental allele showed striking parent-specific changes in IG-DMR methylation, causing substantial and consistent tissue- and cell-type-dependent signatures in embryos and postnatal animals. Furthermore, dynamics in DNA methylation persisted during adult neurogenesis, resulting in inter-individual diversity. This substantial cell-cell DNA methylation heterogeneity implies that dynamic DNA methylation variations in the adult may be of functional importance.
Assuntos
Metilação de DNA/genética , Desenvolvimento Embrionário/genética , Impressão Genômica/genética , Neurogênese/genética , Animais , CamundongosRESUMO
Technologies allowing for specific regulation of endogenous genes are valuable for the study of gene functions and have great potential in therapeutics. We created the CRISPR-on system, a two-component transcriptional activator consisting of a nuclease-dead Cas9 (dCas9) protein fused with a transcriptional activation domain and single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) with complementary sequence to gene promoters. We demonstrate that CRISPR-on can efficiently activate exogenous reporter genes in both human and mouse cells in a tunable manner. In addition, we show that robust reporter gene activation in vivo can be achieved by injecting the system components into mouse zygotes. Furthermore, we show that CRISPR-on can activate the endogenous IL1RN, SOX2, and OCT4 genes. The most efficient gene activation was achieved by clusters of 3-4 sgRNAs binding to the proximal promoters, suggesting their synergistic action in gene induction. Significantly, when sgRNAs targeting multiple genes were simultaneously introduced into cells, robust multiplexed endogenous gene activation was achieved. Genome-wide expression profiling demonstrated high specificity of the system.
Assuntos
Repetições Palindrômicas Curtas Agrupadas e Regularmente Espaçadas , Desoxirribonuclease I/genética , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Ativação Transcricional , Animais , Clonagem Molecular , Feminino , Células HEK293 , Células HeLa , Humanos , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Células NIH 3T3 , Proteínas Recombinantes de Fusão/genética , Transgenes , Pequeno RNA não TraduzidoRESUMO
The functional study of Y chromosome genes has been hindered by a lack of mouse models with specific Y chromosome mutations. We used transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN)-mediated gene editing in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to produce mice with targeted gene disruptions and insertions in two Y-linked genes--Sry and Uty. TALEN-mediated gene editing is a useful tool for dissecting the biology of the Y chromosome.