CRISPR/Cas9介导的基因组定点编辑技术在丝状真菌中的研究进展

CRISPR/Cas9技术是在特定的RNA引导下,利用特异的核酸酶实现对基因组进行编辑的新技术。自2013年该技术体系建立起来已成功应用于动物、植物及真菌中。本文简述了3种基于核酸酶的基因编辑技术及其应用,概述了CRISPR/Cas9系统的组成及其作用机理,总结了CRISPR/Cas9在模式真菌酿酒酵母及丝状真菌中的应用,并就在丝状真菌中应用该技术时sg RNA表达盒的设计、Cas9表达盒的优化、抗性标记的筛选、受体的选择等方面提出具体的研究方法。另外,针对该技术应用过程中出现的脱靶效应、Cas9核定位信号的添加、启动子的选择及多个靶基因的编辑等问题提出了建议与展望,希望能够为初次涉足该领域的科研人员提供理论参考和技术支持。     

CRISPR/Cas9技术及其在转基因动物中的应用

CRISPR/Cas9技术是一种新型的基因组定点编辑技术,具有设计简单、特异性强、效率高及可以在目标位点产生多种类型的编辑结果等特点,适用于在多种细胞中进行大规模的基因编辑。综述了CRISPR/Cas9技术的研究背景、基本原理和研究进展,从靶基因敲除(knock-out)、外源基因整合(knock-in)和目标基因转录沉默(knock-down)等方面总结了CRISPR/Cas9在转基因动物中的应用概况,并对现有的三种基因组定点编辑技术进行了比较。CRISPR/Cas9技术在转基因动物中具有明显的应用优势和良好前景。     

CRISPR/Cas9基因组编辑技术在农业动物中的应用

CRISPR(Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas(CRISPR associated proteins)是在细菌和古细菌中发现的一种用来抵御病毒或质粒入侵的获得性免疫系统.目前已发现的CRISPR/Cas系统包括Ⅰ,Ⅱ和Ⅲ型,其中Ⅱ型系统的组成较简单,由其改造成的CRISPR/Cas9技术已成为一种高效的基因组编辑工具.自2013年CRISPR/Cas9技术成功用于哺乳动物基因组定点编辑以来,应用该技术进行基因组编辑的报道呈现出爆发式的增长.农业动物不仅是重要的经济动物,也是人类疾病和生物医药研究的重要模式动物.本文综述了CRISPR/Cas9技术在农业动物中的研究和应用进展,简述了该技术的脱靶效应及减少脱靶的主要方法,并展望了该技术的应用前景.     

CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑技术在丝状真菌中的应用

随着对丝状真菌基因水平研究的不断深入,CRISPR/Cas9技术作为先进的基因编辑技术,已被广泛应用于丝状真菌的基因编辑。探究了CRISPR/Cas9系统在不同丝状真菌中的应用情况,主要从sgRNA的构建与表达、Cas9蛋白的改造与表达、不同的DNA双链断裂修复（DNA double-strand break,DSB）方式等方面进行概述,并对编辑效率、脱靶效应进行总结,旨在为今后丝状真菌中CRISPR/Cas9系统的构建及改良提供思路。     

利用CRISPR/Cas9和piggyBac实现果蝇基因组无缝编辑

CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein9)是第三代基因组编辑技术。在sgRNA引导下,Cas9核酸内切酶作用于特定基因组序列,产生DNA双链断裂(double-strandedbreaks,DSBs),利用同源定向修复(homology-directedrepair,HDR)可实现对靶基因的特异性基因敲除(knock-out)或敲入(knock-in)。传统的技术方案将CRISPR/Cas9技术与Cre/loxP或FLP/FRT系统联用,可实现高效的基因打靶,也易于移除打靶过程中引入的筛选标记。然而,筛选标记移除过程中会在基因组中残留34个碱基的标签序列。因此,对基因组进行精确编辑的同时不引入无关序列仍有一定难度。在人工诱导多能干细胞(induced pluripotent stem cells, iPSCs)的基因组编辑中,CRISPR/Cas9技术和piggyBac转座酶联用的两步法策略能够实现这一目标:首先运用CRISPR/Cas9技术,利用同源定向修复原理引入基因突变及筛选标记,然后利用piggyBac转座酶将筛选标记精确移除。借鉴该方法的技术原理,本研究对果蝇(Drosophila melanogaster)CG4894基因进行了无缝编辑(seamless genome editing),成功将该基因第18外显子上第21位的酪氨酸(tyrosine,Y)突变为半胱氨酸(cysteine,C),且测序结果显示基因组中除设计位点之外并无其他外源序列残留。CRISPR/Cas9技术和piggyBac转座酶联用策略为果蝇基因组的精确编辑提供了更多选择。     

基于CRISPR/Cas9系统在全基因组范围内筛选功能基因及调控元件研究进展

CRISPR/Cas9系统是一种近年来被广泛应用于基因组编辑的强大工具。通过将CRISPR/Cas9系统中的Cas9蛋白突变后,使其失去剪切活性而成为dCas9 (nuclease-dead Cas9),再结合基因功能丧失(loss-of-function,LOF)、基因功能激活(gain-of-function, GOF)以及非编码功能基因鉴定技术即可实现全基因组高通量的功能基因及调控元件靶向鉴定和筛选。目前,该技术已被广泛应用于疾病免疫机理、药物靶点筛选和动物遗传育种等研究,为生命医学和基础科学带来了全新高效的技术方法和研究思路。本文综述了基于CRISPR/Cas9技术在全基因组中高通量筛选功能基因及调控元件的方法及研究进展,重点阐述了CRISPR/Cas9系统在动物细胞中筛选功能性基因的方法,以期为基因编辑及相关研究领域提供参考。     

CRISPR/Cas核糖核蛋白介导的植物基因组编辑

CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated proteins)系统作为一种重要的基因编辑工具,自诞生以来被广泛应用于作物的性状改良。与CRISPR/Cas DNA载体介导的植物基因组编辑相比,CRISPR/Cas核糖核蛋白(CRISPR/Cas ribonucleoprotein, CRISPR/Cas RNP)介导的植物基因组编辑具有作用迅速、脱靶率低和无外源DNA插入(DNA-free)等优点,因而无需清除CRISPR编辑工具而更容易获得纯合的编辑体。但是,由于植物细胞转化方法和细胞再生技术的限制,不借助筛选标记的辅助将CRISPR/CasRNP直接导入植物细胞并获得高效基因编辑仍比较困难,直接限制了CRISPR/CasRNP在植物基因组编辑中的广泛应用。本文系统介绍了CRISPR/Cas RNP基因组编辑技术的分子作用机理及其优势,并总结了CRISPR/Cas RNP导入植物细胞的方法,最后对CRISPR/Cas RNP在植物基因组编辑中的新应用和新思路进行了展望,以期为进一步改进CRISPR/Cas RNP基因组编辑技术和扩大其在作物改良中的应用提供参考。     

CRISPR/Cas9系统在昆虫中的应用

CRISPR/Cas9(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9)技术是一种RNA引导的基因组靶向编辑技术,能对基因组序列进行精确编辑,在探究基因功能、修复受损基因、沉默有害基因、改良品质性状等方面具有广阔的应用前景。近年来,随着对CRISPR/Cas9系统研究的不断深入和改造,该系统以其操作简易、省时、高效等优点在生物学研究的众多领域中得以推广和应用,特别是在果蝇(Bombyx mori)、家蚕(silkworm)、埃及伊蚊(Aedes aegypti)和蝴蝶(butterfly)等多种昆虫中。本文概述了CRISPR/Cas9的结构、作用原理及发展优化,总结了CRISPR/Cas9导入昆虫的策略和在昆虫中的应用,以及对CRISPR/Cas9系统产生脱靶问题的应对策略,以期对经济昆虫和有益昆虫的分子育种、害虫的生物技术防控等研究提供参考。     

CRISPR/Cas9:一种新型的基因组定点编辑技术

CRISPR/Cas9系统是原核生物抵御病毒或质粒等外来遗传物质入侵的一种获得性免疫系统,主要由非特异性的Cas9核酸酶和起识别作用的cr RNA所组成。相较于传统的基因组编辑技术,基于CRISPR/Cas9系统的基因组定点编辑技术具有快速、简单、高效等优点,并且几乎可以用于任何物种的基因编辑。尽管CRISPR/Cas9系统的基因组特异性还有待进一步确认,但该系统在基因组编辑方面的简便性和有效性必将促进生物学的研究和人类疾病基因治疗方面的发展。     

植物CRISPR基因组编辑技术的新进展

在过去的4年中,CRISPR/Cas9基因组编辑技术成为生命科学领域的革命性工具,为植物学基础研究和农作物遗传改良提供了高效、快速而又廉价的遗传操作工具。利用CRISPR/Cas9系统可以实现精准的knock-out和knock-in等遗传操作,也可用于靶向激活或抑制基因的表达。在CRISPR/Cas9被广泛地用于基因组编辑的同时,它的编辑能力、效率和精确度也在不断地改进和完善,特别是CRISPR/Cpf1系统的发掘和单碱基编辑技术的创建,使CRISPR系统正逐步成为一个理想的遗传工程技术平台。此外,利用CRISPR/Cas9技术改良的农作物品种也已经涌现,这必将推动精准基因组编辑技术在农作物遗传改良中的应用和发展。     

Recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis>

Genome editing using engineered nucleases has rapidly transformed from a niche technology to a mainstream method used in various host cells. Its widespread adoption has been largely developed by the emergence of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) system, which uses an easily customizable specificity RNA-guided DNA endonuclease, such as Cas9. Recently, CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome engineering has been widely applied to model organisms, including Bacillus subtilis, enabling facile, rapid high-fidelity modification of endogenous native genes. Here, we reviewed the recent progress in B. subtilis gene editing using CRISPR/Cas9 based tools, and highlighted state-of-the-art strategies for design of CRISPR/Cas9 system. Finally, future perspectives on the use of CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering for sequence-specific genome editing in B. subtilis are provided.     

Developments and opportunities in fungal strain engineering for the production of novel enzymes and enzyme cocktails for plant biomass degradation

Fungal strain engineering is commonly used in many areas of biotechnology, including the production of plant biomass degrading enzymes. Its aim varies from the production of specific enzymes to overall increased enzyme production levels and modification of the composition of the enzyme set that is produced by the fungus. Strain engineering involves a diverse range of methodologies, including classical mutagenesis, genetic engineering and genome editing. In this review, the main approaches for strain engineering of filamentous fungi in the field of plant biomass degradation will be discussed, including recent and not yet implemented methods, such as CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and adaptive evolution.     

The CRISPR/Cas9 revolution continues: From base editing to prime editing in plant science

The ability to precisely inactivate or modify genes in model organisms helps us understand the mysteries of life. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9(Cas9), a revolutionary technology that could generate targeted mutants, has facilitated notable advances in plant science. Genome editing with CRISPR/Cas9 has gained great popularity and enabled several technical breakthroughs. Herein, we briefly introduce the CRISPR/Cas9, with a focus on the latest breakthroughs in precise genome editing(e.g., base editing and prime editing), and we summarize various platforms that developed to increase the editing efficiency, expand the targeting scope, and improve the specificity of base editing in plants. In addition, we emphasize the recent applications of these technologies to plants. Finally, we predict that CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing will continue to revolutionize plant science and provide technical support for sustainable agricultural development.     

Rapid generation of genetic diversity by multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in rice

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)-associated endonuclease 9(CRISPR/Cas9) system has emerged as a promising technology for specific genome editing in many species. Here we constructed one vector targeting eight agronomic genes in rice using the CRISPR/Cas9 multiplex genome editing system. By subsequent genetic transformation and DNA sequencing, we found that the eight target genes have high mutation efficiencies in the T_0 generation. Both heterozygous and homozygous mutations of all editing genes were obtained in T_0 plants. In addition, homozygous sextuple, septuple, and octuple mutants were identified. As the abundant genotypes in T_0 transgenic plants, various phenotypes related to the editing genes were observed. The findings demonstrate the potential of the CRISPR/Cas9 system for rapid introduction of genetic diversity during crop breeding.     

Optimized paired‐sgRNA/Cas9 cloning and expression cassette triggers high‐efficiency multiplex genome editing in kiwifruit

Kiwifruit is an important fruit crop; however, technologies for its functional genomic and molecular improvement are limited. The clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR‐associated protein (Cas) system has been successfully applied to genetic improvement in many crops, but its editing capability is variable depending on the different combinations of the synthetic guide RNA (sgRNA) and Cas9 protein expression devices. Optimizing conditions for its use within a particular species is therefore needed to achieve highly efficient genome editing. In this study, we developed a new cloning strategy for generating paired‐sgRNA/Cas9 vectors containing four sgRNAs targeting the kiwifruit phytoene desaturase gene (AcPDS). Comparing to the previous method of paired‐sgRNA cloning, our strategy only requires the synthesis of two gRNA‐containing primers which largely reduces the cost. We further compared efficiencies of paired‐sgRNA/Cas9 vectors containing different sgRNA expression devices, including both the polycistronic tRNA‐sgRNA cassette (PTG) and the traditional CRISPR expression cassette. We found the mutagenesis frequency of the PTG/Cas9 system was 10‐fold higher than that of the CRISPR/Cas9 system, coinciding with the relative expressions of sgRNAs in two different expression cassettes. In particular, we identified large chromosomal fragment deletions induced by the paired‐sgRNAs of the PTG/Cas9 system. Finally, as expected, we found both systems can successfully induce the albino phenotype of kiwifruit plantlets regenerated from the G418‐resistance callus lines. We conclude that the PTG/Cas9 system is a more powerful system than the traditional CRISPR/Cas9 system for kiwifruit genome editing, which provides valuable clues for optimizing CRISPR/Cas9 editing system in other plants.     

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated correction of human genetic disease

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated(Cas) protein 9 system(CRISPR/Cas9) provides a powerful tool for targeted genetic editing. Directed by programmable sequence-specific RNAs,this system introduces cleavage and double-stranded breaks at target sites precisely. Compared to previously developed targeted nucleases, the CRISPR/Cas9 system demonstrates several promising advantages, including simplicity, high specificity,and efficiency. Several broad genome-editing studies with the CRISPR/Cas9 system in different species in vivo and ex vivo have indicated its strong potential, raising hopes for therapeutic genome editing in clinical settings. Taking advantage of non-homologous end-joining(NHEJ) and homology directed repair(HDR)-mediated DNA repair, several studies have recently reported the use of CRISPR/Cas9 to successfully correct disease-causing alleles ranging from single base mutations to large insertions. In this review, we summarize and discuss recent preclinical studies involving the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated correction of human genetic diseases.