CRISPR/Cas9介导的基因组编辑技术

规律成簇间隔短回文重复序列(CRISPR)协同其相关蛋白Cas组成了细菌和古细菌的获得性免疫系统。利用该系统可以对外来某一特定单链或双链DNA实施高度特异性沉默或降解的特性,近年来对基因组进行精确定点编辑的CRISPR/Cas系统迅速发展。着重介绍了CRISPR/Cas系统的研究历史、结构、分类及作用机制,并分析讨论了现阶段以Cas9为核心的Ⅱ型系统在应用方面存在的问题及前景。     

利用CRISPR/Cas9技术构建基因编辑大鼠模型

RNA介导的CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑系统由单链引导RNA(sgRNA)与核酸酶Cas9构成。在细胞内,sgRNA能够按照碱基互补配对的原则引导Cas9与靶点结合,由Cas9切割目标DNA,造成双链DNA断裂(double stranded break, DSB)。在随后的DNA修复过程中,细胞主要进行非同源末端连接(non-homologous end joining,NHEJ)或在有修复模板存在的情况下进行重组修复(homology directed repair, HDR)。如果将CRISPR/Cas9系统以及修复模板通过显微注射的方式导入大鼠的胚胎内,就能借助细胞的修复机制实现大鼠胚胎的基因编辑,由此构建各种基因修饰大鼠模型。本文详细介绍了利用CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑技术构建大鼠模型的具体操作步骤,以期为相关领域的科研人员提供一种大鼠基因修饰模型的构建方法。     

CRISPR/Cas9基因组编辑技术的研究进展及其应用

随着测序技术的不断进步,获得了越来越多物种的全基因组序列。面对这些海量的基因组数据,基因定点编辑技术是高效捕获目标基因、迅速获得基因功能和应用信息的重要研究手段。CRISPR/Cas9是目前最有效的一种基因定点编辑技术。CRISPR/Cas9系统(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated)是广泛存在于细菌及古生菌中的,由细菌体长期进化而形成,能够降解入侵病毒或噬菌体DNA的适应性免疫系统。因此,对CRISPR/Cas9系统的发展、应用,以其在相关研究中的应用前景进行阐述显得尤为必要。     

CRISPR/Cas9基因组编辑技术在癌症研究中的应用

CRISPR/cas9基因组编辑技术因其设计简单以及操作容易,使其在基因编辑的研究中越来越受到欢迎。利用该技术,科研人员可以实现在碱基的水平对基因组进行定点修饰。CRISPR系统现已经被广泛地应用到多个物种的基因组编辑以及癌症的相关研究中。本文在最新研究进展的基础上,结合对癌症研究及基因组编辑技术的理解,对CRISPR/Cas9技术在癌症研究中的应用进行了综述。     

利用CRISPR/Cas9技术对miRNA-125a进行基因编辑的实验研究

近年来, CRISPR/Cas9技术被迅速应用于生物学研究的各个领域。miRNA-125a已被证实与生殖密切相关,研究者在自然流产的患者中发现了异常的miRNA-125a。该研究利用CRISPR/Cas9技术在人绒毛膜滋养层细胞HTR8-S/Vneo中对miRNA-125a进行了定点编辑。对于定点敲除,我们首先在pX458表达载体的基础上额外引入一组启动子和sgRNA骨架序列用于片段敲除,此后分别设计用于单点敲除和片段敲除的sgRNA进行表达载体的构建,表达载体转染HTR8细胞后通过流式分选和T7EI酶切鉴定阳性单克隆;对于定点敲入,我们在体外构建供体载体,与CRISPR表达载体共转染HTR8细胞,通过流式分选和PCR鉴定阳性单克隆。DNA测序结果显示,敲除及敲入阳性单克隆细胞系在指定区域的碱基序列发生了改变; RT-qPCR结果显示,阳性单克隆细胞系中mi RNA-125a-5p和mi RNA-125a-3p的表达量较野生型也发生了相应变化;体外实验还显示, miRNA-125a有抑制HTR8-S/Vneo细胞系增殖及迁移的功能。研究证实, CRISPR/Cas9技术在细胞系中编辑mi RNAs是有效可行的,且对于miRNA-125a的定点敲除,片段敲除的效果要好于单点敲除。     

CRISPR/Cas9基因组定点编辑中脱靶现象的研究进展

近年来, CRISPR定点编辑技术发展迅猛, 在动物、植物和微生物中均得到广泛应用。其中, 备受关注的脱靶现象也是研究的热点, 迄今已取得了重要进展。该文介绍了脱靶现象的产生原理及体内和体外检测脱靶现象的方法, 评价了通过改进sgRNA设计和优化CRISPR系统等来降低脱靶率的方法。在植物基因组定点编辑过程中, 应适时检测脱靶现象, 提高脱靶检测的精确度和准确度。     

CRISPR/Cas9在丝状真菌基因组编辑中的应用

丝状真菌(filamentous fungi)通常指那些菌丝体较发达且不产生大型肉质子实体结构的真核微生物。丝状真菌不仅在自然界物质循环中发挥着重要作用,还与人类健康和工农业生产有着紧密的联系。然而,对丝状真菌进行遗传操作相对困难,极大地妨碍了丝状真菌的遗传学研究。成簇的规律间隔的短回文重复序列及其相关系统(clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9, CRISPR/Cas9)是近年来发现的一种存在于细菌和古菌中保守的获得性免疫防御机制。最近,CRISPR/Cas9被开发成为了一种方便灵活的基因组编辑技术。目前,该技术已经广泛应用在不同物种的基因组编辑中。本文概述了CRISPR/Cas9在丝状真菌基因组编辑中的应用进展,旨在为开展该领域的研究工作提供参考。     

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。     

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing assists protein dynamics studies in live cells

Spatial and temporal regulation of molecular reactions dictates cell fate. Thus, studying molecular dynamics is essential to understand how cells decide what to do and the fundamental perturbations causing disease. Classically, molecular dynamics has been studied by protocols based in the overexpression of fluorescent fusion proteins. However, overexpression is associated to altered stoichiometry, molecular dynamics and subcellular distribution. We here discuss the necessity to study molecular dynamics of fluorescent fusion proteins expressed under physiological mechanisms in the cell, pointing to CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing as the ideal means to do so. Current genome editing protocols enable us to study molecular dynamics while avoiding drawbacks associated to overexpression.     

Gene delivery methods and genome editing of human pluripotent stem cells

Induced pluripotent stem cells derived from normal somatic cells could be utilized to study tumorigenesis through overexpression of specific oncogenes, downregulation of tumor suppressors and dysregulation of other factors thought to promote tumorigenesis. Therefore, effective approaches that provide direct modifications of induced pluripotent stem cell genome are extremely needed. Emerging strategies are expected to provide the ability to more effectively introduce diverse genetic alterations, from as small as single-nucleotide modifications to whole gene amplification or deletion, all with a high degree of target specificity. To date, several techniques have been applied in stem cell studies to directly edit cell genome (ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR/Cas9). In this review, we summarize specific gene delivery strategies that were applied to stem cell studies together with genome editing techniques, which enable a direct modification of endogenous DNA sequences in the context of cancer studies.     

Efficient genetic transformation and CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated genome editing in Lemna aequinoctialis

The fast growth, ease of metabolic labelling and potential for feedstock and biofuels production make duckweeds not only an attractive model system for understanding plant biology, but also a potential future crop. However, current duckweed research is constrained by the lack of efficient genetic manipulation tools. Here, we report a case study on genome editing in a duckweed species, Lemna aequinoctialis, using a fast and efficient transformation and CRISPR/Cas9 tool. By optimizing currently available transformation protocols, we reduced the duration time of Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation to 5–6 weeks with a success rate of over 94%. Based on the optimized transformation protocol, we generated 15 (14.3% success rate) biallelic LaPDS mutants that showed albino phenotype using a CRISPR/Cas9 system. Investigations on CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated mutation spectrum among mutated L. aequinoctialis showed that most of mutations were short insertions and deletions. This study presents the first example of CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated genome editing in duckweeds, which will open new research avenues in using duckweeds for both basic and applied research.     

The CRISPR/Cas9 system produces specific and homozygous targeted gene editing in rice in one generation

The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been demonstrated to efficiently induce targeted gene editing in a variety of organisms including plants. Recent work showed that CRISPR/Cas9‐induced gene mutations in Arabidopsis were mostly somatic mutations in the early generation, although some mutations could be stably inherited in later generations. However, it remains unclear whether this system will work similarly in crops such as rice. In this study, we tested in two rice subspecies 11 target genes for their amenability to CRISPR/Cas9‐induced editing and determined the patterns, specificity and heritability of the gene modifications. Analysis of the genotypes and frequency of edited genes in the first generation of transformed plants (T0) showed that the CRISPR/Cas9 system was highly efficient in rice, with target genes edited in nearly half of the transformed embryogenic cells before their first cell division. Homozygotes of edited target genes were readily found in T0 plants. The gene mutations were passed to the next generation (T1) following classic Mendelian law, without any detectable new mutation or reversion. Even with extensive searches including whole genome resequencing, we could not find any evidence of large‐scale off‐targeting in rice for any of the many targets tested in this study. By specifically sequencing the putative off‐target sites of a large number of T0 plants, low‐frequency mutations were found in only one off‐target site where the sequence had 1‐bp difference from the intended target. Overall, the data in this study point to the CRISPR/Cas9 system being a powerful tool in crop genome engineering.     

Mosaicism in CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a rapid, simple, and often extremely efficient gene editing method. This method has been used in a variety of organisms and cell types over the past several years. However, using this technology for generating gene-edited animals involves a number of obstacles. One such obstacle is mosaicism, which is common in founder animals. This is especially the case when the CRISPR/Cas9 system is used in embryos. Here we review the pros and cons of mosaic mutations of gene-edited animals caused by using the CRISPR/Cas9 system in embryos. Furthermore, we will discuss the mechanisms underlying mosaic mutations resulting from the CRISPR/Cas9 system, as well as the possible strategies for reducing mosaicism. By developing ways to overcome mosaic mutations when using CRISPR/Cas9, genotyping for germline gene disruptions should become more reliable. This achievement will pave the way for using the CRISPR technology in the research and clinical applications where mosaicism is an issue.     

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。