scholarly journals Precision genome editing using synthesis-dependent repair of Cas9-induced DNA breaks

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Paix ◽  
Andrew Folkmann ◽  
Daniel H Goldman ◽  
Heather Kulaga ◽  
Michael Grzelak ◽  
...  

AbstractThe RNA-guided DNA endonuclease Cas9 has emerged as a powerful new tool for genome engineering. Cas9 creates targeted double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the genome. Knock-in of specific mutations (precision genome editing) requires homology-directed repair (HDR) of the DSB by synthetic donor DNAs containing the desired edits, but HDR has been reported to be variably efficient. Here, we report that linear DNAs (single and double-stranded) engage in a high-efficiency HDR mechanism that requires only ∼35 nucleotides of homology with the targeted locus to introduce edits ranging from 1 to 1000 nucleotides. We demonstrate the utility of linear donors by introducing fluorescent protein tags in human cells and mouse embryos using PCR fragments. We find that repair is local, polarity-sensitive, and prone to template switching, characteristics that are consistent with gene conversion by synthesis-dependent strand-annealing (SDSA). Our findings enable rational design of synthetic donor DNAs for efficient genome editing.SignificanceGenome editing, the introduction of precise changes in the genome, is revolutionizing our ability to decode the genome. Here we describe a simple method for genome editing that takes advantage of an efficient mechanism for DNA repair called synthesis-dependent strand annealing. We demonstrate that synthetic linear DNAs (ssODNs and PCR fragments) with ∼35bp homology arms function as efficient donors for SDSA repair of Cas9-induced double-strand breaks. Edits from 1 to 1000 base pairs can be introduced in the genome without cloning or selection.

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (50) ◽  
pp. E10745-E10754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Paix ◽  
Andrew Folkmann ◽  
Daniel H. Goldman ◽  
Heather Kulaga ◽  
Michael J. Grzelak ◽  
...  

The RNA-guided DNA endonuclease Cas9 has emerged as a powerful tool for genome engineering. Cas9 creates targeted double-stranded breaks (DSBs) in the genome. Knockin of specific mutations (precision genome editing) requires homology-directed repair (HDR) of the DSB by synthetic donor DNAs containing the desired edits, but HDR has been reported to be variably efficient. Here, we report that linear DNAs (single and double stranded) engage in a high-efficiency HDR mechanism that requires only ∼35 nucleotides of homology with the targeted locus to introduce edits ranging from 1 to 1,000 nucleotides. We demonstrate the utility of linear donors by introducing fluorescent protein tags in human cells and mouse embryos using PCR fragments. We find that repair is local, polarity sensitive, and prone to template switching, characteristics that are consistent with gene conversion by synthesis-dependent strand annealing. Our findings enable rational design of synthetic donor DNAs for efficient genome editing.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yile Hao ◽  
Qinhua Wang ◽  
Jie Li ◽  
Shihui Yang ◽  
Lixin Ma ◽  
...  

New CRISPR-based genome editing technologies are developed to continuedly drive advances in life sciences, which, however, are predominantly derived from systems of Type II CRISPR-Cas9 and Type V CRISPR-Cas12a for eukaryotes. Here we report a novel CRISPR-n(nickase)Cas3 genome editing tool established upon an endogenous Type I system of Zymomonas mobilis. We demonstrate that nCas3 variants can be created by alanine-substituting any catalytic residue of the Cas3 helicase domain. While nCas3 overproduction via plasmid shows severe cytotoxicity; an in situ nCas3 introduces targeted double-strand breaks, facilitating genome editing, without visible cell killing. By harnessing this CRISPR-nCas3, deletion of genes or genomic DNA stretches can be consistently accomplished with near-100% efficiencies, including simultaneous removal of two large genomic fragments. Our work describes the first establishment of a CRISPR-nCas3-based genome editing technology, thereby offering a simple, easy, yet useful approach to convert many endogenous Type I systems into advanced genome editing tools. We envision that many CRISPR-nCas3-based toolkits would be soon available for various industrially important non-model bacteria that carry active Type I systems to facilitate high-throughput prokaryotic engineering.


eLife ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael M Cox

Combining green fluorescent protein with a protein that only binds to double strand breaks in DNA allows these breaks—which are an important form of DNA damage—to be detected with high efficiency in living bacteria.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 896-906 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Daley ◽  
Thomas E. Wilson

ABSTRACT The ends of spontaneously occurring double-strand breaks (DSBs) may contain various lengths of single-stranded DNA, blocking lesions, and gaps and flaps generated by end annealing. To investigate the processing of such structures, we developed an assay in which annealed oligonucleotides are ligated onto the ends of a linearized plasmid which is then transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Reconstitution of a marker occurs only when the oligonucleotides are incorporated and repair is in frame, permitting rapid analysis of complex DSB ends. Here, we created DSBs with compatible overhangs of various lengths and asked which pathways are required for their precise repair. Three mechanisms of rejoining were observed, regardless of overhang polarity: nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), a Rad52-dependent single-strand annealing-like pathway, and a third mechanism independent of the first two mechanisms. DSBs with overhangs of less than 4 bases were mainly repaired by NHEJ. Repair became less dependent on NHEJ when the overhangs were longer or had a higher GC content. Repair of overhangs greater than 8 nucleotides was as much as 150-fold more efficient, impaired 10-fold by rad52 mutation, and highly accurate. Reducing the microhomology extent between long overhangs reduced their repair dramatically, to less than NHEJ of comparable short overhangs. These data support a model in which annealing energy is a primary determinant of the rejoining efficiency and mechanism.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sucheta Arora ◽  
Rajashree A. Deshpande ◽  
Martin Budd ◽  
Judy Campbell ◽  
America Revere ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Sae2 promotes the repair of DNA double-strand breaks in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The role of Sae2 is linked to the Mre11/Rad50/Xrs2 (MRX) complex, which is important for the processing of DNA ends into single-stranded substrates for homologous recombination. Sae2 has intrinsic endonuclease activity, but the role of this activity has not been assessed independently from its functions in promoting Mre11 nuclease activity. Here we identify and characterize separation-of-function mutants that lack intrinsic nuclease activity or the ability to promote Mre11 endonucleolytic activity. We find that the ability of Sae2 to promote MRX nuclease functions is important for DNA damage survival, particularly in the absence of Dna2 nuclease activity. In contrast, Sae2 nuclease activity is essential for DNA repair when the Mre11 nuclease is compromised. Resection of DNA breaks is impaired when either Sae2 activity is blocked, suggesting roles for both Mre11 and Sae2 nuclease activities in promoting the processing of DNA ends in vivo. Finally, both activities of Sae2 are important for sporulation, indicating that the processing of meiotic breaks requires both Mre11 and Sae2 nuclease activities.


2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (37) ◽  
pp. 15762-15767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha G. Zeitlin ◽  
Norman M. Baker ◽  
Brian R. Chapados ◽  
Evi Soutoglou ◽  
Jean Y. J. Wang ◽  
...  

The histone H3 variant CENP-A is required for epigenetic specification of centromere identity through a loading mechanism independent of DNA sequence. Using multiphoton absorption and DNA cleavage at unique sites by I-SceI endonuclease, we demonstrate that CENP-A is rapidly recruited to double-strand breaks in DNA, along with three components (CENP-N, CENP-T, and CENP-U) associated with CENP-A at centromeres. The centromere-targeting domain of CENP-A is both necessary and sufficient for recruitment to double-strand breaks. CENP-A accumulation at DNA breaks is enhanced by active non-homologous end-joining but does not require DNA-PKcs or Ligase IV, and is independent of H2AX. Thus, induction of a double-strand break is sufficient to recruit CENP-A in human and mouse cells. Finally, since cell survival after radiation-induced DNA damage correlates with CENP-A expression level, we propose that CENP-A may have a function in DNA repair.


Author(s):  
Anindya Bandyopadhyay ◽  
Nagesh Kancharla ◽  
vivek javalkote ◽  
santanu dasgupta ◽  
Thomas Brutnell

Global population is predicted to approach 10 billion by 2050, an increase of over 2 billion from today. To meet the demands of growing, geographically and socio-economically diversified nations, we need to diversity and expand agricultural production. This expansion of agricultural productivity will need to occur under increasing biotic, and environmental constraints driven by climate change. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-site directed nucleases (CRISPR-SDN) and similar genome editing technologies will likely be key enablers to meet future agricultural needs. While the application of CRISPR-Cas9 mediated genome editing has led the way, the use of CRISPR-Cas12a is also increasing significantly for genome engineering of plants. The popularity of the CRISPR-Cas12a, the type V (class-II) system, is gaining momentum because of its versatility and simplified features. These include the use of a small guide RNA devoid of trans-activating crispr RNA (tracrRNA), targeting of T-rich regions of the genome where Cas9 is not suitable for use, RNA processing capability facilitating simpler multiplexing, and its ability to generate double strand breaks (DSB) with staggered ends. Many monocot and dicot species have been successfully edited using this Cas12a system and further research is ongoing to improve its efficiency in plants, including improving the temperature stability of the Cas12a enzyme, identifying new variants of Cas12a or synthetically producing Cas12a with flexible PAM sequences. In this review we provide a comparative survey of CRISPR-Cas12a and Cas9, and provide a perspective on applications of CRISPR-Cas12 in agriculture.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeman Mohibullah ◽  
Scott Keeney

AbstractThe Spo11-generated double-strand breaks (DSBs) that initiate meiotic recombination are dangerous lesions that can disrupt genome integrity, so meiotic cells regulate their number, timing, and distribution. Here, we use Spo11-oligonucleotide complexes, a byproduct of DSB formation, to examine the contribution of the DNA damage-responsive kinase Tel1 (ortholog of mammalian ATM) to this regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A tel1Δ mutant had globally increased amounts of Spo11-oligonucleotide complexes and altered Spo11-oligonucleotide lengths, consistent with conserved roles for Tel1 in control of DSB number and processing. A kinase-dead tell mutation also increased Spo11-oligonucleotide levels, but mutating known Tel1 phosphotargets on Hop1 and Rec114 did not. Deep sequencing of Spo11 oligonucleotides from tel1Δ mutants demonstrated that Tel1 shapes the nonrandom DSB distribution in ways that are distinct but partially overlapping with previously described contributions of the recombination regulator Zip3. Finally, we uncover a context-dependent role for Tel1 in hotspot competition, in which an artificial DSB hotspot inhibits nearby hotspots. Evidence for Tel1-dependent competition involving strong natural hotspots is also provided.


Author(s):  
Eva Janisiw ◽  
Marilina Raices ◽  
Fabiola Balmir ◽  
Luis Paulin Paz ◽  
Antoine Baudrimont ◽  
...  

SummaryPoly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is a reversible post-translational modification synthetized by ADP-ribose transferases and removed by poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG), which plays important roles in DNA damage repair. While well-studied in somatic tissues, much less is known about poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation in the germline, where DNA double-strand breaks are introduced by a regulated program and repaired by crossover recombination to establish a tether between homologous chromosomes. The interaction between the parental chromosomes is facilitated by meiotic specific adaptation of the chromosome axes and cohesins, and reinforced by the synaptonemal complex. Here, we uncover an unexpected role for PARG in promoting the induction of meiotic DNA breaks and their homologous recombination-mediated repair in Caenorhabditis elegans. PARG-1/PARG interacts with both axial and central elements of the synaptonemal complex, REC-8/Rec8 and the MRN/X complex. PARG-1 shapes the recombination landscape and reinforces the tightly regulated control of crossover numbers without requiring its catalytic activity. We unravel roles in regulating meiosis, beyond its enzymatic activity in poly(ADP-ribose) catabolism.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 373-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Goyon ◽  
M Lichten

To better understand the means by which chromosomes pair and recombine during meiosis, we have determined the time of appearance of heteroduplex DNA relative to the times of appearance of double-strand DNA breaks and of mature recombined molecules. Site-specific double-strand breaks appeared early in meiosis and were formed and repaired with a timing consistent with a role for breaks as initiators of recombination. Heteroduplex-containing molecules appeared about 1 h after double-strand breaks and were followed shortly by crossover products and the first meiotic nuclear division. We conclude that parental chromosomes are stably joined in heteroduplex-containing structures late in meiotic prophase and that these structures are rapidly resolved to yield mature crossover products. If the chromosome pairing and synapsis observed earlier in meiotic prophase is mediated by formation of biparental DNA structures, these structures most likely either contain regions of non-Watson-Crick base pairs or contain regions of heteroduplex DNA that either are very short or dissociate during DNA purification. Two loci were examined in this study: the normal ARG4 locus, and an artificial locus consisting of an arg4-containing plasmid inserted at MAT. Remarkably, sequences in the ARG4 promoter that suffered double-strand cleavage at the normal ARG4 locus were not cut at significant levels when present at MAT::arg4. These results indicate that the formation of double-strand breaks during meiosis does not simply involve the specific recognition and cleavage of a short nucleotide sequence.


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