scholarly journals Supramolecular nanosubstrate–mediated delivery system enables CRISPR-Cas9 knockin of hemoglobin beta gene for hemoglobinopathies

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (43) ◽  
pp. eabb7107
Author(s):  
Peng Yang ◽  
Shih-Jie Chou ◽  
Jindian Li ◽  
Wenqiao Hui ◽  
Wenfei Liu ◽  
...  

Leveraging the endogenous homology-directed repair (HDR) pathway, the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system can be applied to knock in a therapeutic gene at a designated site in the genome, offering a general therapeutic solution for treating genetic diseases such as hemoglobinopathies. Here, a combined supramolecular nanoparticle (SMNP)/supramolecular nanosubstrate–mediated delivery (SNSMD) strategy is used to facilitate CRISPR-Cas9 knockin of the hemoglobin beta (HBB) gene into the adeno-associated virus integration site 1 (AAVS1) safe-harbor site of an engineered K562 3.21 cell line harboring the sickle cell disease mutation. Through stepwise treatments of the two SMNP vectors encapsulating a Cas9•single-guide RNA (sgRNA) complex and an HBB/green fluorescent protein (GFP)–encoding plasmid, CRISPR-Cas9 knockin was successfully achieved via HDR. Last, the HBB/GFP-knockin K562 3.21 cells were introduced into mice via intraperitoneal injection to show their in vivo proliferative potential. This proof-of-concept demonstration paves the way for general gene therapeutic solutions for treating hemoglobinopathies.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han Zhang ◽  
Nathan Bamidele ◽  
Pengpeng Liu ◽  
Ogooluwa Ojelabi ◽  
Xin D. Gao ◽  
...  

Base editors (BEs) have opened new avenues for the treatment of genetic diseases. However, advances in delivery approaches are needed to enable disease targeting of a broad range of tissues and cell types. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors remain one of the most promising delivery vehicles for gene therapies. Currently, most BE/guide combinations and their promoters exceed the packaging limit (~5 kb) of AAVs. Dual-AAV delivery strategies often require high viral doses that impose safety concerns. In this study, we engineered an adenine base editor using a compact Cas9 from Neisseria meningitidis (Nme2Cas9). Compared to the well-characterized Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9-containing ABEs, Nme2-ABE possesses a distinct PAM (N4CC) and editing window, exhibits fewer off-target effects, and can efficiently install therapeutically relevant mutations in both human and mouse genomes. Importantly, we showed that in vivo delivery of Nme2-ABE and its guide RNA by a single-AAV vector can revert the disease mutation and phenotype in an adult mouse model of tyrosinemia. We anticipate that Nme2-ABE, by virtue of its compact size and broad targeting range, will enable a range of therapeutic applications with improved safety and efficacy due in part to packaging in a single-vector system.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242599
Author(s):  
Graham Casey ◽  
Charles Askew ◽  
Mark A. Brimble ◽  
R. Jude Samulski ◽  
Andrew M. Davidoff ◽  
...  

Sensorineural hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities worldwide. Such prevalence necessitates effective tools for studying the molecular workings of cochlear cells. One prominent and effective vector for expressing genes of interest in research models is adeno-associated virus (AAV). However, AAV efficacy in transducing cochlear cells can vary for a number of reasons including serotype, species, and methodology, and oftentimes requires high multiplicity of infection which can damage the sensory cells. Reports in other systems suggest multiple approaches can be used to enhance AAV transduction including self-complementary vector design and pharmacological inhibition of degradation. Here we produced AAV to drive green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in explanted neonatal mouse cochleae. Treatment with eeyarestatin I, tyrphostin 23, or lipofectamine 2000 did not result in increased transduction, however, self-complementary vector design resulted in significantly more GFP positive cells when compared to single-stranded controls. Similarly, self-complementary AAV2 vectors demonstrated enhanced transduction efficiency compared to single stranded AAV2 when injected via the posterior semicircular canal, in vivo. Self-complementary vectors for AAV1, 8, and 9 serotypes also demonstrated robust GFP transduction in cochlear cells in vivo, though these were not directly compared to single stranded vectors. These findings suggest that second-strand synthesis may be a rate limiting step in AAV transduction of cochlear tissues and that self-complementary AAV can be used to effectively target large numbers of cochlear cells in vitro and in vivo.


2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (20) ◽  
pp. 11372-11380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariacarmela Allocca ◽  
Claudio Mussolino ◽  
Maria Garcia-Hoyos ◽  
Daniela Sanges ◽  
Carolina Iodice ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Severe inherited retinal diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa and Leber congenital amaurosis, are caused by mutations in genes preferentially expressed in photoreceptors. While adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene transfer can correct retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) defects in animal models, approaches for the correction of photoreceptor-specific diseases are less efficient. We evaluated the ability of novel AAV serotypes (AAV2/7, AAV2/8, AAV2/9, AAV2rh.43, AAV2rh.64R1, and AAV2hu.29R) in combination with constitutive or photoreceptor-specific promoters to improve photoreceptor transduction, a limiting step in photoreceptor rescue. Based on a qualitative analysis, all AAV serotypes tested efficiently transduce the RPE as well as rod and cone photoreceptors after subretinal administration in mice. Interestingly, AAV2/9 efficiently transduces Müller cells. To compare photoreceptor transduction from different AAVs and promoters in both a qualitative and quantitative manner, we designed a strategy based on the use of a bicistronic construct expressing both enhanced green fluorescent protein and luciferase. We found that AAV2/8 and AAV2/7 mediate six- to eightfold higher levels of in vivo photoreceptor transduction than AAV2/5, considered so far the most efficient AAV serotype for photoreceptor targeting. In addition, following subretinal administration of AAV, the rhodopsin promoter allows significantly higher levels of photoreceptor expression than the other ubiquitous or photoreceptor-specific promoters tested. Finally, we show that AAV2/7, AAV2/8, and AAV2/9 outperform AAV2/5 following ex vivo transduction of retinal progenitor cells differentiated into photoreceptors. We conclude that AAV2/7 or AAV2/8 and the rhodopsin promoter provide the highest levels of photoreceptor transduction both in and ex vivo and that this may overcome the limitation to therapeutic success observed so far in models of inherited severe photoreceptor diseases.


1999 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 9468-9477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jusan Yang ◽  
Weihong Zhou ◽  
Yulong Zhang ◽  
Terese Zidon ◽  
Terry Ritchie ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Long-term recombinant AAV (rAAV) transgene expression in muscle has been associated with the molecular conversion of single-stranded rAAV genomes to high-molecular-weight head-to-tail circular concatamers. However, the mechanisms by which these large multimeric concatamers form remain to be defined. To this end, we tested whether concatamerization of rAAV circular intermediates occurs through intra- or intermolecular mechanisms of amplification. Coinfection of the tibialis muscle of mice with rAAV alkaline phosphatase (Alkphos)- and green fluorescent protein (GFP)-encoding vectors was used to evaluate the frequency of circular concatamer formation by intermolecular recombination of independent viral genomes. The GFP shuttle vector also encoded ampicillin resistance and contained a bacterial origin of replication to allow for bacterial rescue of circular intermediates from Hirt DNA of infected muscle samples. The results demonstrated a time-dependent increase in the abundance of rescued plasmids encoding both GFP and Alkphos, which reached 33% of the total circular intermediates by 120 days postinfection. Furthermore, these large circular concatamers were capable of expressing both GFP- and Alkphos-encoding transgenes following transient transfection in cell lines. These findings demonstrate that concatamerization of AAV genomes in vivo occurs through intermolecular recombination of independent monomer circular viral genomes and suggest new viable strategies for delivering multiple DNA segments at a single locus. Such developments will expand the utility of rAAV for splicing large gene inserts or large promoter-gene combinations carried by two or more independent rAAV vectors.


2011 ◽  
Vol 300 (3) ◽  
pp. H859-H868 ◽  
Author(s):  
JuFang Wang ◽  
Erhe Gao ◽  
Joseph Rabinowitz ◽  
Jianliang Song ◽  
Xue-Qian Zhang ◽  
...  

Phospholemman (PLM), when phosphorylated at serine 68, relieves its inhibition on Na+-K+-ATPase but inhibits Na+/Ca2+ exchanger 1 (NCX1) in cardiac myocytes. Under stress when catecholamine levels are high, enhanced Na+-K+-ATPase activity by phosphorylated PLM attenuates intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+]i) overload. To evaluate the effects of PLM on NCX1 on in vivo cardiac contractility, we injected recombinant adeno-associated virus (serotype 9) expressing either the phosphomimetic PLM S68E mutant or green fluorescent protein (GFP) directly into left ventricles (LVs) of PLM-knockout (KO) mice. Five weeks after virus injection, ∼40% of isolated LV myocytes exhibited GFP fluorescence. Expression of S68E mutant was confirmed with PLM antibody. There were no differences in protein levels of α1- and α2-subunits of Na+-K+-ATPase, NCX1, and sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase between KO-GFP and KO-S68E LV homogenates. Compared with KO-GFP myocytes, Na+/Ca2+ exchange current was suppressed, but resting [Na+]i, Na+-K+-ATPase current, and action potential amplitudes were similar in KO-S68E myocytes. Resting membrane potential was slightly lower and action potential duration at 90% repolarization (APD90) was shortened in KO-S68E myocytes. Isoproterenol (Iso; 1 μM) increased APD90 in both groups of myocytes. After Iso, [Na+]i increased monotonically in paced (2 Hz) KO-GFP but reached a plateau in KO-S68E myocytes. Both systolic and diastolic [Ca2+]i were higher in Iso-stimulated KO-S68E myocytes paced at 2 Hz. Echocardiography demonstrated similar resting heart rate, ejection fraction, and LV mass between KO-GFP and KO-S68E mice. In vivo closed-chest catheterization demonstrated enhanced contractility in KO-S68E compared with KO-GFP hearts stimulated with Iso. We conclude that under catecholamine stress when [Na+]i is high, PLM minimizes [Na+]i overload by relieving its inhibition of Na+-K+-ATPase and preserves inotropy by simultaneously inhibiting Na+/Ca2+ exchanger.


1999 ◽  
Vol 277 (6) ◽  
pp. H2392-H2399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoping Tang ◽  
Dagmara Mohuczy ◽  
Y. Clare Zhang ◽  
Birgitta Kimura ◽  
Sara M. Galli ◽  
...  

Angiotensinogen (AGT) has been linked to hypertension. Because there are no direct inhibitors of AGT, we have developed antisense (AS) inhibition of AGT mRNA delivered in an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based plasmid vector. This plasmid, driven by the cytomegalovirus promoter, contains a green fluorescent protein reporter gene and AS cDNA for rat AGT. Transfection of the plasmid into rat hepatoma cells brought a strong expression of the transgenes and a significant reduction in the level of AGT. In the in vivo study, naked plasmid DNA was intravenously injected into adult spontaneously hypertensive rats at different doses (0.6, 1.5, and 3 mg/kg). Expression of AGT AS mRNA was present in liver and heart, and it lasted longer in the liver. All three doses produced a significant decrease in blood pressure (BP). BP decreased for 2, 4, and 6 days, respectively. The lowest dose decreased BP by 12 ± 3.0 mmHg, whereas the higher doses decreased BP by up to 22.5 ± 5.2 mmHg compared with the control rats injected with saline ( P < 0.01). The injection of the plasmid with liposomes produced a more profound and longer reduction (8 days) in BP. Consistent changes in plasma AGT level were observed. Sense plasmid had no effect. No liver toxicity was observed after injection of AS plasmid with or without liposomes. Our results suggest that the systemic delivery of AS against AGT mRNA by AAV-based plasmid vector, especially with liposomes, may have potential for gene therapy of hypertension and that further studies with the plasmid packaged into a recombinant AAV vector for a longer-lasting AS effect are warranted.


2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (10) ◽  
pp. 5385-5394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Veron ◽  
Valérie Allo ◽  
Christel Rivière ◽  
Jacky Bernard ◽  
Anne-Marie Douar ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Dendritic cells (DC) are antigen-presenting cells pivotal for inducing immunity or tolerance. Gene transfer into DC is an important strategy for developing immunotherapeutic approaches against infectious pathogens and cancers. One of the vectors previously described for the transduction of human monocytes or DC is the recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV), with a genome conventionally packaged as a single-stranded (ss) molecule. Nevertheless, its use is limited by the poor and variable transduction efficiency of DC. In this study, AAV type 1 (AAV1) and AAV2 vectors, which expressed the enhanced green fluorescent protein and were packaged as ss or self-complementary (sc) duplex strands, were used to transduce different DC subsets generated ex vivo and the immunophenotypes, states of differentiation, and functions of the subsets were carefully examined. We show here for the first time that a single exposure of monocytes (Mo) or CD34+ progenitors (CD34) to sc rAAV1 or sc rAAV2 leads to high transduction levels (5 to 59%) of differentiated Mo-DC, Mo-Langerhans cells (LC), CD34-LC, or CD34-plasmacytoid DC (pDC), with no impact on their phenotypes and functional maturation of these cells, compared to those of exposure to ss rAAV. Moreover, we show that all these DC subpopulations can also be efficiently transduced after commitment to their differentiation pathways. Furthermore, these DC subsets transduced with sc rAAV1 expressing a tumor antigen were potent activators of a CD8+-T-cell clone. Altogether, these results show the high potential of sc AAV1 and sc AAV2 vectors to transduce ex vivo conventional DC, LC, or pDC or to directly target them in vivo for the design of new DC-based immunotherapies.


1999 ◽  
Vol 339 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur L. KRUCKEBERG ◽  
Ling YE ◽  
Jan A. BERDEN ◽  
Karel van DAM

The Hxt2 glucose transport protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was genetically fused at its C-terminus with the green fluorescent protein (GFP). The Hxt2-GFP fusion protein is a functional hexose transporter: it restored growth on glucose to a strain bearing null mutations in the hexose transporter genes GAL2 and HXT1 to HXT7. Furthermore, its glucose transport activity in this null strain was not markedly different from that of the wild-type Hxt2 protein. We calculated from the fluorescence level and transport kinetics that induced cells had 1.4×105 Hxt2-GFP molecules per cell, and that the catalytic-centre activity of the Hxt2-GFP molecule in vivo is 53 s-1 at 30 °C. Expression of Hxt2-GFP was induced by growth at low concentrations of glucose. Under inducing conditions the Hxt2-GFP fluorescence was localized to the plasma membrane. In a strain impaired in the fusion of secretory vesicles with the plasma membrane, the fluorescence accumulated in the cytoplasm. When induced cells were treated with high concentrations of glucose, the fluorescence was redistributed to the vacuole within 4 h. When endocytosis was genetically blocked, the fluorescence remained in the plasma membrane after treatment with high concentrations of glucose.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 379
Author(s):  
Breanne M. Head ◽  
Christopher I. Graham ◽  
Teassa MacMartin ◽  
Yoav Keynan ◽  
Ann Karen C. Brassinga

Legionnaires’ disease incidence is on the rise, with the majority of cases attributed to the intracellular pathogen, Legionella pneumophila. Nominally a parasite of protozoa, L. pneumophila can also infect alveolar macrophages when bacteria-laden aerosols enter the lungs of immunocompromised individuals. L. pneumophila pathogenesis has been well characterized; however, little is known about the >25 different Legionella spp. that can cause disease in humans. Here, we report for the first time a study demonstrating the intracellular infection of an L. bozemanae clinical isolate using approaches previously established for L. pneumophila investigations. Specifically, we report on the modification and use of a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing plasmid as a tool to monitor the L. bozemanae presence in the Acanthamoeba castellanii protozoan infection model. As comparative controls, L. pneumophila strains were also transformed with the GFP-expressing plasmid. In vitro and in vivo growth kinetics of the Legionella parental and GFP-expressing strains were conducted followed by confocal microscopy. Results suggest that the metabolic burden imposed by GFP expression did not impact cell viability, as growth kinetics were similar between the GFP-expressing Legionella spp. and their parental strains. This study demonstrates that the use of a GFP-expressing plasmid can serve as a viable approach for investigating Legionella non-pneumophila spp. in real time.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noemi Ruiz-Lopez ◽  
Jessica Pérez-Sancho ◽  
Alicia Esteban del Valle ◽  
Richard P Haslam ◽  
Steffen Vanneste ◽  
...  

Abstract Endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact sites (ER-PM CS) play fundamental roles in all eukaryotic cells. Arabidopsis thaliana mutants lacking the ER-PM protein tether synaptotagmin1 (SYT1) exhibit decreased plasma membrane (PM) integrity under multiple abiotic stresses such as freezing, high salt, osmotic stress and mechanical damage. Here, we show that, together with SYT1, the stress-induced SYT3 is an ER-PM tether that also functions in maintaining PM integrity. The ER-PM CS localization of SYT1 and SYT3 is dependent on PM phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate and is regulated by abiotic stress. Lipidomic analysis revealed that cold stress increased the accumulation of diacylglycerol at the PM in a syt1/3 double mutant relative to wild type while the levels of most glycerolipid species remain unchanged. Additionally, the SYT1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion preferentially binds diacylglycerol in vivo with little affinity for polar glycerolipids. Our work uncovers a SYT-dependent mechanism of stress adaptation counteracting the detrimental accumulation of diacylglycerol at the PM produced during episodes of abiotic stress.


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