DNA methylation-independent long-term epigenetic silencing with dCRISPR/Cas9 fusion proteins.
Li DingLukas Theo SchmittMelanie BruxDuran SürünMartina AugsburgFelix LansingJovan MirceticMirko TheisFrank BuchholzPublished in: Life science alliance (2022)
The programmable CRISPR/Cas9 DNA nuclease is a versatile genome editing tool, but it requires the host cell DNA repair machinery to alter genomic sequences. This fact leads to unpredictable changes of the genome at the cut sites. Genome editing tools that can alter the genome without causing DNA double-strand breaks are therefore in high demand. Here, we show that expression of promoter-associated short guide (sg)RNAs together with dead Cas9 (dCas9) fused to a Krüppel-associated box domains (KRABd) in combination with the transcription repression domain of methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) can lead to persistent gene silencing in mouse embryonic stem cells and in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells. Surprisingly, this effect is achievable and even enhanced in DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 3A and 3B (Dnmt3A -/- , Dnmt3b -/- ) depleted cells. Our results suggest that dCas9-KRABd-MeCP2 fusions are useful for long-term epigenetic gene silencing with utility in cell biology and potentially in therapeutical settings.
Keyphrases
- genome editing
- crispr cas
- dna methylation
- genome wide
- binding protein
- dna repair
- induced apoptosis
- gene expression
- circulating tumor
- cell free
- single molecule
- copy number
- cell cycle arrest
- dna damage
- embryonic stem cells
- single cell
- transcription factor
- cell therapy
- endothelial cells
- poor prognosis
- signaling pathway
- nucleic acid
- circulating tumor cells
- mesenchymal stem cells
- cell proliferation
- stress induced