TALE nucleases and next generation GM crops

The DNA binding domain of Transcription Activator-Like (TAL) effectors can easily be engineered to have new DNA sequence specificities. Consequently, engineered TAL effector proteins have become important reagents for manipulating genomes in vivo. DNA binding by TAL effectors is mediated by arrays of 34 amino acid repeats. In each repeat, one of two amino acids (repeat variable di-residues, RVDs) contacts a base in the DNA target. RVDs with specificity for C, T and A have been described; however, among RVDs that target G, the RVD NN also binds A, and NK is rare among naturally occurring TAL effectors. Here we show that TAL effector nucleases (TALENs) made with NK to specify G have less activity than their NN-containing counterparts: fourteen of fifteen TALEN pairs made with NN showed more activity in a yeast recombination assay than otherwise identical TALENs made with NK. Activity was assayed for three of these TALEN pairs in human cells, and the results paralleled the yeast data. The in vivo data is explained by in vitro measurements of binding affinity demonstrating that NK-containing TAL effectors have less affinity for targets with G than their NN-containing counterparts. On targets for which G was substituted with A, higher G-specificity was observed for NK-containing TALENs. TALENs with different N- and C-terminal truncations were also tested on targets that differed in the length of the spacer between the two TALEN binding sites. TALENs with C-termini of either 63 or 231 amino acids after the repeat array cleaved targets across a broad range of spacer lengths – from 14 to 33 bp. TALENs with only 18 aa after the repeat array, however, showed a clear optimum for spacers of 13 to 16 bp. The data presented here provide useful guidelines for increasing the specificity and activity of engineered TAL effector proteins.

Numerous examples of successful 'genome editing' now exist. Genome editing uses engineered nucleases as powerful tools to target specific DNA sequences to edit genes precisely in the genomes of both model and crop plants, as well as a variety of other organisms. The DNA-binding domains of zinc finger (ZF) proteins were the first to be used as genome editing tools, in the form of designed ZF nucleases (ZFNs). More recently, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), as well as the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system, which utilizes RNA-DNA interactions, have proved useful. A key step in genome editing is the generation of a double-stranded DNA break that is specific to the target gene. This is achieved by custom-designed endonucleases, which enable site-directed mutagenesis via a non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair pathway and/or gene targeting via homologous recombination (HR) to occur efficiently at specific sites in the genome. This review provides an overview of recent advances in genome editing technologies in plants, and discusses how these can provide insights into current plant molecular biology research and molecular breeding technology.

Three-dimensional (3D) stem cell differentiation cultures recently emerged as a novel model system for investigating human embryonic development and disease progression in vitro, complementing existing animal and two-dimensional (2D) cell culture models. Organoids, the 3D self-organizing structures derived from pluripotent or somatic stem cells, can recapitulate many aspects of structural organization and functionality of their in vivo organ counterparts, thus holding great promise for biomedical research and translational applications. Importantly, faithful recapitulation of disease and development processes relies on the ability to modify the genomic contents in organoid cells. The revolutionary genome engineering technologies, CRISPR/Cas9 in particular, enable investigators to generate various reporter cell lines for prompt validation of specific cell lineages as well as to introduce disease-associated mutations for disease modeling. In this review, we provide historical overviews, and discuss technical considerations, and potential future applications of genome engineering in 3D organoid models.

CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing has yet to be reported in species of the Platyhelminthes. We tested this approach by targeting omega-1 (ω1) of Schistosoma mansoni as proof of principle. This secreted ribonuclease is crucial for Th2 polarization and granuloma formation. Schistosome eggs were exposed to Cas9 complexed with guide RNA complementary to ω1 by electroporation or by transduction with lentiviral particles. Some eggs were also transfected with a single stranded donor template. Sequences of amplicons from gene-edited parasites exhibited Cas9-catalyzed mutations including homology directed repaired alleles, and other analyses revealed depletion of ω1 transcripts and the ribonuclease. Gene-edited eggs failed to polarize Th2 cytokine responses in macrophage/T-cell co-cultures, while the volume of pulmonary granulomas surrounding ω1-mutated eggs following tail-vein injection into mice was vastly reduced. Knock-out of ω1 and the diminished levels of these cytokines following exposure showcase the novel application of programmed gene editing for functional genomics in schistosomes.

Several abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, heat, flooding, ion toxicity, and radiation, are the most important constraints to agricultural practice. The understanding of the molecular basis of plant response to these various environmental factors has been a main concentration of research in the last few decades. Several genes/pathways and regulatory networks involved in stress responses are figured out employing various different approaches. In tropical countries, sugarcane is an important crop in the terms of sugar and ethanol production because it is increasing its area of cultivation and biomass yield is increasing. Water is the one of the major abiotic stresses affecting sugarcane productivity. The development of a drought-tolerant cultivar of sugarcane is one an important goal for all key sugarcane-producing countries. Genome-editing technology is used routinely to modify plant genomes by targeted alteration/editing of specific genes, and it provides a method for introducing targeted mutation, insertion/deletion (indel), and precise sequence modification using customized nucleases during a big variety of organisms. Most regularly used genome-editing tools are transcriptional activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas9 (CRISPR-associated nuclease 9), and zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs). In general, these sequence-specific nucleases cause double-strand breaks (DSBs) at the target genomic locus/loci, which is/are repaired by the intracellular repair pathways, nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ), or homology-directed repair (HDR). NHEJ results in the introduction of indels and HDR are often wont to introduce specific point mutations or insertion of desired sequences (such as tags or new domains) via recombination. Simple designing and cloning methods were involved in CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, with the same Cas9 being potentially available for use with different guide RNAs for targeting multiple sites in the genome. In this chapter, we emphasize on methodologies to improve genome-editing technology (CRISPR-Cas9 system) to increase abiotic stress tolerance/resistance in sugarcane and summarize the process used to generate new mutant alleles of environmental stress response genes in sugarcane. Such studies suggest further applications in molecular breeding to enhance plant function using optimized plant gene-editing systems.

New prospects on the horizon: Genome editing to engineer plants for desirable traits

Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) enable genome engineering in cell culture and many organisms. Recently, the GoldyTALEN scaffold was shown to readily introduce mutations in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and livestock through non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homology-directed repair (HDR). To deploy the GoldyTALEN system for high-throughput mutagenesis in model organisms, a simple design with high efficacy is desirable. We tested the in vivo efficacy of a simplified 15-RVD GoldyTALEN design (spacer between 13–20 bp and T nucleotide preceding each TALEN binding site) in zebrafish. All 14 tested TALEN pairs (100%) introduced small insertions and deletions at somatic efficacy ranging from 24 to 86%, and mutations were inheritable at high frequencies (18–100%). By co-injecting two GoldyTALEN pairs, inheritable deletions of a large genomic fragment up to 18 kb were successfully introduced at two different loci. In conclusion, these high efficiency 15-RVD GoldyTALENs are useful for high-throughput mutagenesis in diverse application including hypothesis testing from basic science to precision medicine.

Transcription activator-like effector (TALE) nucleases (TALENs) efficiently recognize and cleave DNA in a sequence-dependent manner. However, current TALE custom synthesis methods are either complicated or expensive. Herewe report a simple and low-cost method for TALE construct assembly. This method utilizes the denaturation/reannealing nature of double-stranded DNA to create a unique single-stranded DNA overhang for proper ordering of TALE monomers in an engineered multimer. We successfully synthesized two TALEN pairs targeting the endogenous TET1 locus in human embryonic kidneycells and demonstrated their editing efficiency. Our method provides an alternative simple, low-cost method for effective TALEN assembly, which may improve the application of TALE-based technology.

Programmable nucleases, such as Cas9, are used for precise genome editing by homology-dependent repair (HDR)1–3. However, HDR efficiency is constrained by competition from other double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways, including non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ)4. We report the discovery of a genetically encoded inhibitor of 53BP1 that increases the efficiency of HDR-dependent genome editing in human and mouse cells. 53BP1 is a key regulator of DSB repair pathway choice in eukaryotic cells4, 5 and functions to favor NHEJ over HDR by suppressing end resection, which is the rate-limiting step in the initiation of HDR. We screened an existing combinatorial library of engineered ubiquitin variants6 for inhibitors of 53BP1. Expression of one variant, named i53 (inhibitor of 53BP1), in human and mouse cells blocked accumulation of 53BP1 at sites of DNA damage and improved gene targeting and chromosomal gene conversion with either double-stranded DNA or single-stranded oligonucleotide donors by up to 5.6-fold. Inhibition of 53BP1 is a robust method to increase efficiency of HDR-based precise genome editing.

Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) have rapidly emerged as a powerful genome editing tool. The site-specific DNA double-strand breaks generated by TALENs in the human chromosome can induce homologous recombination or non-homologous end joining, resulting in desired genetic modifications. In this study, we report the development of a TALEN variant, SunnyTALEN, with >2.5-fold improved genome editing efficacy in human cells. The corresponding scaffold increases the rate of genetic modification at all the 13 tested loci of human genome and is compatible with heterodimer TALEN architectures. This enhanced and high-efficiency TALEN variant represents a novel second-generation TALEN system and has great potential for biological and therapeutic applications.

An important breakthrough in the field of genome engineering was the discovery of the modular Transcription Activator-Like Effector (TALE) DNA binding domain and the development of TALE nucleases (TALENs). TALENs enable researchers to make DNA double-strand breaks in target loci to create gene knockouts or introduce specific DNA sequence modifications. Precise genome engineering is increasingly being used to study gene function, develop disease models or create new traits in crop species. Underlying the boom in genome engineering is the striking simplicity and low cost of engineering new specificities of TALENs and other sequence-specific nucleases. In this chapter, we describe a rapid, inexpensive, and user-friendly protocol for custom TALEN construction based on one of the most popular TALEN assembly platforms, the Golden Gate cloning method. Using this protocol, ready-to-use TALENs with specificity for targets 13-32 bp long are constructed within 5 days.

Identification and validation of the cellular target of bioactive hits identified in a phenotypic screen is crucial for their further development into a drug. The gold standard proof for identification of a small molecule's target is the discovery of mutations that confer resistance. However, selection of drug resistance and subsequent deconvolution of the relevant mutations that confer drug resistance remains time consuming. Therefore, a methodology that can accelerate the drug resistance selection process and that can simplify identification of relevant drug resistance mutations would benefit the drug discovery and development process greatly. Here we report a simple method to rapidly identify the mechanism of action of small molecules with anti-cancer activity. The method utilizes the positive selection of in-frame drug resistance mutations in the target protein of a small molecule derived from the localized genetic variation created by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair of CRISPR/Cas9-induced double strand breaks. In brief, we introduced double strand breaks in the target proteins of selinexor, ispinesib and triptolide and treated these cells with the respective drug. Resistance was obtained rapidly and sequencing of resistant colonies revealed known as well as many new drug resistant protein variants. Next, we investigated whether this approach can be applied as a screening strategy on a subset of genes to identify the direct cellular target protein of a small molecule. We therefore, as proof of concept, designed a pooled sgRNA tiling library targeting all PAM sites of multiple genes and applied this to ispinesib. Drug resistant colonies formed rapidly and were enriched with sgRNAs targeting the ispinesib binding site in KIF11, ispinesib’s target protein. Further sequencing of the sgRNA target gene locus revealed drug resistance mutations in KIF11, validating the feasibility of the methodology to uncover the target of a small molecule from a small pool of candidate genes. To conclude, we provide a new method for identification of the cellular target protein and binding site of a small molecule based on positive selection of drug resistant protein variants generated by targeted CRISPR/Cas-induced NHEJ repair. Citation Format: Jasper E. Neggers, Bert Kwanten, Tim Dierckx, Dirk Daelemans. Identification of drug-target interactions through rapid selection of drug resistant protein variants generated by CRISPR/Cas9-induced NHEJ [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5224. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-5224

Rad9 plays roles in both cell cycle checkpoint control and DNA repair. It can interact with the components of multiple DNA repair pathways and regulate their functions. Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair pathway is predominantly used in vertebrates for the repair of DNA double strand break (DSB). Proper activation of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), composed of Ku70, Ku80, and DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), is essential for NHEJ repair. In this study, we found that Rad9 interacts with Ku70 physically and functionally. Deletion of Rad9 gene, knockdown of Rad9 expression or removal of Rad9 protein led to inefficient DNA end-joining repair. Furthermore, loss of Rad9 impaired the DNA damage-induced binding of Ku70 to the chromatin and attenuated the DNA damage-induced kinase activity of DNA-PKcs. Taken together, our data unveil a novel functional interplay between Rad9 and the NHEJ protein Ku70, indicating a role of Rad9 in NHEJ repair through modulating the activation of the DNA-PKcs/Ku70/Ku80 complex.

121. T Cell Receptor Modification by Highly Specific TALEN and CRISPR/Cas9

Genome editing is now a routine procedure in many mammalian genetics laboratories. The ostensibly short but intense history of genome-editing approaches illustrates how a disruptive technology can universally colonize a field when this new methodology, conceived to alter mammalian genomes at specific locations, is found to efficiently and robustly deliver results. This review summarizes the early development of genome editing using nucleases, from the pioneering experiments using yeast meganucleases, to the latest prokaryotic nucleases used for precise genome manipulation. Gene-editing nucleases belong to one of three known categories: zinc-finger nucleases (ZFN), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and their associated proteins (Cas) tools. All operate on the same principle; they are all capable of inducing a double-strand break (DSB) at a defined genomic sequence that is subsequently corrected by endogenous DNA repair mechanisms. DSBs can be repaired through non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), resulting in small insertions and/or deletions (INDELs) and, hence, often leading to gene disruption. Alternatively, DSBs can be repaired through homology-driven repair (HDR), in the presence of donor homologous DNA sequences, resulting in gene-editing events.