• Molecules and Cells
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• 제41권11호
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• pp.943-952
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• 2018

The discovery and mechanistic understanding of target-specific genome engineering technologies has led to extremely effective and specific genome editing in higher organisms. Target-specific genetic modification technology is expected to have a leading position in future gene therapy development, and has a ripple effect on various basic and applied studies. However, several problems remain and hinder efficient and specific editing of target genomic loci. The issues are particularly critical in precise targeted insertion of external DNA sequences into genomes. Here, we discuss some recent efforts to overcome such problems and present a perspective of future genome editing technologies.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제33권9호
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• pp.1228-1237
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• 2023

The CRISPR-Cas system has emerged as the most efficient genome editing technique for a wide range of cells. Delivery of the Cas9-sgRNA ribonucleoprotein complex (Cas9 RNP) has gained popularity. The objective of this study was to develop a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based assay to quantify the double-strand break reaction mediated by Cas9 RNP. To accomplish this, the dextransucrase gene (dsr) from Leuconostoc citreum was selected as the target DNA. The Cas9 protein was produced using recombinant Escherichia coli BL21, and two sgRNAs were synthesized through in vitro transcription to facilitate binding with the dsr gene. Under optimized in vitro conditions, the 2.6 kb dsr DNA was specifically cleaved into 1.1 and 1.5 kb fragments by both Cas9-sgRNA365 and Cas9-sgRNA433. By monitoring changes in dsr concentration using qPCR, the endonuclease activities of the two Cas9 RNPs were measured, and their efficiencies were compared. Specifically, the specific activities of dsr365RNP and dsr433RNP were 28.74 and 34.48 (unit/㎍ RNP), respectively. The versatility of this method was also verified using different target genes, uracil phosphoribosyl transferase (upp) gene, of Bifidobacterium bifidum and specific sgRNAs. The assay method was also utilized to determine the impact of high electrical field on Cas9 RNP activity during an efficient electroporation process. Overall, the results demonstrated that the qPCR-based method is an effective tool for measuring the endonuclease activity of Cas9 RNP.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제17권7호
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• pp.3329-3334
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• 2016

Cancer is thought to be a direct result of transcriptional misregulation. Broad analysis of transcriptional regulatory elements in healthy and cancer cells is needed to understand cancer development. Nucleases regulatory domains are recruited to bind and manipulate a specific genomic locus with high efficacy and specificity. TALENs (transcription activator-like effector nuclease) fused to endonuclease FokI have been used widely to target specific sequences to edit several genes in healthy and cancer cells. This approach is promising to target specific cancer genes and for this purpose it is needed to pack such TALENs into viral vectors. There are some considerations which control the success of this approach, targeting appropriate sequences with efficient construction of TALENs being crucial factors. We face some obstacles in construction of TALENs; in this study we made a modification to the method of Cermk et al 2011 and added one step to make it easier and increase the availability of constructs.

• KSBB Journal
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.215-222
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• 2010

Monogenic disease의 치료를 위한 하나의 전략으로 viral vector를 이용한 gene therapy에 비해 독성이 적은 gene targeting 기술을 이용하기 위한 연구가 진행되고 있다. 이러한 연구의 주된 관점은 자연적인 HR의 낮은 효율을 개선하기 위한 DSB 유도 방법으로, 선택성을 높일 수 있는 긴 염기서열의 인식이 가능한 artificial endonuclease의 개발이다. 본 글에서는 이러한 artificial endonuclease 중, 가장 많이 연구 되고 있는 homing endonuclease와 zinc finger nuclease를 간략히 소개하였다. 전자와 후자 모두, 인식 서열에 대한 일정 수준의 tolerance (인식 서열 일부가 특이적이지 않아 다른 염기로 구성된 경우)가 존재하여, 일정한 비율로 다른 target을 절단할 수 있는 가능성이 존재한다. 이러한 점은, meganucleases를 치료 목적으로 이용할 때 세포 독성을 나타내는 근본원인 중 하나이다. 두 종 모두 이러한 특성을 가짐에도 불구하고, 완전한 비자연적인 후자보다는 전자의 경우가 보다 효과적이며 낮은 세포독성을 보이는 것으로 보고되고 있다. 물론 실험 조건이나 적용되는 세포 종류, 인위적인 단백질의 발현 정도에 따라 세포 독성유무 또는 정도에 차이가 나타남이 확인되고 있다. 이러한 사실들에 근거할 때, gene targeting을 유도하기 위한 artificial endonuclease의 서열 특이성을 증대시키는 것이 가장 중요하나, 그 외 여러 인자들에 대한 복합적인 연구 역시 필요함을 보여준다. 현재까지 실제 치료제로 쓰인 예는 없지만, 시험관내에서 보이는 결과와 모델 개체에서 이루어진 표적화정도, 관련된 단백질 치료제들이 지닌 잠재성을 비교할 때 매우 큰 가능성을 지니고 있음은 충분히 확인할 수 있다.

• BMB Reports
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• 제56권2호
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• pp.102-107
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• 2023

Genome editing using CRISPR-associated technology is widely used to modify the genomes rapidly and efficiently on specific DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) induced by Cas9 endonuclease. However, despite swift advance in Cas9 engineering, structural basis of Cas9-recognition and cleavage complex remains unclear. Proper assembly of this complex correlates to effective Cas9 activity, leading to high efficacy of genome editing events. Here, we develop a CRISPR/Cas9-RAD51 plasmid constitutively expressing RAD51, which can bind to single-stranded DNA for DSB repair. We show that the efficiency of CRISPR-mediated genome editing can be significantly improved by expressing RAD51, responsible for DSB repair via homologous recombination (HR), in both gene knock-out and knock-in processes. In cells with CRISPR/Cas9-RAD51 plasmid, expression of the target genes (cohesin SMC3 and GAPDH) was reduced by more than 1.9-fold compared to the CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid for knock-out of genes. Furthermore, CRISPR/Cas9-RAD51 enhanced the knock-in efficiency of DsRed donor DNA. Thus, the CRISPR/Cas9-RAD51 system is useful for applications requiring precise and efficient genome edits not accessible to HR-deficient cell genome editing and for developing CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout technology.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제13권5호
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• pp.349-356
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• 2009

We previously reported that glial cell line-derived neurotropic factor (GDNF) receptor ${\alpha}$ 1 (GFR ${\alpha}$ 1) is a direct target of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (Ape1/Ref-1). In the present study, we further analyzed the physiological roles of Ape1/Ref-1-induced GFR ${\alpha}$ 1 expression in Neuro2a mouse neuroblastoma cells. Ape1/Ref-1 expression caused the clustering of GFR ${\alpha}$ 1 immunoreactivity in lipid rafts in response to GDNF. We also found that Ret, a downstream target of GFR ${\alpha}$ 1, was functionally activated by GDNF in Ape1/Ref-1-expressing cells. Moreover, GDNF promoted the proliferation of Ape1/Ref-1-expressing Neuro2a cells. Furthermore, GFR ${\alpha}$ 1-specific RNA experiments demonstrated that the downregulation of GFR ${\alpha}$ 1 by siRNA in Ape1/Ref-1-expressing cells impaired the ability of GDNF to phosphorylate Akt and PLC ${\gamma}$-1 and to stimulate cellular proliferation. These results show an association between Ape1/Ref-1 and GDNF/GFR ${\alpha}$ signaling, and suggest a potential molecular mechanism for the involvement of Ape1/Ref-1 in neuronal proliferation.