English
Gene Regulation – Multiple Targets – Activation – Optogenetics – Repression – Inducibility – Epigenetics
Just imagine there was a tool that combined all these aspects of lab work. A tool, that was able to rule several genes at once; a tool that allowed highly specific gene modulation via stimulus induction; a tool that would be a new approach to gene regulation.
This year’s Freiburg iGEM Team uses the prokaryotic CRISPR/Cas system to enable multiple endogenous gene regulation with minimal effort. The regulation is based on a protein-RNA-DNA interaction. Customizable RNAs function as a guide for our protein in order to target specific DNA sequences. By fusing effector domains to this protein, we aim at developing a tool for multiple and inducible gene activation and repression. Despite the system's prokaryotic origin, gene target sequences are adjustable for various organisms, offering a broad application variety of our tool. Due to its great potential, the CRISPR/Cas system has become of increasing importance in current research and can be implemented in a number of novel and interesting applications, such as gene therapy or tissue engineering.
Français
Régulation Génétique – Destinations Multiples – Activation – Optogénétique – Répression – Induction – Épigénétique
Imaginez qu'il y a un dispositif qui attache tous ces composantes au travail laboratoir. Un dispositif qui a la capacité de contrôler des gènes différents; un dispositif qui permet à moduler l'expression génétique en manière efficiente, spècifique et inducible; un dispositif qui ouvre un chemin inédit à fin de la régulation genétique.
L'équipe d'iGEM Freiburg 2013 employe le système bacterien CRISPR/Cas pour donner une possibilité de réguler paralellement l'expression des gènes endogènes différents avec effort minimal. Cette régulation s'appuye sur une interaction entre ADN, ARN et protéine. ARNs fontionnent comme guides de nôtre protéine pour viser séquences voulues de ADN. Par une fusion entre domaines regulateurs et la protéine, nous ambitionnons de générer une utilage pour l'activation ou la répression simultaée des gènes differents. Malgré de l'origine prokaryot du système, il se combine bien avec les séquences genétiques visés d'autre espèces. Ce fait permit des applications étendues de nôtre instrument. Récemment, à cause de son potentiel enorme, le système CRISPR/Cas a gagné d'importance conçernant des investigations actuelles et peut resulter dans une multitude d'utilisations nouvelles et intéressantes - par exemple la thérapies génetique ou la médecine régénérative.
Español
Regulación Genética – Múltiples Focos – Activación – Optogenética – Represión – Inducción – Epigenética
Imaginen que haya una herramienta que combine todos estos componentes de trabajo en el laboratório. Una herramienta que tiene la capacidad de controlar genes differentes; una herramienta que modula la expresión de genes con alta especifidad por inducción estimulante; una herramienta que revolucionaría la regulación genética.
El equipo iGEM Freiburg del año 2013 utiliza el sistema procariota CRISPR/Cas para regular sinchronicamente la expresión de diferentes genes endogénicos, con esfuerzo mínimo. Esta regulación esta basada en una interacción entre ADN, ARN y proteínas. ARNs ajustadas funcionan como guías de nuestra proteína - enfocando secuéncias deseadas de ADN. A través de una fusión de dominós de efectores con la proteína, queremos generar una herramienta para la activación o represión inducible y simultáneo de genes diferentes. A pesar del orígen procariota, el sistema funciona tambíen en otras especies ofreciendo amplias aplicaciones. Últimamente, el enorme potencial prospetado de la misma, el sistema CRISPR/Cas ha ganado cada vez más importancia en la investigación actual y puede ser implementado en muchas aplicaciones nuevas y interesantes - por ejemplo en terapias genéticas o la medicina regenerativa.
Português
Regulação Genética – Múltiplos Focos – Activação – Optogenética – Repressão – Indução – Epigenética
Imagine que haja uma ferramenta que combinaria todos estes componentes do trabalho no laboratório. Uma ferramenta que teria a capacidade de controllar génes differentes; uma ferramenta que lhes-deixaria modular a expressão de genes com altíssima specifidade à indução stímulativa; uma ferramenta que daria um meio novo a regulação genética
A equipe de iGEM Freiburg deste ano 2013 usa o sistema prokaryonte CRISPR/Cas para dar a possibilidade de sinchronicamente regular a expressão de genes endogênicos diferentes, com respetivo esforço mínimo. Essa regulação é baseada em uma interação entre ADN, ARN e proteína. ARNs ajustadas funcionam como guias do nosso proteína, rumando para sequéncias desejadas de ADN. Por meio de uma fusão entre domínos de efeitores com a proteína, quereriamos gerar uma ferramenta para a activação ou repressão inducível de génes diferentes ao mesmo tempo. Despeito do origem prokaryonte do sistema, combina-se bem com sequéncias genéticas objetivadas de várias espécies - oferecendo amplas aplicações da nossa ferramenta. Últimamente, pelo potencial enorme dele, o sistema CRISPR/Cas tem ganhado uma importância crescente em pesquisas correntes e pode ser implementada em númerosas aplicações novas e interessantes - por exemplo em terapias genéticas ou na medicina regenerativa.
Deutsch
Genregulation – Multiple Targets – Aktivierung – Optogenetik – Reprimierung – Induzierbarkeit – Epigenetik
Stellen Sie sich vor, es gäbe ein Werkzeug, welches all jene Aspekte der Laborarbeit vereint. Ein
Werkzeug, welches in der Lage dazu ist, mehrere Gene gleichzeitig zu kontrollieren; ein Werkzeug,
welches hochspezifische Genmodulationen über Induktionsstimuli erlaubt; ein Werkzeug, welches
einen neuen Standard der Genregulation setzt.
Das diesjährige iGEM Team Freiburg verwendet ein prokaryotisches CRISPR/Cas System, um
verschiedene endogene Genexepressionen parallel und mit minimalem Aufwand zu regulieren.
Diese Art der Regulation basiert auf Protein-RNA-DNA Interaktionen. Dabei fungieren DesignerRNAs als Zielvektoren unseres Proteins, um spezifische DNA-Sequenzen anzusteuern. Durch Fusionen von Effektordomänen an dieses Protein, versuchen wir ein Werkzeug zu entwickeln,
welches auf Induktion mehrere Gene zu aktivieren oder reprimieren vermag. Trotz der bakteriellen
Herkunft des Systems ist das Ansteuern von Zielgenen in verschiedensten Organismen möglich,
wodurch sich ein breites Anwendungsspektrum unseres Werkzeugs eröffnet. Aufgrund seines
großen Potenzials entwickelt sich das CRISPR/Cas System aktuell zum Gegenstand intensiver
Forschung und bietet eine Vielzahl interessanter Entwicklungsperspektiven - nicht zuletzt für neue
Ansätze der Gentherapie und Regenerationsmedizin.
CRISPR/Cas
Hidden as an uncharacterized E. coli locus for more than 15 years [1], Barrangou et al. first described a previously unknown adaptive prokaryotic immune system [2]. Almost half of all Eubacteria and most Archaea take advantage of this defence mechanism. Thereby, invasive DNA can be specifically and efficiently cleaved, controlling phage DNA transduction, unselective uptake through natural transformation and horizontal gene transfer by conjugation [3].
This immune system‘s unique feature results from a complex machinery of highly-selective splicing proteins and recombinases, non-coding RNAs and repetitive DNA spacers which, in turn, encode different potential invador target sequences [4]. All of these components lie highly structured and in close vicinity to each other - mostly on single operons. Such loci were labeled as Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Pallindromic Repeats - CRISPR - and differ widely among and within a great variety of subsystems in different species [5, 6]. These findings hold for definite sequence order, ribonucleoprotein composition and functional mechanisms of CRISPRs. It wasn‘t before 2012 that CRISPR associated proteins - Cas - and CRISPR RNAs - crRNAs -, the system‘s two key driving components, have aroused greater interest of Synthetic Biologists [7]. Thus, til date, some detailed structural and functional characteristics of these constituents yet remain to be elucidated.
[ILLUSTRATION: CRISPR Locus / Interactive Graphic]
Unlike Zinkfingers, TAL effectors or Meganucleases, Cas9 proteins direct DNA sequence specific adhesion by harnessing a unique crRNA scaffold. With ~ 20 nucleotides corresponding to the target element, Watson-Crick base pairing can be established between crRNAs and the desired DNA. By their short size, crRNAs are easy to order, insert and express from vector plasmids, containing an RNA-Polymerase III driving U6 promoter. So far, the only constraint for recognition between crRNA and target DNA is a protospacer adjacent motif - PAM -, located directly 3‘ of the protospacer locus and containing a NGG triplett. A second, trans-acting crRNA - tracrRNA - mediates pre-processing of the crRNA and indispensably enhances formation of the Cas-crRNA ribonucleoprotein complex [7].
[ILLUSTRATION: CRISPR/Cas Functioning Mechanism / Interactive Graphic]
CRISPR/Cas9 systems could, in the near future, commonly be used to target multiple spacers. Thereby, co-transfecting of standardized crRNA array plasmids with a Cas9 protein and tracrRNA encoding plasmid, might yield a powerful device for multiplex genome engineering [8, 9]. It opens up the possibility to deal with a wide range of yet unadressed scientific questions in the near future, including Systems Biology aspects and complex metabolic approaches. Other advantages cover monetary and logistic aspects, as the only component for modification lies indeed within the crRNA itself. In turn, this can be ordered as two corresponding forward and reverse primers - see Team Freiburg's easy crRNA Designing Tool. Financial, logistic and human ressources stay at a minimum. Accordingly, CRISPR/Cas9 systems have already been established for many model organisms, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Arabidopsis thaliana, Drosophila melanogaster, Danio rerio and Mus musculus.
Sources
(1) Ishino, Y., et al. (1987). Nucleotide Sequence of the iap Gene in Escherichia coli. Journal of Bacteriology 169, 5429-5433.
(2) Barrangou, R., et al. (2007). CRISPR provides acquired resistance against viruses in prokaryotes. Science 315, 1709-1712.
(3) Marraffini, L., and Sontheimer, E. (2008). CRISPR interference limits horizontal gene transfer in staphylococci by targeting DNA. Science 322, 1843-1845.
(4) Horvath, P., and Barrangou, R. (2010). CRISPR/Cas, the immune system of bacteria and archaea. Science 327, 167-170.
(5) Jansen, R., et al. (2002). Identification of genes that are associated with DNA repeats in prokaryotes. Molecular Microbiology 43, 1565-1575.
(6) Makarova, K., et al. (2011). Evolution and classification of the CRISPR-Cas systems. Nat Rev Microbiol 9, 467-477.
(7) Jinek, M., et al. (2012). A programmable dual-RNA-guided DNA endonuclease in adaptive bacterial immunity. Science 337, 816-821.
(8) Cong, L., et al. (2013). Multiplex genome engineering using CRISPR/Cas systems. Science 339, 819-823.
(9) Mali, P., et al. (2013). RNA-guided human genome engineering via Cas9. Science 339, 823-826.
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