Name: Rod Cell Degeneration in Xenopus Tadpoles by CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Rhodopsin Knockout
Uploaded: 2023-10-13T12:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Rod Cell Degeneration in Xenopus Tadpoles by CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Rhodopsin Knockout at JoVE.com

rod cell degeneration in xenopus tadpoles by crispr/cas9-mediated rhodopsin knockout

Generating Retinal Degeneration to Investigate Cellular Repair Strategies in Xenopus

Millions of people worldwide are afflicted with various retinal degenerative diseases leading to blindness, such as retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy, or age-related macular degeneration (AMD). To date, these conditions remain largely untreatable. Current therapeutic approaches under evaluation include gene therapy, cell or tissue transplantations, neuroprotective treatments, optogenetics, and prosthetic devices. Another emerging strategy is based on self-regeneration through the activation of endogenous cells with stem cell potential. M&#252;ller glial cells, the major glial cell type of the retina, are among cellular sources of interest in this context. Upon injury, they can dedifferentiate, proliferate, and generate neurons1,2,3. Although this process is very effective in zebrafish or Xenopus, it is largely inefficient in mammals.
Nonetheless, it has been shown that appropriate treatments with mitogenic proteins or overexpression of various factors can induce mammalian M&#252;ller glia cell-cycle re-entry and, in some cases, trigger their subsequent&#160;neurogenesis commitment1,2,3,4,5. This remains, however, largely insufficient for treatments. Hence, increasing our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying regeneration is necessary to identify molecules able to efficiently turn M&#252;ller stem-like cell properties into new cellular therapeutic strategies.
With this aim, we developed several injury paradigms in Xenopus that trigger retinal cell degeneration. Here, we present (1) a mechanical retinal injury that is not cell type-specific, (2) a conditional and reversible cell ablation model using the NTR-MTZ system that targets rod cells, (3) a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated rhodopsin knockout, a model of retinitis pigmentosa that triggers progressive rod cell degeneration, and (4) a CoCl2-induced cytotoxic model that according to the dose can specifically target cones or lead to broader retinal cell degeneration. We highlight the particularities, advantages, and disadvantages of each paradigm.

Author Spotlight: Exploring Retinal Regeneration Mechanisms in the Xenopus Frog 

Generating Retinal Injury Models in Xenopus Tadpoles

My lab works on retinal regeneration. We are using the Xenopus frog as a model system. This amphibian is indeed quite fascinating because unlike mammals, like us, it can regenerate its retina very efficiently in case of injury.And we are studying the underlying mechanism because, in the future, it could be useful to trigger retinal regeneration in human patients afflicted with retinal neurodegenerative diseases. We have recently discovered that in addition to stem cells in the periphery of the retina and the retinal pigmented epithelium, neuroglial cells can also be recruited for retinal regeneration in case of injury. And so we are now studying the links between neuroinflammation and the regenerative capacity of these cells.Indeed, it seems that the neuroinflammatory niche is a key player in the modulation of the regeneration of the retina. To study the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in retinal regeneration, we developed several retinal injury paradigms in Xenopus. The first is a mechanical retinal injury.The second is a transgenic line allowing for nitroreductase-mediated photoreceptor conditional ablation. The third is a retinitis pigmentosa model based on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated rhodopsin knockout, and, to finish, a cytotoxic model driven by intraocular injection of cobalt chloride or CoCl2. My host laboratory has showed that although Xenopus can regenerate its retina, the efficiency is highly variable and depends on the stages of the tadpole or on species, Xenopus laevis or tropicalis.This makes Xenopus a fantastic model for illustrating the molecular mechanisms that trigger or limit retinal regeneration.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Rod Cell Degeneration in Xenopus Tadpoles by CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Rhodopsin Knockout at JoVE.com

Rod Cell Degeneration in Xenopus Tadpoles by CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Rhodopsin Knockout  

Rod Cell Degeneration in Xenopus Tadpoles by CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Rhodopsin Knockout

To begin, take a sharpened capillary, use a micro loader tip to load 2 to 10 microliters of the CRISPR Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complex or control solution. Afterward, place the filled capillary into the micro injector handler. Break off the capillary tip with fine forceps to adjust the ejection volume at 10 nanoliters.Position one cell stage embryos on a grid glued in a 100 millimeter Petri dish with 3%polysucrose solution. Using the micro injector, and under a stereo microscope, inject 10 nanoliter of the solution into the cortical region, specifically at the animal pole level under the cytoplasmic membrane. After 24 hours, visualize fluorescein, lysine, dextrin under a fluorescent stereo microscope, and select well-injected rho crispant embryos.Caspase 3 labeling of rho crispant tadpole retinas showed that some rods undergo apoptosis. Histological staining revealed global preservation of nuclear layers, but a severe shortening of photoreceptor outer segments. Further immuno staining analysis with photoreceptor markers showed the degeneration of rod outer segments.

Research

JoVE Journal

Developmental Biology

Retinal neurodegenerative diseases are the leading causes of blindness. Among numerous therapeutic strategies being explored, stimulating self-repair ...