zebrafish-scale-regeneration-in-toto-and-ex-vivo-culture-of-scales

Zebrafish Scale Regeneration <em>In Toto</em> and <em>Ex Vivo</em> Culture of Scales

Skeletal diseases are often complex in their etiology and affect millions of people worldwide. Due to the aging population, there is a need for new ...

University of Bristol

CRISPR-based DNA editing technologies enable rapid and accessible genome engineering of eukaryotic cells. However, the delivery of genetically encoded CRISPR components remains challenging and sustained Cas9 expression correlates with higher off-target activities, which can be reduced via Cas9-protein delivery. Here we demonstrate that baculovirus, alongside its DNA cargo, can be used to package and deliver proteins to human cells. Using protein-loaded baculovirus (pBV), we demonstrate delivery of Cas9 or base editors proteins, leading to efficient genome and base editing in human cells. By implementing a reversible, chemically inducible heterodimerization system, we show that protein cargoes can selectively and more efficiently be loaded into pBVs (spBVs). Using spBVs we achieved high levels of multiplexed genome editing in a panel of human cell lines. Importantly, spBVs maintain high editing efficiencies in absence of detectable off-targets events. Finally, by exploiting Cas9 protein and template DNA co-delivery, we demonstrate up to 5% site-specific targeted integration of a 1.8 kb heterologous DNA payload using a single spBV in a panel of human cell lines. In summary, we demonstrate that spBVs represent a versatile, efficient and potentially safer alternative for CRISPR applications requiring co-delivery of DNA and protein cargoes.

Renata Raele

School of Physiology,
Pharmacology and Neuroscience,
Biomedical Science Building,
School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Science Building

University of Bristol

Zebrafish Scale Regeneration In Toto and Ex Vivo Culture of Scales

Renata Raele

School of Physiology,Pharmacology and Neuroscience,Biomedical Science Building,School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Science Building

University of Bristol

Zebrafish Scale Regeneration In Toto and Ex Vivo Culture of Scales

School of Physiology,
Pharmacology and Neuroscience,
Biomedical Science Building,
School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Science Building