Name: pooled crispr-based genetic screens in mammalian cells
Uploaded: 2019-09-04T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Pooled CRISPR-Based Genetic Screens in Mammalian Cells at JoVE.com

This work was supported by Genome Canada, the Ontario Research Fund, and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (MOP-142375, PJT-148802).

The experiments outlined below should&#160;follow&#160;the institute&#8217;s Environmental Health and Safety Office guidelines.
1. Pooled CRISPR sgRNA lentiviral library plasmid amplification
<ol>
	<li>Dilute the ready-made CRISPR sgRNA plasmid DNA library to 50 ng/&#956;L in TE (e.g., TKOv3).</li>
	<li>Electroporate the library using electrocompetent cells. Set up a total of four electroporation reactions as described below.
	<ol>
		<li>Add 2 &#956;L of 50 ng/&#956;L TKO library to 25 &#956...

<ol>
	<li>Jiang, F., Doudna, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=CRISPR-Cas9+Structures+and+Mechanisms.">CRISPR-Cas9 Structures and Mechanisms.</a> Annual Review of Biophysics. 46, 505-529 (2017).</li><li>Baliou, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=CRISPR+therapeutic+tools+for+complex+genetic+disorders+and+cancer+(Review).">CRISPR therapeutic tools for complex genetic disorders and cancer (Review).</a> International Journal of Oncology. 53 (2), 443-468 (2018).</li><li>Hart, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High-Resolution+CRISPR+Screens+Reveal+Fitness+Genes+and+Genotype-Specific+Cancer+Liabilities.">High-Resolution CRISPR Screens Reveal Fitness Genes and Genotype-Specific Cancer Liabilities.</a> Cell. 163 (6), 1515-1526 (2015).</li><li>Morgens, D. W., Deans, R. M., Li, A., Bassik, M. C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Systematic+comparison+of+CRISPR/Cas9+and+RNAi+screens+for+essential+genes.">Systematic comparison of CRISPR/Cas9 and RNAi screens for essential genes.</a> Nature Biotechnology. 34 (6), 634-636 (2016).</li><li>Evers, B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=CRISPR+knock-out+screening+outperforms+shRNA+and+CRISPRi+in+identifying+essential+genes.">CRISPR knock-out screening outperforms shRNA and CRISPRi in identifying essential genes.</a> Nature Biotechnology. 34 (6), 631-633 (2016).</li><li>Miles, L. A., Garippa, R. J., Poirier, J. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Design,+execution,+and+analysis+of+pooled+in+vitro+CRISPR/Cas9+screens.">Design, execution, and analysis of pooled in vitro CRISPR/Cas9 screens.</a> The FEBS Journal. 283 (17), 3170-3180 (2016).</li><li>Wang, T., Wei, J. J., Sabatini, D. M., Lander, E. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genetic+screens+in+human+cells+using+the+CRISPR-Cas9+system.">Genetic screens in human cells using the CRISPR-Cas9 system.</a> Science. 343 (6166), 80-84 (2014).</li><li>Wang, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Identification+and+characterization+of+essential+genes+in+the+human+genome.">Identification and characterization of essential genes in the human genome.</a> Science. 350 (6264), 1096-1101 (2015).</li><li>Sanson, K. R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Optimized+libraries+for+CRISPR-Cas9+genetic+screens+with+multiple+modalities.">Optimized libraries for CRISPR-Cas9 genetic screens with multiple modalities.</a> Nature Communications. 9 (1), 5416 (2018).</li><li>Hart, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evaluation+and+Design+of+Genome-Wide+CRISPR/SpCas9+Knock-out+Screens.">Evaluation and Design of Genome-Wide CRISPR/SpCas9 Knock-out Screens.</a> G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics. 7 (8), 2719-2727 (2017).</li><li>Mair, B., Tomic, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Essential+gene+profiles+for+human+pluripotent+stem+cells+identify+uncharacterized+genes+and+substrate+dependencies.">Essential gene profiles for human pluripotent stem cells identify uncharacterized genes and substrate dependencies.</a> Cell Reports. 27 (2), 599-615 (2019).</li><li>Shalem, O., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genome-scale+CRISPR-Cas9+knock-out+screening+in+human+cells.">Genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 knock-out screening in human cells.</a> Science. 343 (6166), 84-87 (2014).</li><li>Sharma, S., Petsalaki, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Application+of+CRISPR-Cas9+Based+Genome-Wide+Screening+Approaches+to+Study+Cellular+Signalling+Mechanisms.">Application of CRISPR-Cas9 Based Genome-Wide Screening Approaches to Study Cellular Signalling Mechanisms.</a> International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 19 (4), (2018).</li><li>Steinhart, Z., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genome-wide+CRISPR+screens+reveal+a+Wnt-FZD5+signaling+circuit+as+a+druggable+vulnerability+of+RNF43-mutant+pancreatic+tumors.">Genome-wide CRISPR screens reveal a Wnt-FZD5 signaling circuit as a druggable vulnerability of RNF43-mutant pancreatic tumors.</a> Nature Medicine. 23 (1), 60-68 (2017).</li><li>Wang, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gene+Essentiality+Profiling+Reveals+Gene+Networks+and+Synthetic+Lethal+Interactions+with+Oncogenic+Ras.">Gene Essentiality Profiling Reveals Gene Networks and Synthetic Lethal Interactions with Oncogenic Ras.</a> Cell. 168 (5), 890-903 (2017).</li><li>Zimmermann, M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=CRISPR+screens+identify+genomic+ribonucleotides+as+a+source+of+PARP-trapping+lesions.">CRISPR screens identify genomic ribonucleotides as a source of PARP-trapping lesions.</a> Nature. 559 (7713), 285-289 (2018).</li><li>Deans, R. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Parallel+shRNA+and+CRISPR-Cas9+screens+enable+antiviral+drug+target+identification.">Parallel shRNA and CRISPR-Cas9 screens enable antiviral drug target identification.</a> Nature Chemical Biology. 12 (5), 361-366 (2016).</li><li>Trinh, T. J. J., Bloom, F., Hirsch, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=STBL2:+an+Escherichia+coli+strain+for+the+stable+propagation+of+retroviral+clones+and+direct+repeat+sequences.">STBL2: an Escherichia coli strain for the stable propagation of retroviral clones and direct repeat sequences.</a> Focus. 16, 78-80 (1994).</li><li>Hart, T., Moffat, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=BAGEL:+a+computational+framework+for+identifying+essential+genes+from+pooled+library+screens.">BAGEL: a computational framework for identifying essential genes from pooled library screens.</a> BMC Bioinformatics. 17, 164 (2016).</li><li>Wang, G. Z. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Identifying+drug-gene+interactions+from+CRISPR+knock-out+screens+with+drugZ.">Identifying drug-gene interactions from CRISPR knock-out screens with drugZ.</a> bioRxiv. , (2017).</li><li>Pedregosa, F. V., G, , et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Scikit-learn:+Machine+Learning+in+Python.">Scikit-learn: Machine Learning in Python.</a> Journal of Machine Learning Research. 12, 2825-2830 (2011).</li><li>Ketela, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+comprehensive+platform+for+highly+multiplexed+mammalian+functional+genetic+screens.">A comprehensive platform for highly multiplexed mammalian functional genetic screens.</a> BMC Genomics. 12, 213 (2011).</li><li>Doench, J. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Am+I+ready+for+CRISPR?+A+user's+guide+to+genetic+screens.">Am I ready for CRISPR? A user's guide to genetic screens.</a> Nature Review Genetics. 19 (2), 67-80 (2018).</li><li>Hartenian, E., Doench, J. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genetic+screens+and+functional+genomics+using+CRISPR/Cas9+technology.">Genetic screens and functional genomics using CRISPR/Cas9 technology.</a> FEBS Journal. 282 (8), 1383-1393 (2015).</li><li>Li, W., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=MAGeCK+enables+robust+identification+of+essential+genes+from+genome-scale+CRISPR/Cas9+knock-out+screens.">MAGeCK enables robust identification of essential genes from genome-scale CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out screens.</a> Genome Biology. 15 (12), 554 (2014).</li><li>Sheel, A., Xue, W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genomic+Amplifications+Cause+False+Positives+in+CRISPR+Screens.">Genomic Amplifications Cause False Positives in CRISPR Screens.</a> Cancer Discovery. 6 (8), 824-826 (2016).</li><li>Meyers, R. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Computational+correction+of+copy+number+effect+improves+specificity+of+CRISPR-Cas9+essentiality+screens+in+cancer+cells.">Computational correction of copy number effect improves specificity of CRISPR-Cas9 essentiality screens in cancer cells.</a> Nature Genetics. 49 (12), 1779-1784 (2017).</li><li>Henser-Brownhill, T., Monserrat, J., Scaffidi, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Generation+of+an+arrayed+CRISPR-Cas9+library+targeting+epigenetic+regulators:+from+high-content+screens+to+in+vivo+assays.">Generation of an arrayed CRISPR-Cas9 library targeting epigenetic regulators: from high-content screens to in vivo assays.</a> Epigenetics. 12 (12), 1065-1075 (2017).</li></ol>

Due to its simplicity of use and high pliability, CRISPR technology has been widely adopted as the tool of choice for precise genome editing. Pooled CRISPR screening provides a method to interrogate thousands of genetic perturbations in a single experiment. In pooled screens, sgRNA libraries serve as molecular barcodes, as each sequence is unique and is mapped to the targeted gene. By isolating the genomic DNA from the cell population, genes causing the phenotype of interest can be determined by quantifying sgRNA abundan...

CRISPR-Cas, short for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated nuclease, consists of a single nuclease protein (e.g., Cas9) in complex with a synthetic guide RNA (sgRNA). This ribonucleoprotein complex targets the Cas9 enzyme to induce double-stranded DNA breaks at a specific genomic locus1. Double-stranded breaks can be repaired via homology directed repair (HDR) or, more commonly, through non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), an error prone repair mechanism that results in insertion and/or deletions (INDELS) that frequently disrupt gene function1. The efficiency and simplicity of CRISPR enables a previously unattainable level of genomic targeting that far surpasses previous genome editing technologies [i.e., zinc finger nucleases (ZNF) or transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENS), both of which suffer from heightened design complexity, lower transfection efficiency, and limitations in multiplex gene editing2].
The basic research application of CRISPR single-guide RNA-based genome editing has allowed scientists to efficiently and inexpensively interrogate the functions of individual genes and topology of genetic interaction networks. The ability to perform functional genome-wide screens has been greatly enhanced by use of the CRISPR-Cas system, particularly when compared to earlier genetic perturbation technologies such as RNA interference (RNAi) and gene trap mutagenesis. In particular, RNAi suffers from high off-target effects and incomplete knockdown, resulting in lower sensitivity and specificity compared to CRISPR3,4,5, while gene trap methods are only feasible in haploid cells for loss-of-function screens, limiting the scope of cell models that can be interrogated6. The ability of CRISPR to generate complete gene knock-out provides a more biologically robust system to interrogate mutant phenotypes, with low noise, minimal off-target effects and consistent activity across reagents5. CRISPR-Cas9 sgRNA libraries that target the entire human genome are now widely available, allowing simultaneous generation of thousands of gene knock-outs in a single experiment3,7,8,9.
We have developed unique CRISPR-Cas9 genome-wide sgRNA lentiviral libraries called the Toronto Knock-out (TKO) libraries (available through Addgene) that are compact and sequence-optimized to facilitate high resolution functional genomics screens. The latest library, TKOv3, targets ~18,000 human protein-coding genes with 71,090 guides optimized for editing efficiency using empirical data10. Additionally, TKOv3 is available as a one-component library (LCV2::TKOv3, Addgene ID #90294) expressing Cas9 and sgRNAs on a single vector, alleviating the need to generate stable Cas9-expressing cells, enabling genome-wide knock-out across a broad range of mammalian cell types. TKOv3 is also available in a vector without Cas9 (pLCKO2::TKOv3, Addgene ID# 125517) and can be utilized in cells that express Cas911.
A genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 edited cell population can be exposed to different growth conditions, with the abundance of sgRNAs over time quantified by next-generation sequencing, providing a readout to assess drop-out or enrichment of cells with traceable genetic perturbations. CRISPR knock-out libraries can be harnessed to identify genes that, upon perturbation, cause cellular fitness defects, moderate drug sensitivity (e.g., sensitive or resistant genes), regulate protein expression (e.g., reporter), or are required for a certain pathway function and cellular state12,13,14. For example, differential fitness screens in a cancer cell line can identify both depletion or reduction of oncogenes and enrichment or an increase of tumor suppressors genes3,14,15. Similarly, using intermediate doses of therapeutic drugs can reveal both drug resistance and sensitization genes16,17.
Provided here is a detailed screening protocol for genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 loss-of-function screening using the Toronto Knock-out libraries (TKOv1 or v3) in mammalian cells from library generation, screening performance to data analysis. Although this protocol has been optimized for screening using the Toronto Knock-out libraries, it can be applied and become scalable to all CRISPR sgRNA pooled libraries.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>0.22 micron filter</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>30&#176;C plate incubator</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>37&#176;C shaking incubator</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>37&#176;C, 5% CO2 incubator</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>5 M NaCl</td>
			<td>Promega</td>
			<td>V4221</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>50X TAE buffer</td>
			<td>BioShop</td>
			<td>TAE222.4</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>6 N Hydrochloric acid solution</td>
			<td>BioShop</td>
			<td>HCL666.500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>95% Ethanol</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Alamar blue</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>DAL1025</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Blue-light transilluminator</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>G6600</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bovine Serum Albumin,Heat Shock Isolation, Fraction V. Min. 98%, Biotechnology grade</td>
			<td>Bioshop</td>
			<td>ALB001.250</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dulbecco&#39;s Modification of Eagles Medium</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>11995-065</td>
			<td>Cel culture media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Electroporation cuvettes</td>
			<td>BTX</td>
			<td>45-0134</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Electroporator</td>
			<td>BTX</td>
			<td>45-0651</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Endura electrocompetent cells</td>
			<td>Lucigen</td>
			<td>90293</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal Bovine Serum</td>
			<td>GIBCO</td>
			<td>12483-020</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HEK293T packaging cells</td>
			<td>ATCC</td>
			<td>CRL-3216</td>
			<td>recommend passage number &#60;15</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hexadimethrine Bromide (Polybrene)</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>H9268</td>
			<td>Cationic polymer to enhance transduction efficiency</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hexadimethrine Bromide (Polybrene)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LB agar plates with carbenicillin</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>LB medium with carbenicillin</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Low molecular weight DNA ladder</td>
			<td>New England Biolabs</td>
			<td>N3233S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nanodrop spectrophotometer</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>ND-ONE-W</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NEBNext Ultra II Q5 Master Mix</td>
			<td>New England Biolabs</td>
			<td>M0544L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Opti-MEM</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>31985-070</td>
			<td>Reduced serum media</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plasmid maxi purification kit</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>12963</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pMD2.G (envelope plasmid)</td>
			<td>Addgene</td>
			<td>Plasmid #12259</td>
			<td>lentiviral system</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>psPAX2 (packaging plasmid)</td>
			<td>Addgene</td>
			<td>Plasmid #12260</td>
			<td>lentiviral system</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Puromycin</td>
			<td>Wisent</td>
			<td>400-160-UG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>QIAquick gel extraction kit</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>28704</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Qubit dsDNA BR assay</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>Q32853</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Qubit fluorometer</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>Q33226</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>RNAse A</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>12091021</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>S.O.C recovery medium</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>15544034</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SYRB Safe DNA gel stain</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>S33102</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Toronto KnockOut CRIPSR library (TKOv3) - Cas9 included</td>
			<td>Addgene</td>
			<td>Addgene ID #90203</td>
			<td>Genome-wide CRISPR library , includes Cas9, 71,090 sgRNA</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Toronto KnockOut CRIPSR library (TKOv3) - non-cas9</td>
			<td>Addgene</td>
			<td>Addgene ID #125517</td>
			<td>Genome-wide CRISPR library, non-Cas9, 71,090 sgRNA</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tris-EDTA (TE) solution, pH8.0</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>UltraPure agarose</td>
			<td>ThermoFisher Scientific</td>
			<td>16500500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Wizard genomic DNA purification kit</td>
			<td>Promega</td>
			<td>A1120</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>X-tremeGENE 9 DNA transfection reagent</td>
			<td>Roche</td>
			<td>06 365 809 001</td>
			<td>Lipid based transfection reagent</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

pooled crispr-based genetic screens in mammalian cells

Genome editing using the CRISPR-Cas system has vastly advanced the ability to precisely edit the genomes of various organisms. In the context of mammalian cells, this technology represents a novel means to perform genome-wide genetic screens for functional genomics studies. Libraries of guide RNAs (sgRNA) targeting all open reading frames permit the facile generation of thousands of genetic perturbations in a single pool of cells that can be screened for specific phenotypes to implicate gene function and cellular processes in an unbiased and systematic way. CRISPR-Cas screens provide researchers with a simple, efficient, and inexpensive method to uncover the genetic blueprints for cellular phenotypes. Furthermore, differential analysis of screens performed in various cell lines and from different cancer types can identify genes that are contextually essential in tumor cells, revealing potential targets for specific anticancer therapies. Performing genome-wide screens in human cells can be daunting, as this involves the handling of tens of millions of cells and requires analysis of large sets of data. The details of these screens, such as cell line characterization, CRISPR library considerations, and understanding the limitations and capabilities of CRISPR technology during analysis, are often overlooked. Provided here is a detailed protocol for the successful performance of pooled genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 based screens.

Overview of genome-scale CRISPR screening workflow
Figure 1 illustrates an overview of the pooled CRISPR screening work flow, starting with infection of target cells with CRISPR library lentivirus at a low MOI to ensure single integration events and adequate library representation (typically 200- to 1000-fold). Following infection, cells are treated with the antibiotic puromycin to ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Pooled CRISPR-Based Genetic Screens in Mammalian Cells at JoVE.com

Pooled CRISPR-Based Genetic Screens in Mammalian Cells

CRISPR-Cas9 technology provides an efficient method to precisely edit the mammalian genome in any cell type and represents a novel means to perform genome-wide genetic screens. A detailed protocol discussing the steps required for the successful performance of pooled genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screens is provided here.

Genome editing using the CRISPR-Cas system has vastly advanced the ability to precisely edit the genomes of various organisms. In the context of mammalian ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Genetics

Genetic Manipulation of the Plant Pathogen Ustilago maydis to Study Fungal Biology and Plant Microbe Interactions

Genetic Manipulation of the Plant Pathogen Ustilago maydis to Study Fungal Biology and Plant Microbe Interactions

Gene deletion plays an important role in the analysis of gene function. One of the most efficient methods to disrupt genes in a targeted manner is the ...

Selection-dependent and Independent Generation of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Gene Knockouts in Mammalian Cells

The CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering system has revolutionized biology by allowing for precise genome editing with little effort. Guided by a single guide ...

Pooled shRNA Screen for Reactivation of MeCP2 on the Inactive X Chromosome

Forward genetic screens using reporter genes inserted into the heterochromatin have been extensively used to investigate mechanisms of epigenetic control ...

Adaptation of Hybridization Capture of Chromatin-associated Proteins for Proteomics to Mammalian Cells

The hybridization capture of chromatin-associated proteins for proteomics (HyCCAPP) technology was initially developed to uncover novel DNA-protein ...

Formaldehyde-assisted Isolation of Regulatory Elements to Measure Chromatin Accessibility in Mammalian Cells

Appropriate gene expression in response to extracellular cues, that is, tissue- and lineage-specific gene transcription, critically depends on highly ...

Informatic Analysis of Sequence Data from Batch Yeast 2-Hybrid Screens

We have adapted the yeast 2-hybrid assay to simultaneously uncover dozens of transient and static protein interactions within a single screen utilizing ...

Dissection of Enhancer Function Using Multiplex CRISPR-based Enhancer Interference in Cell Lines

Multiple enhancers often regulate a given gene, yet for most genes, it remains unclear which enhancers are necessary for gene expression, and how these ...

Isolation, Characterization and MicroRNA-based Genetic Modification of Human Dental Follicle Stem Cells

To date, several stem cell types at different developmental stages are in the focus for the treatment of degenerative diseases. Yet, certain aspects, such ...

Genetic Engineering of Dictyostelium discoideum Cells Based on Selection and Growth on Bacteria

Genetic Engineering of Dictyostelium discoideum Cells Based on Selection and Growth on Bacteria

Dictyostelium discoideum is an intriguing model organism for the study of cell differentiation processes during development, cell signaling, and other ...