Sand Fly (Phlebotomus papatasi) Embryo Microinjection for CRISPR/Cas9 Mutagenesis

Summary

This protocol details the steps of CRISPR/Cas9 targeted mutagenesis in sand flies: embryo collection, injection, insect rearing, and identification as well as selection of mutations of interest.

Abstract

Sand flies are the natural vectors for Leishmania species, protozoan parasites producing a broad spectrum of symptoms ranging from cutaneous lesions to visceral pathology. Deciphering the nature of the vector/parasite interactions is of primary importance for better understanding of Leishmania transmission to their hosts. Among the parameters controlling the sand fly vector competence (i.e. their ability to carry and transmit pathogens), parameters intrinsic to these insects were shown to play a key role. Insect immune response, for example, impacts sand fly vector competence to Leishmania. The study of such parameters has been limited by the lack of methods of gene expression modification adapted for use in these non-model organisms. Gene downregulation by small interfering RNA (siRNA) is possible, but in addition to being technically challenging, the silencing leads to only a partial loss of function, which cannot be transmitted from generation to generation. Targeted mutagenesis by CRISPR/Cas9 technology was recently adapted to the Phlebotomus papatasi sand fly. This technique leads to the generation of transmissible mutations in a specifically chosen locus, allowing to study the genes of interest. The CRISPR/Cas9 system relies on the induction of targeted double-strand DNA breaks, later repaired by either Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) or by Homology Driven Repair (HDR). NHEJ consists of a simple closure of the break and frequently leads to small insertion/deletion events. In contrast, HDR uses the presence of a donor DNA molecule sharing homology with the target DNA as a template for repair. Here, we present a sand fly embryo microinjection method for targeted mutagenesis by CRISPR/Cas9 using NHEJ, which is the only genome modification technique adapted to sand fly vectors to date.

Introduction

Vector-borne diseases are a major public health threat in constant evolution. Hundreds of vector species spread across very distinct phylogenic families (e.g., mosquitoes, ticks, fleas) are responsible for the transmission of a huge number of microbial pathogens, resulting in more than 700,000 human deaths a year, according to the World Health Organization. Among vector insects, phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) constitute a vast group, with 80 proven vector species exhibiting distinct phenotypic traits and vectorial capacities found in different geographical regions. They are vectors for the protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania, causing a....

Protocol

The use of mice as a source of blood for sand fly feeding was carried out in strict accordance with the recommendations in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The protocol was approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of the NIAID, NIH (protocol number LPD 68E). Invertebrates are not covered under NIH guidelines.

1. Needle preparation (Figure 1)

1. Pull needles and bevel as described in Meuti and Harrell¹⁹. Briefly, pull needles on a dual-stage glass micropipette puller, using borosilicate glass capillaries.
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Results

The CRISPR/Cas9 microinjection protocol described here to generate sand fly mutants was established in a previous publication⁴. This approach produced highly efficient mutagenesis, as 11 out of 540 individuals survived the procedure, of which 9 were mutant. When designing guides for CRISPR/Cas9 mutation, a critical first step is to sequence the region around the area to be targeted. The template for sequencing should be from the strain that is going to be used as a source of embryos for injection........

Discussion

We present here a recently developed embryo microinjection method for targeted mutagenesis by CRISPR/Cas9 in Phlebotomus papatasi sand flies. Embryo microinjection for insect genetic modification was developed in Drosophila in the mid-1980s²¹ and is now routinely used in a wide variety of insects. Other methods for delivery of genetic modification materials have been developed for use in insects, such as ReMOT^20,21

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Black Filter Paper 4.25CM PK100	VWR	28342-012	Cut into rectangles that are approximately 46 X 22mm. These are placed between the slide and the coverslip and act as a moist base layer for the embryos during injection.
Coverslips	Fisher Scientific	12-543A
Dissecting Microscope	Any brand		For aligning embryos
Glass slides	Fisher Scientific	12-550-A3	Base layer of the microinjection set up Figure 2A
Insect cage	custom made or several commercial options		polycarbonate cage for adults holding and mating Lawyer, Phillip, Mireille Killick-Kendrick, Tobin Rowland, Edgar Rowton, and Petr Volf. “Laboratory Colonization and Mass Rearing of Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera, Psychodidae).” Parasite 24. Accessed August 6, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2017041.
Larval food	custom made		a mix of rabbit chow and rabbit feces Lawyer, Phillip, Mireille Killick-Kendrick, Tobin Rowland, Edgar Rowton, and Petr Volf. “Laboratory Colonization and Mass Rearing of Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera, Psychodidae).” Parasite 24. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2017041.
Microcaps 100 ml	Drummond	1-000-1000	Used to back fill microinjection needles
Mouth aspirator	John W. Hock Company	Model 612	mouth aspirator with HEPA filter
Olympus SZX12	Olympus Life Sciences		Microinjection microscope
Ovipots	Nalge company		ovipots are made from 125-ml or 500-ml straigh-sided plolypropylene jars modified by drilling 2.5cm holes in the bottom and filled with 1cm of plaster of Paris. Lawyer, Phillip, Mireille Killick-Kendrick, Tobin Rowland, Edgar Rowton, and Petr Volf. “Laboratory Colonization and Mass Rearing of Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera, Psychodidae).” Parasite 24. Accessed August 6, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2017041.
Paint Brush 6-0	Any Art Supply Company	n/a	Used for aligning embryos
Propionic acid	Sigma-Aldrich	402907	antifungal agent
Standard Glass Capillaries	World Precision Instruments	1B100-3	Used for making microinjection needles
Trio-MPC100 Controller and MP845 Manipulator	Sutter Instruments		Microinjection Controller and Micromanipulator