CRISPR-Cas9-Mediated Precise Knock-In Edits in Zebrafish Hearts

Summary

This protocol describes an approach to facilitate precise knock-in edits in zebrafish embryos using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. A phenotyping pipeline is presented to demonstrate the applicability of these techniques to model a Long QT Syndrome-associated gene variant.

Abstract

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) in animal models enable precise genetic manipulation for the study of physiological phenomena. Zebrafish have been used as an effective genetic model to study numerous questions related to heritable disease, development, and toxicology at the whole-organ and -organism level. Due to the well-annotated and mapped zebrafish genome, numerous tools for gene editing have been developed. However, the efficacy of generating and ease of detecting precise knock-in edits using CRISPR is a limiting factor. Described here is a CRISPR-Cas9-based knock-in approach with the simple detection of precise edits in a gene responsible for cardiac repolarization and associated with the electrical disorder, Long QT Syndrome (LQTS). This two-single-guide RNA (sgRNA) approach excises and replaces the target sequence and links a genetically encoded reporter gene. The utility of this approach is demonstrated by describing non-invasive phenotypic measurements of cardiac electrical function in wild-type and gene-edited zebrafish larvae. This approach enables the efficient study of disease-associated variants in a whole organism. Furthermore, this strategy offers possibilities for the insertion of exogenous sequences of choice, such as reporter genes, orthologs, or gene editors.

Introduction

CRISPR-based gene editing strategies in animal models enable the study of genetically heritable disease, development, and toxicology at the whole-organism level^1,2,3. Zebrafish provide a powerful model that is closer in numerous physiological aspects to humans than murine or human-derived cell models⁴. An extensive array of genetic tools and strategies have been used in zebrafish for both forward⁵ and reverse genetic screening⁶. Comprehensive genetic mapping and annotation in zebrafi....

Protocol

Studies using zebrafish were conducted in agreement with the policies and procedures of the Simon Fraser University Animal Care Committee and the Canadian Council of Animal Care and were completed under protocol # 1264K-18.

1. Design of CRISPR components for precise edits

1. To design the two-sgRNA guides that will be used to excise the sequence containing the KI target site, first identify the zebrafish ortholog for the gene of interest.
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Discussion

The engineering of precise gene edits using CRISPR-Cas9 is challenged by the low efficiencies of HDR mechanisms and their efficient detection. Here, a CRISPR-Cas9-based two-sgRNA exon replacement approach is described that produces precise edits in zebrafish with straightforward visual detection of positive edits. The efficacy of this approach is demonstrated by generating precise edits in the zkcnh6a gene. This paper shows how cardiac function in gene-edited zebrafish larvae may be assessed using non-invasive p.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Program
CRISPOR	TEFOR Infrastructure
ENSEMBL	European Bioinformatics Institute
ImageJ	National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Micro-Manager	Open Source (Github)
NEBiocalculator	New England Biolabs (NEB)
EQUIPMENT
24-well Plate	VWR
25 mm Petri Dish	VWR
Blackfly USB3 Camera	Teledyne FLIR
C1000 Thermal Cycler	Bio-Rad
Centrifuge 5415C	Eppendorf
EZNA Gel Extraction Kit	Omega Biotek
MAXIscript T7 Transcription Kit	Invitrogen
MaxQ 5000 Incubator	Barnstead Lab Line
Miniprep Kit	Qiagen
mMessage mMachine T7 Ultra Transcription Kit	Invitrogen
ND1000 Spectrophotometer	Nanodrop
PCR Purification Kit	Qiagen
PLI 100A Picoinjector	Harvard Apparatus
PowerPac Basic Power Supply	Bio-Rad
Stemi 305 Steroscope	Zeiss
Wide Mini Sub Cell GT Electrophoresis System	Bio-Rad
ZebTec Zebrafish Housing System	Tecniplast
SERVICES
Gene Synthesis	Genewiz
Sanger Sequencing	Genewiz
REAGENTS
10β Competent Cells	NEB
10X PCR Buffer	Qiagen
100 mM Nucleotide Mixture	ABM
Ampicillin	Sigma
BamHI Endonuclease w/ buffer	NEB
BsaI Endonuclease w/ buffer	NEB
DR274 Plasmid (XL1 Blue bacterial agar stab)	Addgene
EcoRI Endonuclease w/ buffer	NEB
Glycerol
HEPES	Sigma
HindIII Endonuclease w/ buffer	NEB
Kanamycin	Sigma
Methylene Blue	Sigma
MLM3613 Plasmid (XL1 Blue bacterial agar stab)	Addgene
MS-222 (Tricaine)	Sigma
pKHR5 Plasmid (DH5α bacterial agar stab)	Addgene
PmeI Endonuclease w/ buffer	NEB
SalI Endonuclease w/ buffer	NEB
Sodium Hydroxide	Sigma
T4 Ligase w/ buffer	Sigma
Taq Polymerase	Qiagen
TE Buffer	Sigma
Tris Hydrochloride	Sigma
XhoI Endonuclease w/ buffer	NEB
RECIPES
Solution	Component	Supplier
Annealing Buffer (pH 7.5-8.0)	10 mM Tris	Sigma
	50 mM NaCl	Sigma
	1 mM EDTA	Sigma
E3 Media (pH 7.2)	5 mM NaCl	Sigma
	0.17 mM KCl	Sigma
	0.33 mM CaCl2	Sigma
	0.33 mM MgSO4	Sigma
Injection Buffer (pH 7.5)	20 mM HEPES	Sigma
	150 mM KCl	Sigma