Name: investigation of beige fat biology and metabolism using the crispr suntag-p65-hsf1 activation system
Uploaded: 2023-01-06T14:20:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Investigation of Beige Fat Biology and Metabolism Using the CRISPR SunTag-p65-HSF1 Activation System at JoVE.com

The authors thank the support received from Centro Multidisciplinar para Investiga&#231;&#227;o Biol&#243;gica na &#193;rea da Ci&#234;ncia em Animais de Laborat&#243;rio (Cemib), Unicamp, for the generation of AdipoSPH mice, the Inmmunometabolism and Cell Signaling Laboratory, and National Institute of Science and Technology on Photonics Applied to Cell Biology (INFABIC) for all experimental support. We thank the financial support from Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP): 2019/15025-5; 2020/09308-1; 2020/14725-0; 2021/11841-2.

Animal studies were performed in accordance with the University of Campinas Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (protocol CEUA #5810-1/2021).
1. Molecular cloning
<ol>
	<li>Design of single guide RNAs (sgRNAs)
	<ol>
		<li>Design sgRNAs for CRISPR activation using CHOPCHOP, available at https://chopchop.cbu.uib.no/,&#160;or any other suitable tool. Use the following parameters to design sgRNA targeting the Prdm16 gene: Target: Prdm16; In: Mus musculus; Using: Cri...

<ol>
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One of the most useful non-editing applications of CRISPR technology is the interrogation of gene function through the activation of endogenous genes using CRISPRa systems6. SPH is a powerful CRISPRa that was originally described to induce the conversion of astrocytes into active neurons by targeting several neurogenic genes14. In this study, AdipoSPH was demonstrated to be a suitable tool for investigating beige fat biology by activating the expression of endogenous Prdm16...

Beige (or brite) adipocytes are uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-expressing and mitochondrial-rich adipocytes that reside within white adipose tissue (WAT) depots. Beige fat emerges from a subset of adipocyte progenitors or mature white adipocytes in response to cold exposure and other stimuli1,2. Beige adipocytes can convert energy into heat in a UCP1-dependent or independent manner3. Regardless of its thermogenic function, beige fat can also improve metabolic health by other means, such as the secretion of adipokines and anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic activities. Studies in mice and humans have shown that the induction of beige fat improves whole-body glucose and lipid homeostasis3. However, although our knowledge of beige fat biology has evolved rapidly in recent years, most of its metabolic benefits and related mechanisms are still not fully understood.
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) were first described in eukaryotic cells as a tool capable of generating a double-strand break (DSB) at a specific site in the genome through the nuclease activity of the Cas9 protein4,5. Cas9 is guided by a synthetic single-guide RNA (sgRNA) to target a specific genomic region, leading to a DNA DSB. In addition to using the nuclease Cas9 for editing purposes, CRISPR-Cas9 technology has evolved to be used as a sequence-specific gene regulation tool6. The development of a catalytically inactive Cas9 protein (dCas9) and the association of transcriptional modules capable of enhancing gene expression has given rise to CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) tools. Several CRISPRa systems have emerged, such as VP647,8, synergistic activation mediator (SAM)9, SunTag10,11, VPR12,13, and SunTag-p65-HSF1 (SPH)14, which combines the components of SAM and SunTag activators. It has recently been demonstrated that the induced expression of neurogenic genes in N2a neuroblasts and primary astrocytes is higher using SPH compared to other CRISPRa systems14, demonstrating SPH as a promising CRISPRa tool.
Here, we took advantage of a previously developed SPH mouse14 to generate a conditional mouse model expressing SPH specifically in adipocytes using the adiponectin Cre lineage (AdipoSPH). Using an adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying the gRNA targeting the endogenous Prdm16 gene, browning (white to beige conversion) of inguinal WAT (iWAT) was induced to increase the expression of the thermogenic gene program. Moreover, in vitro Prdm16 overexpression enhanced oxygen consumption. Therefore, this protocol provides a versatile SPH mouse model for exploring the mechanisms of beige fat development within adipose tissue.

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			<td>3,3&#39;,5-Triiodo-L-thyronine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>T2877</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
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			<td>3-Isobutyl-1-methylxanthine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>I5879</td>
			<td></td>
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		<tr>
			<td>AAVpro 293T Cell Line</td>
			<td>Takarabio</td>
			<td>632273</td>
			<td></td>
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			<td>Amicon Ultra Centrifugal Filter</td>
			<td>Merckmillipore</td>
			<td>UFC510008</td>
			<td>100 KDa</td>
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			<td>Dexamethasone</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>D1756</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dulbecco&#39;s Modification of Eagles Medium (DMEM)</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>10-017-CV</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dulbecco&#39;s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) F-12, GlutaMAX&#8482; supplement</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>10565-018</td>
			<td>high concentrations of glucose, amino acids, and vitamins</td>
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		<tr>
			<td>Dulbecco&#39;s phosphate buffered saline (DPBS)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>D8662</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Excelta Self-Opening Micro Scissors</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>17-467-496</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal bovine serum</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>F2442</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fisherbrand Cell Scrapers (100 pk)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>08-100-241</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fisherbrand High Precision Straight Tapered Ultra Fine Point Tweezers/Forceps</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>12-000-122</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
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			<td>Fisherbrand Sharp-Pointed Dissecting Scissors</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>08-940</td>
			<td></td>
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			<td>Glycerol</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>G5516</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HEPES</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>H3375-25G</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hexadimethrine bromide (Polybrene)</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>H9268</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Indomethacin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>I7378</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Insulin</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>I9278</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
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			<td>LigaFast Rapid DNA Ligation System</td>
			<td>Promega</td>
			<td>M8225</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Maxiprep purification kit&#160;</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>12162</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microliter syringe</td>
			<td>Hamilton</td>
			<td>80308</td>
			<td>Model 701</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NEB 10-beta/Stable&#160;</td>
			<td>New England Biolabs</td>
			<td>C3019H</td>
			<td>E. coli competent cells</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pAAV2/8&#160;</td>
			<td>Addgene&#160;</td>
			<td>112864</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pAAV-U6-gRNA-CBh-mCherry</td>
			<td>Addgene&#160;</td>
			<td>91947</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pAdDeltaF6&#160;</td>
			<td>Addgene&#160;</td>
			<td>112867</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PEG 8000</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>89510</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Penicillin/streptomycin</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>15140-122</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polyethylenimine</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>23966</td>
			<td>Linear, MW 25000</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Povidone-iodine</td>
			<td>Rioqu&#237;mica</td>
			<td>510101303</td>
			<td>Antiseptic</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rosiglitazone</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>R2408</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SacI enzyme</td>
			<td>New England Biolabs</td>
			<td>R0156</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Surgical Design Premier Adson Forceps</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>22-079-741</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe</td>
			<td>Hamilton</td>
			<td>475-40417</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>T4 DNA Ligase</td>
			<td>Promega</td>
			<td>M180B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>T4 DNA ligase buffer&#160;</td>
			<td>New England Biolabs</td>
			<td>B0202S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>T4 PNK enzyme kit</td>
			<td>New England Biolabs</td>
			<td>M0201S</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tramadol Hydrochloride</td>
			<td>SEM</td>
			<td>43930</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vidisic Gel&#160;</td>
			<td>Bausch + Lomb&#160;</td>
			<td>99620</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
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investigation of beige fat biology and metabolism using the crispr suntag-p65-hsf1 activation system

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technology has prompted a revolution in biology, and recent tools have been applied far beyond the originally described gene editing. The CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) system combines the catalytically inactive Cas9 (dCas9) protein with distinct transcription modules to induce endogenous gene expression. SunTag-p65-HSF1 (SPH) is a recently developed CRISPRa technology that combines components of synergistic activation mediators (SAMs) with the SunTag activators. This system allows the overexpression of single or multiple genes by designing a customized single-guide RNA (sgRNA). In this study, a previously developed SPH mouse was used to generate a conditional mouse expressing SPH in adipocytes (adiponectin Cre lineage), named AdipoSPH. To induce a white-to-beige fat (browning) phenotype, an adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying sgRNA targeting the endogenous Prdm16 gene (a well-established transcription factor related to brown and beige fat development) was injected into the inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT). This mouse model induced the expression of endogenous Prdm16 and activated the thermogenic gene program. Moreover, in vitro SPH-induced Prdm16 overexpression enhanced the oxygen consumption of beige adipocytes, phenocopying the results of a previous Prdm16 transgenic mouse model. Thus, this protocol describes a versatile, cost-effective, and time-effective mouse model for investigating adipose tissue biology.

AdipoSPH mice were developed by breeding SPH and Adipoq-Cre mouse strains. Both mouse strains were in a hybrid C57BL6J-DBA/2J background (according to the commercial supplier; see Table of Materials). The SPH mouse lineage was originally described by Zhou et al.14.
In vivo beige adipocyte development through AdipoSPH-mediated Prdm16 overexpression 
To evaluate the capacity of the model described in this st...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Investigation of Beige Fat Biology and Metabolism Using the CRISPR SunTag-p65-HSF1 Activation System at JoVE.com

Investigation of Beige Fat Biology and Metabolism Using the CRISPR SunTag-p65-HSF1 Activation System

This protocol presents the use of CRISPR SunTag-p65-HSF1 (SPH) in adipocytes (AdipoSPH) as an alternative strategy to adeno-associated virus (AAV) for investigating beige fat biology. In vivo injection of AAV-carrying sgRNA targeting the endogenous Prdm16 gene is sufficient to induce beige fat development and enhance the thermogenic gene program.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technology has prompted a revolution in biology, and recent tools have been applied far ...

This protocol presents the SPH CRISPR Activation System as an alternative strategy to conventional viral vectors to perform gain function assays in adipocytes. It allows the overexpression of single or multiple adipocyte endogenous genes within the complex cellular environment of adipose tissue by delivering a customized single guide RNA using an adeno associated virus. The challenging steps of this protocol are related to cloning the single guide RNA and the production and injection of adeno-associated virus into the adipose tissue.To begin, design single guide RNA or sgRNA for CRISPR activation using chopchop or any other suitable tool. Design the sgRNA targeting the PRDM16 gene using the following parameters:Target as PRDM16 in a Mus musculus using a CRISPR/Cas9 and for as activation. Add overhangs to the sgRNA to match the Sac1 restriction site in the vector backbone PAAVU6GRNACBHM cherry.Include 5'AGCT 3'where n corresponds to nucleotides. Obtain 3'sgRNA reverse complement sequence using the indicated tool. Next, for annealing of single-stranded complimentary oligonucleotides, add one microliter of each 5'and 3'single-stranded oligonucleotide, one microliter of T4 ligase buffer, 0.5 microliters of T4 polynucleotide kinase, and 6.5 microliters of water for a final reaction volume of 10 microliters.Anneal the complimentary single-stranded oligonucleotides using a thermocycler at 37 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes and 95 degrees Celsius for five minutes, followed by a ramp-down rate of five degrees Celsius per minute. Then for ligation of annealed sgRNA oligonucleotides add 25 nanograms of plasmid PAAVU6GRNACBHM cherry to two microliters of annealed sgRNA Oligonucleotides, one microliters of Sac1 enzyme, two microliters of 10X T4 DNA ligase buffer, one microliter of T4 DNA ligase and water to a final reaction volume of 10 microliters. Using a thermocycler, perform ligation by incubating the reaction mixture for 15 cycles at 37 degrees Celsius for five minutes and 25 degrees Celsius for five minutes followed by holding at four degrees Celsius.Next, transform the competent Escherichia coli DH10B cells with four microliters of the ligation product by heat shock at 42 degrees Celsius for 45 seconds and spread on an agar plate containing 10 micrograms per milliliter Ampicillin. Confirm transformed colonies by Colony Polymerase Chain Reaction or PCR using the PCR Master Mix, pick the colony and mix it with five microliters of Master Mix, 0.1 microliters of universal primer, 0.1 microliter of sgRNA reverse primer and five microliters of water. Run the PCR using initial denaturation at 94 degrees Celsius for two minutes, followed by 35 cycles of denaturation at 94 degrees Celsius for 20 seconds, annealing for 30 seconds at 60 degrees Celsius, extension at 72 degrees Celsius for 30 seconds, and a final elongation step at 72 degrees Celsius for five minutes.After PCR, resolve the DNA using agarose gel electrophoresis in 0.5X TAE Buffer at 90 volts for 30 minutes. Submit positive samples for Sanger Sequencing using universal primer. Next, purify the plasmid from a positive clone using a plasmid purification kit following the manufacturer's instructions.Place the anesthetized mouse in the supine position and shave a small area on the flanks proximal to the hip joints for inguinal white adipose tissue or IWAT injections with a shaver. Add depilatory cream for five minutes. Remove residual cream with water to avoid skin burns.Disinfect the skin using three alternating rounds of applying the povidone iodine solution on the skin with clean gauze and 70%alcohol. Then, make a one to two centimeter incision with sterilized scissors in the proximal area of the joints and hold the skin open using forceps to expose the fat depot. The WAT can be attached to the skin on both sides extending it from the beginning from the back and towards the testes.Using forceps, gently pull the fat depot upward through the incision to ensure the injection is at the correct location and depth. Fill the microliter syringe with 2.5 microliters of the adeno-associated virus or a AAV containing the sgRNA targeting the endogenous PRDM16 gene. Carefully insert the needle at a 30-45 degree angle into the IWAT.Repeat the injection five times into different locations of the tissue to homogeneously infect the whole IWAT fat pad. Place the mouse on the heating pad until consciousness is regained. Monitor the animal every 10 to 15 minutes until it fully recovers.After the animal regains consciousness observe the locomotive profiling, which should be linear and have no signs of distress or pain. See the stromal vascular cells or SVF's derived from adipo SPH mouse IWAT into a 6-Well plate containing complete DMEM medium for one to two hours, aspirate the medium, wash the well twice using PBS, and replace it with fresh, complete medium. Incubate the cells at 37 degrees Celsius, 5%carbon dioxide and 95%humidity until the cells reach 70-80%confluency.At Day 0, induce differentiation by treating the cells with the induction medium and after two days replace the induction medium with the maintenance medium. Again after two days, at day four, replace the maintenance medium with a fresh maintenance medium for 2-3 days. Change the maintenance medium every 48 hours until the preadipocytes are fully differentiated into adipocytes.Observe the mature adipocytes using light microscopy as the differentiated cells appear to be loaded with lipid droplets. After growing the cells on a 6-Well culture plate with the complete medium until the cells reach 70-80%confluency, mix 5.6*10^10 viral genome per microliter of AAV-carrying sgRNA PRDM16 with two milliliters of complete medium and hexadimethrine bromide. Transduce the cells by replacing the complete medium and adding the complete medium containing AAV.Incubate the transduced cells for 12 hours at 37 degrees Celsius 95%humidity and 5%carbon dioxide. Split and see the cells as described for cell proliferation and differentiation into beige adipocytes. The immunofluorescence images from IWAT of adipo SPH mice demonstrated the expression of dCas9 in both the control and PRDM16 groups.SPH-induced PRDM16 expression clearly induced a widespread accumulation of multi ocular beige adipocytes into IWAT. Moreover, quantitative PCR revealed an increased expression of PRDM16 and the thermogenic gene program in the PRDM16 group compared to the control. Similarly, in vitro gene expression analysis confirmed the increased expression of the endogenous PRDM16 gene and thermogenic genes in the PRDM16 overexpression group compared to the control.The SPH-induced PRDM16 expression resulted in higher basal and maximal oxygen consumption than that in control cells. Importantly, the data indicated enhanced uncoupled respiration in the PRDM16 group compared with that in the control group. Adipo SPH model is suitable for investigating multiple genes and regulatory elements within adipocytes.This method opens up the possibility of a deeper understanding of beige fat biology.

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JoVE Journal

Bioengineering

Bacterial Detection &amp; Identification Using Electrochemical Sensors

Electrochemical sensors are widely used for rapid and accurate measurement of blood glucose and can be adapted for detection of a wide variety of analytes. Electrochemical sensors operate by transducing a biological recognition event into a useful electrical signal. Signal transduction occurs by coupling the activity of a redox enzyme to an amperometric electrode. Sensor specificity is either an inherent characteristic of the enzyme, glucose oxidase in the case of a glucose sensor, or a product of linkage between the enzyme and an antibody or probe.
Here, we describe an electrochemical sensor assay method to directly detect and identify bacteria. In every case, the probes described here are DNA oligonucleotides. This method is based on sandwich hybridization of capture and detector probes with target ribosomal RNA (rRNA). The capture probe is anchored to the sensor surface, while the detector probe is linked to horseradish peroxidase (HRP). When a substrate such as 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) is added to an electrode with capture-target-detector complexes bound to its surface, the substrate is oxidized by HRP and reduced by the working electrode. This redox cycle results in shuttling of electrons by the substrate from the electrode to HRP, producing current flow in the electrode.

Bacterial Detection & Identification Using Electrochemical Sensors

We describe an electrochemical sensor assay method for rapid bacterial detection and identification. The assay involves a sensor array functionalized with DNA oligonucleotide capture probes for ribosomal RNA (rRNA) species-specific sequences. Sandwich hybridization of target rRNA with the capture probe and a horseradish peroxidase-linked DNA oligonucleotide detector probe produces a measurable amperometric current.

Electrochemical  sensors are widely used for rapid and accurate measurement of blood glucose and  can be adapted for detection of a wide variety of ...

Anatomical Reconstructions of the Human Cardiac Venous System using Contrast-computed Tomography of Perfusion-fixed Specimens

A detailed understanding of the complexity and relative variability within the human cardiac venous system is crucial for the development of cardiac devices that require access to these vessels. For example, cardiac venous anatomy is known to be one of the key limitations for the proper delivery of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)1 Therefore, the development of a database of anatomical parameters for human cardiac venous systems can aid in the design of CRT delivery devices to overcome such a limitation. In this research project, the anatomical parameters were obtained from 3D reconstructions of the venous system using contrast-computed tomography (CT) imaging and modeling software (Materialise, Leuven, Belgium). The following parameters were assessed for each vein: arc length, tortuousity, branching angle, distance to the coronary sinus ostium, and vessel diameter.
	CRT is a potential treatment for patients with electromechanical dyssynchrony. Approximately 10-20% of heart failure patients may benefit from CRT2. Electromechanical dyssynchrony implies that parts of the myocardium activate and contract earlier or later than the normal conduction pathway of the heart. In CRT, dyssynchronous areas of the myocardium are treated with electrical stimulation. CRT pacing typically involves pacing leads that stimulate the right atrium (RA), right ventricle (RV), and left ventricle (LV) to produce more resynchronized rhythms. The LV lead is typically implanted within a cardiac vein, with the aim to overlay it within the site of latest myocardial activation. 
	We believe that the models obtained and the analyses thereof will promote the anatomical education for patients, students, clinicians, and medical device designers. The methodologies employed here can also be utilized to study other anatomical features of our human heart specimens, such as the coronary arteries. To further encourage the educational value of this research, we have shared the venous models on our free access website: <a href="http://www.vhlab.umn.edu/atlas" target="_blank">www.vhlab.umn.edu/atlas</a>.

The objective of this research is to recreate and then access the anatomy of the human cardiac venous system using 3D reconstructions generated from contrast-computed tomography scans.

A detailed  understanding of the complexity and relative variability within the human  cardiac venous system is crucial for the development of cardiac ...

Experimental Investigation of Secondary Flow Structures Downstream of a Model Type IV Stent Failure in a 180&#176; Curved Artery Test Section

The arterial network in the human vasculature comprises of ubiquitously present blood vessels with complex geometries (branches, curvatures and tortuosity). Secondary flow structures are vortical flow patterns that occur in curved arteries due to the combined action of centrifugal forces, adverse pressure gradients and inflow characteristics. Such flow morphologies are greatly affected by pulsatility and multiple harmonics of physiological inflow conditions and vary greatly in size-strength-shape characteristics compared to non-physiological (steady and oscillatory) flows 1 - 7.
Secondary flow structures may ultimately influence the wall shear stress and exposure time of blood-borne particles toward progression of atherosclerosis, restenosis, sensitization of platelets and thrombosis 4 - 6, 8 - 13. Therefore, the ability to detect and characterize these structures under laboratory-controlled conditions is precursor to further clinical investigations.
A common surgical treatment to atherosclerosis is stent implantation, to open up stenosed arteries for unobstructed blood flow. But the concomitant flow perturbations due to stent installations result in multi-scale secondary flow morphologies 4 - 6. Progressively higher order complexities such as asymmetry and loss in coherence can be induced by ensuing stent failures vis-&#224;-vis those under unperturbed flows 5. These stent failures have been classified as &#34;Types I-to-IV&#34; based on failure considerations and clinical severity 14.
This study presents a protocol for the experimental investigation of the complex secondary flow structures due to complete transverse stent fracture and linear displacement of fractured parts (&#34;Type IV&#34;) in a curved artery model. The experimental method involves the implementation of particle image velocimetry (2C-2D PIV) techniques with an archetypal carotid artery inflow waveform, a refractive index matched blood-analog working fluid for phase-averaged measurements 15 - 18. Quantitative identification of secondary flow structures was achieved using concepts of flow physics, critical point theory and a novel wavelet transform algorithm applied to experimental PIV data 5, 6, 19 - 26.

Stent implants in stenosed arterial curvatures are prone to "Type IV" failures involving the complete transverse fracture of stents and linear displacement of the fractured parts. We present a protocol for detection of secondary flow (vortical) structures in a curved artery model, downstream of clinically relevant "Type IV" stent failures.

The arterial network in the human vasculature comprises of ubiquitously present blood vessels with complex geometries (branches, curvatures and ...

Scaffold-supported Transplantation of Islets in the Epididymal Fat Pad of Diabetic Mice

Islet transplantation has been clinically proven to be effective at treating type 1 diabetes. However, the current intrahepatic transplantation strategy may incur acute whole blood reactions and result in poor islet engraftment. Here, we report a robust protocol for the transplantation of islets at the extrahepatic transplantation site-the epididymal fat pad (EFP)-in a diabetic mouse model. A protocol to isolate and purify islets at high yields from C57BL/6J mice is described, as well as a transplantation method performed by seeding islets onto a decellularized scaffold (DCS) and implanting them at the EFP site in syngeneic C57BL/6J mice rendered diabetic by streptozotocin. The DCS graft containing 500 islets reversed the hyperglycemic condition within 10 days, while the free islets without DCS required at least 30 days. The normoglycemia was maintained for up to 3 months until the graft was explanted. In conclusion, DCS enhanced the engraftment of islets into the extrahepatic site of the EFP, which could easily be retrieved and might provide a reproducible and useful platform for investigating the scaffold materials, as well as other transplantation parameters required for a successful islet engraftment.

This protocol demonstrates murine islet isolation and seeding onto a decellularized scaffold. Scaffold-supported islets were transplanted into the epididymal fat pad of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. Islets survived at the transplantation site and reversed the hyperglycemic condition.

Islet transplantation has been clinically proven to be effective at treating type 1 diabetes. However, the current intrahepatic transplantation strategy ...

Using Synthetic Biology to Engineer Living Cells That Interface with Programmable Materials

We have developed an abiotic-biotic interface that allows engineered cells to control the material properties of a functionalized surface. This system is made by creating two modules: a synthetically engineered strain of E. coli cells and a functionalized material interface. Within this paper, we detail a protocol for genetically engineering selected behaviors within a strain of E. coli using molecular cloning strategies. Once developed, this strain produces elevated levels of biotin when exposed to a chemical inducer. Additionally, we detail protocols for creating two different functionalized surfaces, each of which is able to respond to cell-synthesized biotin. Taken together, we present a methodology for creating a linked, abiotic-biotic system that allows engineered cells to control material composition and assembly on nonliving substrates.

This paper presents a series of protocols for developing engineered cells and functionalized surfaces that enable synthetically engineered E. coli to control and manipulate programmable material surfaces.

We have developed an abiotic-biotic interface that allows engineered cells to control the material properties of a functionalized surface. This system is ...

Efficient Generation and Editing of Feeder-free IPSCs from Human Pancreatic Cells Using the CRISPR-Cas9 System

Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells can self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types of the body. The pluripotent cells are thus coveted for research in regenerative medicine and are currently in clinical trials for eye diseases, diabetes, heart diseases, and other disorders. The potential to differentiate into specialized cell types coupled with the recent advances in genome editing technologies including the CRISPR/Cas system have provided additional opportunities for tailoring the genome of iPSC for varied applications including disease modeling, gene therapy, and biasing pathways of differentiation, to name a few. Among the available editing technologies, the CRISPR/Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes has emerged as a tool of choice for site-specific editing of the eukaryotic genome. The CRISPRs are easily accessible, inexpensive, and highly efficient in engineering targeted edits. The system requires a Cas9 nuclease and a guide sequence (20-mer) specific to the genomic target abutting a 3-nucleotide &#34;NGG&#34; protospacer-adjacent-motif (PAM) for targeting Cas9 to the desired genomic locus, alongside a universal Cas9 binding tracer RNA (together called single guide RNA or sgRNA). Here we present a step-by-step protocol for efficient generation of feeder-independent and footprint-free iPSC and describe methodologies for genome editing of iPSC using the Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes. The genome editing protocol is effective and can be easily multiplexed by pre-complexing sgRNAs for more than one target with the Cas9 protein and simultaneously delivering into the cells. Finally, we describe a simplified approach for identification and characterization of iPSCs with desired edits. Taken together, the outlined strategies are expected to streamline generation and editing of iPSC for manifold applications.

This protocol describes in detail the generation of footprint-free induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from human pancreatic cells in feeder-free conditions, followed by editing using CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoproteins and characterization of the modified single-cell clones.

Embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells can self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types of the body. The pluripotent cells are thus coveted ...

Intra-cardiac Side-Firing Light Catheter for Monitoring Cellular Metabolism using Transmural Absorbance Spectroscopy of Perfused Mammalian Hearts

Absorbance spectroscopy of cardiac muscle provides non-destructive assessment of cytosolic and mitochondrial oxygenation via myoglobin and cytochrome absorbance respectively. In addition, numerous aspects of the mitochondrial metabolic status such as membrane potential and substrate entry can also be estimated. To perform cardiac wall transmission optical spectroscopy, a commercially available side-firing optical fiber catheter is placed in the left ventricle of the isolated perfused heart as a light source. Light passing through the heart wall is collected with an external optical fiber to perform optical spectroscopy of the heart in near real- time. The transmission approach avoids numerous surface scattering interference occurring in widely used reflection approaches. Changes in transmural absorbance spectra were deconvolved using a library of chromophore reference spectra, providing quantitative measures of all the known cardiac chromophores simultaneously. This spectral deconvolution approach eliminated intrinsic errors that may result from using common dual wavelength methods applied to overlapping absorbance spectra, as well as provided a quantitative evaluation of the goodness of fit. A custom program was designed for data acquisition and analysis, which permitted the investigator to monitor the metabolic state of the preparation during the experiment. These relatively simple additions to the standard heart perfusion system provide a unique insight into the metabolic state of the heart wall in addition to conventional measures of contraction, perfusion, and substrate/oxygen extraction.

Here we introduce a method for using an intra-ventricle optical catheter in perfused hearts to perform absorbance spectroscopy across the heart wall. The data obtained provides robust information on tissue oxygen tension as well as substrate utilization and membrane potential simultaneously with cardiac performance measures in this ubiquitous preparation.

Absorbance spectroscopy of cardiac muscle provides non-destructive assessment of cytosolic and mitochondrial oxygenation via myoglobin and cytochrome ...

CRISPR/Cas12a Multiplex Genome Editing of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the Creation of Yeast Pixel Art

High efficiency, ease of use and versatility of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system has facilitated advanced genetic modification of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a model organism and workhorse in industrial biotechnology. CRISPR-associated protein 12a (Cas12a), an RNA-guided endonuclease with features distinguishable from Cas9 is applied in this work, further extending the molecular toolbox for genome editing purposes. A benefit of the CRISPR/Cas12a system is that it can be used in multiplex genome editing with multiple guide RNAs expressed from a single transcriptional unit (single CRISPR RNA (crRNA) array). We present a protocol for multiplex integration of multiple heterologous genes into independent loci of the S. cerevisiae genome using the CRISPR/Cas12a system with multiple crRNAs expressed from a single crRNA array construct. The proposed method exploits the ability of S. cerevisiae to perform in vivo recombination of DNA fragments to assemble the single crRNA array into a plasmid that can be used for transformant selection, as well as the assembly of donor DNA sequences that integrate into the genome at intended positions. Cas12a is pre-expressed constitutively, facilitating cleavage of the S.&#160;cerevisiae genome at the intended positions upon expression of the single crRNA array. The protocol includes the design and construction of a single crRNA array and donor DNA expression cassettes, and exploits an integration approach making use of unique 50-bp DNA connectors sequences and separate integration flank DNA sequences, which simplifies experimental design through standardization and modularization and extends the range of applications. Finally, we demonstrate a straightforward technique for creating yeast pixel art with an acoustic liquid handler using differently colored carotenoid producing yeast strains that were constructed.

CRISPR/Cas12a Multiplex Genome Editing of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the Creation of Yeast Pixel Art

The CRISPR/Cas12a system in combination with a single crRNA array enables efficient multiplex editing of the S.&#160;cerevisiae genome at multiple loci simultaneously. This is demonstrated by constructing carotenoid producing yeast strains which are subsequently used to create yeast pixel art.

High efficiency, ease of use and versatility of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) ...

Construction of CRISPR Plasmids and Detection of Knockout Efficiency in Mammalian Cells through a Dual Luciferase Reporter System

Although highly efficient, modification of a genomic site by the CRISPR enzyme requires the generation of a sgRNA unique to the target site(s) beforehand. This work describes the key steps leading to the construction of efficient sgRNA vectors using a strategy that allows the efficient detection of the positive colonies by PCR prior to DNA sequencing. Since efficient genome editing using the CRISPR system requires a highly efficient sgRNA, a preselection of candidate sgRNA targets is necessary to save time and effort. A dual luciferase reporter system has been developed to evaluate knockout efficiency by examining double-strand break repair via single strand annealing. Here, we use this reporter system to pick up the preferred xCas9/sgRNA target from candidate sgRNA vectors for specific gene editing. The protocol outlined will provide a preferred sgRNA/CRISPR enzyme vector in 10 days (starting with appropriately designed oligonucleotides).

Here, we present a protocol describing a streamlined method for the efficient generation of plasmids expressing both the CRISPR enzyme and associated single guide RNA (sgRNAs). Co-transfection of mammalian cells with this sgRNA/CRISPR vector and a dual luciferase reporter vector that examines double-strand break repair allows evaluation of knockout efficiency.

Although highly efficient, modification of a genomic site by the CRISPR enzyme requires the generation of a sgRNA unique to the target site(s) beforehand. ...

Measuring 3D In-vivo Shoulder Kinematics using Biplanar Videoradiography

The shoulder is one of the human body's most complex joint systems, with motion occurring through the coordinated actions of four individual joints, multiple ligaments, and approximately 20 muscles. Unfortunately, shoulder pathologies (e.g., rotator cuff tears, joint dislocations, arthritis) are common, resulting in substantial pain, disability, and decreased quality of life. The specific etiology for many of these pathologic conditions is not fully understood, but it is generally accepted that shoulder pathology is often associated with altered joint motion. Unfortunately, measuring shoulder motion with the necessary level of accuracy to investigate motion-based hypotheses is not trivial. However, radiographic-based motion measurement techniques have provided the advancement necessary to investigate motion-based hypotheses and provide a mechanistic understanding of shoulder function. Thus, the purpose of this article is to describe the approaches for measuring shoulder motion using a custom biplanar videoradiography system. The specific objectives of this article are to describe the protocols to acquire biplanar videoradiographic images of the shoulder complex, acquire CT scans, develop 3D bone models, locate anatomical landmarks, track the position and orientation of the humerus, scapula, and torso from the biplanar radiographic images, and calculate the kinematic outcome measures. In addition, the article will describe special considerations unique to the shoulder when measuring joint kinematics using this approach.

Biplane videoradiography can quantify shoulder kinematics with a high degree of accuracy. The protocol described herein was specifically designed to track the scapula, humerus, and the ribs during planar humeral elevation, and outlines the procedures for data collection, processing, and analysis. Unique considerations for data collection are also described.

The shoulder is one of the human body's most complex joint systems, with motion occurring through the coordinated actions of four individual joints, ...