Large genomic fragment deletions and insertions in mouse using CRISPR/Cas9

PLoS One. 2015 Mar 24;10(3):e0120396. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120396. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

ZFN, TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 system have been used to generate point mutations and large fragment deletions and insertions in genomic modifications. CRISPR/Cas9 system is the most flexible and fast developing technology that has been extensively used to make mutations in all kinds of organisms. However, the most mutations reported up to date are small insertions and deletions. In this report, CRISPR/Cas9 system was used to make large DNA fragment deletions and insertions, including entire Dip2a gene deletion, about 65kb in size, and β-galactosidase (lacZ) reporter gene insertion of larger than 5kb in mouse. About 11.8% (11/93) are positive for 65kb deletion from transfected and diluted ES clones. High targeting efficiencies in ES cells were also achieved with G418 selection, 46.2% (12/26) and 73.1% (19/26) for left and right arms respectively. Targeted large fragment deletion efficiency is about 21.4% of live pups or 6.0% of injected embryos. Targeted insertion of lacZ reporter with NEO cassette showed 27.1% (13/48) of targeting rate by ES cell transfection and 11.1% (2/18) by direct zygote injection. The procedures have bypassed in vitro transcription by directly co-injection of zygotes or co-transfection of embryonic stem cells with circular plasmid DNA. The methods are technically easy, time saving, and cost effective in generating mouse models and will certainly facilitate gene function studies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • CRISPR-Cas Systems / genetics*
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Deletion*
  • Gene Knock-In Techniques
  • Genes, Reporter / genetics
  • Genome / genetics*
  • Homologous Recombination / genetics
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional / methods*
  • Plasmids / genetics
  • Zygote / metabolism

Grants and funding

This work was supported, in whole or in part, by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31301189 and 81270953) http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/Portal0/default152.htm; and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (12QNJJ015 and 10JCXK001); and the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20130043120010); and the Science-Technology Foundation for Young Scientist of Jilin Province (20130522003JH).The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.