Harnessing type I CRISPR-Cas systems for genome engineering in human cells

Nat Biotechnol. 2019 Dec;37(12):1471-1477. doi: 10.1038/s41587-019-0310-0. Epub 2019 Nov 18.

Abstract

Type I CRISPR-Cas systems are the most abundant adaptive immune systems in bacteria and archaea1,2. Target interference relies on a multi-subunit, RNA-guided complex called Cascade3,4, which recruits a trans-acting helicase-nuclease, Cas3, for target degradation5-7. Type I systems have rarely been used for eukaryotic genome engineering applications owing to the relative difficulty of heterologous expression of the multicomponent Cascade complex. Here, we fuse Cascade to the dimerization-dependent, non-specific FokI nuclease domain8-11 and achieve RNA-guided gene editing in multiple human cell lines with high specificity and efficiencies of up to ~50%. FokI-Cascade can be reconstituted via an optimized two-component expression system encoding the CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins on a single polycistronic vector and the guide RNA (gRNA) on a separate plasmid. Expression of the full Cascade-Cas3 complex in human cells resulted in targeted deletions of up to ~200 kb in length. Our work demonstrates that highly abundant, previously untapped type I CRISPR-Cas systems can be harnessed for genome engineering applications in eukaryotic cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • CRISPR-Cas Systems / genetics*
  • Escherichia coli
  • Gene Editing / methods*
  • Genome / genetics
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Models, Genetic