Structure-based design of gRNA for Cas13

Sci Rep. 2020 Jul 14;10(1):11610. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-68459-4.

Abstract

Cas13 endonuclease activity depends on the RNA local secondary structure with strong preference for single-stranded (SS) regions. Hence, it becomes indispensable to identify the SS regions for effective Cas13 mediated RNA knockdown. We herein present rational gRNA design by integrating experimental structure-seq data and predicted structural models. Utilizing structure-seq data for XIST transcript, we observed that gRNAs targeting the SS regions significantly induce transcript knockdown and cleavage than those targeting double-stranded (DS) regions. Further, we identified the "central seed region" in the gRNA that upon targeting the SS regions efficiently facilitates Cas13 mediated cleavage. In our following pursuits, we considered the scenario wherein experimental structure-seq data is not available, hence we used SS18-SSX2 fusion transcript indicated in synovial sarcomas and computationally predicted its structure. We observed that gRNAs targeting the SS regions predicted from the structure, efficiently induced necrosis compared to gRNAs that target the DS regions. In conclusion, for the effective RNA knockdown, the Cas13 mediated targeting strategy presented herein emphasizes the designing of gRNAs specifically targeting SS regions by utilizing structural information. Further, this strategy, in turn, can be anticipated to narrow the search space for gRNA design (by exclusively targeting SS regions) especially when lncRNAs are the targets.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • CRISPR-Cas Systems / genetics
  • Endonucleases / genetics*
  • Endonucleases / ultrastructure
  • Humans
  • Neoplasm Proteins / chemistry
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / chemistry
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • RNA / genetics
  • RNA / ultrastructure
  • RNA, Double-Stranded / genetics
  • RNA, Double-Stranded / ultrastructure
  • RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems
  • Repressor Proteins / chemistry
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • RNA, Double-Stranded
  • Repressor Proteins
  • SS18 protein, human
  • synovial sarcoma X breakpoint proteins
  • RNA
  • Endonucleases