Electroporation-mediated Delivery of Cas9 Ribonucleoproteins and mRNA into Freshly Isolated Primary Mouse Hepatocytes

J Vis Exp. 2022 Jun 2:(184). doi: 10.3791/63828.

Abstract

This protocol describes a fast and effective method for isolating primary mouse hepatocytes followed by electroporation-mediated delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 as ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) and mRNA. Primary mouse hepatocytes were isolated using a three-step retrograde perfusion method resulting in high yields of up to 50 × 106 cells per liver and cell viability of >85%. This protocol provides detailed instructions for plating, staining, and culturing hepatocytes. The results indicate that electroporation provides a high transfection efficiency of 89%, as measured by the percentage of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive cells and modest cell viability of >35% in mouse hepatocytes. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, CRISPR-Cas9 targeting the hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase gene was electroporated into primary mouse hepatocytes as proof-of-principle gene editing to disrupt a therapeutic gene related to an inherited metabolic disease (IMD) of the liver. A higher on-target edit of 78% was observed for RNPs compared to 47% editing efficiency with mRNA. The functionality of hepatocytes was evaluated in vitro using an albumin assay that indicated that delivering CRISPR-Cas9 as RNPs and mRNA results in comparable cell viability in primary mouse hepatocytes. A promising application for this protocol is the generation of mouse models for human genetic diseases affecting the liver.

Publication types

  • Video-Audio Media
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CRISPR-Cas Systems*
  • Electroporation / methods
  • Hepatocytes / metabolism
  • Mice
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Ribonucleoproteins* / genetics
  • Ribonucleoproteins* / metabolism

Substances

  • RNA, Messenger
  • Ribonucleoproteins