Cellular Inflammation-Induced Cleavage of Phosphorothioate DNA Locker Activates CRISPR/Cas9 Regulator for Gene Editing.

Abstract

The CRISPR technology is a highly promising strategy for developing a versatile toolbox to engineer genetic circuits. However, achieving precise and specific control over the activity of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in response to intracellular processes remains a challenging endeavor. In this study, we present a cellular inflammation-induced activation of an engineered CRISPR/Cas9 regulator for gene regulation. A phosphorothioate (PS)-modified DNA sequence, referred as the "locker," is employed to deactivate single guide RNA (sgRNA), whose locker sequence complements the spacer region of sgRNA. In the presence of myeloperoxidase during cellular inflammation, a halogenation process is triggered, leading to the generation of HClO, specifically cleaving the PS site of locker and activating CRISPR/Cas9 for gene editing. The target GFP gene has been successfully edited, downregulating the GFP protein expression in HeLa cells. This study provides valuable insights into the CRISPR-based gene regulation through specific endogenous processes.