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Features affecting Cas9-induced editing efficiency and patterns in tomato: evidence from a large CRISPR dataset.

CRISPR/Cas9 is a cornerstone of plant genome editing, yet the determinants of editing efficiency for a given single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) and DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair outcomes remain poorly understood, particularly in plants. Here, we generated a large experimental dataset comprising 420 sgRNAs targeting promoters, exons, and introns of 137 genes in tomato protoplasts, and quantified editing efficiency and repair footprints together with chromatin accessibility and transcriptional state in the same cellular context. Editing efficiency was consistently higher at targets in accessible chromatin and modestly higher in promoters and introns than in exons, whereas transcriptional activity had no detectable effect. Editing efficiencies were more similar among sgRNAs targeting the same gene than among different genes, revealing a local genomic influence on Cas9 activity. A distinct subset of sgRNAs achieved near-complete editing and produced characteristic repair footprints dominated by long deletions with extended microhomology tracts, indicative of microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ), resembling patterns associated with high-efficiency guides in human cells, and suggesting conserved sequence-driven repair biases across species. In contrast, widely used human-trained prediction models failed to accurately rank sgRNA performance in plants, highlighting the limits of cross-species predictability. Together, this dataset provides a resource for improving guide design and mechanistic understanding of plant DNA repair.

Solanum lycopersicum

Suppression of HIV-1 replication in CEM-A cell cultures by trans-splicing group I introns targeting PAS/PBS sequences and conditionally expressing ΔN-Bax.

Anti-HIV group I introns containing antisense guide sequences directed against the HIV-1 primer activation signal and primer-binding site (PAS/PBS) were designed and evaluated. Because PAS/PBS sequences are present in the viral RNA species examined, these RNAs can serve as trans-splicing substrates. The introns were active against both artificial target RNAs and viral RNA generated during infection. Cleavage and degradation of targeted viral RNA may have contributed to suppression, whereas inclusion of a 3' exon encoding the proapoptotic protein ΔN-Bax was associated with increased programmed cell death and may have augmented suppression of viral replication. In cultured CEM-A cells, transgene expression of these introns markedly suppressed HIV-1 replication, with p24 levels falling below the assay detection limit in selected clones. RESULTS: RT-PCR and sequence analysis detected splice products containing the expected PAS/PBS junctions. In the dual-luciferase assay, intron expression reduced normalized Gaussia luciferase signal by approximately 70% relative to the negative control. Qualitative Annexin V imaging and caspase-3 assays were consistent with infection-dependent apoptosis after ΔN-Bax splice-product formation. Transient expression of each intron in HEK293T cells followed by infection with VSV-G-pseudotyped HIV-1NL4-3 at an MOI of 2 reduced p24 levels by approximately 50% at 4 days post-infection. Construct 128L produced the strongest RT-PCR band under the tested conditions and was selected for subsequent experiments. A canonical splice product and a low-abundance noncanonical splice product were detected; both involved the intended HIV-derived target RNA, although transcriptome-wide off-target splicing was not assessed. Heterogeneous transformed HEK293T populations showed an approximately 2-log10 reduction in p24. In selected clonal HEK293T and CEM-A lines, p24 was below the assay detection limit at the measured endpoints, including up to 90 days after infection in some CEM-A clones. CONCLUSIONS: PAS/PBS-targeting group I introns suppressed HIV-1-associated p24 production in the tested cell-culture models. Linking the introns to a ΔN-Bax 3' exon was associated with infection-dependent apoptosis and may further limit viral replication and spread. The use of highly conserved, functionally constrained target sequences may reduce the likelihood of escape, but viral evolution and transcriptome-wide off-target effects were not assessed. This conditional death-upon-infection strategy warrants further evaluation in primary-cell and in vivo models.

Humans

CRISPR/Cas- and Argonaute-Based In Vivo Nucleic-Acid Imaging Technologies: Strategies, Challenges, and Perspectives.

Live-cell monitoring of sequence-specific nucleic acids is essential to understanding genome organization, RNA regulation, and disease progression. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) and Argonaute (Ago) systems provide programmable, guide-directed recognition of DNA or RNA and are increasingly used as platforms for in vivo bioimaging. This review summarizes the structural and mechanistic features of representative CRISPR and Ago effectors and discusses design strategies for sensitive, specific, and multiplexed imaging of genomic loci, extrachromosomal DNA, and endogenous RNA in living cells. We compare the analytical performance and limitations of CRISPR- and Ago-based imaging, with particular emphasis on the major technical and biological challenges affecting their accuracy, applicability, and reliability. Finally, this review offers insights into developing high-resolution and user-friendly bioimaging platforms for fundamental biology and future translational applications.

CRISPR

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Site-Directed Mutagenesis of Genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Constructing target-gene mutants with a common genetic background is crucial for elucidating gene function in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research. Taking advantage of the single-guide RNA (sgRNA) and protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequence (3'-NGG) specificity of the Cas9 protein in the CRISPR/Cas9 (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9) system and codon degeneracy, the authors design a repair template that incorporates the desired point mutation while excluding the PAM sequence disrupted by a synonymous substitution, thereby preventing re-cleavage by CRISPR/Cas9. This method employs two available plasmids, pCasKP-apr and pSGKP-spe, offering straightforward operation and high screening specificity. As a result, the approach enables efficient generation of genetically defined mutant strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) and is readily adaptable to routine laboratory settings. Furthermore, the protocol minimizes off-target editing, shortens experimental timelines, reduces screening workload, and provides a reliable platform for investigating resistance mechanisms, validating candidate genes, and supporting functional genomics studies in clinically relevant bacterial pathogens.

Klebsiella pneumoniae

Creating bottom-up RNA transfer vehicles from synthetic protein assemblies.

Evolution guides biological systems to populate ecological niches, with viruses among the most successful examples of this principle. Viruses evolved over billions of years to efficiently transfer genetic information. Although viruses are highly diverse, most have converged towards remarkable similarity in the size and shape of their capsids1,2. By contrast, generative models for protein design enable the creation of protein architectures that are absent from nature3-5. Here we investigate whether protein assemblies designed by artificial intelligence can be functionalized to construct nucleic acid transport vehicles that are independent of evolutionary trajectories. By combining natural protein domains with synthetic protein assemblies, we create more than 100 bottom-up RNA transfer vehicles with unique sizes and shapes. These vehicles surpass the RNA transfer efficiency of widely used delivery vehicles by several orders of magnitude. In addition, we demonstrate that their tropism can be programmed by incorporation of computationally designed peptide binders and use them to deliver therapeutically relevant cargo RNAs into a wide range of cellular models. We show the in vivo biodistribution of one of these vehicles in a mouse at near-single-cell resolution, confirm its safety, and use it to perform a gene-editing treatment strategy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in patient-derived cells and a pig. Our work demonstrates how proteins created by generative artificial intelligence can be harnessed for the rational engineering of RNA transport systems with the desired properties by overcoming the limitations of natural protein diversity.

Journal Article

Site-directed mutagenesis of ricin A-chain and implications for the mechanism of action.

Ricin A-chain is an N-glycosidase that attacks ribosomal RNA at a highly conserved adenine residue. The enzyme is representative of a large family of medically significant proteins used in the design of anticancer agents and in the treatment of HIV infection. The x-ray structure has been used as a guide to create several active site mutations by directed mutagenesis of the cloned gene. Glu177 is a key catalytic residue, and conversion to Gln reduces activity 180-fold. Asn209 is shown to participate in substrate binding by kinetic analysis. Conversion to Ser increases Km sixfold but has no effect on kcat. Conversion of Tyr80 and Tyr123 to Phe decreases activity by 15- and 7-fold respectively. A mechanism of action is proposed that involves binding of the substrate adenine in a syn configuration that resembles the transition state; the putative oxycarbonium ion is probably stabilized by interaction with Glu177.

Base Sequence

Human DNA polymerase alpha: predicted functional domains and relationships with viral DNA polymerases.

The primary sequence of human DNA polymerase alpha deduced from the full-length cDNA contains regions of striking similarity to sequences in replicative DNA polymerases from Escherichia coli phages PRD1 and T4, Bacillus phage phi 19, yeast DNA polymerase I, yeast linear plasmid pGKL1, maize S1 mitochondrial DNA, herpes family viruses, vaccinia virus, and adenovirus. The conservation of these homologous regions across this vast phylogenetic expanse indicates that these prokaryotic and eukaryotic DNA polymerases may all have evolved from a common primordial gene. Based on the sequence analysis and genetic results from yeast and herpes simplex virus studies, these consensus sequences are suggested to define potential sites that subserve essential roles in the DNA polymerase reaction. Two of these conserved regions appear to participate directly in the active site required for substrate deoxynucleotide interaction. One region toward the carboxyl-terminus has the potential to be the DNA interacting domain, whereas a potential DNA primase interaction domain is predicted toward the amino-terminus. The provisional assignment of these domains can be used to identify unique or dissimilar features of functionally homologous catalytic sites in viral DNA polymerases of pathogenetic significance and thereby serve to guide more rational antiviral drug design.

Amino Acid Sequence

Towards efficient perturbation for the noncoding genome.

Deciphering the functionality of the noncoding genome, which includes important cis-regulatory elements (CREs) and transcribed noncoding RNA genes, remains technically challenging. Here, using massively parallel genetic screening, we systematically benchmark the performance of five representative loss-of-function perturbation tools, including single-guide RNA (gRNA) mediated SpCas9 cleavage or CRISPR interference, and paired gRNA (pgRNA) involved dual-SpCas9, Big Papi (paired SpCas9 and SaCas9) or dual-enAsCas12a fragment deletion methods, in decoding the roles of the noncoding genome. For targeting CREs such as enhancers, dual-SpCas9 outperforms other methods with superior efficiency in destroying functional genomic regions. For perturbing noncoding RNA genes, in addition to dual-SpCas9, other RNA-targeting methods such as RNA interference are recommended to discriminate transcript-dependent or -independent roles. A deep learning model, DeepDC, with an associated web server, is built to facilitate optimal dual-SpCas9 pgRNA design for efficiently deleting a genomic fragment. Together, our work provides practical guidance on selecting appropriate loss-of-function tools to resolve the functional complexity of the noncoding genome.

CRISPR-Cas Systems

Minimizing Off-Target Effects of CRISPR-Cas9 With Optimized sgRNA: Evaluation of Efficiency and Specificity in the Tumor Protein 53 (TP53) Region.

CRISPR-Cas9 is a widely used genetic tool with therapeutic potential in molecular biology. CRISPR-Cas9 enables precise genome editing by its ability to target specific DNA sequence. After off-target and on-target regions are identified, CRISPR-Cas9 is applied to these regions based on the match between the guide RNA (gRNA) and target DNA sequence. This study points to the off-target impact of mismatches between the gRNA and target DNA on exon regions of the TP53 gene, which are involved in regulating multiple genes and cellular functions. Off-target positions are typically evaluated using scoring methods. In this study, we have used latent class analysis to reveal subclasses of off-target positions. Thus, we have created the levels of off-target positions and evaluated the effects of mismatching positions within these classes using machine learning classifiers. The results revealed that mismatching positions could be categorized into three levels: low, middle, and high off-target positions. We have improved a computational framework to minimize off-target effects and to identify the PAM sequences in the gRNA design. Thus, carefully designed gRNAs will ensure that desired genetic edits are performed and target variants are achieved. This work will avail the future research aimed at optimizing genome editing by customizing CRISPR-Cas9 to target specific protospacer DNA through gRNA.

CRISPR-Cas Systems

Design of highly functional genome editors by modelling CRISPR-Cas sequences.

Gene editing has the potential to solve fundamental challenges in agriculture, biotechnology and human health. CRISPR-based gene editors derived from microorganisms, although powerful, often show notable functional tradeoffs when ported into non-native environments, such as human cells1. Artificial-intelligence-enabled design provides a powerful alternative with the potential to bypass evolutionary constraints and generate editors with optimal properties. Here, using large language models2 trained on biological diversity at scale, we demonstrate successful precision editing of the human genome with a programmable gene editor designed with artificial intelligence. To achieve this goal, we curated a dataset of more than 1 million CRISPR operons through systematic mining of 26 terabases of assembled genomes and metagenomes. We demonstrate the capacity of our models by generating 4.8× the number of protein clusters across CRISPR-Cas families found in nature and tailoring single-guide RNA sequences for Cas9-like effector proteins. Several of the generated gene editors show comparable or improved activity and specificity relative to SpCas9, the prototypical gene editing effector, while being 400 mutations away in sequence. Finally, we demonstrate that an artificial-intelligence-generated gene editor, denoted as OpenCRISPR-1, exhibits compatibility with base editing. We release OpenCRISPR-1 to facilitate broad, ethical use across research and commercial applications.

CRISPR-Cas Systems

In planta genome editing in citrus facilitated by co-expression of CRISPR/Cas and developmental regulators.

Recent advances in the field of genome editing offer a promising avenue for targeted trait improvements in fruit trees. However, the predominant method taken for genome editing in citrus (and other fruit trees) involves the time-consuming tissue culture approach, thereby prolonging the overall citrus breeding process and subjecting it to the drawbacks associated with somaclonal variation. In this study, we introduce an in planta approach for genome editing in soil-grown citrus plants via direct transformation of young seedlings. Our editing system, abbreviated here as IPGEC (in planta genome editing in citrus), is designed to transiently co-express three key gene groups in citrus tissue via Agrobacterium tumefaciens: (i) a genome-editing catalytic group, (ii) a shoot induction and regeneration group, and (iii) a T-DNA enhanced delivery group. This integrated system significantly improves de novo shoot induction and regeneration efficiency of edited tissue. By incorporating single-guides RNA's (sgRNA's) targeting the carotenoid biosynthetic gene PHYTOENE DESATURASE (CsPDS), the IPGEC system effectively produced mutated albino shoots, confirming its ability to generate homozygous/biallelic genome-edited plants. By using high throughput screening, we provide evidence that transgene-free genome-edited plants could be obtained following the IPGEC approach. Our findings further suggest that the efficiency of specific developmental regulators in inducing transformation and regeneration rates may be cultivar-specific and therefore needs to be optimized per cultivar. Finally, targeted breeding for specific trait improvements in already successful cultivars is likely to revolutionize fruit tree breeding and will pave the way for accelerating the development of high-quality citrus cultivars.

Citrus

Simulation of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing for the Vitellogenin gene in Apis mellifera.

CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing provides a powerful framework for interrogating gene function in Apis mellifera. Yet, empirical application remains challenging due to biological constraints, including haplodiploid genetics, narrow embryonic injection window, and the social rearing requirements that complicate functional validation. These constraints necessitate in silico pre-screening to maximize editing success before resource-intensive wet-lab implementation. Within the omnigenic framework, which distinguishes core regulatory genes from peripheral loci buffered by network effects, vitellogenin (Vg) represents an optimal target which is ancestrally dedicated to yolk provisioning; it has been co-opted to orchestrate diverse non-reproductive functions including longevity, stress resistance, immunity, and social behavior. We developed a computational pipeline to design a list of 57 and 56 candidate guide RNAs (gRNA) for targeted Vg knockout, evaluating candidate sites in both functional exons 2 and 3 based on structural accessibility and frameshift efficiency. Comparative analysis revealed complementary strengths in two top-best candidates from initial target pool of predicted gRNAs. The gRNA targeting exon 2 exhibits weaker secondary structure (ΔG = -0.25 kcal/mol versus -2.10 kcal/mol for exon 3), aligning with empirical evidence that sites with ΔG > -1.0 kcal/mol achieve 2-5 × higher Cas9 binding efficiency. This site yielded moderate frameshift frequency (77.8%; 61.9 percentile). Conversely, the predicted editing outcome for the gRNA targeting exon 3, despite stronger structural constraints, demonstrated superior functional disruption metrics demonstrating very high frameshift frequency (88.3%; 95.2 percentile), high in silico editing precision, minimal microhomology-mediated repair bias, and reproducible outcomes wherein nearly all predicted indels disrupt the coding sequence. Protein structure and domain analyses further predict that frameshift edits will generate a truncated protein missing all downstream functional domains. We recommend parallel empirical validation of both exon 2 and exon 3 targets to resolve the trade-off between structural accessibility (favoring higher editing rates) and frameshift efficacy (favoring complete loss-of-function). This dual-target strategy accommodates uncertainty in in vivo performance while maximizing the probability of generating informative phenotypes. Our in silico framework enables rational CRISPR design in non-model organisms by computationally balancing biophysical accessibility with functional impact, accelerating functional genomics in species where empirical optimization faces substantial biological constraints.

Animals

External guide sequences for an RNA enzyme.

Ribonuclease P (RNase P) from Escherichia coli or its catalytic RNA subunit can efficiently cleave small RNA substrates that lack the conserved features of natural substrates of RNase P if an additional small RNA is also present. This additional RNA must contain a sequence complementary to the substrate [external guide sequence (EGS)] and a 3'-proximal CCA sequence to ensure cleavage. The aminoacyl acceptor stem and some additional 5'- and 3'-terminal sequences of a precursor transfer RNA are sufficient to allow efficient cleavage by RNAase P, and the 2'-hydroxyl group at the cleavage site is not absolutely necessary for cleavage. In principle, any RNA could be targeted by a custom-designed EGS RNA for specific cleavage by RNase P in vitro or in vivo.

Base Sequence

SpacerScope: binary-vectorized, genome-wide off-target profiling for RNA-guided nucleases without prior candidate-site bias.

The precision of CRISPR/Cas systems is fundamental to their application in plant and animal biotechnology. However, comprehensive sequence-based off-target candidate discovery remains a computational bottleneck, particularly in large and complex genomes. Here we developed SpacerScope, an off-target candidate discovery framework that enables unbiased, genome-wide discovery by leveraging binary vectorization, bitwise filtering, and right-end-anchored alignment. Benchmarking against human CIRCLE-seq data demonstrated that SpacerScope recovered 100% of validated off-target sites (6142/6142), matching the sensitivity of exhaustive algorithms. Crucially, SpacerScope achieved this maximum candidate recovery while substantially reducing computational overhead. In large-genome evaluations, SpacerScope maintained low peak memory usage of 2.20 GiB and achieved substantial runtime improvements over indel-aware comparator tools, including more than 50-fold speedup relative to Cas-OFFinder 3 (544 s versus 29 185 s). Furthermore, comparative analyses in polyploid species, such as the octoploid strawberry, revealed that SpacerScope identified larger sequence-compatible candidate burdens than standard web-based design platforms. Our results establish SpacerScope as a high-speed framework for sequence-based genome-wide off-target candidate discovery across diverse and highly repetitive genomic landscapes. The source code and program was publicly available at https://github.com/charlesqu666/SpacerScope. Short Abstract CRISPR/Cas sequence-based off-target candidate discovery remains computationally challenging in large, repetitive, and polyploid genomes. Existing tools either miss indel-containing candidate sites or incur prohibitive runtime and memory costs. We developed SpacerScope, a binary-vectorized framework that enables unbiased, genome-wide off-target candidate discovery without pre-selected candidate sites. By integrating bitwise filtering with right-end-anchored alignment, SpacerScope recovered 100% of validated off-target sites in human CIRCLE-seq data while using only 2.20 GiB of memory and achieving more than 10-fold speedup over indel-aware alternatives. Evaluation in plant genomes, including rice and octoploid strawberry, further demonstrated SpacerScope's capacity to identify larger sequence-compatible candidate burdens overlooked by standard tools. SpacerScope thus provides a high-speed framework for sequence-based genome-wide off-target candidate discovery across diverse and highly repetitive genomic landscapes, supporting downstream prioritization.

CRISPR-Cas Systems

Targeted cleavage of mRNA by human RNase P.

Ribonuclease P from Escherichia coli can cleave RNAs in simple, hydrogen-bonded complexes of two oligoribonucleotides that resemble the aminoacyl stem and 5' leader sequence of tRNA precursors. RNase P from human (HeLa) cells cannot catalyze the cleavage in vitro of the 5'-proximal oligoribonucleotide that contains the leader sequence in such simple complexes but can do so when the 3'-proximal oligoribonucleotide (external guide sequence) is altered to resemble three-quarters of a tRNA molecule. In such a complex, the efficiency of cleavage of the mRNA for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, as the 5'-proximal oligoribonucleotide, depends on the structural details of the external guide sequence and on the choice of target site within the mRNA. The presence of the appropriately designed external guide sequence in cells in tissue culture reduces chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity and the level of the corresponding intact mRNA in the cells. Thus, it appears that the use of such external guide sequences may provide a general technique for gene inactivation.

Base Sequence

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene-Knockout and In Situ Complementation System for Phytophthora sojae.

The establishment of reliable and efficient systems for genome editing in Phytophthora is very important for studying gene functions. Here, step-by-step methods for CRISPR/Cas9-based gene knockout and in situ complementation for Phytophthora sojae are presented. These steps include the sgRNA design, Cas9-sgRNA plasmid construction, homologous replacement, complementation vector construction, P. sojae transformation, and detection of mutations for both gene knockout and in situ complementation. These methods may also potentially be adapted for other Phytophthora species.

Phytophthora

Multiomic study of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma reveals single-cell clonal evolution in progression and therapy resistance.

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) remains a challenging disease due to its significant heterogeneity, therapy resistance, and relentless progression. Multiomics technologies offer the potential to provide uniquely precise views of disease progression and response to therapy. Here, we present a comprehensive multiomics view of CTCL clonal evolution, incorporating exome, whole-genome, epigenome, bulk, single-cell T-cell receptor, and single-cell RNA sequencing of 99 clinically annotated serial skin, peripheral blood, and lymph node samples from 34 patients with CTCL. We leveraged this extensive data set to define the molecular underpinnings of CTCL progression in individual patients at single-cell resolution with the goal of identifying clinically useful biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Our studies identified recurrent progression-associated clonal genomic alterations; we highlight mutation of CCR4, phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor signaling, and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) checkpoint pathways as evasion tactics deployed by malignant T cells. We identified a gain-of-function mutation in STAT3 (D661Y) and demonstrated, using cleavage under targets and release using nuclease (CUT&RUN) and RNA sequencing, that it enhances binding to and transcription of genes in Rho GTPase pathways. With our previous work implicating this pathway in histone deacetylase inhibitor-resistant CTCL, these data provide further support for a previously unrecognized role for Rho GTPase pathway dysregulation in CTCL progression. Recurrent progression-associated mutations were common in the epigenetic modifier EZH2, suggesting that EZH2 inhibition may benefit patients with CTCL. Our findings support an approach in which genomic analysis is widely used for improved disease monitoring, biomarker-informed clinical trial design, and genome-guided therapeutic decision-making. Moreover, these molecular changes present new opportunities for therapeutic targeting in this challenging and incurable cancer.

Multiomics

RAPID-DASH: Fast and Efficient Assembly of Guide RNA Arrays for Multiplexed CRISPR-Cas9 Applications.

Guide RNA (gRNA) arrays can enable targeting multiple genomic loci simultaneously using CRISPR-Cas9. In this study, we present a streamlined and efficient method to rapidly construct gRNA arrays with up to 10 gRNA units in a single day. We demonstrate that gRNA arrays maintain robust functional activity across all positions, and can incorporate libraries of gRNAs, combining scalability and multiplexing. Our approach will streamline combinatorial perturbation research by enabling the economical and rapid construction, testing, and iteration of gRNA arrays. To facilitate the adaptation of this approach, we have made a web tool to design oligo sequences necessary to assemble gRNA arrays.

CRISPR-Cas9