A CRISPR/Cas9 method to generate heterozygous alleles in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 2019

Steven F EauClaire, and Christopher J Webb
Experimental Station E353/107C, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, Wilmington, Delaware.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a genetically facile organism, yet multiple CRISPR/Cas9 techniques are widely used to edit its genome more efficiently and cost effectively than conventional methods. The absence of selective markers makes CRISPR/Cas9 editing particularly useful when making mutations within genes or regulatory sequences. Heterozygous mutations within genes frequently arise in the winners of evolution experiments. The genetic dissection of heterozygous alleles can be important to understanding gene structure and function. Unfortunately, the high efficiency of genome cutting and repair makes the introduction of heterozygous alleles by standard CRISPR/Cas9 technique impossible. To be able to quickly and reliably determine the individual phenotypes of the thousands of heterozygous mutations that can occur during directed evolutions is of particular interest to industrial strain improvement research. In this report, we describe a CRISPR/Cas9 method that introduces specific heterozygous mutations into the S. cerevisiae genome. This method relies upon creating silent point mutations in the protospacer adjacent motif site or removing the protospacer adjacent motif site entirely to stop the multiple rounds of genome editing that prevent heterozygous alleles from being generated. This technique should be able to create heterozygous alleles in other diploid yeasts and different allelic copy numbers in polyploid cells.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009154 Mutation Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations. Mutations
D010641 Phenotype The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment. Phenotypes
D006579 Heterozygote An individual having different alleles at one or more loci regarding a specific character. Carriers, Genetic,Genetic Carriers,Carrier, Genetic,Genetic Carrier,Heterozygotes
D000072669 Gene Editing Genetic engineering or molecular biology techniques that involve DNA REPAIR mechanisms for incorporating site-specific modifications into a cell's genome. Base Editing,Genome Editing,Editing, Base,Editing, Gene,Editing, Genome
D000076987 CRISPR-Associated Protein 9 An RNA-guided endodeoxyribonuclease that associates with CRISPR SEQUENCES in STREPTOCOCCUS PYOGENES and other bacteria where it participates in an adaptive immune function to cleave foreign DNA complimentary to small GUIDE RNA (sgRNAs). Structurally, Cas9 consists of an ALPHA-HELIX module and a nuclease module connected by a single helix. The nuclease module contains two enzymatic domains: RuvC, which cleaves non-target DNA strand, and an HNH nuclease domain, which cleaves the target strand. Specificity for the DNA target depends on the presence of a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequence, a 2-6 nucleotide DNA sequence immediately following the sequence targeted by Cas9. Cas9 Endonuclease,Cas9 Enzyme,Cas9 Protein,CRISPR Associated Protein 9,Endonuclease, Cas9,Enzyme, Cas9
D000483 Alleles Variant forms of the same gene, occupying the same locus on homologous CHROMOSOMES, and governing the variants in production of the same gene product. Allelomorphs,Allele,Allelomorph
D012441 Saccharomyces cerevisiae A species of the genus SACCHAROMYCES, family Saccharomycetaceae, order Saccharomycetales, known as "baker's" or "brewer's" yeast. The dried form is used as a dietary supplement. Baker's Yeast,Brewer's Yeast,Candida robusta,S. cerevisiae,Saccharomyces capensis,Saccharomyces italicus,Saccharomyces oviformis,Saccharomyces uvarum var. melibiosus,Yeast, Baker's,Yeast, Brewer's,Baker Yeast,S cerevisiae,Baker's Yeasts,Yeast, Baker
D016681 Genome, Fungal The complete gene complement contained in a set of chromosomes in a fungus. Fungal Genome,Fungal Genomes,Genomes, Fungal
D017393 RNA Editing A process that changes the nucleotide sequence of mRNA from that of the DNA template encoding it. Some major classes of RNA editing are as follows: 1, the conversion of cytosine to uracil in mRNA; 2, the addition of variable number of guanines at pre-determined sites; and 3, the addition and deletion of uracils, templated by guide-RNAs (RNA, GUIDE, KINETOPLASTIDA). RNA, Messenger, Editing,Editing, RNA,Editings, RNA,RNA Editings
D064113 CRISPR-Cas Systems Adaptive antiviral defense mechanisms, in archaea and bacteria, based on DNA repeat arrays called CLUSTERED REGULARLY INTERSPACED SHORT PALINDROMIC REPEATS (CRISPR elements) that function in conjunction with CRISPR-ASSOCIATED PROTEINS (Cas proteins). Several types have been distinguished, including Type I, Type II, and Type III, based on signature motifs of CRISPR-ASSOCIATED PROTEINS. CRISPR Cas Systems,CRISPR-Cas System,System, CRISPR-Cas,Systems, CRISPR-Cas

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