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Evolved Cas9 variants with broad PAM compatibility and high DNA specificity

Author

Listed:
  • Johnny H. Hu

    (Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University
    Harvard University)

  • Shannon M. Miller

    (Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University
    Harvard University)

  • Maarten H. Geurts

    (Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University
    Harvard University)

  • Weixin Tang

    (Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University
    Harvard University)

  • Liwei Chen

    (Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University
    Harvard University)

  • Ning Sun

    (Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University
    Harvard University)

  • Christina M. Zeina

    (Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University
    Harvard University)

  • Xue Gao

    (Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University
    Harvard University)

  • Holly A. Rees

    (Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University
    Harvard University)

  • Zhi Lin

    (Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University
    Harvard University)

  • David R. Liu

    (Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University
    Harvard University)

Abstract

A key limitation of the use of the CRISPR–Cas9 system for genome editing and other applications is the requirement that a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) be present at the target site. For the most commonly used Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpCas9), the required PAM sequence is NGG. No natural or engineered Cas9 variants that have been shown to function efficiently in mammalian cells offer a PAM less restrictive than NGG. Here we use phage-assisted continuous evolution to evolve an expanded PAM SpCas9 variant (xCas9) that can recognize a broad range of PAM sequences including NG, GAA and GAT. The PAM compatibility of xCas9 is the broadest reported, to our knowledge, among Cas9 proteins that are active in mammalian cells, and supports applications in human cells including targeted transcriptional activation, nuclease-mediated gene disruption, and cytidine and adenine base editing. Notably, despite its broadened PAM compatibility, xCas9 has much greater DNA specificity than SpCas9, with substantially lower genome-wide off-target activity at all NGG target sites tested, as well as minimal off-target activity when targeting genomic sites with non-NGG PAMs. These findings expand the DNA targeting scope of CRISPR systems and establish that there is no necessary trade-off between Cas9 editing efficiency, PAM compatibility and DNA specificity.

Suggested Citation

  • Johnny H. Hu & Shannon M. Miller & Maarten H. Geurts & Weixin Tang & Liwei Chen & Ning Sun & Christina M. Zeina & Xue Gao & Holly A. Rees & Zhi Lin & David R. Liu, 2018. "Evolved Cas9 variants with broad PAM compatibility and high DNA specificity," Nature, Nature, vol. 556(7699), pages 57-63, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:556:y:2018:i:7699:d:10.1038_nature26155
    DOI: 10.1038/nature26155
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jeremy Vicencio & Carlos Sánchez-Bolaños & Ismael Moreno-Sánchez & David Brena & Charles E. Vejnar & Dmytro Kukhtar & Miguel Ruiz-López & Mariona Cots-Ponjoan & Alejandro Rubio & Natalia Rodrigo Meler, 2022. "Genome editing in animals with minimal PAM CRISPR-Cas9 enzymes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Marion Rosello & Malo Serafini & Luca Mignani & Dario Finazzi & Carine Giovannangeli & Marina C. Mione & Jean-Paul Concordet & Filippo Del Bene, 2022. "Disease modeling by efficient genome editing using a near PAM-less base editor in vivo," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Dawn G. L. Thean & Hoi Yee Chu & John H. C. Fong & Becky K. C. Chan & Peng Zhou & Cynthia C. S. Kwok & Yee Man Chan & Silvia Y. L. Mak & Gigi C. G. Choi & Joshua W. K. Ho & Zongli Zheng & Alan S. L. W, 2022. "Machine learning-coupled combinatorial mutagenesis enables resource-efficient engineering of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editor activities," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Lin Zhao & Sabrina R. T. Koseki & Rachel A. Silverstein & Nadia Amrani & Christina Peng & Christian Kramme & Natasha Savic & Martin Pacesa & Tomás C. Rodríguez & Teodora Stan & Emma Tysinger & Lauren , 2023. "PAM-flexible genome editing with an engineered chimeric Cas9," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    5. Zeyu Lu & Lingtian Zhang & Qing Mu & Junyang Liu & Yu Chen & Haoyuan Wang & Yanjun Zhang & Rui Su & Ruijun Wang & Zhiying Wang & Qi Lv & Zhihong Liu & Jiasen Liu & Yunhua Li & Yanhong Zhao, 2024. "Progress in Research and Prospects for Application of Precision Gene-Editing Technology Based on CRISPR–Cas9 in the Genetic Improvement of Sheep and Goats," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-17, March.
    6. Jian Wang & Yuxi Teng & Ruihua Zhang & Yifei Wu & Lei Lou & Yusong Zou & Michelle Li & Zhong-Ru Xie & Yajun Yan, 2021. "Engineering a PAM-flexible SpdCas9 variant as a universal gene repressor," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Grace N. Hibshman & Jack P. K. Bravo & Matthew M. Hooper & Tyler L. Dangerfield & Hongshan Zhang & Ilya J. Finkelstein & Kenneth A. Johnson & David W. Taylor, 2024. "Unraveling the mechanisms of PAMless DNA interrogation by SpRY-Cas9," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    8. Qing Li & Jiansen Lu & Xidi Yin & Yunjian Chang & Chao Wang & Meng Yan & Li Feng & Yanbo Cheng & Yun Gao & Beiying Xu & Yao Zhang & Yingyi Wang & Guizhong Cui & Luang Xu & Yidi Sun & Rong Zeng & Yixue, 2023. "Base editing-mediated one-step inactivation of the Dnmt gene family reveals critical roles of DNA methylation during mouse gastrulation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-19, December.
    9. Jianli Tao & Daniel E. Bauer & Roberto Chiarle, 2023. "Assessing and advancing the safety of CRISPR-Cas tools: from DNA to RNA editing," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    10. Annabel K. Sangree & Audrey L. Griffith & Zsofia M. Szegletes & Priyanka Roy & Peter C. DeWeirdt & Mudra Hegde & Abby V. McGee & Ruth E. Hanna & John G. Doench, 2022. "Benchmarking of SpCas9 variants enables deeper base editor screens of BRCA1 and BCL2," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    11. Jian Wang & Ke Wang & Zhe Deng & Zhiyu Zhong & Guo Sun & Qing Mei & Fuling Zhou & Zixin Deng & Yuhui Sun, 2024. "Engineered cytosine base editor enabling broad-scope and high-fidelity gene editing in Streptomyces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    12. Péter István Kulcsár & András Tálas & Zoltán Ligeti & Eszter Tóth & Zsófia Rakvács & Zsuzsa Bartos & Sarah Laura Krausz & Ágnes Welker & Vanessza Laura Végi & Krisztina Huszár & Ervin Welker, 2023. "A cleavage rule for selection of increased-fidelity SpCas9 variants with high efficiency and no detectable off-targets," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-20, December.
    13. Fang Liang & Yu Zhang & Lin Li & Yexin Yang & Ji-Feng Fei & Yanmei Liu & Wei Qin, 2022. "SpG and SpRY variants expand the CRISPR toolbox for genome editing in zebrafish," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    14. Koki Mise & Jianyin Long & Daniel L. Galvan & Zengchun Ye & Guizhen Fan & Rajesh Sharma & Irina I. Serysheva & Travis I. Moore & Collene R. Jeter & M. Anna Zal & Motoo Araki & Jun Wada & Paul T. Schum, 2024. "NDUFS4 regulates cristae remodeling in diabetic kidney disease," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-19, December.
    15. Zhaohui Zhong & Guanqing Liu & Zhongjie Tang & Shuyue Xiang & Liang Yang & Lan Huang & Yao He & Tingting Fan & Shishi Liu & Xuelian Zheng & Tao Zhang & Yiping Qi & Jian Huang & Yong Zhang, 2023. "Efficient plant genome engineering using a probiotic sourced CRISPR-Cas9 system," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    16. Shun-Qing Liang & Pengpeng Liu & Jordan L. Smith & Esther Mintzer & Stacy Maitland & Xiaolong Dong & Qiyuan Yang & Jonathan Lee & Cole M. Haynes & Lihua Julie Zhu & Jonathan K. Watts & Erik J. Sonthei, 2022. "Genome-wide detection of CRISPR editing in vivo using GUIDE-tag," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    17. Luke Hoberecht & Pirunthan Perampalam & Aaron Lun & Jean-Philippe Fortin, 2022. "A comprehensive Bioconductor ecosystem for the design of CRISPR guide RNAs across nucleases and technologies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-20, December.
    18. Maarten H. Geurts & Shashank Gandhi & Matteo G. Boretto & Ninouk Akkerman & Lucca L. M. Derks & Gijs Son & Martina Celotti & Sarina Harshuk-Shabso & Flavia Peci & Harry Begthel & Delilah Hendriks & Pa, 2023. "One-step generation of tumor models by base editor multiplexing in adult stem cell-derived organoids," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    19. Mary S. Morrison & Tina Wang & Aditya Raguram & Colin Hemez & David R. Liu, 2021. "Disulfide-compatible phage-assisted continuous evolution in the periplasmic space," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, December.
    20. Giulia I. Corsi & Kunli Qu & Ferhat Alkan & Xiaoguang Pan & Yonglun Luo & Jan Gorodkin, 2022. "CRISPR/Cas9 gRNA activity depends on free energy changes and on the target PAM context," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.

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