A protocol to build microRNA-inducible CRISPR-Cas9 platform
microRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that play important regulatory roles in plants, animals and viruses. However, measuring miRNA activity in vivo remains a big challenge. In this protocol, using a miRNA-mediated sgRNA releasing strategy and dCas9-VPR to drive a transgene RFP expression, we create a miRNA sensor that can faithfully measure miRNA activity at cellular levels. When sgRNAs are designed to target endogenous locus, we show this system can be adapted to achieve cell type specific activation of endogenous genes. Furthermore, when dCas9 is fused with a transcriptional repressor or a base editor, we show this system can be used to repress the expression of endogenous genes or mutate specific DNA bases of chromosome upon induction by cell type-specific miRNAs. This step-by-step protocol is related to the publication “A microRNA-inducible CRISPR-Cas9 platform serves as microRNA sensors and cell type specific genome regulation tools” in Nature Cell Biology.
Figure 1
Posted 25 Feb, 2019
A protocol to build microRNA-inducible CRISPR-Cas9 platform
Posted 25 Feb, 2019
microRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that play important regulatory roles in plants, animals and viruses. However, measuring miRNA activity in vivo remains a big challenge. In this protocol, using a miRNA-mediated sgRNA releasing strategy and dCas9-VPR to drive a transgene RFP expression, we create a miRNA sensor that can faithfully measure miRNA activity at cellular levels. When sgRNAs are designed to target endogenous locus, we show this system can be adapted to achieve cell type specific activation of endogenous genes. Furthermore, when dCas9 is fused with a transcriptional repressor or a base editor, we show this system can be used to repress the expression of endogenous genes or mutate specific DNA bases of chromosome upon induction by cell type-specific miRNAs. This step-by-step protocol is related to the publication “A microRNA-inducible CRISPR-Cas9 platform serves as microRNA sensors and cell type specific genome regulation tools” in Nature Cell Biology.
Figure 1
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