Lecture 25 Flashcards
Mouse knock out:
- Inactivates gene function by inserting the selectable marker inside the gene of interest
- Using NeoR and gene of interest
Knock-in:
- HSV-TK and neoR as a selectable marker, flanked with the gene of interest you are trying to introduce.
- Use of NeoR to select for transformants
- Native promoter, genomic location but introduces flanking vector sequences inactivating the genomic copy
Double replacement (not the yeast-two-step gene replacement!):
- Introduce a selectable marker into the genome
2. Replace the selectable marker with the specific mutation you wish to introduce into the genome
Double replacement, step 1:
- Introduce hprt+ into hprt- ES cells at the required site
- This will occur through homologous recombination
- Select for HPRT+ (encodes an enzyme for purine synthesis)
- Use HAT medium (hprt- cells can’t survive as there is no purine, so they require HPRT+ for purine synthesis)
Double replacement, step 2:
- Introduce mutated sequences
- Select in 2-thioguanine (2-TG) medium, to keep only hprt- cells
- Homologous recombination allows replacement
- The mutated genomic copy will be left, with no other sequences around it
Other strategies developed for ‘clean’ mutation of genomic sequence, eg) Cre/loxP system:
- Cre: 38kDa recombinase from bacteriophage P1
- Catalyses site specific loxP sites
- Can be used to remove genomic sequences and introduce loxP sites
- introduce loxP sites by positive-negative selection
- End up with a floxed allele
Cre/loxP, action of Cre recombinase
- Introduce Cre recombinase into cells carrying the ‘floxed’ allele
- Cre recombinase removes sequences flanked by loxP sites, and deletion of sequences follows
Using Cre/lox to introduce specific mutations:
Introduce DNA carrying a ‘floxed’ selectable marker and the mutation of interest
- Then use Cre recombinase to remove the neoR marker
- Finish with the genomic copy with the mutation with the loxP site in an intron (so that it doesn’t interfere with the action of the gene of interest
Cre recombinase expression can be regulated:
- Drive Cre expression at specific times of development or in specific tissues
- Generate a mouse line that carries a ‘floxed’ allele
- LoxP sites in introns will have no effect on the genes and no effect on the mouse
- Generate a mouse line expressing Cre recombinase in specific tissues or developmental stages
- This can be introduced into the mouse, and will have no effect on the mouse (unless there are loxP sites)
Crossing the lines of mice will result in:
- Cross: Expressed Cre in specific tissue
- With: Contains ‘floxed’ gene in all tissues
- Activation of Cre expression in specific tissue so loss of function in specific tissues occurs
Drosohpila complementation:
- Not easy
- Low frequency
- Non-homologous
- Integration via P-element
Mouse recombination:
- Difficult
- homologous and non-homologous
CRISPR/Cas:
- Allows you design a mutation in any organism, which can be knock-out or other sorts of mutations
- Not dependent on P-elements or Ti-plasmids
- Based on DNA being introduced with homology to the target sequences
How was CRISP discovered?
- CRISPR uses numerous direct repeats separated by variable sequences (spaces) and adjacent to the Cas genes
- Genomic sequcneing revealed that the spacer regions correspond to viral and plasmid sequences
- Recognised as a microbial adaptive immune system, a record of all previously encountered pathogens
What is CRISPR/Cas?
- A large family of proteins that have funciton domains including nucleases, polymerases and helicases, including Cas9