Search PubMed⌕ Search
Home/Archive/PubMed

PubMed · 39053455

Strategic targeting of Cas9 nickase induces large segmental duplications.

Yuki Sugiyama·Satoshi Okada·Yasukazu Daigaku·Emiko Kusumoto·Takashi Ito
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Gene/segmental duplications play crucial roles in genome evolution and variation. Here, we introduce paired nicking-induced amplification (PNAmp) for their experimental induction. PNAmp strategically places two Cas9 nickases upstream and downstream of a replication origin on opposite strands. This configuration directs the sister replication forks initiated from the origin to break at the nicks, generating a pair of one-ended double-strand breaks. If homologous sequences flank the two break sites, then end resection converts them to single-stranded DNAs that readily anneal to drive duplication of the region bounded by the homologous sequences. PNAmp induces duplication of segments as large as ∼1 Mb with efficiencies exceeding 10% in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Furthermore, appropriate splint DNAs allow PNAmp to duplicate/multiplicate even segments not bounded by homologous sequences. We also provide evidence for PNAmp in mammalian cells. Therefore, PNAmp provides a prototype method to induce structural variations by manipulating replication fork progression.

Explore related subjects

Saccharomyces cerevisiaeHumansDNA ReplicationCRISPR-Associated Protein 9Gene DuplicationReplication OriginDNA Breaks, Double-StrandedCRISPR-Cas SystemsJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Yuki Sugiyama, Satoshi Okada, Yasukazu Daigaku, Emiko Kusumoto, Takashi Ito. 2024-07-24. Strategic targeting of Cas9 nickase induces large segmental duplications.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100610

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed2026

CYClones: a highly powered, fully genotyped, eight-parent yeast mapping population.

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a remarkably adaptable organism that thrives in diverse environments. Global sequencing of natural isolates has revealed extensive genetic diversity within the species. Here, we describe the construction and characterization of CYClones (Collaborative Yeast Cross clones), a library of 11,392 segregants generated from a multiparent funnel cross of eight genetically diverse parental strains. To enable the genetic dissection of complex traits, we imputed whole-genome sequences for all segregants and show that CYClones captures a substantial fraction of the global genetic diversity of S. cerevisiae. Haplotype representation is well maintained, with each parental haplotype present at >5% frequency across >95% of the genome. Simulations demonstrate that CYClones has ≥95% power to detect variants with heritability as low as 0.36%, with mapping resolution often finer than the length of a single gene. In summary, CYClones is a powerful community resource for dissecting the genetic architecture of complex and quantitative traits, uncovering context-dependent mutational effects, and identifying causal variants underlying phenotypic diversity.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae↗
PubMed2026

Stepwise Humanization of the Yeast TRAPP Core Enables Functional Analysis of TRAPP Variants.

The Transport Protein Particle (TRAPP) complex is a highly conserved multi-subunit tethering complex that plays a critical role in membrane trafficking. Mutations in TRAPP complex subunits have been implicated in a growing spectrum of rare genetic disorders, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying variant pathogenicity often remain unclear. Here, we developed a humanized yeast platform to enable systematic functional characterization of TRAPP complex variants of uncertain significance. Using a stepwise gene replacement strategy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we constructed a strain in which five yeast TRAPP core subunits were replaced with their human orthologues. The integration of human subunits was validated through quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. Growth assays revealed that partial humanization of the core complex recapitulates key functional aspects of TRAPP assembly and enables the functional investigation of variants of uncertain significance in vivo. Structural modeling and clash analysis provided insights into the impact of specific mutations on complex stability and subunit interactions. TRAPPC3 has not yet been definitively associated with human disease. Introduction of TRAPPC3 variants of uncertain clinical significance into the humanized strain resulted in pronounced growth defects and predicted structural clashes. This work demonstrates the power of humanized yeast as a model for elucidating potential genotype-phenotype relationships in TRAPPopathy disorders and provides a versatile platform to support variant interpretation, mechanistic studies, and potential therapeutic screening.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae↗
PubMed2026

A haploid wild yeast resource for exploring the natural ecology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae occurs predominantly in the diploid state in nature, limiting genetic analyses of wild populations. Here, we establish a haploid collection from 32 Taiwanese S. cerevisiae isolates through targeted HO disruption. This resource spans predomesticated Asian wild lineages and enables the investigation of reproductive isolation and ecological trait variation. Although all pairwise hybridizations formed zygotes, many yielded reduced spore viability, revealing strong postzygotic barriers. Genome analyses associated reduced hybrid fertility with lineage-specific structural variation, including elevated levels of intra-chromosomal inversions in H413-8/TW1 and inter-chromosomal rearrangements in PD35A/CHN-V, rather than sequence divergence alone. Phenotyping revealed ecological differentiation, with TW1 favoring cooler growth and a natural hybrid exhibiting heterosis with expanded thermotolerance. Most wild strains grew poorly on maltose, whereas anthropogenic strains displayed enhanced utilization linked to MAL + regulatory alleles and maltose-specific transporters. Together, this haploid collection links structural variation and metabolic divergence to ecological and reproductive differentiation in wild S. cerevisiae.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae↗