<p>Stem cell technologies hold great promise in solving problems within fields such as drug development, regenerative medicine, and disease modeling. Stem cell engineering provides a mechanism that will help stem cells achieve this promise. Currently, many applications within tissue engineering are limited by a lack of ability to create accurate micro-physiological structures that recapitulate multicellular tissue patterns <i>in vivo</i>. Precise control of spatial and temporal signaling is desired to perform concurrent differentiation to multiple cell types intentionally. The OptoWnt construct, a novel optogenetic system activating the Wnt signaling pathway, achieves precise spatiotemporal regulation, in pursuit of greater control in stem cell differentiation. We utilize OptoWnt, to differentiate stem cells into cardiovascular cells: endothelial progenitor cells and cardiomyocytes, valuable cell types for designing microtissues. Endothelial cells comprise the luminal lining of blood and lymphatic vessels, providing the integral structure for distribution within the body, separating mobile and stationary tissues. Cardiomyocytes provide the force required to pump blood throughout the human body and are a highly desired cell type in regenerative medicine.</p> <p>In this project, we have applied an optogenetic induced signaling pathway, OptoWnt, to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into cardiovascular cells via light-induced activation of Wnt signaling pathway. In the analysis of these cells and comparison to previous small molecule approaches to cardiovascular cell differentiation, we demonstrate the robustness of the optogenetic approach and similar efficiency that it has with the small molecule approach. In short, we have further demonstrated the utility and potential of optogenetic induction of developmental pathways, via the OptoWnt construct.</p>

Recent advances with the bacterial CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) defense system as genome editing tools have opened a new avenue for targeting disease-causing mutations. The programmability of the Cas9 endonuclease by RNA makes it a potentially powerful therapeutic tool to correct such mutations. The CRISPR-Cas9 system consists of a Cas9 endonuclease that is guided by RNA (sgRNA) to create double-stranded breaks in a target DNA segment complementary to the guide. This process is dependent on a 2-8 nucleotide sequence (called PAM) that is adjacent to the target and functions as a Cas9 binding signal. Each Cas9 ortholog recognizes a unique PAM. However, factors such as the size of Cas9 or the frequency of its PAM sequence in the genome have hindered its clinical use. The Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpyCas9) is commonly used in research because its PAM (NGG, where “N” symbolizes any nucleotide) is present every ~8 bp in the genome, providing robust targeting potential. However, it is too large to fit into typical viral vectors used for in vivo delivery, namely adeno-associated vectors (AAV). While several Cas9 orthologs have been characterized, none satisfied the need for a compact, accurate Cas9 with a short PAM. In this thesis, we use two approaches to identify new compact Cas9 orthologs with small PAMs, one using anti-CRISPR proteins and one by searching through closely related Cas9s. First, we use the presence of anti-CRISPRs (naturally occurring, phage-encoded peptides that inhibit CRISPR-Cas9 described in chapter 2) in a genome as indicators of Cas9s that may be highly active. These orthologs come with the added advantage of having inhibitors that can be used as off-switches. We characterize four Cas9s that are targeted by anti-CRISPR proteins and show that they recognize diverse PAMs in vitro. One of the four Cas9’s, namely HpaCas9 from Haemophilus parainfluenzae, induces efficient genome editing in mammalian cells. However, its long N4GATTT PAM does not satisfy the short PAM criterion. For our second approach, we asked whether closely related Cas9 orthologs with drastically different PAM-interacting domains (PIDs, the domain responsible for PAM recognition) recognize different PAMs, and if so, can be used for genome editing. To this end, we exploited natural variation in the PID of closely related Cas9s to identify a compact ortholog from Neisseria meningitidis (Nme2Cas9). Nme2Cas9 recognizes a simple dinucleotide PAM (N4CC) that provides a high target site density. All-in-one AAV delivery of Nme2Cas9 with a guide RNA into adult mouse liver produces efficient genome editing and reduced serum cholesterol with exceptionally high specificity. We further expand our single-AAV platform to pre-implanted zygotes for streamlined generation of genome-edited mice. Finally, we show preliminary data on how CRISPR-Cas9 can be used for therapeutic genome editing for Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Our new findings promise to accelerate the development of genome editing tools for biomedical and therapeutic applications.

There has been tremendous amount of effort focused on the development and improvement of genome editing applications over the decades. Particularly, the development of programmable nucleases has revolutionized genome editing with regards to their improvements in mutagenesis efficacy and targeting feasibility. Programmable nucleases are competent for a variety of genome editing applications. There is growing interest in employing the programmable nucleases in therapeutic genome editing applications, such as correcting mutations in genetic disorders. Type II CRISPR-Cas9 bacterial adaptive immunity systems have recently been engineered as RNA-guided programmable nucleases. Native CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases have two stages of sequence-specific target DNA recognition prior to cleavage: the intrinsic binding of the Cas9 nuclease to a short DNA element (the PAM) followed by testing target site complementarity with the programmable guide RNA. The ease of reprogramming CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases for new target sequences makes them favorable genome editing platform for many applications including gene therapy. However, wild-type Cas9 nucleases have limitations: (i) The PAM element requirement restricts the targeting range of Cas9; (ii) despite the presence of two stages of target recognition, wild-type Cas9 can cleave DNA at unintended sites, which is not desired for therapeutic purposes; and (iii) there is a lack of control over the mutagenic editing product that is procuded. In this study, we developed and characterized chimeric Cas9 platforms to provide solutions to these limitations. In these platforms, the DNA-binding affinity of Cas9 protein from S. pyogenes is attenuated such that the target site binding is dependent on a fused programmable DNA-targeting-unit that recognizes a neighboring DNA-sequence. This modification extends the range of usable PAM elements and substantially improves the targeting specify of wild type Cas9. Furthermore, one of the featured chimeric Cas9 variants developed in this study has both robust nuclease activity and ability to generate predictable uniform editing products. These superior properties of the chimeric Cas9 platforms make them favorable for various genome editing applications and bring programmable nucleases one step closer to therapeutic applications.

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京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第19401号 / 医博第4052号 / 新制||医||1012(附属図書館) / 32426 / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 髙田 穣, 教授 平岡 眞寛, 教授 松本 智裕 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

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La diversité morphologique des muscles squelettiques permet la précision et la coordination des mouvements propres à chaque espèce animale. L'établissement du patron musculaire a lieu au cours du développement embryonnaire durant le processus de myogenèse. Il a été décomposé en quatre étapes chez la drosophile : la spécification de groupes de myoblastes équivalents (groupes promusculaires) à des positions précises du mésoderme, la sélection d'une ou plusieurs cellules progéniteurs à partir de chaque groupe, la division asymétrique des progéniteurs en cellules fondatrices des muscles, et enfin, la fusion d'une cellule fondatrice avec un nombre défini de myoblastes compétents pour la fusion qui forme une myofibre syncytiale. Ce processus aboutit à la mise en place d'un patron stéréotypé de muscles morphologiquement distincts par leur taille, orientation, forme, et sites d'attachement au squelette ; ces caractères définissant l'identité du muscle. Chez la drosophile, chacun des 30 muscles par hémisegment de la larve est constitué d'une seule myofibre. Il a été proposé que l'identité morphologique de cette fibre soit contrôlée par une combinatoire de facteurs de transcription identitaires (FTi) exprimés par la cellule fondatrice. Mon projet de thèse a porté sur le contrôle transcriptionnel de l'identité musculaire, avec comme modèle d'étude, un muscle dorso-latéral de la larve de drosophile, le muscle DA3 dont un FTi est Collier/EBF (Col). La transcription de col est activée dans un groupe promusculaire, puis transitoirement dans les quatre progéniteurs issus de ce groupe, avant d'être maintenue spécifiquement dans la myofibre DA3. Dans des embryons mutants pour col, le DA3 est transformé en muscle plus dorsal, DA2. Les travaux précédents de l'équipe ont montré que la transcription de col dans le lignage DA3 est contrôlée par deux modules cis-régulateurs, EarlyCRM et LateCRM, séparés physiquement sur le chromosome et agissant séquentiellement. Leur chevauchement temporel d'activité restreint au progéniteur DA3 et l'autorégulation directe du LateCRM ont mené à l'hypothèse d'un mécanisme de " passage de témoin " entre ces deux CRM, spécifique au progéniteur DA3. L'objectif de ma thèse était de tester cette hypothèse et de comprendre comment une information temporelle et spatiale intégrée par un CRM est transmise à un autre CRM, pour définir une identité cellulaire, une question fondamentale au-delà du cas d'espèce que constitue le muscle DA3.[...] / The morphological diversity of skeletal muscles allows the precision and coordination of movements specific to each animal species. Establishment of a stereotypic pattern of muscles takes places during the process of myogenesis. Studies in Drosophila, an insect model, have identified four steps in this process: the specification of equivalence groups of myoblasts (promuscular clusters) at defined positions within the somatic mesoderm, the selection of progenitor(s) from each group, asymmetric division of each progenitor into post-mitotic muscle founder cells, and finally the fusion of each founder cell with a given number of fusion competent cells to form a syncytial myofiber. This dynamic, integrated process leads to establishing a stereotyped pattern of morphologically distinct muscles which can each be distinguished, based on size, orientation, shape, sites of attachment to the skeleton, all properties defining muscle identity. In the Drosophila larva, each of the about 30 different muscles per hemisegment is made of a single myofiber. It has been proposed that final morphology of a myofiber reflects the combinatorial code of identity Transcription Factors (iTF) expressed by its founder cell, although many questions remain unanswered. My thesis project aimed at better understanding the mechanism of specification of muscle identity, using as model a dorso-lateral muscle of the Drosophila larva, the DA3 muscle whose identity is controlled by the Collier/EBF (Col) iTF. col transcription is activated in one promuscular cluster, transient in the 4 progenitors issued from this cluster and stably maintained in the DA3 myofiber. In col mutant embryos, the DA3 muscle is transformed into a more dorsal, DA2-like muscle. Previous work has shown that col transcription in the DA3 lineage is controlled by two cis-regulatory modules (EarlyCRM and LateCRM), physically distant on the chromosome and acting sequentially. The temporal overlap of EarlyCRM and LateCRM in the DA3 progenitor and direct col autoregulation via the LateCRM led to hypothesize a handover between the two CRM in the DA3 progenitor. One goal of my thesis project was to challenge this hypothesis and understand how positional and temporal information integrated by EarlyCRM could be memorized via LateCRM, in order to specify cell identity, a fundamental question of developmental biology beyond the specific case of the Drosophila DA3 muscle. [...]

L’édition du génome utilisant CRISPR/Cas9 est récemment apparue comme une stratégie thérapeutique potentielle des maladies génétiques. Pour les mutations dominantes de type gain de fonction, la correction allèle-spécifique pourrait être l'approche la plus appropriée. Ici, nous avons testé l'inactivation ou la correction d'une mutation hétérozygote du gène de la dynamine 2 (DNM2) causant la forme autosomique dominante de la myopathie centronucléaire (CNM). Des ARN-guides tronqués ciblant spécifiquement l'allèle muté ont été testés sur des cellules de patients et des myoblastes d'un modèle murin. L'allèle muté a été ciblé avec succès et des clones ont été obtenus avec inactivation ou correction précise du génome. Les myoblastes Dnm2R465W/+ ont montré une altération de l'endocytose et de l'autophagie. L'inactivation ou la correction allèle-spécifique a normalisé ces phénotypes. L'allèle muté a également été ciblé avec succès dans les muscles de la souris Dnm2R465W/+. Ces résultats illustrent le potentiel de CRISPR/Cas9 à cibler et corriger de manière allèle-spécifique les mutations ponctuelles hétérozygotes de type de gain de fonction. / Genome editing with the CRISPR/Cas9 technology has emerged recently as a potential strategy for therapy in genetic diseases. For dominant mutations linked to gain-of-function effects, allele-specific correction may be the most suitable approach. Here we tested allele-specific inactivation or correction of a heterozygous mutation in the Dynamin 2 (DNM2) gene causing the autosomal dominant form of centronuclear myopathies (CNM). Truncated single guide RNAs targeting specifically the mutated allele were tested on cells derived from a mouse model and patients. The mutated allele was successfully targeted in patient fibroblasts and Dnm2R465W/+ mouse myoblasts, and clones were obtained with both precise genome correction or inactivation. Dnm2R465W/+ myoblasts showed an alteration in transferrin uptake and autophagy. Specific inactivation or correction of the mutated allele rescued these phenotypes. The mutated allele was also successfully targeted in Dnm2R465W/+ mouse muscles. These findings illustrate the potential of CRISPR/Cas9 to target and correct heterozygous point mutations leading to a gain-of-function effect in an allele-specific manner.