Journal: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
Article Title: In vivo CRISPR-mediated activation of cardiogenic genes to reprogram cardiac fibroblasts
doi: 10.3389/fcell.2026.1812941
Figure Lengend Snippet: Activation of endogenous cardiogenic genes for fibroblast reprogramming. (A) Schematic of the CRISPRa system targeting the transcription start site of cardiogenic genes. The scFv (single-chain variable fragment) was engineered to recognize and bind the GCN4 peptide for transcriptional activation. (B,C) Quantitative PCR (B) and Western blot (C) analyses of cardiogenic gene expression in CFs isolated from tamoxifen-treated Pdgfra creERT2 ;Rosa-LSL-dCas9 ST transgenic mice after 7 days of transfection with AAVs carrying individual sgRNAs. Data are presented as mean ± standard error (n = 6 per group); Versus scramble sgRNA control: ns , not significant; * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01. (D) Schematic illustration of the experimental design using CFs from Pdgfra creERT2 ;Rosa-LSL-dCas9 ST ;Nkx2.5CE eGFP mice, showing the induction procedure following tamoxifen treatment and infection with the AAV cocktail expressing sgRNAs. (E) Morphological changes in CRISPRa-induced and control CFs before and after suspension culture. Green fluorescence indicates activation of the Nkx2.5 CEeGFP reporter. Scale bars, 200 µm. (F) Representative immunostaining images for cardiac markers in CRISPRa GNTIS -induced cells after suspension culture and reattachment. Scale bars, 20 µm.
Article Snippet: Pdgfra CreER (Stock#032770), Rosa-LSL-dCas9 ST (Stock#031925), Nkx2.5CE eGFP (Stock#029489), and Rosa-LSL-tdTomato (Stock#007914) mice were obtained from The Jackson Laboratory.
Techniques: Activation Assay, Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Western Blot, Gene Expression, Isolation, Transgenic Assay, Transfection, Control, Infection, Expressing, Suspension, Fluorescence, Immunostaining