Journal: Frontiers in Genome Editing
Article Title: The precision strategy of human genome correction via a set of circular donor DNA and its cleaver
doi: 10.3389/fgeed.2026.1718252
Figure Lengend Snippet: Verification of the generality of PCR screening methods to isolate the targeted duplication clones out of overall integration clones. (A) Upper panel: A circular donor plasmid, pMB1KmHygTK-HPRT(ISCEI(545)Ex2Syn) was transfected to convert the SEXA1 allele of HT1080 to the Syn allele through intra-cellular circular donor cleavage (InCDC)-mediated targeted duplication (TD) and natural replacement. In line i, the sequence of the target allele ( SEXA1 ) in the HT1080 cell line is shown, which has original codons (blue letters) in exon 2 of the HPRT gene. The bold upper-lined letters are the SEXA1 site. In line ii, the sequence of the designed allele ( Syn ) is shown, which has synonymous codons (green letters) overlapped with the SEXA1 site. Lower panel [Targeted duplication (TD) screening of HT1080]: In lane iii, in the first three columns, the numbers show the total cells transfected by electroporation and the hygromycin-resistant (Hyg R ) colonies generated, and the TD dishes identified by PCR analysis for the bulk of the Hyg R colonies on every dish of the 16 dishes are shown. In the next two columns, the ID of the TD dishes identified and the presence or absence of the Syn allele in each of the TD dishes are shown. In the last two columns, the numbers of Syn -TD wells/TD wells/cell-growing wells in three 96-well plates [upper: feeder (HT1080 cell line) wells; lower: feeder-free wells] and their ID of the Syn -retaining TD wells identified are shown. The viability of cells derived from a #9-dish stock in 96-well plates was not significantly improved by the coexistence with feeder cells ( Materials and Methods ). (B) Upper panel: The Syn -retaining TD dishes, which contain targeted duplication clones with Syn allele sequences, were screened using two PCR-based assays as follows: the TD-screening PCR with the plasmid-5′-inside forward primer (opened violet arrow) and the target-3′-outside reverse primer (opened blue arrow); the Syn -retaining TD-screening PCR with the target-5′-outside forward primer (closed blue arrow) and the Syn reverse primer (opened green arrow). Lower left panel: The circular donor plasmid, pMB1KmHygTK-HPRT(ISCEI(545)Ex2Syn), was transfected, and the resultant 16 dishes were screened by TD screening PCR and Syn -TD screening PCR, with both PCR products electrophoresed, leading to the identification of Syn -retaining TD dish #9. Lower right panel: Six wells of 96-well plates were identified as Syn -TD clones derived from #9-dish stock by TD screening PCR and Syn -TD screening PCR, with both PCR products electrophoresed, leading to the identification of six Syn -retaining TD wells. HTG-A4 is a TD clone with 5′ Syn / SEXA1 3’. (C) A TD structure with Syn / SEXA1 hetero-allele sequences forms one of the two types of natural replacement structures: with the Syn allele (left) or with the SEXA1 allele (right), which was verified using three PCR-based tests: (1) pop-out test (closed blue arrow and open blue arrow) to verify a natural replacement structure; (2) Hyg test (green arrows) to verify the popping out of the circular plasmid DNA; and (3) allele sequence test (orange arrows) to determine either allele of a replacement clone. One TD well-clone d9p5F12 is shown in the first column. In the following five columns, the numbers show the obtained GCV R colonies, Syn allele clones, SEXA1 allele clones, and TK-deficient TD clones, in which duplication tests were still positive , and others [TD-derived deletion clones, in which all of pop-out test, Hyg test, and duplication test were negative ]. The complete results of the Syn allele or the SEXA1 allele of pop-out type GCV clones are summarized in . The complete results of the HygTK sequence of TK-deficient TD-type GCV clones are summarized in . Upper panel: The sequence data from the Syn clones identified using the allele sequence test among HTG786-derived pop-out type GCV R clones (lanes i and ii in ) are shown, each of which was the singlet chart of the Syn allele sequence. Lower panel: The sequence data from the Syn clones identified using the allele sequence test among d9p5F12 -derived pop-out-type GCV R clones (lanes i and ii in ) are shown, each of which was the singlet chart of the Syn allele sequence. The sequence data from their SEXA1 clones are also shown in .
Article Snippet: On the other hand, pSelect-zeo-HSV1tk plasmid DNA (InvivoGen), cleaved by NcoI and SphI followed by blunt-ended treatment with T4 DNA polymerase with dNTPs at 11 °C, was ligated with the fragment including the Hyg gene constructed using KOD-PLUS-DNA polymerase (TOYOBO)-driving PCR on pcDNA3.1/Hygro plasmid with the primer pair 5′-TCA CCG GTC ACC ATG AAA AAG CCT GAA CTC ACC GCG-3′ and 5′-TCA AAG GCA GAA GCA ACT TCT ACA CAG CCA TCG GTC C-3′ using the In-Fusion kit (TOYOBO) to obtain pSelect-zeo-HygTK (28–10), which contains the fusion gene of Hyg and HSV1tk genes.
Techniques: Clone Assay, Plasmid Preparation, Transfection, Sequencing, Electroporation, Generated, Derivative Assay