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Sequence-specific inhibition of reverse transcription by recombinant CRISPR/dCas13a ribonucleoprotein complexes in vitro.

ABSTRACT: The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) system is widely used for genome editing because of its ability to cleave specific DNA sequences. Recently, RNA-specific CRISPR systems have been reported. CRISPR systems, consisting of a guide RNA (gRNA) and a nuclease-dead form of Cas13a (dCas13a), can be used for RNA editing and visualization of target RNA. In this study, we examined whether a recombinant CRISPR/dCas13a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex could be used to inhibit reverse transcription (RT) in a sequence-specific manner in vitro. Recombinant Leptotrichia wadei dCas13a was expressed using the silkworm-baculovirus expression system and affinity-purified. We found that the CRISPR/dCas13a RNP complex, combined with a chemically synthesized gRNA sequence, could specifically inhibit RT of EGFR and NEAT1, but not nonspecific RNA. Thus, the CRISPR/dCas13a RNP complex can inhibit RT reactions in a sequence-specific manner. RT inhibition by the CRISPR/dCas13a system may be useful to assess target binding activity, to discriminate RNA species retaining target sequences of gRNA, or to suppress RT from undesirable RNA species.

SUBMITTER: Fujita T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8106441 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Birnaviruses are unconventional members of the icosahedral double-stranded (dsRNA) RNA virus group. The main differential birnavirus trait is the lack of the inner icosahedral transcriptional core, a ubiquitous structure conserved in all other icosahedral dsRNA viruses, that shelters the genome from cellular dsRNA sensors and provide the enzymatic machinery to produce and extrude mature messenger RNAs. In contrast, birnaviral particles enclose ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes formed by the genome segments, the dsRNA-binding VP3 polypeptide and the virus-encoded RNA polymerase (RdRp). The presence of RNPs suggests that the birnavirus replication program might exhibit significant differences with respect to those of prototypal dsRNA viruses. However, experimental evidences supporting this hypothesis are as yet scarce. Of particular relevance for the understanding of birnavirus replication is to determine whether RNPs act as intracellular capsid-independent transcriptional units. Our study was focused to answer this question using the infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), the best characterized birnavirus, as model virus. Here, we describe the intracellular assembly of functional IBDV RNPs in the absence of the virus-encoded VP2 capsid polypeptide. Recombinant RNPs are generated upon coexpression of the IBDV VP1 and RdRp polypeptides and transfection of purified virus dsRNA. Presented data show that recombinant RNPs direct the expression of the IBDV polypeptide repertoire and the production of infectious virus in culture cells. Results described in this report constitute the first direct experimental evidence showing that birnaviral RNPs are intracellularly active in the absence of the virus capsid. This finding is consistent with presented data indicating that RNP formation precedes virus assembly in IBDV-infected cells, and supports the recently proposed IBDV replication model entailing the release of RNPs during the initial stages of the infection. Indeed, results presented here also support the previously proposed evolutionary connection between birnaviruses and positive-strand single-stranded RNA viruses.

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Sequence-specific inhibition of reverse transcription by recombinant CRISPR/dCas13a ribonucleoprotein complexes in vitro.

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