Cited by 1,863Single-cell and spatial transcriptomicsCRISPR and Genetic EngineeringGene Regulatory Network Analysis

Perturb-Seq: Dissecting Molecular Circuits with Scalable Single-Cell RNA Profiling of Pooled Genetic Screens

Open access
Dixit, Atray, Parnas, Oren, Li, Biyu, Chen, Jenny, Fulco, Charles P., Jerby-Arnon, Livnat, Marjanovic, Nemanja D., Dionne, Danielle +8 more·2016·Cell

Abstract

Genetic screens help infer gene function in mammalian cells, but it has remained difficult to assay complex phenotypes-such as transcriptional profiles-at scale. Here, we develop Perturb-seq, combining single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based perturbations to perform many such assays in a pool. We demonstrate Perturb-seq by analyzing 200,000 cells in immune cells and cell lines, focusing on transcription factors regulating the response of dendritic cells to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Perturb-seq accurately identifies individual gene targets, gene signatures, and cell states affected by individual perturbations and their genetic interactions. We posit new functions for regulators of differentiation, the anti-viral response, and mitochondrial function during immune activation. By decomposing many high content measurements into the effects of perturbations, their interactions, and diverse cell metadata, Perturb-seq dramatically increases the scope of pooled genomic assays.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.038

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  • Multiplexing reduces technical effects due to separate sample processing.

    “suggesting multiplexing reduces technical effects due to separate sample processing22, 23.”

    From Multiplexed droplet single-cell RNA-sequencing using natural genetic variation (2018) · cites this paper as [23]

    The Introduction distinguishes pooled screens from separately assessed, arrayed screens, and the Results report that Perturb-seq steps were performed in a single pool. Our copy does not state or test whether pooling reduces technical effects caused by separate sample processing, so that attributed benefit remains unsupported. (LLM, conf=0.78)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • These foundation models had shown strong performance in post-perturbation RNA-seq prediction tasks using Perturb-seq-based genetic perturbation benchmarks.

    “These models had shown strong performance in post-perturbation RNA-seq prediction tasks using Perturb-seq-based genetic perturbation benchmarks [12].”

    From Benchmarking foundation cell models for post-perturbation RNA-seq prediction (2025) · cites this paper as [12]

    The Results section, “Perturb-seq: pooled, combinatorial CRISPR screens with scRNA-seq readout” (page unavailable), describes genetic perturbation experiments with RNA-seq readouts. The paper does not report foundation-model performance or evaluate those models on post-perturbation prediction benchmarks; its predictive results concern its own linear model. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Single-cell RNA-sequencing pooled CRISPR screens can simultaneously sequence transcriptomes and sgRNAs from individual cells, enabling comprehensive analysis of sgRNA-specific effects on genetic regulatory networks at single-cell resolution.

    “Additionally, single-cell RNA-sequencing pooled CRISPR screens can simultaneously sequence transcriptomes and sgRNAs from individual cells, enabling a comprehensive analysis of sgRNA-specific effects on genetic regulatory networks at single-cell resolution32–34.”

    From Large-scale CRISPR screening in primary human 3D gastric organoids enables comprehensive dissection of gene-drug interactions (2025) · cites this paper as [33]

    Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 2 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Measurements can be coupled with systematic perturbations.

    “along with the ability to couple these measurements with systematic perturbations.27–29”
  • Five methods commonly in use for low-MOI single-cell CRISPR screen association testing are Seurat-Wilcox, MIMOSCA, t-test, MAST, and KS test.

    “identified five methods commonly in use: the default Seurat [19] FindMarkers() function based on the Wilcoxon test (Seurat-Wilcox), MIMOSCA [1], a t-test on the library-size-normalized expressions [10], MAST [20], and a Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test on the library-size-normalized expressions [21]”

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Amit I Garber M Chevrier N Leite AP Donner Y Eisenhaure T Guttman M Grenier JK Li W Zuk O Unbiased reconstruction of a mammalian transcriptional network mediating pathogen responses Science 2009b 326 257 263 19729616 PMC2879337
  2. Platt RJ Chen S Zhou Y Yim MJ Swiech L Kempton HR Dahlman JE Parnas O Eisenhaure TM Jovanovic M CRISPR-Cas9 knockin mice for genome editing and cancer modeling Cell 2014b 159 440 455 25263330 PMC4265475

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Authors
Dixit, A., Parnas, O., Li, B., Chen, J., Fulco, C. P., Jerby-Arnon, L., Marjanovic, N. D., Dionne, D., Burks, T., Raychowdhury, R., Adamson, B., Norman, T. M., Lander, E. S., Weissman, J. S., Friedman, N., & Regev, A.
Affiliations
  • Broad Institute (US)
  • QB3 (US)
Corresponding author
Regev, Aviv
Venue
Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-12
Volume
167
Issue
7
Pages
1853-1866.e17
ISSN
0092-8674 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2561754210
Cited by
1,863
References
64
Citations by year
2026: 324 · 2025: 279 · 2024: 229 · 2023: 195 · 2022: 180 · 2021: 169 · 2020: 159 · 2019: 126 · 2018: 107 · 2017: 87 · 2016: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
FWCI
55.46
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • NDSEG Fellowship
  • NIH (T32GM87232)
  • Klarman Cell Observatory
  • NHGRI (RM1HG006193)
  • HHMI
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gene Regulatory Network Analysis
Keywords
Perturb-seq, single-cell RNA sequencing, gene expression profiling, gene regulatory networks, transcription factor regulation, dendritic cells, lipopolysaccharide response, immune activation, genetic interactions, mitochondrial function, antiviral response
MeSH terms
Animals, Cell Cycle, Feedback, Humans, Mice, Transgenic, Transcription Factors, Sequence Analysis, RNA, K562 Cells, Gene Expression Profiling, Mice, Gene Knockdown Techniques, Single-Cell Analysis, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats

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