Cited by 2,825CRISPR and Genetic EngineeringChromatin Remodeling and CancerRNA regulation and disease

Genome-scale transcriptional activation by an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 complex

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Konermann, Silvana, Brigham, Mark D., Trevino, Alexandro E., Joung, Julia, Abudayyeh, Omar O., Barcena, Clea, Hsu, Patrick D., Habib, Naomi +4 more·2015·Nature

Abstract

Systematic interrogation of gene function requires the ability to perturb gene expression in a robust and generalizable manner. Here we describe structure-guided engineering of a CRISPR-Cas9 complex to mediate efficient transcriptional activation at endogenous genomic loci. We used these engineered Cas9 activation complexes to investigate single-guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting rules for effective transcriptional activation, to demonstrate multiplexed activation of ten genes simultaneously, and to upregulate long intergenic non-coding RNA (lincRNA) transcripts. We also synthesized a library consisting of 70,290 guides targeting all human RefSeq coding isoforms to screen for genes that, upon activation, confer resistance to a BRAF inhibitor. The top hits included genes previously shown to be able to confer resistance, and novel candidates were validated using individual sgRNA and complementary DNA overexpression. A gene expression signature based on the top screening hits correlated with markers of BRAF inhibitor resistance in cell lines and patient-derived samples. These results collectively demonstrate the potential of Cas9-based activators as a powerful genetic perturbation technology.

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  • Because of the relatively large size of 4277 bp of dCas9-VPR cDNA, the authors used a dual rAAV system to express the dCas9-VPR and gRNA expression cassettes.

    “Because of the relatively large size of 4277 bp of dCas9-VPR cDNA, the authors used a dual rAAV system to express the dCas9-VPR and gRNA expression cassettes [223,224].”

    From Recombinant Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors (rAAV)-Vector Elements in Ocular Gene Therapy Clinical Trials and Transgene Expression and Bioactivity Assays (2020) · cites this paper as [224]

    The Extended Data Figure 7 caption describes three lentiviral vectors expressing sgRNA, dCas9-VP64, and MS2-p65-HSF1, not a dual rAAV system expressing dCas9-VPR and gRNA. The genome-scale gene activation screen section likewise identifies the delivery system as lentiviral. These passages do not give a 4277-bp dCas9-VPR cDNA size. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • CRISPRi and CRISPRa technologies utilize catalytically inactive Cas9 (dCas9) fused to either a transcriptional repressor (e.g., KRAB) or a transcriptional activator (e.g., VPR).

    “For example, CRISPRi (interference)23–25 and CRISPRa (activation)26–30 technologies utilize catalytically inactive Cas9 (dCas9) fused to either a transcriptional repressor (e.g., KRAB, Krüppel associated box) or a transcriptional activator (e.g., VPR, VP64-p65-Rta).”

    From Large-scale CRISPR screening in primary human 3D gastric organoids enables comprehensive dissection of gene-drug interactions (2025) · cites this paper as [30]

    The Abstract describes catalytically inactive Cas9 fused to transcriptional activation domains, and the Structure-guided design section identifies the paper’s activator as dCas9-VP64 in the SAM system. The cited paper therefore supports the CRISPRa portion, but our copy does not describe the VPR fusion or a dCas9-KRAB CRISPRi system. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • The dCas9-effector strategy has been applied in a genome-wide screening study in which gain-of-function mutations in melanoma cells that confer drug resistance were identified.

    “This dCas9-effector strategy has already been applied in genome wide screening study in which gain-of-function mutations in melanoma cells that confer drug resistance were identified.46”

    From CRISPR-Cas9: a new and promising player in gene therapy (2015) · cites this paper as [46]

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Authors
Konermann, S., Brigham, M. D., Trevino, A. E., Joung, J., Abudayyeh, O. O., Barcena, C., Hsu, P. D., Habib, N., Gootenberg, J. S., Nishimasu, H., Nureki, O., & Zhang, F.
Affiliations
  • Broad Institute (US)
  • The University of Tokyo (JP)
Corresponding author
Zhang, Feng
Venue
Nature
Published
2014-12-10
Volume
517
Issue
7536
Pages
583-588
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2127862779
Cited by
2,825
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 154 · 2025: 204 · 2024: 266 · 2023: 236 · 2022: 279 · 2021: 281 · 2020: 301 · 2019: 270 · 2018: 261 · 2017: 229 · 2016: 214 · 2015: 122 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 2
FWCI
77.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DSpace@MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
  • PMC
Funders
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (26291010)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (DP1MH100706)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS062849, R01NS073124)
  • National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (DP1‑MH100706)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Chromatin Remodeling and Cancer
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA regulation and disease
Keywords
CRISPR/Cas9, transcriptional activation, long intergenic non-coding RNA, gain-of-function screen, BRAF inhibitor resistance, melanoma, drug resistance, gene expression signatures, gene perturbation
MeSH terms
Genetic Engineering, Genetic Testing, Humans, Indoles, Melanoma, Sulfonamides, Reproducibility of Results, Transcriptional Activation, Gene Library, Up-Regulation, Genome, Human, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, DNA, Complementary, Drug Resistance, Neoplasm, RNA, Untranslated, Cell Line, Tumor, Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf, Genetic Loci, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, CRISPR-Cas Systems, CRISPR-Associated Proteins

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