Saturation variant interpretation using CRISPR prime editing
Open accessPublished version of a preprint
Abstract
High-throughput functional characterization of genetic variants in their endogenous locus has so far been possible only with methods that rely on homology-directed repair, which are limited by low editing efficiencies. Here, we adapted CRISPR prime editing for high-throughput variant classification and combined it with a strategy that allows for haploidization of any locus, which simplifies variant interpretation. We demonstrate the utility of saturation prime editing (SPE) by applying it to the NPC intracellular cholesterol transporter 1 gene (NPC1), mutations in which cause the lysosomal storage disorder Niemann-Pick disease type C. Our data suggest that NPC1 is very sensitive to genetic perturbation, with 410 of 706 assayed missense mutations being classified as deleterious, and that the derived function score of variants is reflective of diverse molecular defects. We further applied our approach to the BRCA2 gene, demonstrating that SPE is translatable to other genes with an appropriate cellular assay. In sum, we show that SPE allows for efficient, accurate functional characterization of genetic variants.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Each pegRNA directs editing to the target locus and provides the reverse-transcription template needed to install the programmed variant at the endogenous site.
“Each pegRNA directs editing to the target locus and provides the reverse-transcription template needed to install the programmed variant at the endogenous site (56, 57) (Fig. 2B).”
From Massively parallel functional genomic assays in endocrinology: from promise to delivery (2026) · cites this paper as [57]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Genome engineering using the CRISPR-Cas9 system
Ran, F. A., Hsu, P. D., Wright, J., Agarwala, V., Scott, D. A., & Zhang, F. (2013) · Nature Protocols · doi:10.1038/nprot.2013.143 · Cited by 11,133 · see citing works
DNA targeting specificity of RNA-guided Cas9 nucleases
Hsu, P. D., Scott, D. A., Weinstein, J. A., Ran, F. A., Konermann, S., Agarwala, V., Li, Y., Fine, E. J., Wu, X., Shalem, O., et al. (2013) · Nature Biotechnology · doi:10.1038/nbt.2647 · Cited by 4,741 · see citing works
Deep mutational scanning: a new style of protein science
Fowler, D. M., & Fields, S. (2014) · Nature Methods · doi:10.1038/nmeth.3027 · Cited by 1,287 · see citing works
Unconstrained genome targeting with near-PAMless engineered CRISPR-Cas9 variants
Walton, R. T., Christie, K. A., Whittaker, M. N., & Kleinstiver, B. P. (2020) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aba8853 · Cited by 1,233 · see citing works
Efficient introduction of specific homozygous and heterozygous mutations using CRISPR/Cas9
Paquet, D., Kwart, D., Chen, A., Sproul, A., Jacob, S., Teo, S., Olsen, K. M., Gregg, A., Noggle, S., & Tessier-Lavigne, M. (2016) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature17664 · Cited by 951 · see citing works
Genome-wide binding of the CRISPR endonuclease Cas9 in mammalian cells
Wu, X., Scott, D. A., Kriz, A. J., Chiu, A. C., Hsu, P. D., Dadon, D. B., Cheng, A. W., Trevino, A. E., Konermann, S., Chen, S., et al. (2014) · Nature Biotechnology · doi:10.1038/nbt.2889 · Cited by 944 · see citing works
Massively parallel assessment of human variants with base editor screens
Hanna, R. E., Hegde, M., Fagre, C. R., DeWeirdt, P. C., Sangree, A. K., Szegletes, Z., Griffith, A., Feeley, M. N., Sanson, K. R., Baidi, Y., et al. (2021) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.012 · Cited by 316 · see citing works
Massively parallel assessment of human variants with base editor screens
Hanna, R. E., Hegde, M., Fagre, C. R., DeWeirdt, P. C., Sangree, A. K., Szegletes, Z., Griffith, A., Feeley, M. N., Sanson, K. R., Baidi, Y., et al. (2020) · doi:10.1101/2020.05.17.100818 · Cited by 314 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 45
- Cooper, G. M. Parlez-vous VUS? Genome Res 25, 1423-1426, doi:10.1101/gr.190116.115 (2015). · DOI
- Starita, L. M. et al. Variant Interpretation: Functional Assays to the Rescue. Am J Hum Genet 101, 315-325, doi:10.1016/j.ajhg.2017.07.014 (2017). · DOI · Paper page
- Majithia, A. R. et al. Prospective functional classification of all possible missense variants in PPARG. Nat Genet 48, 1570-1575, doi:10.1038/ng.3700 (2016). · DOI · Paper page
- Sun, S. et al. A proactive genotype-to-patient-phenotype map for cystathionine beta-synthase. Genome Med 12, 13, doi:10.1186/s13073-020-0711-1 (2020). · DOI
- Findlay, G. M., Boyle, E. A., Hause, R. J., Klein, J. C. & Shendure, J. Saturation editing of genomic regions by multiplex homology-directed repair. Nature 513, 120-123, doi:10.1038/nature13695 (2014). · DOI · Paper page
- Findlay, G. M. et al. Accurate classification of BRCA1 variants with saturation genome editing. Nature 562, 217-222, doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0461-z (2018). · DOI · Paper page
- Meitlis, I. et al. Multiplexed Functional Assessment of Genetic Variants in CARD11. Am J Hum Genet 107, 1029-1043, doi:10.1016/j.ajhg.2020.10.015 (2020). · DOI
- Kweon, J. et al. A CRISPR-based base-editing screen for the functional assessment of BRCA1 variants. Oncogene 39, 30-35, doi:10.1038/s41388-019- 0968-2 (2020). · DOI
- Anzalone, A. V. et al. Search-and-replace genome editing without double-strand breaks or donor DNA. Nature 576, 149-157, doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1711-4 (2019). · DOI · Paper page
- Carette, J. E. et al. Haploid genetic screens in human cells identify host factors used by pathogens. Science 326, 1231-1235, doi:10.1126/science.1178955 (2009). · DOI
- Vanier, M. T. Niemann-Pick disease type C. Orphanet J Rare Dis 5, 16, doi:10.1186/1750-1172-5-16 (2010). · DOI · Paper page
- Wassif, C. A. et al. High incidence of unrecognized visceral/neurological late- onset Niemann-Pick disease, type C1, predicted by analysis of massively parallel sequencing data sets. Genet Med 18, 41-48, doi:10.1038/gim.2015.25 (2016). · DOI
- Lin, Y. C. et al. Genome dynamics of the human embryonic kidney 293 lineage in response to cell biology manipulations. Nat Commun 5, 4767, doi:10.1038/ncomms5767 (2014). · DOI
- Cong, L. et al. Multiplex genome engineering using CRISPR/Cas systems. Science 339, 819-823, doi:10.1126/science.1231143 (2013). · DOI · Paper page
- Duan, J. et al. Genome-wide identification of CRISPR/Cas9 off-targets in human genome. Cell Res 24, 1009-1012, doi:10.1038/cr.2014.87 (2014). · DOI · Paper page
- Rose, J. C. et al. Suppression of unwanted CRISPR-Cas9 editing by co- administration of catalytically inactivating truncated guide RNAs. Nat Commun 11, 2697, doi:10.1038/s41467-020-16542-9 (2020). · DOI
- Coelho, M. A. et al. CRISPR GUARD protects off-target sites from Cas9 nuclease activity using short guide RNAs. Nat Commun 11, 4132, doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17952-5 (2020). · DOI
- Kopitz, J., Gerhard, C., Hofler, P. & Cantz, M. [14C]Methylamine accumulation in cultured human skin fibroblasts--a biochemical test for lysosomal storage and lysosomal diseases. Clin Chim Acta 227, 121-133, doi:10.1016/0009- 8981(94)90141-4 (1994). · DOI
- Lachmann, R. H. et al. Treatment with miglustat reverses the lipid-trafficking defect in Niemann-Pick disease type C. Neurobiol Dis 16, 654-658, doi:10.1016/j.nbd.2004.05.002 (2004). · DOI
- te Vruchte, D. et al. Relative acidic compartment volume as a lysosomal storage disorder-associated biomarker. J Clin Invest 124, 1320-1328, doi:10.1172/JCI72835 (2014). · DOI
- Xu, M. et al. A phenotypic compound screening assay for lysosomal storage diseases. J Biomol Screen 19, 168-175, doi:10.1177/1087057113501197 (2014). · DOI
- Millat, G. et al. Niemann-Pick C1 disease: the I1061T substitution is a frequent mutant allele in patients of Western European descent and correlates with a classic juvenile phenotype. Am J Hum Genet 65, 1321-1329, doi:10.1086/302626 (1999). · DOI
- Millat, G. et al. Niemann-Pick C1 disease: correlations between NPC1 mutations, levels of NPC1 protein, and phenotypes emphasize the functional significance of the putative sterol-sensing domain and of the cysteine-rich luminal loop. Am J Hum Genet 68, 1373-1385, doi:10.1086/320606 (2001). · DOI
- Dardis, A. et al. Molecular Genetics of Niemann-Pick Type C Disease in Italy: An Update on 105 Patients and Description of 18 NPC1 Novel Variants. J Clin Med 9, doi:10.3390/jcm9030679 (2020). · DOI
- Millat, G. et al. Niemann-Pick C disease: use of denaturing high performance liquid chromatography for the detection of NPC1 and NPC2 genetic variations and impact on management of patients and families. Mol Genet Metab 86, 220- 232, doi:10.1016/j.ymgme.2005.07.007 (2005). · DOI
- Greer, W. L. et al. Mutations in NPC1 highlight a conserved NPC1-specific cysteine-rich domain. Am J Hum Genet 65, 1252-1260, doi:10.1086/302620 (1999). · DOI
- Anzalone, A. V., Koblan, L. W. & Liu, D. R. Genome editing with CRISPR-Cas nucleases, base editors, transposases and prime editors. Nat Biotechnol 38, 824-844, doi:10.1038/s41587-020-0561-9 (2020). · DOI · Paper page
- Kim, H. K. et al. Predicting the efficiency of prime editing guide RNAs in human cells. Nat Biotechnol 39, 198-206, doi:10.1038/s41587-020-0677-y (2021). · DOI
- Rentzsch, P., Witten, D., Cooper, G. M., Shendure, J. & Kircher, M. CADD: predicting the deleteriousness of variants throughout the human genome. Nucleic Acids Res 47, D886-D894, doi:10.1093/nar/gky1016 (2019). · DOI · Paper page
- Gelsthorpe, M. E. et al. Niemann-Pick type C1 I1061T mutant encodes a functional protein that is selected for endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation due to protein misfolding. J Biol Chem 283, 8229-8236, doi:10.1074/jbc.M708735200 (2008). · DOI
- Zampieri, S., Bembi, B., Rosso, N., Filocamo, M. & Dardis, A. Treatment of Human Fibroblasts Carrying NPC1 Missense Mutations with MG132 Leads to an Improvement of Intracellular Cholesterol Trafficking. JIMD Rep 2, 59-69, doi:10.1007/8904_2011_49 (2012). · DOI
- Watari, H. et al. Mutations in the leucine zipper motif and sterol-sensing domain inactivate the Niemann-Pick C1 glycoprotein. J Biol Chem 274, 21861-21866, doi:10.1074/jbc.274.31.21861 (1999). · DOI
- Kuchenbaecker, K. B. et al. Risks of Breast, Ovarian, and Contralateral Breast Cancer for BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutation Carriers. JAMA 317, 2402-2416, doi:10.1001/jama.2017.7112 (2017). · DOI · Paper page
- Olopade, O. I. & Artioli, G. Efficacy of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy in women with BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 mutations. Breast J 10 Suppl 1, S5-9, doi:10.1111/j.1524-4741.2004.101s3.x (2004). · DOI
- Rebbeck, T. R. et al. Bilateral prophylactic mastectomy reduces breast cancer risk in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers: the PROSE Study Group. J Clin Oncol 22, 1055-1062, doi:10.1200/JCO.2004.04.188 (2004). · DOI · Paper page
- Hart, S. N. et al. Comprehensive annotation of BRCA1 and BRCA2 missense variants by functionally validated sequence-based computational prediction models. Genet Med 21, 71-80, doi:10.1038/s41436-018-0018-4 (2019). · DOI
- Kweon, J. et al. Engineered prime editors with PAM flexibility. Mol Ther, doi:10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.02.022 (2021). · DOI
- Liu, P. et al. Improved prime editors enable pathogenic allele correction and cancer modelling in adult mice. Nat Commun 12, 2121, doi:10.1038/s41467-021- 22295-w (2021). · DOI
- Hua, K., Jiang, Y., Tao, X. & Zhu, J. K. Precision genome engineering in rice using prime editing system. Plant Biotechnol J 18, 2167-2169, doi:10.1111/pbi.13395 (2020). · DOI
- Erwood, S. et al. Modeling Niemann-Pick disease type C in a human haploid cell line allows for patient variant characterization and clinical interpretation. Genome Res 29, 2010-2019, doi:10.1101/gr.250720.119 (2019). · DOI
- Koblan, L. W. et al. Improving cytidine and adenine base editors by expression optimization and ancestral reconstruction. Nat Biotechnol 36, 843-846, doi:10.1038/nbt.4172 (2018). · DOI · Paper page
- Labun, K. et al. CHOPCHOP v3: expanding the CRISPR web toolbox beyond genome editing. Nucleic Acids Res 47, W171-W174, doi:10.1093/nar/gkz365 (2019). · DOI
- Kluesner, M. G. et al. EditR: A Method to Quantify Base Editing from Sanger Sequencing. CRISPR J 1, 239-250, doi:10.1089/crispr.2018.0014 (2018). · DOI · Paper page
- Robinson, J. T. et al. Integrative genomics viewer. Nat Biotechnol 29, 24-26, doi:10.1038/nbt.1754 (2011). · DOI · Paper page
- Comaniciu, D. & Meer, P. Mean shift: a robust approach toward feature space analysis. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence 24, 603-619, doi:10.1109/34.1000236 (2002). · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Designing and executing prime editing experiments in mammalian cells
Doman, J. L., Sousa, A. A., Randolph, P. B., Chen, P. J., & Liu, D. R. (2022) · Nature Protocols · doi:10.1038/s41596-022-00724-4 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Recent advances in prime editing technologies and their promises for therapeutic applications
Zeng, H., Daniel, T. C., Lingineni, A., Chee, K., Talloo, K., & Gao, X. (2024) · Current Opinion in Biotechnology · doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103071 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Evolution of prime editing systems: move forward to the treatment of hereditary diseases
Volodina, O. V., Fabrichnikova, A. R., Anuchina, A. A., Mishina, O. S., Lavrov, A. V., & Smirnikhina, S. A. (2025) · Current Gene Therapy · doi:10.2174/0115665232295117240405070809 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Massively parallel functional genomic assays in endocrinology: from promise to delivery
Xu, J., Aslanzadeh, V., Kudla, G., & Semple, R. K. (2026) · Journal of Molecular Endocrinology · doi:10.1530/jme-25-0134
- Authors
- Erwood, S., Bily, T. M. I., Lequyer, J., Yan, J., Gulati, N., Brewer, R. A., Zhou, L., Pelletier, L., Ivakine, E. A., & Cohn, R. D.
- Affiliations
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Hospital for Sick Children (CA)
- Mount Sinai Hospital (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Ivakine, Evgueni A.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Nature Biotechnology
- Published
- 2022-02-21
- Volume
- 40
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 885-895
- ISSN
- 0733-222X (ISSN-L)
- 1087-0156
- 1546-1696
- OpenAlex
- W4226280654
- Cited by
- 163
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 54 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 5
- FWCI
- 11.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- Nature Biotechnology (publishedVersion)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Pennsylvania Orphan Disease Center in partnership with The Andrew Coppola Foundation
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genomics and Rare Diseases
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Lysosomal Storage Disorders Research
- Keywords
- variant interpretation, haploidization, NPC1, Niemann-Pick disease type C, missense mutations, deleterious mutation prediction, BRCA2, lysosomal storage disease
- MeSH terms
- Niemann-Pick C1 Protein, Humans, Mutation, Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Niemann-Pick Disease, Type C, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review