Project description:PARP7 is a monoPARP that catalyzes the transfer of single units of ADP-ribose onto substrates to change their function. PARP7 expression is increased by aromatic hydrocarbons and cellular stress, and the PARP7 gene is amplified in cancers, especially in those of the upper aerodigestive tract. PARP7 is a negative regulator of nucleic acid sensing in tumor cells. Inhibition of PARP7 restores Type I IFN signaling responses to nucleic acids in tumor models. Restored signaling can directly inhibit cell proliferation and activate the immune system, both of which contribute to tumor regression. RBN-2397 is a potent and selective inhibitor of PARP7. To further explore how RBN-2397 inhibits NCI-H1373 cell proliferation, we performed unbiased genetic screens using whole-genome CRISPRi and CRISPRa libraries (le Sage et al., 2017; Jost and Weissman, 2018). Comparison of CRISPRi and CRISPRa phenotype scores highlights genes with opposing functionality upon RBN-2397 treatment.
Project description:To delineate cellular pathways underlying cell growth in the absence of sphingolipid syntehsis, we performed a genome-wide CRISPRi screen to identify genetic modifiers of myriocin sensitivity in human K562 cells.
Project description:The high mutation rate across the whole melanoma genome provides a major challenge in stratifying true driver events from the background mutations. Many non-coding recurrent events, such as those occurred in enhancer, can shape tumor evolution, emphasizing the importance in systematically deciphering enhancer disruptions in melanoma. Here, we leveraged 297 melanoma whole-genome sequencing (WGS) samples to prioritize highly recurrent regions (HRRs). By performing a genome-scale CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screen on HRR-associated enhancers in melanoma cells, we identified 66 significant hits which could have tumor-suppressive roles. These functional enhancers show unique mutational patterns independent of classical significantly mutated genes in melanoma. Target gene analysis for the essential enhancers revealed many known and hidden mechanisms underlying melanoma development. We demonstrated that a super enhancer element could modulate melanoma cell proliferation by targeting MEF2A and another distal enhancer was able to sustain PTEN tumor-suppressive potential via long-range interaction. Our study established a catalogue of crucial enhancers and their target genes in melanoma development and progression, which illuminates the identification of novel mechanism of dysregulation for melanoma driver genes and new therapeutic targeting strategy.
Project description:Introduction: Glioblastoma (GBM) invasion studies have focused on coding genes, while few studies evaluate long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), transcripts without protein-coding potential, for role in GBM invasion. We leveraged CRISPR-interference (CRISPRi) to evaluate invasive function of GBM-associated lncRNAs in an unbiased functional screen, characterizing and exploring the mechanism of identified candidates. Methods: We implemented a CRISPRi lncRNA loss-of-function screen evaluating association of lncRNA knockdown (KD) with invasion capacity in Matrigel. Top screen candidates were validated using CRISPRi and oligonucleotide(ASO)-mediated knockdown in three tumor lines. Clinical relevance of candidates was assessed via The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression(GTEx) survival analysis. Mediators of lncRNA effect were identified via differential expression analysis following lncRNA KD and assessed for tumor invasion using knockdown and rescue experiments. Results: Forty-eight lncRNAs were significantly associated with 33-83% decrease in invasion (p<0.01) upon knockdown. The top candidate, LINC03045, identified from effect size and p-value, demonstrated 82.7% decrease in tumor cell invasion upon knockdown, while LINC03045 expression was significantly associated with patient survival and tumor grade(p<0.0001). RNAseq analysis of LINC03045 knockdown revealed that WASF3, previously implicated in tumor invasion studies, was highly correlated with lncRNA expression, while WASF3 KD was associated with significant decrease in invasion. Finally, WASF3 overexpression demonstrated rescue of invasive function lost with LINC03045 KD. Conclusion: CRISPRi screening identified LINC03045, a previously unannotated lncRNA, as critical to GBM invasion. Gene expression is significantly associated with tumor grade and survival. RNA-seq and mechanistic studies suggest that this novel lncRNA may regulate invasion via WASF3.
Project description:To nominate identify tissues relevant to the etiology of bone mineral density we generated ATAC-seq in pediatric hMSC-osteoblasts, hFOB 1.19 cells (hFOBs), osteoclasts, and primary chondrocytes. Leveraging the results of this experiment, we designed a CRISPRi screen in hFOBs with scRNA-seq expression read out. The targets selected for the screen were informed by newly generated Capture-C and bulk RNA-seq from hFOBs.
Project description:CRISPRi-mediated transcriptional inhibition of CPT1 with two distinct sgRNAs in NCI-H460 lung cancer cells, to investigate the dynamics of gene expression regulation upon CPT1 knockdown.