CRISPR Concatemer-Mediated Multiple Gene Knockout: A Technique to Simultaneously Knockout Multiple Genes by Non-Homologous End-Joining Pathway in Mouse Intestinal Cells

Abstract

Source: Merenda, A. et al., A Protocol for Multiple Gene Knockout in Mouse Small Intestinal Organoids Using a CRISPR-concatemer. J. Vis. Exp. (2017).

This video describes a gene knockout technique using a CRISPR-concatemer to simultaneously knock out multiple genes in cultured mouse intestinal organoid cells. This method is used to knock out a diseased gene and to elucidate the function of a gene and its paralogues.

Protocol

1. gRNA Design for the CRISPR-concatemer Vector

NOTE: The aim of this section is to explain how to opt for the best targeting strategy and how to design gRNAs containing specific overhangs for the CRISPR-concatemer vector.

1. Design gRNAs against the genes of interest using a CRISPR gRNA design tool of choice. See the Table of Materials for an example.
   NOTE: When targeting a pair of paralogous genes, although it is possible to design one gRNA per gene, it is advisable to design two gRNAs per gene to increase the chances of achieving a double knockout (

Results

Figure 1: Schematic Representation of the CRISPR-concatemer with 4 Cassettes. Scheme of the 4 gRNA-concatemer vectors with each 400 bp cassette containing a U6 promoter, two inverted repeated BbsI sites (also indicated as BB) and gRNA scaffold in this .......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Optimized CRISPR Design Tool 	Feng Zhang group 		CRISPR gRNA design tool; http://crispr.mit.edu/
Webcutter 2.0 			restriction mapping tool; http://rna.lundberg.gu.se/cutter2/
T4 PNK (Polynucleotide Kinase) 	New England Biolabs 	M0201L
T4 DNA ligase buffer 	New England Biolabs 	M0202S
T7 DNA Ligase 	New England Biolabs	 M0318L
DTT (dithiothreitol) 	Promega 	P1171
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) 	New England Biolabs 	P0756S
FastDigest BbsI (BpiI) 	Thermo Fisher 	FD1014
Tango buffer (BSA-containing restriction enzyme buffer)	Thermo Fisher 	BY5
BglII 	New England Biolabs 	R0144
EcoRI 	New England Biolabs 	R0101
Plasmid-safe exonuclease 	Cambio 	E3101K
Thermal cycler 	Applied biosystems 	4359659
10G competent E. coli bacteria 	Cambridge Bioscience 	60108-1
Advanced DMEM/F12(cell culture medium)	Invitrogen 	12634-034
Glutamax (L-Glutamine) 	100x Invitrogen 	35050-068
HEPES 1 M (buffering agent) 	Invitrogen 	15630-056
Penicillin-streptomycin 100x 	Invitrogen 	15140-122
B27 supplement (Neuronal cell serum-free supplement) 50x	Invitrogen 	17504-044
N2 supplement (Neuronal cell serum-free supplement) 100x	Invitrogen 	17502-048
n-Acetylcysteine 500 mM 	Sigma-Aldrich 	A9165-5G
Mouse EGF 500 μg/mL 	Invitrogen Biosource 	PMG8043
Mouse Noggin 100 μg/mL 	Peprotech	 250-38
Nicotinamide 1 M 	Sigma 	N0636
R-Spondin conditioned medium 	n.a. 	n.a. 	Produced in house from HEK293 cells, for details see Sato and Clevers 2013
Wnt conditioned medium	n.a. 	n.a. 	Produced in house from HEK293 cells, for details see Sato and Clevers 2014
Y-27632 10 μM 	Sigma-Aldrich 	Y0503-1MG
Standard BD Matrigel matrix 	BD Biosciences	356231
48-well Plate 	Greiner Bio One 	677980
CHIR99021 	Sigma-Aldrich 	A3734-1MG
IWP-2 	Cell Guidance Systems 	SM39-10
TrypLE (recombinant protease)	 Invitrogen 	12605-010
Opti-MEM (reduced serum medium)	Life technologies	 51985-034
Electroporation Cuvettes 2 mm gap 	NepaGene 	EC-002S
Low binding 15 mL tubes 	Sigma-Aldrich 	CLS430791
Bürker’s chamber 	Sigma-Aldrich	 BR719520-1EA
NEPA21 Super Electroporator 	NepaGene 	contact supplier
Protein LoBind tubes low binding	Thermo Fisher 	10708704
BTXpress electroporation buffer 	Harvard Apparatus 	45-0805
DMSO (Dimethyl sulfoxide)	 AppliChem	 A3672