Efficient labeling and imaging of protein-coding genes in living cells using CRISPR-Tag

Nat Commun. 2018 Nov 29;9(1):5065. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-07498-y.

Abstract

The lack of efficient tools to image non-repetitive genes in living cells has limited our ability to explore the functional impact of the spatiotemporal dynamics of such genes. Here, we addressed this issue by developing a CRISPR-Tag system using one to four highly active sgRNAs to specifically label protein-coding genes with a high signal-to-noise ratio for visualization by wide-field fluorescence microscopy. Our approach involves assembling a CRISPR-Tag within the intron region of a fluorescent protein and then integrating this cassette to N- or C-terminus of a specific gene, which enables simultaneous real-time imaging of protein and DNA of human protein-coding genes, such as HIST2H2BE, LMNA and HSPA8 in living cells. This CRISPR-Tag system, with a minimal size of ~250 bp DNA tag, represents an easily and broadly applicable technique to study the spatiotemporal organization of genomic elements in living cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line
  • Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats / genetics*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Introns / genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods*

Substances

  • Luminescent Proteins