RRC ID 29210
Author Treen N, Yoshida K, Sakuma T, Sasaki H, Kawai N, Yamamoto T, Sasakura Y.
Title Tissue-specific and ubiquitous gene knockouts by TALEN electroporation provide new approaches to investigating gene function in Ciona.
Journal Development
Abstract Custom designed nucleases can simplify gene targeting experiments and have the potential to allow these techniques to be performed in a wide range of organisms. Transcriptional activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) are starting to fulfill this potential with the advantages of low cost and fast construction times. Here, we report that TALENs are highly effective at inducing mutations in specific genomic loci in the ascidian chordate Ciona intestinalis. In Ciona there are well-established methods to introduce exogenous DNA by electroporation, and we show that this method can be used to introduce constructs that can express TALENs ubiquitously or in specific tissues. Our current protocols enable the rapid analysis of hundreds of TALEN-induced mutants. TALEN electroporations result in a high rate of mutations. These mutations can result in gene knockouts that recapitulate previously described functions of Fgf3 and Hox12. We show that TALENs can work efficiently to cause tissue-specific knockouts and demonstrate this by knocking out Hox12 in the epidermis and Fgf3 in neural tissues. We also use tissue-specific knockouts to reveal a new function of Fgf3 during ascidian larval metamorphosis.
Volume 141(2)
Pages 481-7
Published 2014-1-1
DOI 10.1242/dev.099572
PII dev.099572
PMID 24353063
MeSH Animals Base Sequence Ciona intestinalis / embryology Ciona intestinalis / genetics* Ciona intestinalis / metabolism DNA / genetics Deoxyribonucleases / genetics Deoxyribonucleases / metabolism Electroporation / methods* Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental Gene Knockout Techniques / methods* Genetic Engineering / methods Molecular Sequence Data Mutagenesis Tissue Distribution
IF 5.611
Times Cited 44
WOS Category DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
Resource
C.intestinalis / (O.japonicus) Wild C. int