CRISPR/Cas9 small promoter deletion in H19 lncRNA is associated with altered cell morphology and proliferation

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 18380 - 10
• Main Authors: da Silva Santos, Renan, Pinheiro, Daniel Pascoalino, Teixeira, Louhanna Pinheiro Rodrigues, Sales, Sarah Leyenne Alves, dos Santos Luciano, Maria Claudia, de Lima Melo, Mayara Magna, Pinheiro, Ronald Feitosa, Tavares, Kaio César Simiano, Furtado, Gilvan Pessoa, Pessoa, Claudia, Furtado, Cristiana Libardi Miranda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 15.09.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/67/68/2486; 631/80/304; Animals; Base Sequence; Binding sites; Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinogenesis; Carcinogenesis - genetics; Cell Cycle - genetics; Cell morphology; Cell Proliferation - genetics; Cell size; Chromosome aberrations; CRISPR; CRISPR-Cas Systems; Cytogenetic Analysis; Cytology; DNA sequencing; Drug resistance; Gene deletion; Gene Editing; Gene expression; Gene Knockdown Techniques; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Metastases; Mice; multidisciplinary; Myoblasts; Neoplasms - genetics; Neoplasms - pathology; Non-coding RNA; Promoter Regions, Genetic; RNA, Long Noncoding - chemistry; RNA, Long Noncoding - genetics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sequence Deletion; Transcription; Tumor suppressor genes; Tumorigenesis
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97058-0

The imprinted H19 long non-coding RNA, a knowing oncofetal gene, presents a controversial role during the carcinogenesis process since its tumor suppressor or oncogenic activity is not completely elucidated. Since H19 lncRNA is involved in many biological pathways related to tumorigenesis, we sought to develop a non-cancer lineage with CRISPR-Cas9-mediated H19 knockdown ( H19 -) and observe the changes in a cellular context. To edit the promoter region of H19 , two RNA guides were designed, and the murine C2C12 myoblast cells were transfected. H19 deletion was determined by DNA sequencing and gene expression by qPCR. We observed a small deletion (~ 60 bp) in the promoter region that presented four predicted transcription binding sites. The deletion reduced H19 expression (30%) and resulted in increased proliferative activity, altered morphological patterns including cell size and intracellular granularity, without changes in viability. The increased proliferation rate in the H19 - cell seems to facilitate chromosomal abnormalities. The H19 - myoblast presented characteristics similar to cancer cells, therefore the H19 lncRNA may be an important gene during the initiation of the tumorigenic process. Due to CRISPR/Cas9 permanent edition, the C2C12 H19 - knockdown cells allows functional studies of H19 roles in tumorigenesis, prognosis, metastases, as well as drug resistance and targeted therapy.