Chemical modifications of adenine base editor mRNA and guide RNA expand its application scope

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 1979
• Main Authors: Jiang, Tingting, Henderson, Jordana M., Coote, Kevin, Cheng, Yi, Valley, Hillary C., Zhang, Xiao-Ou, Wang, Qin, Rhym, Luke H., Cao, Yueying, Newby, Gregory A., Bihler, Hermann, Mense, Martin, Weng, Zhiping, Anderson, Daniel G., McCaffrey, Anton P., Liu, David R., Xue, Wen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 24.04.2020; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 13/106; 38/109; 38/22; 38/23; 38/77; 38/88; 42/40; 631/208/4041/3196; 631/61/201/2110; 64/60; 82/80; Adenine; Adenine - chemistry; Alleles; Animal diseases; Animal models; Animals; Cell culture; Cell Line; Codon; Codon, Nonsense; CRISPR; CRISPR-Cas Systems; Cystic Fibrosis - pathology; Editors; Gene Editing; Genetic modification; Genome editing; gRNA; HEK293 Cells; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Mice; mRNA; multidisciplinary; Mutation; Nucleotides; Phenotype; Plasmids; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems - chemistry; RNA, Messenger - chemistry; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Transfection; Uridine - analogs & derivatives; Uridine - chemistry
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15892-8

CRISPR-Cas9-associated base editing is a promising tool to correct pathogenic single nucleotide mutations in research or therapeutic settings. Efficient base editing requires cellular exposure to levels of base editors that can be difficult to attain in hard-to-transfect cells or in vivo. Here we engineer a chemically modified mRNA-encoded adenine base editor that mediates robust editing at various cellular genomic sites together with moderately modified guide RNA, and show its therapeutic potential in correcting pathogenic single nucleotide mutations in cell and animal models of diseases. The optimized chemical modifications of adenine base editor mRNA and guide RNA expand the applicability of CRISPR-associated gene editing tools in vitro and in vivo. Cas9 base editors are promising tools for correcting pathogenic single nucleotide mutations. Here the authors chemically modify mRNA encoding the editor and the gRNA to enhance editing and broaden its application.