Improving CRISPR-Cas specificity with chemical modifications in single-guide RNAs

• Published in: Nucleic acids research Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 792 - 803
• Main Authors: Ryan, Daniel E, Taussig, David, Steinfeld, Israel, Phadnis, Smruti M, Lunstad, Benjamin D, Singh, Madhurima, Vuong, Xuan, Okochi, Kenji D, McCaffrey, Ryan, Olesiak, Magdalena, Roy, Subhadeep, Yung, Chong Wing, Curry, Bo, Sampson, Jeffrey R, Bruhn, Laurakay, Dellinger, Douglas J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 25-01-2018
• Subjects: Base Sequence; Binding Sites - genetics; CRISPR-Cas Systems; DNA Cleavage; Gene Editing - methods; Humans; K562 Cells; Molecular Biology; Phosphonoacetic Acid - chemistry; RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems - chemistry; RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems - genetics; RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems - metabolism
• ISSN: 0305-1048; 1362-4962
• DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx1199

Abstract
CRISPR systems have emerged as transformative tools for altering genomes in living cells with unprecedented ease, inspiring keen interest in increasing their specificity for perfectly matched targets. We have developed a novel approach for improving specificity by incorporating chemical modifications in guide RNAs (gRNAs) at specific sites in their DNA recognition sequence ('guide sequence') and systematically evaluating their on-target and off-target activities in biochemical DNA cleavage assays and cell-based assays. Our results show that a chemical modification (2′-O-methyl-3′-phosphonoacetate, or 'MP') incorporated at select sites in the ribose-phosphate backbone of gRNAs can dramatically reduce off-target cleavage activities while maintaining high on-target performance, as demonstrated in clinically relevant genes. These findings reveal a unique method for enhancing specificity by chemically modifying the guide sequence in gRNAs. Our approach introduces a versatile tool for augmenting the performance of CRISPR systems for research, industrial and therapeutic applications.