Considerations and practical implications of performing a phenotypic CRISPR/Cas survival screen

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 17;17(2):e0263262. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263262. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Genome-wide screens that have viability as a readout have been instrumental to identify essential genes. The development of gene knockout screens with the use of CRISPR-Cas has provided a more sensitive method to identify these genes. Here, we performed an exhaustive genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 phenotypic rescue screen to identify modulators of cytotoxicity induced by the pioneer transcription factor, DUX4. Misexpression of DUX4 due to a failure in epigenetic repressive mechanisms underlies facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FHSD), a complex muscle disorder that thus far remains untreatable. As the name implies, FSHD generally starts in the muscles of the face and shoulder girdle. Our CRISPR/Cas9 screen revealed no key effectors other than DUX4 itself that could modulate DUX4 cytotoxicity, suggesting that treatment efforts in FSHD should be directed towards direct modulation of DUX4 itself. Our screen did however reveal some rare and unexpected genomic events, that had an important impact on the interpretation of our data. Our findings may provide important considerations for planning future CRISPR/Cas9 phenotypic survival screens.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • CRISPR-Cas Systems*
  • Cell Survival
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • Homeodomain Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics
  • Homeodomain Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / genetics
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / metabolism
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / pathology*
  • Muscle Cells / metabolism
  • Muscle Cells / pathology*
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral / genetics
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral / metabolism
  • Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral / pathology*
  • Myoblasts / metabolism
  • Myoblasts / pathology*

Substances

  • DUX4L1 protein, human
  • Homeodomain Proteins

Grants and funding

AA was supported by The FSHD Foundation (https://www.fshd.nl) and the SingelSwim Utrecht Foundation (https://www.singelswimutrecht.nl) Funders did not play a role in study design, data collection or publication of the manuscript.