Functional genomics and programmed genome editing of omega-1 of the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni

Abstract

CRISPR/Cas9 based genome editing has yet been reported in parasitic or indeed any species of the phylum Platyhelminthes. We tested this approach by targeting omega-1 ({omega}1) of Schistosoma mansoni as a proof of principle. This secreted ribonuclease is crucial for Th2 priming and granuloma formation, providing informative immuno-pathological readouts for programmed genome editing. Schistosome eggs were either exposed to Cas9 complexed with a synthetic guide RNA (sgRNA) complementary to exon 6 of {omega}1 by electroporation or transduced with pseudotyped lentivirus encoding Cas9 and the sgRNA. Some eggs were also transduced with a single stranded oligodeoxynucleotide donor transgene that encoded six stop codons, flanked by 50 nt-long 5-and 3-microhomology arms matching the predicted Cas9-catalyzed double stranded break (DSB) within {omega}1. CRISPResso analysis of amplicons spanning the DSB revealed [~]4.5% of the reads were mutated by insertions, deletions and/or substitutions, with an efficiency for homology directed repair of 0.19% insertion of the donor transgene. Transcripts encoding {omega}1 were reduced >80% and lysates of {omega}1-edited eggs displayed diminished ribonuclease activity indicative that programmed editing mutated the {omega}1 gene. Whereas lysates of wild type eggs polarized Th2 cytokine responses including IL-4 and IL-5 in human macrophage/T cell co-cultures, diminished levels of the cytokines followed the exposure to lysates of {omega}1-mutated schistosome eggs. Following injection of schistosome eggs into the tail vein of mice, the volume of pulmonary granulomas surrounding {omega}1-mutated eggs was 18-fold smaller than wild type eggs. Programmed genome editing was active in schistosomes, Cas9-catalyzed chromosomal breakage was repaired by homology directed repair and/or non-homologous end joining, and mutation of {omega}1 impeded the capacity of schistosome eggs both to drive Th2 polarization and to provoke formation of pulmonary circumoval granulomas. Knock-out of {omega}1 and the impaired immunological phenotype showcase the novel application of programmed gene editing in and functional genomics for schistosomes.