1724. Plasmid-free CRISPR-Cas9 System for Genetic Engineering of Rhizopus delemar

BACKGROUND: Mucormycosis is a serious infection caused by fungi of the order Mucorales. Rhizopus delemar is the most common etiologic agent of mucormycosis. Pathogenesis studies of mucormycosis have been hampered by poor genetic trackability of the organism, owing to rare chromosomal integration events and multinucleated nature of the cells. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated nuclease 9 (Cas9) system has been widely used in genetic manipulation through efficient homologous and non-homologous break points in a variety of organisms including R. delemar. However, plasmid-free CRISPR/Cas9 system has not been previously described in the fungus. Here, we introduce a rapid plasmid-free system for inducing orotidine 5’-phosphate decarboxylase (pyrF) gene mutation in R. delemar. METHODS: Protoplasts of R. delemar 99–880 strain were transformed with 20 nucleotide gRNA targeting the N-terminus of pyrF gene and the Cas9 enzyme. Screening for pyrF auxotrophy was carried out by plating transformed protoplasts on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates containing 1 mg/mL 5-fluoroorotic acid (5-FOA) and 100 µg/mL uracil. Putative mutant strains were selected for uracil auxotrophy by plating simultaneously on media with or without uracil. pyrF disruption was verified by using PCR and qRT–PCR. RESULTS: Approximately100 transformants were generated through plating on 5-FOA plates. Only three transformants did not grow on minimal medium lacking uracil, indicating that they were true pyrF null mutants. PCR analysis showed that these three transformants have undergone nucleotide deletion events within the pyrF gene. The lack of pyrF gene expression was further verified by using qRT–PCR relative to wild-type R. delemar 99–880. CONCLUSION: Similar to the plasmid-based genome manipulation strategy, the plasmid-free CRISPR/Cas9 system can induce gene editing in R. delemar. This rapid and simple approach adds an additional tool in our conquest to understand pathogenesis of mucormycosis. DISCLOSURES: All authors: No reported disclosures.