Modification of improved-genome editing via oviductal nucleic acids delivery (i-GONAD)-mediated knock-in in rats

BACKGROUND: Improved genome-editing via oviductal nucleic acids delivery (i-GONAD) is a new technology that facilitates in situ genome-editing of mammalian zygotes exiting the oviductal lumen. The i-GONAD technology has been developed for use in mice, rats, and hamsters; however, oligonucleotide (ODN)-based knock-in (KI) is more inefficient in rats than mice. To improve the efficiency of i-GONAD in rats we examined KI efficiency using three guide RNAs (gRNA), crRNA1, crRNA2 and crRNA3. These gRNAs recognize different portions of the target locus, but also overlap each other in the target locus. We also examined the effects of commercially available KI -enhancing drugs (including SCR7, L755,507, RS-1, and HDR enhancer) on i-GONAD-mediated KI efficiency. RESULTS: The KI efficiency in rat fetuses generated after i-GONAD with crRNA2 and single-stranded ODN was significantly higher (24%) than crRNA1 (5%; p < 0.05) or crRNA3 (0%; p < 0.01). The KI efficiency of i-GONAD with triple gRNAs was 11%. These findings suggest that KI efficiency largely depends on the type of gRNA used. Furthermore, the KI efficiency drugs, SCR7, L755,507 and HDR enhancer, all of which are known to enhance KI efficiency, increased KI efficiency using the i-GONAD with crRNA1 protocol. In contrast, only L755,507 (15 μM) increased KI efficiency using the i-GONAD with crRNA2 protocol. None of them were significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: We attempted to improve the KI efficiency of i-GONAD in rats. We demonstrated that the choice of gRNA is important for determining KI efficiency and insertion and deletion rates. Some drugs (e.g. SCR7, L755,507 and HDR enhancer) that are known to increase KI efficiency in culture cells were found to be effective in i-GONAD in rats, but their effects were limited. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12896-021-00723-5.