Construction of Multiple Guide RNAs in CRISPR/Cas9 Vector Using Stepwise or Simultaneous Golden Gate Cloning: Case Study for Targeting the <i>FAD2</i> and <i>FATB</i> Multigene in Soybean

Abstract

CRISPR/Cas9 is a commonly used technique in reverse-genetics research to knock out a gene of interest. However, when targeting a multigene family or multiple genes, it is necessary to construct a vector with multiple single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) that can navigate the Cas9 protein to the target site. In this protocol, the Golden Gate cloning method was used to generate multiple sgRNAs in the Cas9 vector. The vectors used were pHEE401E_UBQ_Bar and pBAtC_tRNA, which employ a one-promoter/one-sgRNA and a polycistronic-tRNA-gRNA strategy, respectively. Golden Gate cloning was performed with type IIS restriction enzymes to generate gRNA polymers for vector inserts. Four sgRNAs containing the pHEE401E_UBQ_Bar vector and four to six sgRNAs containing the pBAtC_tRNA vector were constructed. In practice, we constructed multiple sgRNAs targeting multiple genes of FAD2 and FATB in soybean using this protocol. These three vectors were transformed into soybeans using the Agrobacterium-mediated method. Using deep sequencing, we confirmed that the T0 generation transgenic soybean was edited at various indel ratios in the predicted target regions of the FAD2 and FATB multigenes. This protocol is a specific guide that allows researchers to easily follow the cloning of multiple sgRNAs into commonly used CRISPR/Cas9 vectors for plants.

Keywords

• CRISPR/Cas9
• multiple sgRNA
• polycistronic-tRNA-gRNA
• Golden Gate cloning
• type IIS restriction enzyme
• <i>FAD2</i>