Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences (Mar 2021)
Transcriptional Inhibition of lncRNA gadd7 by CRISPR/dCas9-KRAB Protects Spermatocyte Viability
Abstract
Our previous study found that lncRNA gadd7 was up-regulated in the semen of varicocele patients, and could promote the apoptosis of mouse spermatocytes and inhibit their proliferation. Therefore, we further explored whether down-regulation of Gadd seven expression could protect the viability of spermatocytes. Here we designed specific sgRNAs targeting the ORF region of gadd7, and constructed a CRISPR-dCas9-KRAB system that effectively inhibits gadd7 at the transcriptional level. The CRISPRi system can effectively prevent the apoptosis of spermatocytes and enhance their proliferation, which is expected to provide a potentially effective molecular intervention method for the treatment of male infertility caused by varicocele.
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