(A) Screening of ZFNs-directed against nucleotide 209 of exon 3 of human α-synuclein. ZFNs mediated disruption of target locus was measured by the Surveyor/Cel-1 assay. Red arrow indicates expected Cel-1 digest product. The frequency of gene disruption of each ZFN pair is indicated below each lane (GFP indicates GFP transfected negative control). All ZFNs were linked to wild-type FokI, except pair SNCA-L1/R3, which was linked to an obligate heterodimer form of the Fok1 endonuclease (ELD-KKR)
(B) Schematic overview depicting the genomic α-synuclein locus (SNCA) and the targeting strategy showing exons (blue boxes), restriction sites and location of external and internal southern blot probes (red bars). Enlarged sequence indicates ZFNs induced cut site at base 209 in exon 3 of α-synuclein (red base pair) and insertion site of loxP-site-flanked pGK-puro selection cassette (red box). Shown below is a schematic of the donor plasmid design for either positive selection (Syn-A53T-loxP-pGK-puro-loxP) or positive-negative selection (Syn-A53T-loxP-pGK-puro-loxP-HSV-TK-DT-A) and targeted genomic locus before and after Cre-excision of the selection cassette. Donor plasmids comprise ~600 bp homology on each side of the ZFN cut. pGK-promoter, phosphoglycerol kinase promoter; puro, puromycin resistance gene; pGKpolyA, polyadenylation sequence; HSV-TK, herpes simplex virus thymide kinase; pGK-DT-A-pA, diphteria toxin A-chain.
(C) Southern blot analysis of hESC line WIBR3 targeted with donor plasmid Syn-A53T-loxP-pGK-puro-loxP before (WIBR3-SNCAA53T/WT-1) and after (WIBR3-SNCAA53T/WT-1C) Cre-mediated excision of the selection cassette. Genomic DNA was digested with indicated enzymes and hybridized with the external 3′ and 5′ probe and internal 3′ probe. Fragment sizes for each digest are indicated.
(D) Sequencing of genomic α-synuclein locus in hESC line WIBR3-SNCAA53T/WT-1C showing either wild-type (G209, blue base) or targeted mutant (A209, red base) sequence. Targeted allele contains the remaining loxP site after Cre-mediated excision of selection cassette.
(E) Immunofluorescence staining of WIBR3-SNCAA53T/WT-1C for the pluripotency markers OCT4, NANOG, SOX2, Tra-1-60, Tra-1-81 and SSEA4.
(F) Hematoxylin and eosin staining of teratoma sections generated from WIBR3-SNCAA53T/WT-1C cells.
(G) Immunofluorescence staining of neuronal cultures derived from WIBR3-SNCAA53T/WT-1C cells 10 days after induction of differentiation for neuron specific class III β-tubulin (TUJ1; green) and the dopaminergic neuron specific marker tyrosine hydroxylase (TH; red).
(H) Mutation analysis RT-PCR of α-synuclein transcript (+/−Tsp45I restriction digest) in indicated cell lines. (A53T mutation creates additional Tsp45I restriction site). Expected fragment size after Tsp45I digest: wild-type transcript, 249/218/24/9 bp; A53T transcript 249/185/33/24/9 bp (A53T and wild-type (wt) derived restriction fragments are indicated by red arrows).
(I) Southern blot analysis of WIBR3 cells targeted with donor plasmid Syn-A53T-loxP-pGK-puro-loxP-HSV-TK-DT-A after positive-negative selection. Genomic DNA was digested with indicated enzymes and hybridized with the external 5′ and 3′ probe and internal 3′ probe. Fragment sizes for each digest are indicated (WIBR3-SNCAA53T/WT-2 line shows correct targeting of one allele; WIBR3-SNCAA53T/A53T line shows correct targeting of both alleles).