The RNA-guided endonuclease Cas9 can be converted into a programmable transcriptional repressor, but inefficiencies in target-gene silencing have limited its utility. Here we describe an improved Cas9 repressor based on the C-terminal fusion of a rationally designed bipartite repressor domain, KRAB-MeCP2, to nuclease-dead Cas9. We demonstrate the system's superiority in silencing coding and noncoding genes, simultaneously repressing a series of target genes, improving the results of single and dual guide RNA library screens, and enabling new architectures of synthetic genetic circuits.

SUMMARY Heteroduplex DNA (hetDNA) is a key molecular intermediate during the repair of mitotic double-strand breaks by homologous recombination, but its relationship to 5′-end resection and/or 3′-end extension is poorly understood. In the current study, we examined how perturbations in these processes affect the hetDNA profile associated with repair of a defined double-strand break (DSB) by the synthesis-dependent strand-annealing (SDSA) pathway. Loss of either the Exo1 or Sgs1 long-range resection pathway significantly shortened hetDNA, suggesting that these pathways normally collaborate during DSB repair. In addition, altering the processivity or proofreading activity of DNA polymerase δ shortened hetDNA length or reduced break-adjacent mismatch removal, respectively, demonstrating that this is the primary polymerase that extends both 3′ ends. Data are most consistent with the extent of DNA synthesis from the invading end being the primary determinant of hetDNA length during SDSA.

Construction and characterization of large genetic variant libraries is essential for understanding genome function, but remains challenging. Here, we introduce a Cas9-based approach for generating pools of mutants with defined genetic alterations (deletions, substitutions, and insertions) with an efficiency of 80–100% in yeast, along with methods for tracking their fitness en masse. We demonstrate the utility of our approach by characterizing the DNA helicase SGS1 with small tiling deletion mutants that span the length of the protein and a series of point mutations against highly conserved residues in the protein. In addition, we created a genome-wide library targeting 315 poorly characterized small open reading frames (smORFs, <100 amino acids in length) scattered throughout the yeast genome, and assessed which are vital for growth under various environmental conditions. Our strategy allows fundamental biological questions to be investigated in a high-throughput manner with precision.

Service Email Alerting click here. top right corner of the article or Receive free email alerts when new articles cite this article-sign up in the box at the http://genome.cshlp.org/subscriptions