CRISPR/Cas9- and Single-Stranded ODN-Mediated Knock-In in Silkworm Bombyx mori

Abstract

Although genome editing techniques have made significant progress, introducing exogenous genes into the genome through knock-in remains a challenge in many organisms. In silkworm Bombyx mori, TALEN-mediated knock-in methods have been established. However, difficulties in construction and limitations of the target sequence have hindered the application of these methods. In the present study, we verified several CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-in methods to expand the application of gene knock-in techniques and found that the short single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide (ssODN)-mediated method is the most effective in silkworms. Using ssODN-mediated methods, we established knock-in silkworm strains that harbor an attP sequence, a 50 bp phiC31 integrase recognition site, at either the BmHr38 (Hormone receptor 38) or Bmdsx (doublesex) locus. Additionally, we found that the long ssODN (lsODN)-mediated method successfully introduced the GAL4 gene at the doublesex locus in embryos. The present study provides valuable information on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-in methods in silkworms, expanding the utility of genome editing techniques in insects and paving the way for analyzing gene and genome function in silkworms.

Keywords: CRISPR/Cas9; attP; knock-in; phiC31; silkworm; ssODN.