Academic Appointments


  • Basic Life Science Research Associate, Bioengineering

All Publications


  • Nested epistasis enhancer networks for robust genome regulation. Science (New York, N.Y.) Lin, X., Liu, Y., Liu, S., Zhu, X., Wu, L., Zhu, Y., Zhao, D., Xu, X., Chemparathy, A., Wang, H., Cao, Y., Nakamura, M., Noordermeer, J. N., La Russa, M., Wong, W. H., Zhao, K., Qi, L. S. 2022: eabk3512

    Abstract

    Mammalian genomes possess multiple enhancers spanning an ultralong distance (>megabases) to modulate important genes, yet it is unclear how these enhancers coordinate to achieve this task. Here, we combine multiplexed CRISPRi screening with machine learning to define quantitative enhancer-enhancer interactions. We find that the ultralong distance enhancer network possesses a nested multi-layer architecture that confers functional robustness of gene expression. Experimental characterization reveals that enhancer epistasis is maintained by three-dimensional chromosomal interactions and BRD4 condensation. Machine learning prediction of synergistic enhancers provides an effective strategy to identify non-coding variant pairs associated with pathogenic genes in diseases beyond Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) analysis. Our work unveils nested epistasis enhancer networks, which can better explain enhancer functions within cells and in diseases.

    View details for DOI 10.1126/science.abk3512

    View details for PubMedID 35951677

  • Multiplexed genome regulation in vivo with hyper-efficient Cas12a. Nature cell biology Guo, L. Y., Bian, J., Davis, A. E., Liu, P., Kempton, H. R., Zhang, X., Chemparathy, A., Gu, B., Lin, X., Rane, D. A., Xu, X., Jamiolkowski, R. M., Hu, Y., Wang, S., Qi, L. S. 2022

    Abstract

    Multiplexed modulation of endogenous genes is crucial for sophisticated gene therapy and cell engineering. CRISPR-Cas12a systems enable versatile multiple-genomic-loci targeting by processing numerous CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) from a single transcript; however, their low efficiency has hindered in vivo applications. Through structure-guided protein engineering, we developed a hyper-efficient Lachnospiraceae bacterium Cas12a variant, termed hyperCas12a, with its catalytically dead version hyperdCas12a showing significantly enhanced efficacy for gene activation, particularly at low concentrations of crRNA. We demonstrate that hyperdCas12a has comparable off-target effects compared with the wild-type system and exhibits enhanced activity for gene editing and repression. Delivery of the hyperdCas12a activator and a single crRNA array simultaneously activating the endogenous Oct4, Sox2 and Klf4 genes in the retina of post-natal mice alters the differentiation of retinal progenitor cells. The hyperCas12a system offers a versatile in vivo tool for a broad range of gene-modulation and gene-therapy applications.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41556-022-00870-7

    View details for PubMedID 35414015

  • Engineered miniature CRISPR-Cas system for mammalian genome regulation and editing. Molecular cell Xu, X., Chemparathy, A., Zeng, L., Kempton, H. R., Shang, S., Nakamura, M., Qi, L. S. 2021

    Abstract

    Compact and versatile CRISPR-Cas systems will enable genome engineering applications through high-efficiency delivery in a wide variety of contexts. Here, we create an efficient miniature Cas system (CasMINI) engineered from the type V-F Cas12f (Cas14) system by guide RNA and protein engineering, which is less than half the size of currently used CRISPR systems (Cas9 or Cas12a). We demonstrate that CasMINI can drive high levels of gene activation (up to thousands-fold increases), while the natural Cas12f system fails to function in mammalian cells. We show that the CasMINI system has comparable activities to Cas12a for gene activation, is highly specific, and allows robust base editing and gene editing. We expect that CasMINI can be broadly useful for cell engineering and gene therapy applications ex vivo and in vivo.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.08.008

    View details for PubMedID 34480847

  • Anti-CRISPR-mediated control of gene editing and synthetic circuits in eukaryotic cells. Nature communications Nakamura, M., Srinivasan, P., Chavez, M., Carter, M. A., Dominguez, A. A., La Russa, M., Lau, M. B., Abbott, T. R., Xu, X., Zhao, D., Gao, Y., Kipniss, N. H., Smolke, C. D., Bondy-Denomy, J., Qi, L. S. 2019; 10 (1): 194

    Abstract

    Repurposed CRISPR-Cas molecules provide a useful tool set for broad applications of genomic editing and regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Recent discovery of phage-derived proteins, anti-CRISPRs, which serve to abrogate natural CRISPR anti-phage activity, potentially expands the ability to build synthetic CRISPR-mediated circuits. Here, we characterize a panel of anti-CRISPR molecules for expanded applications to counteract CRISPR-mediated gene activation and repression of reporter and endogenous genes in various cell types. We demonstrate that cells pre-engineered with anti-CRISPR molecules become resistant to gene editing, thus providing a means to generate "write-protected" cells that prevent future gene editing. We further show that anti-CRISPRs can be used to control CRISPR-based gene regulation circuits, including implementation of a pulse generator circuit in mammalian cells. Our work suggests that anti-CRISPR proteins should serve as widely applicable tools for synthetic systems regulating the behavior of eukaryotic cells.

    View details for PubMedID 30643127

  • A CRISPR-dCas Toolbox for Genetic Engineering and Synthetic Biology JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Xu, X., Oi, L. S. 2019; 431 (1): 34–47
  • CRISPR-Mediated Programmable 3D Genome Positioning and Nuclear Organization. Cell Wang, H., Xu, X., Nguyen, C. M., Liu, Y., Gao, Y., Lin, X., Daley, T., Kipniss, N. H., La Russa, M., Qi, L. S. 2018

    Abstract

    Programmable control of spatial genome organization is a powerful approach for studying how nuclear structure affects gene regulation and cellular function. Here, we develop a versatile CRISPR-genome organization (CRISPR-GO) system that can efficiently control the spatial positioning of genomic loci relative to specific nuclear compartments, including the nuclear periphery, Cajal bodies, and promyelocytic leukemia (PML) bodies. CRISPR-GO is chemically inducible and reversible, enabling interrogation of real-time dynamics of chromatin interactions with nuclear compartments in living cells. Inducible repositioning of genomic loci to the nuclear periphery allows for dissection of mitosis-dependent and -independent relocalization events and also for interrogation of the relationship between gene position and gene expression. CRISPR-GO mediates rapid de novo formation of Cajal bodies at desired chromatin loci and causes significant repression of endogenous gene expression over long distances (30-600 kb). The CRISPR-GO system offers a programmable platform to investigate large-scale spatial genome organization and function.

    View details for PubMedID 30318144

  • Streptomyces virginiae PPDC Is a New Type of Phenylpyruvate Decarboxylase Composed of Two Subunits ACS Chemical Biology Xu, X., Wang, C., Chen, J., Yang, S. 2017; 12 (8): 2008-2014
  • CRISPR-Cpf1 assisted genome editing of Corynebacterium glutamicum Nature Communications Jiang, Y., Qian, F., Yang, J., Liu, Y., Dong, F., Xu, C., Sun, B., Chen, B., Xu, X., Li, Y., Wang, R., Yang, S. 2017; 8 (15179)
  • Mutagenesis of Key Residues in the Binding Center of l-Aspartate-β-Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli Enhances Utilization of the Cofactor NAD(H) Chembiochem Xu, X., Chen, J., Wang, Q., Duan, C., Li, Y., Wang, R., Yang, S. 2016; 17 (1): 56-64
  • Phytosulfokine Is Involved in Positive Regulation of Lotus japonicus Nodulation MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS Wang, C., Yu, H., Zhang, Z., Yu, L., Xu, X., Hong, Z., Luo, L. 2015; 28 (8): 847-855

    Abstract

    Phytosulfokine (PSK) is a tyrosine-sulfated peptide that is widely distributed in plants, participating in cell proliferation, differentiation, and innate immunity. The potential role of PSK in nodulation in legumes has not been reported. In this work, five PSK precursor genes were identified in Lotus japonicas, designated as LjPSK1 to LjPSK5. Three of them (LjPSK1, LjPSK4, and LjPSK5) were found to be expressed in nitrogen-fixing root nodules. LjPSK1 and LjPSK4 were not induced at the early stage of nodulation. Interestingly, while the expression of LjPSK4 was also found in spontaneous nodules without rhizobial colonization, LjPSK1 was not induced in these pseudo nodules. Promoter-β-glucuronidase analysis revealed that LjPSK1 was highly expressed in enlarged symbiotic cells of nodules. Exogenous addition of 1 1M synthetic PSK peptide resulted in increased nodule numbers per plant. Consistently, the number of mature nodules but not the events of rhizobial infection and nodule initiation was increased by overexpressing LjPSK1 in transgenic hairy roots, in which the expression of jasmonate-responsive genes was found to be repressed. These results suggest that PSK is a new peptide signal that regulates nodulation in legumes, probably through cross-talking with other phytohormones.

    View details for DOI 10.1094/MPMI-02-15-0032-R

    View details for Web of Science ID 000359434700001

    View details for PubMedID 25775272

  • Involvement of ROP6 and clathrin in nodulation factor signaling Plant Signaling & Behavior Wang, C., Xu, X., Hong, Z., Feng, Y., Zhang, Z. 2015; 10 (7)