Figure 3. Inhibitors of F-actin but not of endocytosis reduce intercellular transfer of Cas9.
(A–D, F) Donor cells: HEK293T wild-type (WT) with stable overexpression of his tagged Cas9-GFP/gRNA (His-Cas9/gRNA), with stable overexpression of SBP tagged Cas9-GFP/gRNA (SBP-Cas9/gRNA) or with stable overexpression of SBP-Cas9-GFP/gRNA and Myc-streptavidin-CD63-mCherry (Str-CD63/SBP-Cas9/gRNA). The recipient cell line was MDA-MB-231 with a reporter plasmid. Nluc/Fluc assays were performed and normalized to an aliquot of co-cultured WT donor and reporter cells. (A) Nluc/Fluc activities were measured after donor cells and acceptor cells were co-cultured for 3 days with DMSO or different inhibitors. (B) The indicated genes were knocked down in recipient cells via siRNA and then co-cultured with donor cells for 3 days. siCtrl represents a negative control for the siRNA knockdown. CLTC, clathrin heavy chain; AP2B1, adaptor-related protein complex 2 subunit beta 1; CAV-1, caveolin 1; FLOT2, flotillin 2. (C) The donor cells and acceptor cells were co-cultured for 3 days with either DMSO, 40, 80, or 200 nM latrunculin A (LatA), or 1, 2.5, or 5 μM latrunculin B (LatB). The Nluc/Fluc signal detected after co-culture suggested that more than half of the cells remained viable during drug treatment. (D) The indicated genes were knocked down in recipient cells via shRNA that were then co-cultured with donor cells for 3 days. siCtrl represents negative control for the siRNA knockdown. (E) Donor cells: HEK293T with stable overexpression of SBP tagged Cas9-GFP/gRNA (SBP-Cas9/gRNA). The recipient cell line was MDA-MB-231 with the reporter plasmid. The indicated genes were knocked down in donor cells via shRNA that were then co-cultured with recipient cells for 3 days. (F) Donor cells and acceptor cells were co-cultured for 4 days with either DMSO, 10, or 25 μM formin inhibitor, SMIFH2. The Nluc/Fluc signal detected after co-culture suggested that more than 70% of the cells remained viable during drug treatment. Nluc/Fluc assays were performed and normalized to an aliquot of co-cultured WT donor and reporter cells. Data in this figure represent mean ± SEM, n ≥ 3. ****p<0.0001, one-way ANOVA.