Cloning-
and marker-free gene deletion. (A) An ESF-CRISPR vector
containing a unique sgRNA expression cassette and a marker-free gene-targeting
substrate for gene deletion are constructed in parallel in two independent
in vivo DNA assembly reactions. The ESF-CRISPR vector is assembled
from four different PCR fragments. Importantly, two of the PCR fragments
are fused via tags that include the variable moiety of the sgRNA sequence
to produce the unique sgRNA expression cassette. Since the fusion
tags are included in the primer tails, the coding sequence of the
sgRNA gene can be easily reprogrammed to match new target sites. The
marker-free gene deletion substrate is formed by fusing two PCR fragments
containing up- and downstream sequences of the target gene. After
in vivo DNA assembly of the two constructs, Cas9 introduces a specific
DNA DSB in the target gene, and repair of this break using the gene-targeting
substrate produces the desired deletion. (B) Transformation of NID1
with pFC330 (left), and with the two PCR fragments required for the
assembly of the gene-targeting substrate for deletion of uidA and the four fragments required to build the uidA ESF-CRISPR vector (right).