Brainwide silencing of prion protein by AAV-mediated delivery of an engineered compact epigenetic editor.
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Abstract | Prion disease is caused by misfolding of the prion protein (PrP) into pathogenic self-propagating conformations, leading to rapid-onset dementia and death. However, elimination of endogenous PrP halts prion disease progression. In this study, we describe Coupled Histone tail for Autoinhibition Release of Methyltransferase (CHARM), a compact, enzyme-free epigenetic editor capable of silencing transcription through programmable DNA methylation. Using a histone H3 tail-Dnmt3l fusion, CHARM recruits and activates endogenous DNA methyltransferases, thereby reducing transgene size and cytotoxicity. When delivered to the mouse brain by systemic injection of adeno-associated virus (AAV), -targeted CHARM ablates PrP expression across the brain. Furthermore, we have temporally limited editor expression by implementing a kinetically tuned self-silencing approach. CHARM potentially represents a broadly applicable strategy to suppress pathogenic proteins, including those implicated in other neurodegenerative diseases. |
Year of Publication | 2024
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Journal | Science (New York, N.Y.)
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Volume | 384
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Issue | 6703
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Pages | ado7082
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Date Published | 06/2024
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ISSN | 1095-9203
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DOI | 10.1126/science.ado7082
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PubMed ID | 38935715
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