A CRISPR-screen in intestinal epithelial cells identifies novel factors for polarity and apical transport

Abstract

Epithelial polarization and polarized cargo transport are highly coordinated and interdependent processes. In our search for novel regulators of epithelial polarization and protein secretion, we used a genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screen and combined it with an assay based on fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to measure the secretion of the apical brush border hydrolase dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4). In this way, we performed the first CRISPR screen to date in human polarized epithelial cells. Using high-resolution microscopy, we detected polarization defects and mislocalization of DPP4 to late endosomes/lysosomes after knock-out of TM9SF4, anoctamin 8, and ARHGAP33, confirming the identification of novel factors for epithelial polarization and apical cargo secretion. Thus, we provide a powerful tool suitable for studying polarization and cargo secretion in epithelial cells. In addition, we provide a dataset that serves as a resource for the study of novel mechanisms for epithelial polarization and polarized transport and facilitates the investigation of novel congenital diseases associated with these processes.

Data availability

Next generation sequencing data was made available in Dryadhttps://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m0cfxpp62.Source Data files have been provided for Figure 3.

The following data sets were generated
    1. Vogel GF
    (2022) NGS raw sgRNA-counts
    Dryad Digital Repository, doi:10.5061/dryad.m0cfxpp62.

Article and author information

Author details

  1. Katharina MC Klee

    Institute of Cell Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  2. Michael W Hess

    Institute of Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  3. Michael Lohmüller

    Institute of Developmental Immunology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0002-7712-3143
  4. Sebastian Herzog

    Institute of Developmental Immunology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  5. Kristian Pfaller

    Institute of Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  6. Thomas Müller

    Department of Paediatrics I, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
  7. Georg F Vogel

    Institute of Cell Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
    For correspondence
    georg.vogel@i-med.ac.at
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0002-2515-4490
  8. Lukas A Huber

    Institute of Cell Biology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
    For correspondence
    lukas.a.huber@i-med.ac.at
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0003-1116-2120

Funding

Austrian Science Fund (P35805-B)

  • Georg F Vogel

Austrian Academy of Science (DOC-Scholarship)

  • Katharina MC Klee

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

Copyright

© 2023, Klee et al.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.

Metrics

  • 2,322
    views
  • 339
    downloads
  • 2
    citations

Views, downloads and citations are aggregated across all versions of this paper published by eLife.

Download links

A two-part list of links to download the article, or parts of the article, in various formats.

Downloads (link to download the article as PDF)

Open citations (links to open the citations from this article in various online reference manager services)

Cite this article (links to download the citations from this article in formats compatible with various reference manager tools)

  1. Katharina MC Klee
  2. Michael W Hess
  3. Michael Lohmüller
  4. Sebastian Herzog
  5. Kristian Pfaller
  6. Thomas Müller
  7. Georg F Vogel
  8. Lukas A Huber
(2023)
A CRISPR-screen in intestinal epithelial cells identifies novel factors for polarity and apical transport
eLife 12:e80135.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.80135

Share this article

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.80135

Further reading

    1. Cell Biology
    2. Chromosomes and Gene Expression
    Bethany M Bartlett, Yatendra Kumar ... Wendy A Bickmore
    Research Article Updated

    During oncogene-induced senescence there are striking changes in the organisation of heterochromatin in the nucleus. This is accompanied by activation of a pro-inflammatory gene expression programme – the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) – driven by transcription factors such as NF-κB. The relationship between heterochromatin re-organisation and the SASP has been unclear. Here, we show that TPR, a protein of the nuclear pore complex basket required for heterochromatin re-organisation during senescence, is also required for the very early activation of NF-κB signalling during the stress-response phase of oncogene-induced senescence. This is prior to activation of the SASP and occurs without affecting NF-κB nuclear import. We show that TPR is required for the activation of innate immune signalling at these early stages of senescence and we link this to the formation of heterochromatin-enriched cytoplasmic chromatin fragments thought to bleb off from the nuclear periphery. We show that HMGA1 is also required for cytoplasmic chromatin fragment formation. Together these data suggest that re-organisation of heterochromatin is involved in altered structural integrity of the nuclear periphery during senescence, and that this can lead to activation of cytoplasmic nucleic acid sensing, NF-κB signalling, and activation of the SASP.

    1. Cell Biology
    John Yong, Jacqueline E Villalta ... Calvin H Jan
    Research Article

    Protein aggregation increases during aging and is a pathological hallmark of many age-related diseases. Protein homeostasis (proteostasis) depends on a core network of factors directly influencing protein production, folding, trafficking, and degradation. Cellular proteostasis also depends on the overall composition of the proteome and numerous environmental variables. Modulating this cellular proteostasis state can influence the stability of multiple endogenous proteins, yet the factors contributing to this state remain incompletely characterized. Here, we performed genome-wide CRISPRi screens to elucidate the modulators of proteostasis state in mammalian cells, using a fluorescent dye to monitor endogenous protein aggregation. These screens identified known components of the proteostasis network and uncovered a novel link between protein and lipid homeostasis. Increasing lipid uptake and/or disrupting lipid metabolism promotes the accumulation of sphingomyelins and cholesterol esters and drives the formation of detergent-insoluble protein aggregates at the lysosome. Proteome profiling of lysosomes revealed ESCRT accumulation, suggesting disruption of ESCRT disassembly, lysosomal membrane repair, and microautophagy. Lipid dysregulation leads to lysosomal membrane permeabilization but does not otherwise impact fundamental aspects of lysosomal and proteasomal functions. Together, these results demonstrate that lipid dysregulation disrupts ESCRT function and impairs proteostasis.