Abstract 3374: CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing induces exon skipping by alternative splicing or exon deletion

CRISPR is widely used to disrupt gene function by inducing small insertions and deletions. Here, we show that some single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) can induce exon skipping or large genomic deletions that delete exons. For example, CRISPR-mediated editing of β-catenin exon 3, which encodes an autoinhibitory domain, induces partial skipping of the in-frame exon and nuclear accumulation of β-catenin. A single sgRNA can induce small insertions or deletions that partially alter splicing or unexpected larger deletions that remove exons. Exon skipping adds to the unexpected outcomes that must be accounted for, and perhaps taken advantage of, in CRISPR experiments. Citation Format: Haiwei Mou, Jordan Smith, Lingtao Peng, Hao Yin, Jill Moore, Xiao-Ou Zhang, Chunqing Song, Ankur Sheel, Qiongqiong Wu, Deniz Ozata, Yingxiang Li, Daniel Anderson, Charles Emerson, Melissa Moore, Zhiping Weng, Wen Xue. CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing induces exon skipping by alternative splicing or exon deletion [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3374.