CRISPR/Cas9-Based RGEN-ISL Allows the Simultaneous and Specific Visualization of Proteins, DNA Repeats, and Sites of DNA Replication

Visualizing the spatiotemporal organization of the genome will improve our understanding of how chromatin structure and function are intertwined. Here, we describe a further development of the CRISPR/Cas9-based RNA-guided endonuclease-in situ labeling (RGEN-ISL) method. RGEN-ISL allowed the differentiation between vertebrate-type (TTAGGG)(n) and Arabidopsis-type (TTTAGGG)(n) telomere repeats. Using maize as an example, we established a combination of RGEN-ISL, immunostaining, and EdU labeling to visualize in situ specific repeats, histone marks, and DNA replication sites, respectively. The effects of the non-denaturing RGEN-ISL and standard denaturing FISH on the chromatin structure were compared using super-resolution microscopy. 3D structured illumination microscopy revealed that denaturation and acetic acid fixation impaired and flattened the chromatin. The broad range of adaptability of RGEN-ISL to different combinations of methods has the potential to advance the field of chromosome biology.