Investigation on ABCC6-Deficient Human Hepatocytes Generated by CRISPR–Cas9 Genome Editing

Patients affected by the rare disease pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) exhibit the calcification of elastic fibers in ocular, dermal, and vascular tissues. These symptoms are triggered by mutations in the ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily C member 6 (ABCC6), whose substrate remains unknown. I...

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Main Authors: Ricarda Plümers, Svenja Jelinek, Christopher Lindenkamp, Michel R. Osterhage, Cornelius Knabbe, Doris Hendig
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Cells
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/8/576
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author Ricarda Plümers
Svenja Jelinek
Christopher Lindenkamp
Michel R. Osterhage
Cornelius Knabbe
Doris Hendig
author_facet Ricarda Plümers
Svenja Jelinek
Christopher Lindenkamp
Michel R. Osterhage
Cornelius Knabbe
Doris Hendig
author_sort Ricarda Plümers
collection DOAJ
description Patients affected by the rare disease pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) exhibit the calcification of elastic fibers in ocular, dermal, and vascular tissues. These symptoms are triggered by mutations in the ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily C member 6 (ABCC6), whose substrate remains unknown. Interestingly, ABCC6 is predominantly expressed in the liver tissue, leading to the hypothesis that PXE is a metabolic disorder. We developed a genome-editing system targeting ABCC6 in human immortalized hepatocytes (HepIms) for further investigations. The HepIms were transfected with an <i>ABCC6</i>-specific clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR-Cas9) genome-editing plasmid, resulting in the identification of a heterozygous (<i>ht<sup>ABCC6</sup></i>HepIm) and a compound heterozygous (<i>cht<sup>ABCC6</sup></i>HepIm) clone. These clones were analyzed for key markers associated with the PXE pathobiochemistry. Hints of impaired lipid trafficking, defects in the extracellular matrix remodeling, the induction of calcification inhibitor expression, and the down regulation of senescence and inflammatory markers in <i>ABCC6</i>-deficienct HepIms were found. Our <i>ABCC6</i> knock-out model of HepIms provides a valuable tool for studying the metabolic characteristics of PXE in vitro. The initial analysis of the clones mirrors various features of the PXE pathobiochemistry and provides an outlook on future research approaches.
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spelling doaj-art-441d5c726dfe4bb9a3064a2296e6156c2025-08-20T02:28:19ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092025-04-0114857610.3390/cells14080576Investigation on ABCC6-Deficient Human Hepatocytes Generated by CRISPR–Cas9 Genome EditingRicarda Plümers0Svenja Jelinek1Christopher Lindenkamp2Michel R. Osterhage3Cornelius Knabbe4Doris Hendig5Herz- und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Institut für Laboratoriums- und Transfusionsmedizin, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Medizinische Fakultät OWL (Universität Bielefeld), Georgstraße 11, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, GermanyHerz- und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Institut für Laboratoriums- und Transfusionsmedizin, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Medizinische Fakultät OWL (Universität Bielefeld), Georgstraße 11, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, GermanyHerz- und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Institut für Laboratoriums- und Transfusionsmedizin, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Medizinische Fakultät OWL (Universität Bielefeld), Georgstraße 11, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, GermanyHerz- und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Institut für Laboratoriums- und Transfusionsmedizin, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Medizinische Fakultät OWL (Universität Bielefeld), Georgstraße 11, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, GermanyHerz- und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Institut für Laboratoriums- und Transfusionsmedizin, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Medizinische Fakultät OWL (Universität Bielefeld), Georgstraße 11, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, GermanyHerz- und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen, Institut für Laboratoriums- und Transfusionsmedizin, Universitätsklinik der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Medizinische Fakultät OWL (Universität Bielefeld), Georgstraße 11, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, GermanyPatients affected by the rare disease pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) exhibit the calcification of elastic fibers in ocular, dermal, and vascular tissues. These symptoms are triggered by mutations in the ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily C member 6 (ABCC6), whose substrate remains unknown. Interestingly, ABCC6 is predominantly expressed in the liver tissue, leading to the hypothesis that PXE is a metabolic disorder. We developed a genome-editing system targeting ABCC6 in human immortalized hepatocytes (HepIms) for further investigations. The HepIms were transfected with an <i>ABCC6</i>-specific clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR-Cas9) genome-editing plasmid, resulting in the identification of a heterozygous (<i>ht<sup>ABCC6</sup></i>HepIm) and a compound heterozygous (<i>cht<sup>ABCC6</sup></i>HepIm) clone. These clones were analyzed for key markers associated with the PXE pathobiochemistry. Hints of impaired lipid trafficking, defects in the extracellular matrix remodeling, the induction of calcification inhibitor expression, and the down regulation of senescence and inflammatory markers in <i>ABCC6</i>-deficienct HepIms were found. Our <i>ABCC6</i> knock-out model of HepIms provides a valuable tool for studying the metabolic characteristics of PXE in vitro. The initial analysis of the clones mirrors various features of the PXE pathobiochemistry and provides an outlook on future research approaches.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/8/576ABCC6pseudoxanthoma elasticumhepatocytesCRISPR Cas
spellingShingle Ricarda Plümers
Svenja Jelinek
Christopher Lindenkamp
Michel R. Osterhage
Cornelius Knabbe
Doris Hendig
Investigation on ABCC6-Deficient Human Hepatocytes Generated by CRISPR–Cas9 Genome Editing
Cells
ABCC6
pseudoxanthoma elasticum
hepatocytes
CRISPR Cas
title Investigation on ABCC6-Deficient Human Hepatocytes Generated by CRISPR–Cas9 Genome Editing
title_full Investigation on ABCC6-Deficient Human Hepatocytes Generated by CRISPR–Cas9 Genome Editing
title_fullStr Investigation on ABCC6-Deficient Human Hepatocytes Generated by CRISPR–Cas9 Genome Editing
title_full_unstemmed Investigation on ABCC6-Deficient Human Hepatocytes Generated by CRISPR–Cas9 Genome Editing
title_short Investigation on ABCC6-Deficient Human Hepatocytes Generated by CRISPR–Cas9 Genome Editing
title_sort investigation on abcc6 deficient human hepatocytes generated by crispr cas9 genome editing
topic ABCC6
pseudoxanthoma elasticum
hepatocytes
CRISPR Cas
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/8/576
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