CRISPR Technique Incorporated with Single-Cell RNA Sequencing for Studying Hepatitis B Infection

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides rich transcriptomic information for studying molecular events and cell heterogeneity at the single-cell level. However, it is challenging to obtain sequence from rare or low-abundance genes in presence of other highly abundant genes. We report here a CRISPR-Cas9 technique depletion high-abundance transcripts, resulting preferential enrichment transcripts. demonstrate an application this CRISPR-mediated scRNA-seq liver cells infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Direct without detected HBV only 0.6% cells. The three most transcripts resulted selective transcript successful more than 74% improvement enabled study infection interferon treatment model. Gene clusters between control HBV-infected Huh7.5-NTCP were similar, suggesting that did not significantly alter gene expression host alpha dramatically changed These results single RNA-seq analysis 7370 are consistent those bulk experiments, “stealth virus”.