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Talukder P, Chanda S, Chaudhuri B, Choudhury SR, Saha D, Dash S, Banerjee A, Chatterjee B. CRISPR-Based Gene Editing: a Modern Approach for Study and Treatment of Cancer. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2024; 196:4439-4456. [PMID: 37737443 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-023-04708-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
The development and emergence of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) as a genome-editing technology have created a plethora of opportunities in genetic engineering. The ability of sequence-specific addition or removal of DNA in an efficient and cost-effective manner has revolutionized modern research in the field of life science and healthcare. CRISPR is widely used as a genome engineering tool in clinical studies for observing gene expression and metabolic pathway regulations in detail. Even in the case of transgenic research and personalized gene manipulation studies, CRISPR-based technology is used extensively. To understand and even to correct the underlying genetic problem is of cancer, CRISPR-based technology can be used. Various kinds of work is going on throughout the world which are attempting to target different genes in order to discover novel and effective methodologies for the treatment of cancer. In this review, we provide a brief overview on the application of CRISPR gene editing technology in cancer treatment focusing on the key aspects of cancer screening, modelling and therapy techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratik Talukder
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Engineering and Management, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700156, India.
| | - Sounak Chanda
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Engineering and Management, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700156, India
| | - Biswadeep Chaudhuri
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Engineering and Management, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700156, India
| | | | - Debanjan Saha
- School of Biosciences and Technology, VIT, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Sudipta Dash
- Department of Biotechnology, IIT, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721302, India
| | - Abhineet Banerjee
- Department of Biotechnology, NIT, Durgapur, West Bengal, 713209, India
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Ingelman H, Heffernan JK, Harris A, Brown SD, Shaikh KM, Saqib AY, Pinheiro MJ, de Lima LA, Martinez KR, Gonzalez-Garcia RA, Hawkins G, Daleiden J, Tran L, Zeleznik H, Jensen RO, Reynoso V, Schindel H, Jänes J, Simpson SD, Köpke M, Marcellin E, Valgepea K. Autotrophic adaptive laboratory evolution of the acetogen Clostridium autoethanogenum delivers the gas-fermenting strain LAbrini with superior growth, products, and robustness. N Biotechnol 2024; 83:S1871-6784(24)00023-2. [PMID: 38871051 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2024.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Microbes able to convert gaseous one-carbon (C1) waste feedstocks are increasingly important to transition to the sustainable production of renewable chemicals and fuels. Acetogens are interesting biocatalysts since gas fermentation using Clostridium autoethanogenum has been commercialised. However, most acetogen strains need complex nutrients, display slow growth, and are not robust for bioreactor fermentations. In this work, we used three different and independent adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) strategies to evolve the wild-type C. autoethanogenum to grow faster, without yeast extract and to be robust in operating continuous bioreactor cultures. Multiple evolved strains with improved phenotypes were isolated on minimal media with one strain, named "LAbrini", exhibiting superior performance regarding the maximum specific growth rate, product profile, and robustness in continuous cultures. Whole-genome sequencing of the evolved strains identified 25 mutations. Of particular interest are two genes that acquired seven different mutations across the three ALE strategies, potentially as a result of convergent evolution. Reverse genetic engineering of mutations in potentially sporulation-related genes CLAU_3129 (spo0A) and CLAU_1957 recovered all three superior features of our ALE strains through triggering significant proteomic rearrangements. This work provides a robust C. autoethanogenum strain "LAbrini" to accelerate phenotyping and genetic engineering and to better understand acetogen metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri Ingelman
- ERA Chair in Gas Fermentation Technologies, Institute of Bioengineering, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - James K Heffernan
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, 4072 St. Lucia, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Asfand Yar Saqib
- ERA Chair in Gas Fermentation Technologies, Institute of Bioengineering, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Marina J Pinheiro
- ERA Chair in Gas Fermentation Technologies, Institute of Bioengineering, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Lorena Azevedo de Lima
- ERA Chair in Gas Fermentation Technologies, Institute of Bioengineering, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Karen Rodriguez Martinez
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, 4072 St. Lucia, Australia
| | - Ricardo A Gonzalez-Garcia
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, 4072 St. Lucia, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jürgen Jänes
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zürich, 8049 Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Esteban Marcellin
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, 4072 St. Lucia, Australia.
| | - Kaspar Valgepea
- ERA Chair in Gas Fermentation Technologies, Institute of Bioengineering, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
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Jerabek T, Weiß L, Fahrion H, Zeh N, Raab N, Lindner B, Fischer S, Otte K. In pursuit of a minimal CHO genome: Establishment of large-scale genome deletions. N Biotechnol 2024; 79:100-110. [PMID: 38154614 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most commonly used mammalian cell line for the production of complex therapeutic glycoproteins. As CHO cells have evolved as part of a multicellular organism, they harbor many cellular functions irrelevant for their application as production hosts in industrial bioprocesses. Consequently, CHO cells have been the target for numerous genetic engineering efforts in the past, but a tailored host cell chassis holistically optimized for its specific task in a bioreactor is still missing. While the concept of genome reduction has already been successfully applied to bacterial production cells, attempts to create higher eukaryotic production hosts exhibiting reduced genomes have not been reported yet. Here, we present the establishment and application of a large-scale genome deletion strategy for targeted excision of large genomic regions in CHO cells. We demonstrate the feasibility of genome reduction in CHO cells using optimized CRISPR/Cas9 based experimental protocols targeting large non-essential genomic regions with high efficiency. Achieved genome deletions of non-essential genetic regions did not introduce negative effects on bioprocess relevant parameters, although we conducted the largest reported genomic excision of 864 kilobase pairs in CHO cells so far. The concept presented serves as a directive to accelerate the development of a significantly genome-reduced CHO host cell chassis paving the way for a next generation of CHO cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Jerabek
- University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach, Germany.
| | - Linus Weiß
- University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach, Germany
| | - Hannah Fahrion
- University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach, Germany
| | - Nikolas Zeh
- University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach, Germany; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Cell Line Development, Biberach, Germany
| | - Nadja Raab
- University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach, Germany
| | - Benjamin Lindner
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Cell Line Development, Biberach, Germany
| | - Simon Fischer
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Cell Line Development, Biberach, Germany
| | - Kerstin Otte
- University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach, Germany
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Lv Y, Chang J, Zhang W, Dong H, Chen S, Wang X, Zhao A, Zhang S, Alam MA, Wang S, Du C, Xu J, Wang W, Xu P. Improving Microbial Cell Factory Performance by Engineering SAM Availability. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:3846-3871. [PMID: 38372640 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c09561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Methylated natural products are widely spread in nature. S-Adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) is the secondary abundant cofactor and the primary methyl donor, which confer natural products with structural and functional diversification. The increasing demand for SAM-dependent natural products (SdNPs) has motivated the development of microbial cell factories (MCFs) for sustainable and efficient SdNP production. Insufficient and unsustainable SAM availability hinders the improvement of SdNP MCF performance. From the perspective of developing MCF, this review summarized recent understanding of de novo SAM biosynthesis and its regulatory mechanism. SAM is just the methyl mediator but not the original methyl source. Effective and sustainable methyl source supply is critical for efficient SdNP production. We compared and discussed the innate and relatively less explored alternative methyl sources and identified the one involving cheap one-carbon compound as more promising. The SAM biosynthesis is synergistically regulated on multilevels and is tightly connected with ATP and NAD(P)H pools. We also covered the recent advancement of metabolic engineering in improving intracellular SAM availability and SdNP production. Dynamic regulation is a promising strategy to achieve accurate and dynamic fine-tuning of intracellular SAM pool size. Finally, we discussed the design and engineering constraints underlying construction of SAM-responsive genetic circuits and envisioned their future applications in developing SdNP MCFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongkun Lv
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Jinmian Chang
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Weiping Zhang
- Bloomage Biotechnology Corporation Limited, 678 Tianchen Street, Jinan, Shandong 250101, China
| | - Hanyu Dong
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Song Chen
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Xian Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Anqi Zhao
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Shen Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Md Asraful Alam
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Shilei Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Chaojun Du
- Nanyang Research Institute of Zhengzhou University, Nanyang Institute of Technology, No. 80 Changjiang Road, Nanyang 473004, China
| | - Jingliang Xu
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- National Key Laboratory of Biobased Transportation Fuel Technology, No. 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Weigao Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, 443 Via Ortega, Palo Alto, California 94305, United States
| | - Peng Xu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT), Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China
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Zhou P, G. C. B, Stolte F, Wu C. Use of CRISPR interference for efficient and rapid gene inactivation in Fusobacterium nucleatum. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0166523. [PMID: 38185820 PMCID: PMC10880640 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01665-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene inactivation by creating in-frame deletion mutations in Fusobacterium nucleatum is time consuming, and most fusobacterial strains are genetically intractable. Addressing these problems, we introduced a riboswitch-based inducible CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system. This system employs the nuclease-inactive Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 protein (dCas9), specifically guided to the gene of interest by a constantly expressed single-guide RNA (sgRNA). Mechanistically, this dCas9-sgRNA complex serves as an insurmountable roadblock for RNA polymerase, thus repressing the target gene transcription. Leveraging this system, we first examined two non-essential genes, ftsX and radD, which are pivotal for fusobacterial cytokinesis and coaggregation. Upon adding the inducer, theophylline, ftsX suppression caused filamentous cell formation akin to chromosomal ftsX deletion, while targeting radD significantly reduced RadD protein levels, abolishing RadD-mediated coaggregation. The system was then extended to probe essential genes bamA and ftsZ, which are vital for outer membrane biogenesis and cell division. Impressively, bamA suppression disrupted membrane integrity and bacterial separation, stalling growth, while ftsZ targeting yielded elongated cells in broth with compromised agar growth. Further studies on F. nucleatum clinical strain CTI-2 and Fusobacterium periodonticum revealed reduced indole synthesis when targeting tnaA. Moreover, silencing clpB in F. periodonticum decreased ClpB, increasing thermal sensitivity. In summary, our CRISPRi system streamlines gene inactivation across various fusobacterial strains.IMPORTANCEHow can we effectively investigate the gene functions in Fusobacterium nucleatum, given the dual challenges of gene inactivation and the inherent genetic resistance of many strains? Traditional methods have been cumbersome and often inadequate. Addressing this, our work introduces a novel inducible CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system in which dCas9 expression is controlled at the translation level by a theophylline-responsive riboswitch unit, and single-guide RNA expression is driven by the robust, constitutive rpsJ promoter. This approach simplifies gene inactivation in the model organism (ATCC 23726) and extends its application to previously considered genetically intractable strains like CTI-2 and Fusobacterium periodonticum. With CRISPRi's potential, it is a pivotal tool for in-depth genetic studies into fusobacterial pathogenesis, potentially unlocking targeted therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhou
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Bibek G. C.
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Flynn Stolte
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Chenggang Wu
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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Bischof J, Hierl M, Koller U. Emerging Gene Therapeutics for Epidermolysis Bullosa under Development. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2243. [PMID: 38396920 PMCID: PMC10889532 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The monogenetic disease epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is characterised by the formation of extended blisters and lesions on the patient's skin upon minimal mechanical stress. Causal for this severe condition are genetic mutations in genes, leading to the functional impairment, reduction, or absence of the encoded protein within the skin's basement membrane zone connecting the epidermis to the underlying dermis. The major burden of affected families justifies the development of long-lasting and curative therapies operating at the genomic level. The landscape of causal therapies for EB is steadily expanding due to recent breakthroughs in the gene therapy field, providing promising outcomes for patients suffering from this severe disease. Currently, two gene therapeutic approaches show promise for EB. The clinically more advanced gene replacement strategy was successfully applied in severe EB forms, leading to a ground-breaking in vivo gene therapy product named beremagene geperpavec (B-VEC) recently approved from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In addition, the continuous innovations in both designer nucleases and gene editing technologies enable the efficient and potentially safe repair of mutations in EB in a potentially permanent manner, inspiring researchers in the field to define and reach new milestones in the therapy of EB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Bischof
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (J.B.); (M.H.)
| | - Markus Hierl
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (J.B.); (M.H.)
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Ulrich Koller
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austria; (J.B.); (M.H.)
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7
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Boudignon E, Foulquier C, Soucaille P. Improvement of the Genome Editing Tools Based on 5FC/5FU Counter Selection in Clostridium acetobutylicum. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2696. [PMID: 38004708 PMCID: PMC10672894 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Several genetic tools have been developed for genome engineering in Clostridium acetobutylicum utilizing 5-fluorouracil (5FU) or 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) resistance as a selection method. In our group, a method based on the integration, by single crossing over, of a suicide plasmid (pCat-upp) followed by selection for the second crossing over using a counter-selectable marker (the upp gene and 5FU resistance) was recently developed for genome editing in C. acetobutylicum. This method allows genome modification without leaving any marker or scar in a strain of C. acetobutylicum that is ∆upp. Unfortunately, 5FU has strong mutagenic properties, inducing mutations in the strain's genome. After numerous applications of the pCat-upp/5FU system for genome modification in C. acetobutylicum, the CAB1060 mutant strain became entirely resistant to 5FU in the presence of the upp gene, resulting in failure when selecting on 5FU for the second crossing over. It was found that the potential repressor of the pyrimidine operon, PyrR, was mutated at position A115, leading to the 5FU resistance of the strain. To fix this problem, we created a corrective replicative plasmid expressing the pyrR gene, which was shown to restore the 5FU sensitivity of the strain. Furthermore, in order to avoid the occurrence of the problem observed with the CAB1060 strain, a preventive suicide plasmid, pCat-upp-pyrR*, was also developed, featuring the introduction of a synthetic codon-optimized pyrR gene, which was referred to as pyrR* with low nucleotide sequence homology to pyrR. Finally, to minimize the mutagenic effect of 5FU, we also improved the pCat-upp/5FU system by reducing the concentration of 5FU from 1 mM to 5 µM using a defined synthetic medium. The optimized system/conditions were used to successfully replace the ldh gene by the sadh-hydG operon to convert acetone into isopropanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eglantine Boudignon
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI), National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA), Université de Toulouse, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse cedex 4, France; (E.B.); (C.F.)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAe), UMR 792, 24 chemin de Borde Rouge-Auzeville, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 5504, 16 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31055 Toulouse cedex 4, France
| | - Céline Foulquier
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI), National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA), Université de Toulouse, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse cedex 4, France; (E.B.); (C.F.)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAe), UMR 792, 24 chemin de Borde Rouge-Auzeville, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 5504, 16 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31055 Toulouse cedex 4, France
| | - Philippe Soucaille
- Toulouse Biotechnology Institute (TBI), National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA), Université de Toulouse, 135 Avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse cedex 4, France; (E.B.); (C.F.)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAe), UMR 792, 24 chemin de Borde Rouge-Auzeville, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 5504, 16 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31055 Toulouse cedex 4, France
- (BBSRC)/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SBRC), School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
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8
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Chen Z, Jin W, Hoover A, Chao Y, Ma Y. Decoding the microbiome: advances in genetic manipulation for gut bacteria. Trends Microbiol 2023; 31:1143-1161. [PMID: 37394299 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Studies of the gut microbiota have revealed associations between specific bacterial species or community compositions with health and disease, yet the causal mechanisms underlying microbiota gene-host interactions remain poorly understood. This is partly due to limited genetic manipulation (GM) tools for gut bacteria. Here, we review current advances and challenges in the development of GM approaches, including clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas and transposase-based systems in either model or non-model gut bacteria. By overcoming barriers to 'taming' the gut microbiome, GM tools allow molecular understanding of host-microbiome associations and accelerate microbiome engineering for clinical treatment of cancer and metabolic disorders. Finally, we provide perspectives on the future development of GM for gut microbiome species, where more effort should be placed on assembling a generalized GM pipeline to accelerate the application of groundbreaking GM tools in non-model gut bacteria towards both basic understanding and clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziying Chen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200031, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; The Center for Microbes, Development and Health (CMDH), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Wenbing Jin
- Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA; Friedman Center for Nutrition and Inflammation, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Alex Hoover
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yanjie Chao
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health (CMDH), CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Yanlei Ma
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200031, China; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China.
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9
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Trasanidou D, Potocnik A, Barendse P, Mohanraju P, Bouzetos E, Karpouzis E, Desmet A, van Kranenburg R, van der Oost J, Staals RHJ, Mougiakos I. Characterization of the AcrIIC1 anti‒CRISPR protein for Cas9‒based genome engineering in E. coli. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1042. [PMID: 37833505 PMCID: PMC10576004 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05418-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Anti-CRISPR proteins (Acrs) block the activity of CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins, either by inhibiting DNA interference or by preventing crRNA loading and complex formation. Although the main use of Acrs in genome engineering applications is to lower the cleavage activity of Cas proteins, they can also be instrumental for various other CRISPR-based applications. Here, we explore the genome editing potential of the thermoactive type II-C Cas9 variants from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans T12 (ThermoCas9) and Geobacillus stearothermophilus (GeoCas9) in Escherichia coli. We then demonstrate that the AcrIIC1 protein from Neisseria meningitidis robustly inhibits their DNA cleavage activity, but not their DNA binding capacity. Finally, we exploit these AcrIIC1:Cas9 complexes for gene silencing and base-editing, developing Acr base-editing tools. With these tools we pave the way for future engineering applications in mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria combining the activities of Acr and CRISPR-Cas proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despoina Trasanidou
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ana Potocnik
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick Barendse
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Prarthana Mohanraju
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Evgenios Bouzetos
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Efthymios Karpouzis
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Amber Desmet
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Richard van Kranenburg
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Corbion, Gorinchem, The Netherlands
| | - John van der Oost
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Raymond H J Staals
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Ioannis Mougiakos
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- SNIPR Biome, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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10
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Ding L, Xu X, Wang X, Chen X, Lu Y, Xu J, Peng C. Qualitative and Quantitative Detection of CRISPR-Associated Cas Gene in Gene-Edited Foods. Foods 2023; 12:3681. [PMID: 37835336 PMCID: PMC10572612 DOI: 10.3390/foods12193681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective regulation of gene-edited products and resolution of public concerns are the prerequisites for the industrialization of gene-edited crops and their derived foods. CRISPR-associated protein, the core element of the CRISPR system, requires to be regulated. Thus, there is an urgent need to establish qualitative and quantitative detection methods for the Cas gene. In the present study, the primers and probes were designed and screened for Cas12a (Cpf1), which is the most commonly used target site in gene editing; we performed PCR system optimization, determined the optimal primer concentration and annealing temperature, and established qualitative PCR and quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays for detecting Cpf1 in gene editing by specificity and sensitivity tests. In specificity testing, qualitative PCR and qPCR methods could 100% detect samples containing Cpf1 DNA, while the detection rate of other samples without Cpf1 was 0%. In the assay sensitivity test, the limit of detection of qualitative PCR was 0.1% (approximately 44 copies), and the limit of detection of the qPCR method was 14 copies. In the stability test, both the qualitative PCR and qPCR methods were repeated 60 times at their corresponding lowest detection limit concentrations, and the results were positive. Thus, the qualitative and quantitative assays for Cpf1 are specific, sensitive, and stable. The method provides technical support for the effective monitoring of gene-edited products and their derived foods in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Ding
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Traceability for Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Xiaoli Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Traceability for Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Xiaofu Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Traceability for Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Xiaoyun Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Traceability for Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Yuwen Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of MARA and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Junfeng Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Traceability for Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Cheng Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Key Laboratory of Traceability for Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
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11
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Zhou P, G C B, Stolte F, Wu C. Use of CRISPR interference for efficient and rapid gene inactivation in Fusobacterium nucleatum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.19.558491. [PMID: 37781593 PMCID: PMC10541141 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.19.558491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Gene inactivation via creating in-frame deletion mutations in Fusobacterium nucleatum is time-consuming, and most fusobacterial strains are genetically intractable. Addressing these problems, we introduced a riboswitch-based inducible CRISPRi system. This system employs the nuclease-inactive Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 protein (dCas9), specifically guided to the gene of interest by a constantly expressed single guide RNA (sgRNA). Mechanistically, this dCas9-sgRNA complex serves as an insurmountable roadblock for RNA polymerase, thus repressing the target gene transcription. Leveraging this system, we first examined two non-essential genes, ftsX, and radD , pivotal for fusobacterial cytokinesis and coaggregation. Upon adding the inducer, theophylline, ftsX suppression caused filamentous cell formation akin to chromosomal ftsX deletion, while targeting radD significantly reduced RadD protein levels, abolishing coaggregation. The system was then extended to probe essential genes bamA and ftsZ , vital for outer membrane biogenesis and cell division. Impressively, bamA suppression disrupted membrane integrity and bacterial separation, stalling growth, while ftsZ- targeting yielded elongated cells in broth with compromised agar growth. Further studies on F. nucleatum clinical strain CTI-2 and Fusobacterium periodonticum revealed reduced indole synthesis when targeting tnaA . Moreover, silencing clpB in F. periodonticum decreased ClpB, increasing thermal sensitivity. In summary, our CRISPRi system streamlines gene inactivation across various fusobacterial strains. IMPORTANCE How can we effectively investigate the gene functions in Fusobacterium nucleatum , given the dual challenges of gene inactivation and the inherent genetic resistance of many strains? Traditional methods have been cumbersome and often inadequate. Addressing this, our work introduces a novel inducible CRISPRi system in which dCas9 expression is controlled at the translation level by a theophylline-responsive riboswitch unit, and sgRNA expression is driven by the robust, constitutive rpsJ promoter. This approach simplifies gene inactivation in the model organism (ATCC 23726) and extends its application to previously considered resistant strains like CTI-2 and Fusobacterium periodontium . With CRISPRi's potential, it is a pivotal tool for in-depth genetic studies into fusobacterial pathogenesis, potentially unlocking targeted therapeutic strategies.
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12
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Junaid M, Thirapanmethee K, Khuntayaporn P, Chomnawang MT. CRISPR-Based Gene Editing in Acinetobacter baumannii to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:920. [PMID: 37513832 PMCID: PMC10384873 DOI: 10.3390/ph16070920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to the health, social, environment, and economic sectors on a global scale and requires serious attention to addressing this issue. Acinetobacter baumannii was given top priority among infectious bacteria because of its extensive resistance to nearly all antibiotic classes and treatment options. Carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii is classified as one of the critical-priority pathogens on the World Health Organization (WHO) priority list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria for effective drug development. Although available genetic manipulation approaches are successful in A. baumannii laboratory strains, they are limited when employed on newly acquired clinical strains since such strains have higher levels of AMR than those used to select them for genetic manipulation. Recently, the CRISPR-Cas (Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein) system has emerged as one of the most effective, efficient, and precise methods of genome editing and offers target-specific gene editing of AMR genes in a specific bacterial strain. CRISPR-based genome editing has been successfully applied in various bacterial strains to combat AMR; however, this strategy has not yet been extensively explored in A. baumannii. This review provides detailed insight into the progress, current scenario, and future potential of CRISPR-Cas usage for AMR-related gene manipulation in A. baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Junaid
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Group (AmRIG), Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Krit Thirapanmethee
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Group (AmRIG), Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Piyatip Khuntayaporn
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Group (AmRIG), Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Mullika Traidej Chomnawang
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Group (AmRIG), Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
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13
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Poulalier-Delavelle M, Baker JP, Millard J, Winzer K, Minton NP. Endogenous CRISPR/Cas systems for genome engineering in the acetogens Acetobacterium woodii and Clostridium autoethanogenum. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1213236. [PMID: 37425362 PMCID: PMC10328091 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1213236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetogenic bacteria can play a major role in achieving Net Zero through their ability to convert CO2 into industrially relevant chemicals and fuels. Full exploitation of this potential will be reliant on effective metabolic engineering tools, such as those based on the Streptococcus pyogenes CRISPR/Cas9 system. However, attempts to introduce cas9-containing vectors into Acetobacterium woodii were unsuccessful, most likely as a consequence of Cas9 nuclease toxicity and the presence of a recognition site for an endogenous A. woodii restriction-modification (R-M) system in the cas9 gene. As an alternative, this study aims to facilitate the exploitation of CRISPR/Cas endogenous systems as genome engineering tools. Accordingly, a Python script was developed to automate the prediction of protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences and used to identify PAM candidates of the A. woodii Type I-B CRISPR/Cas system. The identified PAMs and the native leader sequence were characterized in vivo by interference assay and RT-qPCR, respectively. Expression of synthetic CRISPR arrays, consisting of the native leader sequence, direct repeats, and adequate spacer, along with an editing template for homologous recombination, successfully led to the creation of 300 bp and 354 bp in-frame deletions of pyrE and pheA, respectively. To further validate the method, a 3.2 kb deletion of hsdR1 was also generated, as well as the knock-in of the fluorescence-activating and absorption-shifting tag (FAST) reporter gene at the pheA locus. Homology arm length, cell density, and the amount of DNA used for transformation were found to significantly impact editing efficiencies. The devised workflow was subsequently applied to the Type I-B CRISPR/Cas system of Clostridium autoethanogenum, enabling the generation of a 561 bp in-frame deletion of pyrE with 100% editing efficiency. This is the first report of genome engineering of both A. woodii and C. autoethanogenum using their endogenous CRISPR/Cas systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Nigel P. Minton
- *Correspondence: Margaux Poulalier-Delavelle, ; Nigel P. Minton,
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14
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Patinios C, de Vries ST, Diallo M, Lanza L, Verbrugge PLJVQ, López-Contreras AM, van der Oost J, Weusthuis RA, Kengen SWM. Multiplex genome engineering in Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052 using CRISPR-Cas12a. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10153. [PMID: 37349508 PMCID: PMC10287719 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37220-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium species are re-emerging as biotechnological workhorses for industrial acetone-butanol-ethanol production. This re-emergence is largely due to advances in fermentation technologies but also due to advances in genome engineering and re-programming of the native metabolism. Several genome engineering techniques have been developed including the development of numerous CRISPR-Cas tools. Here, we expanded the CRISPR-Cas toolbox and developed a CRISPR-Cas12a genome engineering tool in Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052. By controlling the expression of FnCas12a with the xylose-inducible promoter, we achieved efficient (25-100%) single-gene knockout of five C. beijerinckii NCIMB 8052 genes (spo0A, upp, Cbei_1291, Cbei_3238, Cbei_3832). Moreover, we achieved multiplex genome engineering by simultaneously knocking out the spo0A and upp genes in a single step with an efficiency of 18%. Finally, we showed that the spacer sequence and position in the CRISPR array can affect the editing efficiency outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantinos Patinios
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Bioprocess Engineering, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stijn T de Vries
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mamou Diallo
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Bioconversion Group, Wageningen Food and Biobased Research, Wageningen University and Research, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lucrezia Lanza
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Pepijn L J V Q Verbrugge
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ana M López-Contreras
- Bioconversion Group, Wageningen Food and Biobased Research, Wageningen University and Research, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - John van der Oost
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud A Weusthuis
- Bioprocess Engineering, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Servé W M Kengen
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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15
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Nwaokorie UJ, Reinmets K, de Lima LA, Pawar PR, Shaikh KM, Harris A, Köpke M, Valgepea K. Deletion of genes linked to the C 1-fixing gene cluster affects growth, by-products, and proteome of Clostridium autoethanogenum. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1167892. [PMID: 37265994 PMCID: PMC10230548 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1167892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Gas fermentation has emerged as a sustainable route to produce fuels and chemicals by recycling inexpensive one-carbon (C1) feedstocks from gaseous and solid waste using gas-fermenting microbes. Currently, acetogens that utilise the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway to convert carbon oxides (CO and CO2) into valuable products are the most advanced biocatalysts for gas fermentation. However, our understanding of the functionalities of the genes involved in the C1-fixing gene cluster and its closely-linked genes is incomplete. Here, we investigate the role of two genes with unclear functions-hypothetical protein (hp; LABRINI_07945) and CooT nickel binding protein (nbp; LABRINI_07950)-directly adjacent and expressed at similar levels to the C1-fixing gene cluster in the gas-fermenting model-acetogen Clostridium autoethanogenum. Targeted deletion of either the hp or nbp gene using CRISPR/nCas9, and phenotypic characterisation in heterotrophic and autotrophic batch and autotrophic bioreactor continuous cultures revealed significant growth defects and altered by-product profiles for both ∆hp and ∆nbp strains. Variable effects of gene deletion on autotrophic batch growth on rich or minimal media suggest that both genes affect the utilisation of complex nutrients. Autotrophic chemostat cultures showed lower acetate and ethanol production rates and higher carbon flux to CO2 and biomass for both deletion strains. Additionally, proteome analysis revealed that disruption of either gene affects the expression of proteins of the C1-fixing gene cluster and ethanol synthesis pathways. Our work contributes to a better understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships in acetogens and offers engineering targets to improve carbon fixation efficiency in gas fermentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugochi Jennifer Nwaokorie
- ERA Chair in Gas Fermentation Technologies, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kristina Reinmets
- ERA Chair in Gas Fermentation Technologies, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Lorena Azevedo de Lima
- ERA Chair in Gas Fermentation Technologies, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Pratik Rajendra Pawar
- ERA Chair in Gas Fermentation Technologies, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | | | | | | | - Kaspar Valgepea
- ERA Chair in Gas Fermentation Technologies, Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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16
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Li Q, Sun M, Lv L, Zuo Y, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Yang S. Improving the Editing Efficiency of CRISPR-Cas9 by Reducing the Generation of Escapers Based on the Surviving Mechanism. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:672-680. [PMID: 36867054 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Due to the high specificity in targeting DNA and highly convenient programmability, CRISPR-Cas-based antimicrobials applied for eliminating specific strains such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the microbiome were gradually developed. However, the generation of escapers makes the elimination efficiency far lower than the acceptable rate (10-8) recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Here, a systematic study was carried out providing insight into the escaping mechanisms in Escherichia coli, and strategies for reducing the escapers were devised accordingly. We first showed an escape rate of 10-5-10-3 in E. coli MG1655 under the editing of pEcCas/pEcgRNA established previously. Detailed analysis of the escapers obtained at ligA site in E. coli MG1655 uncovered that the disruption of cas9 was the main cause of the generation of survivors, notably the frequent insertion of IS5. Hence, the sgRNA was next designed to target the "perpetrator" IS5, and subsequently the killing efficiency was improved 4-fold. Additionally, the escape rate in IS-free E. coli MDS42 was also tested at the ligA site, ∼10-fold decrease compared with MG1655, but the disruption of cas9 was still observed in all survivors manifested in the form of frameshifts or point mutations. Thus, we optimized the tool itself by increasing the copy number of cas9 to retain some cas9 that still has the correct DNA sequence. Fortunately, the escape rates dropped below 10-8 at 9 of the 16 tested genes. Furthermore, the λ-Red recombination system was added to generate the pEcCas-2.0, and a 100% gene deletion efficiency was achieved at genes cadA, maeB, and gntT in MG1655, whereas those genes were edited with low efficiency previously. Last, the application of pEcCas-2.0 was then expanded to the E. coli B strain BL21(DE3) and W strain ATCC9637. This study reveals the mechanism of E. coli surviving Cas9-mediated death, and a highly efficient editing tool is established based on the mechanism, which will accelerate the further application of CRISPR-Cas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Li
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China
| | - Mingjun Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China
| | - Lu Lv
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China
| | - Yong Zuo
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China
| | - Suyi Zhang
- Luzhou Laojiao Co., Ltd, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan China
| | - Ying Zhang
- BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SBRC), Biodiscovery Institute, School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Sheng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.,Huzhou Center of Industrial Biotechnology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huzhou 313000, China
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17
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Jeong SH, Lee HJ, Lee SJ. Recent Advances in CRISPR-Cas Technologies for Synthetic Biology. J Microbiol 2023; 61:13-36. [PMID: 36723794 PMCID: PMC9890466 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-022-00005-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
With developments in synthetic biology, "engineering biology" has emerged through standardization and platformization based on hierarchical, orthogonal, and modularized biological systems. Genome engineering is necessary to manufacture and design synthetic cells with desired functions by using bioparts obtained from sequence databases. Among various tools, the CRISPR-Cas system is modularly composed of guide RNA and Cas nuclease; therefore, it is convenient for editing the genome freely. Recently, various strategies have been developed to accurately edit the genome at a single nucleotide level. Furthermore, CRISPR-Cas technology has been extended to molecular diagnostics for nucleic acids and detection of pathogens, including disease-causing viruses. Moreover, CRISPR technology, which can precisely control the expression of specific genes in cells, is evolving to find the target of metabolic biotechnology. In this review, we summarize the status of various CRISPR technologies that can be applied to synthetic biology and discuss the development of synthetic biology combined with CRISPR technology in microbiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Hee Jeong
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Joung Lee
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Jun Lee
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, 17546, Republic of Korea.
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18
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Joseph RC, Sandoval NR. Single and multiplexed gene repression in solventogenic Clostridium via Cas12a-based CRISPR interference. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2022; 8:148-156. [PMID: 36687471 PMCID: PMC9842803 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gram-positive, spore-forming, obligate anaerobic firmicute species that make up the Clostridium genus have broad feedstock consumption capabilities and produce value-added metabolic products, but genetic manipulation is difficult, limiting their broad appeal. CRISPR-Cas systems have recently been applied to Clostridium species, primarily using Cas9 as a counterselection marker in conjunction with plasmid-based homologous recombination. CRISPR interference is a method that reduces gene expression of specific genes via precision targeting of a nuclease deficient Cas effector protein. Here, we develop a dCas12a-based CRISPR interference system for transcriptional gene repression in multiple mesophilic Clostridium species. We show the Francisella novicida Cas12a-based system has a broader applicability due to the low GC content in Clostridium species compared to CRISPR Cas systems derived from other bacteria. We demonstrate >99% reduction in transcript levels of targeted genes in Clostridium acetobutylicum and >75% reduction in Clostridium pasteurianum. We also demonstrate multiplexed repression via use of a single synthetic CRISPR array, achieving 99% reduction in targeted gene expression and elucidating a unique metabolic profile for their reduced expression. Overall, this work builds a foundation for high throughput genetic screens without genetic editing, a key limitation in current screening methods used in the Clostridium community.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicholas R. Sandoval
- Corresponding author. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA, 70118, United States.
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19
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Nadolinskaia NI, Goncharenko AV. CRISPR Interference in Regulation of Bacterial Gene Expression. Mol Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026893322060139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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20
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Zhang Y, Bailey TS, Kubiak AM, Lambin P, Theys J. Heterologous Gene Regulation in Clostridia: Rationally Designed Gene Regulation for Industrial and Medical Applications. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3817-3828. [PMID: 36265075 PMCID: PMC9680021 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Several species from the Clostridium genus show promise as industrial solvent producers and cancer therapeutic delivery vehicles. Previous development of shuttle plasmids and genome editing tools has aided the study of these species and enabled their exploitation in industrial and medical applications. Nevertheless, the precise control of gene expression is still hindered by the limited range of characterized promoters. To address this, libraries of promoters (native and synthetic), 5' UTRs, and alternative start codons were constructed. These constructs were tested in Escherichia coli K-12, Clostridium sporogenes NCIMB 10696, and Clostridium butyricum DSM 10702, using β-glucuronidase (gusA) as a gene reporter. Promoter activity was corroborated using a second gene reporter, nitroreductase (nmeNTR) from Neisseria meningitides. A strong correlation was observed between the two reporters. In C. sporogenes and C. butyricum, respectively, changes in GusA activity between the weakest and strongest expressing levels were 129-fold and 78-fold. Similar results were obtained with the nmeNTR. Using the GusA reporter, translation initiation from six alternative (non-AUG) start codons was measured in E. coli, C. sporogenes, and C. butyricum. Clearly, species-specific differences between clostridia and E. coli in translation initiation were observed, and the performance of the start codons was influenced by the upstream 5' UTR sequence. These results highlight a new opportunity for gene control in recombinant clostridia. To demonstrate the value of these results, expression of the sacB gene from Bacillus subtilis was optimized for use as a novel negative selection marker in C. butyricum. In summary, these results indicate improvements in the understanding of heterologous gene regulation in Clostridium species and E. coli cloning strains. This new knowledge can be utilized for rationally designed gene regulation in Clostridium-mediated industrial and medical applications, as well as fundamental research into the biology of Clostridium species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanchao Zhang
- The
M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW - School of Oncology
and Reproduction, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands,
| | - Tom S. Bailey
- The
M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW - School of Oncology
and Reproduction, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Aleksandra M. Kubiak
- The
M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW - School of Oncology
and Reproduction, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands,Exomnis
Biotech BV, Oxfordlaan
55, 6229 EV Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Philippe Lambin
- The
M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW - School of Oncology
and Reproduction, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Theys
- The
M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW - School of Oncology
and Reproduction, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
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21
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Identification of serine/threonine kinases that regulate metabolism and sporulation in Clostridium beijerinckii. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:7563-7575. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12234-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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22
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LeBlanc N, Charles TC. Bacterial genome reductions: Tools, applications, and challenges. Front Genome Ed 2022; 4:957289. [PMID: 36120530 PMCID: PMC9473318 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2022.957289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial cells are widely used to produce value-added products due to their versatility, ease of manipulation, and the abundance of genome engineering tools. However, the efficiency of producing these desired biomolecules is often hindered by the cells’ own metabolism, genetic instability, and the toxicity of the product. To overcome these challenges, genome reductions have been performed, making strains with the potential of serving as chassis for downstream applications. Here we review the current technologies that enable the design and construction of such reduced-genome bacteria as well as the challenges that limit their assembly and applicability. While genomic reductions have shown improvement of many cellular characteristics, a major challenge still exists in constructing these cells efficiently and rapidly. Computational tools have been created in attempts at minimizing the time needed to design these organisms, but gaps still exist in modelling these reductions in silico. Genomic reductions are a promising avenue for improving the production of value-added products, constructing chassis cells, and for uncovering cellular function but are currently limited by their time-consuming construction methods. With improvements to and the creation of novel genome editing tools and in silico models, these approaches could be combined to expedite this process and create more streamlined and efficient cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole LeBlanc
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Nicole LeBlanc,
| | - Trevor C. Charles
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- Metagenom Bio Life Science Inc., Waterloo, ON, Canada
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Vamsi Krishna K, Bharathi N, George Shiju S, Alagesan Paari K, Malaviya A. An updated review on advancement in fermentative production strategies for biobutanol using Clostridium spp. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:47988-48019. [PMID: 35562606 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20637-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A significant concern of our fuel-dependent era is the unceasing exhaustion of petroleum fuel supplies. In parallel to this, environmental issues such as the greenhouse effect, change in global climate, and increasing global temperature must be addressed on a priority basis. Biobutanol, which has fuel characteristics comparable to gasoline, has attracted global attention as a viable green fuel alternative among the many biofuel alternatives. Renewable biomass could be used for the sustainable production of biobutanol by the acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) pathway. Non-extinguishable resources, such as algal and lignocellulosic biomass, and starch are some of the most commonly used feedstock for fermentative production of biobutanol, and each has its particular set of advantages. Clostridium, a gram-positive endospore-forming bacterium that can produce a range of compounds, along with n-butanol is traditionally known for its biobutanol production capabilities. Clostridium fermentation produces biobased n-butanol through ABE fermentation. However, low butanol titer, a lack of suitable feedstock, and product inhibition are the primary difficulties in biobutanol synthesis. Critical issues that are essential for sustainable production of biobutanol include (i) developing high butanol titer producing strains utilizing genetic and metabolic engineering approaches, (ii) renewable biomass that could be used for biobutanol production at a larger scale, and (iii) addressing the limits of traditional batch fermentation by integrated bioprocessing technologies with effective product recovery procedures that have increased the efficiency of biobutanol synthesis. Our paper reviews the current progress in all three aspects of butanol production and presents recent data on current practices in fermentative biobutanol production technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kondapalli Vamsi Krishna
- Applied and Industrial Biotechnology Laboratory, CHRIST (Deemed-to-Be University), Hosur road, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Natarajan Bharathi
- Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to Be University), Bengaluru, India
| | - Shon George Shiju
- Applied and Industrial Biotechnology Laboratory, CHRIST (Deemed-to-Be University), Hosur road, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Alok Malaviya
- Applied and Industrial Biotechnology Laboratory, CHRIST (Deemed-to-Be University), Hosur road, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
- Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to Be University), Bengaluru, India.
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24
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Call SN, Andrews LB. CRISPR-Based Approaches for Gene Regulation in Non-Model Bacteria. Front Genome Ed 2022; 4:892304. [PMID: 35813973 PMCID: PMC9260158 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2022.892304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) and CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) have become ubiquitous approaches to control gene expression in bacteria due to their simple design and effectiveness. By regulating transcription of a target gene(s), CRISPRi/a can dynamically engineer cellular metabolism, implement transcriptional regulation circuitry, or elucidate genotype-phenotype relationships from smaller targeted libraries up to whole genome-wide libraries. While CRISPRi/a has been primarily established in the model bacteria Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, a growing numbering of studies have demonstrated the extension of these tools to other species of bacteria (here broadly referred to as non-model bacteria). In this mini-review, we discuss the challenges that contribute to the slower creation of CRISPRi/a tools in diverse, non-model bacteria and summarize the current state of these approaches across bacterial phyla. We find that despite the potential difficulties in establishing novel CRISPRi/a in non-model microbes, over 190 recent examples across eight bacterial phyla have been reported in the literature. Most studies have focused on tool development or used these CRISPRi/a approaches to interrogate gene function, with fewer examples applying CRISPRi/a gene regulation for metabolic engineering or high-throughput screens and selections. To date, most CRISPRi/a reports have been developed for common strains of non-model bacterial species, suggesting barriers remain to establish these genetic tools in undomesticated bacteria. More efficient and generalizable methods will help realize the immense potential of programmable CRISPR-based transcriptional control in diverse bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie N. Call
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Lauren B. Andrews
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
- Biotechnology Training Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
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25
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Liu D, Ge S, Wang Z, Li M, Zhuang W, Yang P, Chen Y, Ying H. Identification of a sensor histidine kinase (BfcK) controlling biofilm formation in Clostridium acetobutylicum. Chin J Chem Eng 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2021.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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26
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Jing W, Pilato JL, Kay C, Feng S, Tuipulotu DE, Mathur A, Shen C, Ngo C, Zhao A, Miosge LA, Ali SA, Gardiner EE, Awad MM, Lyras D, Robertson AAB, Kaakoush NO, Man SM. Clostridium septicum α-toxin activates the NLRP3 inflammasome by engaging GPI-anchored proteins. Sci Immunol 2022; 7:eabm1803. [PMID: 35594341 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abm1803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Clostridium species are a group of Gram-positive bacteria that cause diseases in humans, such as food poisoning, botulism, and tetanus. Here, we analyzed 10 different Clostridium species and identified that Clostridium septicum, a pathogen that causes sepsis and gas gangrene, activates the mammalian cytosolic inflammasome complex in mice and humans. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that α-toxin secreted by C. septicum binds to glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins on the host plasma membrane, oligomerizing and forming a membrane pore that is permissive to efflux of magnesium and potassium ions. Efflux of these cytosolic ions triggers the activation of the innate immune sensor NLRP3, inducing activation of caspase-1 and gasdermin D, secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β and interleukin-18, pyroptosis, and plasma membrane rupture via ninjurin-1. Furthermore, α-toxin of C. septicum induces rapid inflammasome-mediated lethality in mice and pharmacological inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome using MCC950 prevents C. septicum-induced lethality. Overall, our results reveal that cytosolic innate sensing of α-toxin is central to the recognition of C. septicum infection and that therapeutic blockade of the inflammasome pathway may prevent sepsis and death caused by toxin-producing pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weidong Jing
- Division of Immunity, Inflammation and Infection, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Jordan Lo Pilato
- Division of Immunity, Inflammation and Infection, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Callum Kay
- Division of Immunity, Inflammation and Infection, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Shouya Feng
- Division of Immunity, Inflammation and Infection, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Daniel Enosi Tuipulotu
- Division of Immunity, Inflammation and Infection, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Anukriti Mathur
- Division of Immunity, Inflammation and Infection, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Cheng Shen
- Division of Immunity, Inflammation and Infection, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Chinh Ngo
- Division of Immunity, Inflammation and Infection, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Anyang Zhao
- Division of Immunity, Inflammation and Infection, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Lisa A Miosge
- Division of Immunity, Inflammation and Infection, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Sidra A Ali
- Division of Genome Science and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Elizabeth E Gardiner
- Division of Genome Science and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Milena M Awad
- Infection and Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Dena Lyras
- Infection and Immunity Program and Department of Microbiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Avril A B Robertson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Si Ming Man
- Division of Immunity, Inflammation and Infection, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
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27
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Akram F, Sahreen S, Aamir F, Haq IU, Malik K, Imtiaz M, Naseem W, Nasir N, Waheed HM. An Insight into Modern Targeted Genome-Editing Technologies with a Special Focus on CRISPR/Cas9 and its Applications. Mol Biotechnol 2022; 65:227-242. [PMID: 35474409 PMCID: PMC9041284 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-022-00501-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Genome-editing technology has enabled scientists to make changes in model organisms' DNA at the genomic level to get biotechnologically important products from them. Most commonly employed technologies for this purpose are transcription activator like effector nucleases (TALENs), homing-endonucleases or meganucleases, zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) associated protein 9 (Cas9). Among these tools, CRISPR/Cas9 is most preferred because it's easy to use, has a small mutation rate, has great effectiveness, low cost of development, and decreased rate of advancement. CRISPR/Cas9 has a lot of applications in plants, animals, humans, and microbes. It also has applications in many fields such as horticulture, cancer, food biotechnology, and targeted human genome treatments. CRISPR technology has shown great potential for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic to provide early and easy detection methods, possible treatment, and vaccine development. In the present review, genome-editing tools with their basic assembly and features have been discussed. Exceptional notice has been paid to CRISPR technology on basis of its structure and significant applications in humans, plants, animals, and microbes such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The review has also shed a little light on current CRISPR challenges and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Akram
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000 Pakistan
| | - Sania Sahreen
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000 Pakistan
| | - Farheen Aamir
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000 Pakistan
| | - Ikram ul Haq
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000 Pakistan ,Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Kausar Malik
- Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Memoona Imtiaz
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000 Pakistan
| | - Waqas Naseem
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000 Pakistan
| | - Narmeen Nasir
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000 Pakistan
| | - Hafiza Mariam Waheed
- Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Government College University, Lahore, 54000 Pakistan
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28
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Pavan M, Reinmets K, Garg S, Mueller AP, Marcellin E, Köpke M, Valgepea K. Advances in systems metabolic engineering of autotrophic carbon oxide-fixing biocatalysts towards a circular economy. Metab Eng 2022; 71:117-141. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2022.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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29
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Wen Z, Qian F, Zhang J, Jiang Y, Yang S. Genome Editing of Corynebacterium glutamicum Using CRISPR-Cpf1 System. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2479:189-206. [PMID: 35583740 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2233-9_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Corynebacterium glutamicum, as an important microbial chassis, has great potential in industrial application. However, complicated genetic modification is severely slowed by lack of efficient genome editing tools. The Streptococcus pyogenes (Sp) CRISPR-Cas9 system has been verified as a very powerful tool for mediating genome alteration in many microorganisms but cannot work well in C. glutamicum. We recently developed two Francisella novicida (Fn) CRISPR-Cpf1 assisted systems for genome editing via homologous recombination in C. glutamicum. Here, we describe the protocols and demonstrated that N iterative rounds of genome editing can be achieved in 3 N + 4 or 3 N + 2 days, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Wen
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fenghui Qian
- Shanghai Research and Development Center of Industrial Biotechnology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Jiang
- Shanghai Taoyusheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Sheng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Huzhou Center of Industrial Biotechnology, Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang, China.
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30
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Lin L, Zhang Z, Tang H, Guo Y, Zhou B, Liu Y, Huang R, Du L, Pang H. Enhanced sucrose fermentation by introduction of heterologous sucrose transporter and invertase into Clostridium beijerinckii for acetone-butanol-ethanol production. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201858. [PMID: 34567584 PMCID: PMC8456130 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
A heterologous pathway for sucrose transport and metabolism was introduced into Clostridium beijerinckii to improve sucrose use for n-butanol production. The combined expression of StSUT1, encoding a sucrose transporter from potato (Solanum tuberosum), and SUC2, encoding a sucrose invertase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, remarkably enhanced n-butanol production. With sucrose, sugarcane molasses and sugarcane juice as substrates, the C. beijerinckii strain harbouring StSUT1 and SUC2 increased acetone-butanol-ethanol production by 38.7%, 22.3% and 52.8%, respectively, compared with the wild-type strain. This is the first report to demonstrate enhanced sucrose fermentation due to the heterologous expression of a sucrose transporter and invertase in Clostridium. The metabolic engineering strategy used in this study can be widely applied in other microorganisms to enhance the production of high-value compounds from sucrose-based biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzymatic Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Daxue Road No. 100, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, People's Republic of China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-refinery, National Engineering Research Center for Non-Food Biorefinery, State Key Laboratory of Non-Food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Daling Road No. 98, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhikai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzymatic Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Daxue Road No. 100, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongchi Tang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzymatic Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Daxue Road No. 100, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, People's Republic of China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-refinery, National Engineering Research Center for Non-Food Biorefinery, State Key Laboratory of Non-Food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Daling Road No. 98, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Guo
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-refinery, National Engineering Research Center for Non-Food Biorefinery, State Key Laboratory of Non-Food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Daling Road No. 98, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, People's Republic of China
| | - Bingqing Zhou
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-refinery, National Engineering Research Center for Non-Food Biorefinery, State Key Laboratory of Non-Food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Daling Road No. 98, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Liu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-refinery, National Engineering Research Center for Non-Food Biorefinery, State Key Laboratory of Non-Food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Daling Road No. 98, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, People's Republic of China
| | - Ribo Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzymatic Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Daxue Road No. 100, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, People's Republic of China
| | - Liqin Du
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangxi Research Center for Microbial and Enzymatic Technology, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Daxue Road No. 100, Nanning, Guangxi 530005, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Pang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-refinery, National Engineering Research Center for Non-Food Biorefinery, State Key Laboratory of Non-Food Biomass and Enzyme Technology, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Daling Road No. 98, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, People's Republic of China
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31
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Bai SK, Hong Y, Wu YR. Emerging technologies for genetic modification of solventogenic clostridia: From tool to strategy development. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2021; 334:125222. [PMID: 33951568 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Solventogenic clostridia has been considered as one of the most potential microbial cell factories for biofuel production in the biorefinery industry. However, the inherent shortcomings of clostridia strains such as low productivity, by-products formation and toxic tolerance still strongly restrict the large-scale application. Therefore, concerns regarding the genetic modification of solventogenic clostridia have spurred interests into the development of modern gene-editing tools. In this review, we summarize the latest advances of genetic tools involved in modifying solventogenic clostridia. Following a systematic comparison on their respective characteristics, we then review the corresponding strategies for overcoming the obstacles to the enhanced production. Discussing the progress of other microbial cell factories for solventogenesis, we finally describe the key challenges and trends with valuable recommendations for future large-scale biosolvent industrial application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Kai Bai
- Department of Biology, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China
| | - Ying Hong
- Department of Biology, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China
| | - Yi-Rui Wu
- Department of Biology, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China; Institute of Marine Sciences, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China.
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32
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Joseph RC, Kelley SQ, Kim NM, Sandoval NR. Metabolic Engineering and the Synthetic Biology Toolbox for
Clostridium. Metab Eng 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/9783527823468.ch16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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33
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Zhu C, Du G, Zhang J, Xue C. A high-efficient strategy for combinatorial engineering paralogous gene family: A case study on histidine kinases in Clostridium. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:2770-2780. [PMID: 33871069 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Microorganisms harbor bulks of functionally similar or undefined genes, which belong to paralogous gene family. There is a necessity of exploring combinatorial or interactive functions of these genes, but conventional loss-of-function strategy with one-by-one rounds suffers extremely low efficiency for generating mutant libraries with all gene permutations. Here, taking histidine kinases (HKs) in Clostridium acetobutylicum as a proof-of-concept, we developed a multi-plasmid cotransformation strategy for generating all theoretical HKs combinations in one round. For five HKs with 31 theoretical combinations, the library containing 22 mutants within all the possible HKs-inactivated combinations was constructed with 11 days compared to 242 days by conventional strategy, while the other 9 combinations cannot survive. Six mutants with the enhanced butanol production and tolerance were obtained with changes of cell development during fermentation, one of which could produce 54.2% more butanol (56.4% more solvents), while the butanol production of other mutants was unchanged or decreased. The cotransformation strategy demonstrated potentials for fast exploring pleiotropic function of paralogous family genes in cell survival, cell development, and target product metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhu
- School of Bioengineering, Engineering Research Center of Application and Transformation for Synthetic Biology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.,Ningbo Institute of Dalian University of Technology, Ningbo, China
| | - Guangqing Du
- School of Bioengineering, Engineering Research Center of Application and Transformation for Synthetic Biology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.,Ningbo Institute of Dalian University of Technology, Ningbo, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- School of Bioengineering, Engineering Research Center of Application and Transformation for Synthetic Biology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Chuang Xue
- School of Bioengineering, Engineering Research Center of Application and Transformation for Synthetic Biology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.,Ningbo Institute of Dalian University of Technology, Ningbo, China
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34
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Fackler N, Heffernan J, Juminaga A, Doser D, Nagaraju S, Gonzalez-Garcia RA, Simpson SD, Marcellin E, Köpke M. Transcriptional control of Clostridium autoethanogenum using CRISPRi. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2021; 6:ysab008. [PMID: 33928195 PMCID: PMC8062849 DOI: 10.1093/synbio/ysab008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gas fermentation by Clostridium autoethanogenum is a commercial process for the sustainable biomanufacturing of fuels and valuable chemicals using abundant, low-cost C1 feedstocks (CO and CO2) from sources such as inedible biomass, unsorted and nonrecyclable municipal solid waste, and industrial emissions. Efforts toward pathway engineering and elucidation of gene function in this microbe have been limited by a lack of genetic tools to control gene expression and arduous genome engineering methods. To increase the pace of progress, here we developed an inducible CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system for C. autoethanogenum and applied that system toward transcriptional repression of genes with ostensibly crucial functions in metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James Heffernan
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology & Metabolomics Australia, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072 Australia
| | | | | | | | - R Axayacatl Gonzalez-Garcia
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology & Metabolomics Australia, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072 Australia
| | | | - Esteban Marcellin
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology & Metabolomics Australia, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072 Australia
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35
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Diallo M, Kengen SWM, López-Contreras AM. Sporulation in solventogenic and acetogenic clostridia. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:3533-3557. [PMID: 33900426 PMCID: PMC8102284 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11289-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The Clostridium genus harbors compelling organisms for biotechnological production processes; while acetogenic clostridia can fix C1-compounds to produce acetate and ethanol, solventogenic clostridia can utilize a wide range of carbon sources to produce commercially valuable carboxylic acids, alcohols, and ketones by fermentation. Despite their potential, the conversion by these bacteria of carbohydrates or C1 compounds to alcohols is not cost-effective enough to result in economically viable processes. Engineering solventogenic clostridia by impairing sporulation is one of the investigated approaches to improve solvent productivity. Sporulation is a cell differentiation process triggered in bacteria in response to exposure to environmental stressors. The generated spores are metabolically inactive but resistant to harsh conditions (UV, chemicals, heat, oxygen). In Firmicutes, sporulation has been mainly studied in bacilli and pathogenic clostridia, and our knowledge of sporulation in solvent-producing or acetogenic clostridia is limited. Still, sporulation is an integral part of the cellular physiology of clostridia; thus, understanding the regulation of sporulation and its connection to solvent production may give clues to improve the performance of solventogenic clostridia. This review aims to provide an overview of the triggers, characteristics, and regulatory mechanism of sporulation in solventogenic clostridia. Those are further compared to the current knowledge on sporulation in the industrially relevant acetogenic clostridia. Finally, the potential applications of spores for process improvement are discussed.Key Points• The regulatory network governing sporulation initiation varies in solventogenic clostridia.• Media composition and cell density are the main triggers of sporulation.• Spores can be used to improve the fermentation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamou Diallo
- Wageningen Food and Biobased Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Servé W M Kengen
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Genome Editing in Bacteria: CRISPR-Cas and Beyond. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9040844. [PMID: 33920749 PMCID: PMC8071187 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9040844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome editing in bacteria encompasses a wide array of laborious and multi-step methods such as suicide plasmids. The discovery and applications of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas based technologies have revolutionized genome editing in eukaryotic organisms due to its simplicity and programmability. Nevertheless, this system has not been as widely favored for bacterial genome editing. In this review, we summarize the main approaches and difficulties associated with CRISPR-Cas-mediated genome editing in bacteria and present some alternatives to circumvent these issues, including CRISPR nickases, Cas12a, base editors, CRISPR-associated transposases, prime-editing, endogenous CRISPR systems, and the use of pre-made ribonucleoprotein complexes of Cas proteins and guide RNAs. Finally, we also address fluorescent-protein-based methods to evaluate the efficacy of CRISPR-based systems for genome editing in bacteria. CRISPR-Cas still holds promise as a generalized genome-editing tool in bacteria and is developing further optimization for an expanded application in these organisms. This review provides a rarely offered comprehensive view of genome editing. It also aims to familiarize the microbiology community with an ever-growing genome-editing toolbox for bacteria.
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Wilding-Steele T, Ramette Q, Jacottin P, Soucaille P. Improved CRISPR/Cas9 Tools for the Rapid Metabolic Engineering of Clostridium acetobutylicum. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22073704. [PMID: 33918190 PMCID: PMC8037352 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas (CRISPR-associated proteins)9 tools have revolutionized biology-several highly efficient tools have been constructed that have resulted in the ability to quickly engineer model bacteria, for example, Escherichia coli. However, the use of CRISPR/Cas9 tools has lagged behind in non-model bacteria, hampering engineering efforts. Here, we developed improved CRISPR/Cas9 tools to enable efficient rapid metabolic engineering of the industrially relevant bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum. Previous efforts to implement a CRISPR/Cas9 system in C. acetobutylicum have been hampered by the lack of tightly controlled inducible systems along with large plasmids resulting in low transformation efficiencies. We successfully integrated the cas9 gene from Streptococcuspyogenes into the genome under control of the xylose inducible system from Clostridium difficile, which we then showed resulted in a tightly controlled system. We then optimized the length of the editing cassette, resulting in a small editing plasmid, which also contained the upp gene in order to rapidly lose the plasmid using the upp/5-fluorouracil counter-selection system. We used this system to perform individual and sequential deletions of ldhA and the ptb-buk operon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Wilding-Steele
- INP, TBI, INSA, UPS, Université de Toulouse, 31400 Toulouse, France; wilding-@insa-toulouse.fr (T.W.-S.); (Q.R.); (P.J.)
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR 792, 31077 Toulouse, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 5504, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Quentin Ramette
- INP, TBI, INSA, UPS, Université de Toulouse, 31400 Toulouse, France; wilding-@insa-toulouse.fr (T.W.-S.); (Q.R.); (P.J.)
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR 792, 31077 Toulouse, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 5504, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Paul Jacottin
- INP, TBI, INSA, UPS, Université de Toulouse, 31400 Toulouse, France; wilding-@insa-toulouse.fr (T.W.-S.); (Q.R.); (P.J.)
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR 792, 31077 Toulouse, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 5504, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Philippe Soucaille
- INP, TBI, INSA, UPS, Université de Toulouse, 31400 Toulouse, France; wilding-@insa-toulouse.fr (T.W.-S.); (Q.R.); (P.J.)
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR 792, 31077 Toulouse, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 5504, 31400 Toulouse, France
- BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SBRC), School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
- Correspondence:
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Bourgade B, Minton NP, Islam MA. Genetic and metabolic engineering challenges of C1-gas fermenting acetogenic chassis organisms. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:fuab008. [PMID: 33595667 PMCID: PMC8351756 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Unabated mining and utilisation of petroleum and petroleum resources and their conversion to essential fuels and chemicals have drastic environmental consequences, contributing to global warming and climate change. In addition, fossil fuels are finite resources, with a fast-approaching shortage. Accordingly, research efforts are increasingly focusing on developing sustainable alternatives for chemicals and fuels production. In this context, bioprocesses, relying on microorganisms, have gained particular interest. For example, acetogens use the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway to grow on single carbon C1-gases (CO2 and CO) as their sole carbon source and produce valuable products such as acetate or ethanol. These autotrophs can, therefore, be exploited for large-scale fermentation processes to produce industrially relevant chemicals from abundant greenhouse gases. In addition, genetic tools have recently been developed to improve these chassis organisms through synthetic biology approaches. This review will focus on the challenges of genetically and metabolically modifying acetogens. It will first discuss the physical and biochemical obstacles complicating successful DNA transfer in these organisms. Current genetic tools developed for several acetogens, crucial for strain engineering to consolidate and expand their catalogue of products, will then be described. Recent tool applications for metabolic engineering purposes to allow redirection of metabolic fluxes or production of non-native compounds will lastly be covered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Bourgade
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK
| | - Nigel P Minton
- BBSRC/EPSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre (SBRC), School of Life Sciences, University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - M Ahsanul Islam
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK
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Faulkner V, Cox AA, Goh S, van Bohemen A, Gibson AJ, Liebster O, Wren BW, Willcocks S, Kendall SL. Re-sensitization of Mycobacterium smegmatis to Rifampicin Using CRISPR Interference Demonstrates Its Utility for the Study of Non-essential Drug Resistance Traits. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:619427. [PMID: 33597931 PMCID: PMC7882622 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.619427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A greater understanding of the genes involved in antibiotic resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is necessary for the design of improved therapies. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat interference (CRISPRi) has been previously utilized in mycobacteria to identify novel drug targets by the demonstration of gene essentiality. The work presented here shows that it can also be usefully applied to the study of non-essential genes involved in antibiotic resistance. The expression of an ADP-ribosyltransferase (Arr) involved in rifampicin resistance in Mycobacterium smegmatis was silenced using CRISPRi and the impact on rifampicin susceptibility was measured. Gene silencing resulted in a decrease in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) similar to that previously reported in an arr deletion mutant. There is contradictory evidence for the toxicity of Streptococcus pyogenes dCas9 (dCas9Spy) in the literature. In this study the expression of dCas9Spy in M. smegmatis showed no impact on viability. Silencing was achieved with concentrations of the aTc inducer lower than previously described and with shorter induction times. Finally, designing small guide RNAs (sgRNAs) that target transcription initiation, or the early stages of elongation had the most impact on rifampicin susceptibility. This study demonstrates that CRISPRi based gene silencing can be as impactful as gene deletion for the study of non-essential genes and further contributes to the knowledge on the design and induction of sgRNAs for CRISPRi. This approach can be applied to other non-essential antimicrobial resistance genes such as drug efflux pumps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valwynne Faulkner
- Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Adrienne Adele Cox
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Shan Goh
- Department of Clinical, Pharmaceutical & Biological Science, School of Life & Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Annelies van Bohemen
- Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Amanda J. Gibson
- Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
- Centre of Excellence for Bovine TB, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver Liebster
- Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Brendan W. Wren
- Department of Infection Biology, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sam Willcocks
- Department of Infection Biology, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sharon L. Kendall
- Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
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Liu H, Robinson DS, Wu ZY, Kuo R, Yoshikuni Y, Blaby IK, Cheng JF. Bacterial genome editing by coupling Cre-lox and CRISPR-Cas9 systems. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241867. [PMID: 33147260 PMCID: PMC7641437 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The past decade has been a golden age for microbiology, marked by the discovery of an unprecedented increase in the number of novel bacterial species. Yet gaining biological knowledge of those organisms has not kept pace with sequencing efforts. To unlock this genetic potential there is an urgent need for generic (i.e. non-species specific) genetic toolboxes. Recently, we developed a method, termed chassis-independent recombinase-assisted genome engineering (CRAGE), enabling the integration and expression of large complex gene clusters directly into the chromosomes of diverse bacteria. Here we expand upon this technology by incorporating CRISPR-Cas9 allowing precise genome editing across multiple bacterial species. To do that we have developed a landing pad that carries one wild-type and two mutant lox sites to allow integration of foreign DNA at two locations through Cre-lox recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE). The first RMCE event is to integrate the Cas9 and the DNA repair protein genes RecET, and the second RMCE event enables the integration of customized sgRNA and a repair template. Following this workflow, we achieved precise genome editing in four different gammaproteobacterial species. We also show that the inserted landing pad and the entire editing machinery can be removed scarlessly after editing. We report here the construction of a single landing pad transposon and demonstrate its functionality across multiple species. The modular design of the landing pad and accessory vectors allows design and assembly of genome editing platforms for other organisms in a similar way. We believe this approach will greatly expand the list of bacteria amenable to genetic manipulation and provides the means to advance our understanding of the microbial world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hualan Liu
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - David S. Robinson
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Zong-Yen Wu
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Rita Kuo
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Yasuo Yoshikuni
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Ian K. Blaby
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Jan-Fang Cheng
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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41
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Zhao D, Zhu X, Zhou H, Sun N, Wang T, Bi C, Zhang X. CRISPR-based metabolic pathway engineering. Metab Eng 2020; 63:148-159. [PMID: 33152516 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2020.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A highly effective metabolic pathway is the key for an efficient cell factory. However, the engineered homologous or heterologous multi-gene pathway may be unbalanced, inefficient and causing the accumulation of potentially toxic intermediates. Therefore, pathways must be constructed optimally to minimize these negative effects and maximize catalytic efficiency. With the development of CRISPR technology, some of the problems of previous pathway engineering and genome editing techniques were resolved, providing higher efficiency, lower cost, and easily customizable targets. Moreover, CRISPR was demonstrated as robust and effective in various organisms including both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In recent years, researchers in the field of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology have exploited various CRISPR-based pathway engineering approaches, which are both effective and convenient, as well as valuable from a theoretical standpoint. In this review, we systematically summarize novel pathway engineering techniques and strategies based on CRISPR nucleases system, CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), and CRISPR activation (CRISPRa), including figures and descriptions for easy understanding, with the aim to facilitate their broader application among fellow researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Zhao
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Xinna Zhu
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Hang Zhou
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Naxin Sun
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Changhao Bi
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.
| | - Xueli Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China; Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.
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Kerry RG, Das G, Golla U, Del Pilar Rodriguez-Torres M, Shin H, Patra JK. Engineered probiotic and prebiotic nutraceutical supplementations in combating non-communicable disorders: A review. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2020; 23:72-97. [PMID: 33050862 DOI: 10.2174/1389201021666201013153142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Nutritional supplementations are a form of nutrition sources that may help in improving health complexities throughout the life span of a person. Under the umbrella of food supplementations, nutraceuticals are products extracted from edible sources that provide medical benefits along with primary nutritional value, these can be considered as functional foods. These nutraceutical supplementations are also evidenced in altering the commensal gut microbiota and help to prevent or fight against chronic non-communicable degenerative diseases in adults including neurological disorders (Autism Spectrum Disorder [ASD], Parkinson's disease [PD] and Multiple sclerosis [MS]) and metabolic disorder (Type-II Diabetes, Obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). Even the complexities of preterm babies like extra-uterine growth restriction, necrotizing enterocolitis, infant eczema and allergy (during pregnancy) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, etc. could also be lessened up by providing proper nutrition. Molecular perceptive of inflammatory and apoptotic modulators regulating the pathogenesis of these health risks, their control and management by probiotics and prebiotics could further emphasize the scientific overview of their utility. The pivotal role of nutraceutical supplementations in regulating or modulating molecular pathways coupled with the above mentioned non-communicable diseases are briefly described. Lastly, an overall introduction to the sophisticated genome-editing techniques and advanced delivery systems in therapeutic activities applicable under these health risks are also emphasized in this paper.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gitishree Das
- Research Institute of Biotechnology & Medical Converged Science, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyangsi 10326. Korea
| | - Upendarrao Golla
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033. United States
| | - Maria Del Pilar Rodriguez-Torres
- Laboratorio de Ondas de Choque (LOCH), Centro de Física Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada (CFATA), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM Juriquilla Boulevard Juriquilla no. 3001, Santiago de Querétaro, Qro., C.P. 76230. Mexico
| | - HanSeung Shin
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyangsi 10326. Korea
| | - Jayanta Kumar Patra
- Research Institute of Biotechnology & Medical Converged Science, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyangsi 10326. Korea
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CRISPR-Cas-mediated gene editing in lactic acid bacteria. Mol Biol Rep 2020; 47:8133-8144. [PMID: 32926267 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-05820-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The high efficiency, convenience and diversity of clustered regular interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) systems are driving a technological revolution in the gene editing of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Cas-RNA cassettes have been adopted as tools to perform gene deletion, insertion and point mutation in several species of LAB. In this article, we describe the basic mechanisms of the CRISPR-Cas system, and the current gene editing methods available, focusing on the CRISPR-Cas models developed for LAB. We also compare the different types of CRISPR-Cas-based genomic manipulations classified according to the different Cas proteins and the type of recombineering, and discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of CRISPR-Cas application in LAB.
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44
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Liu Z, Dong H, Cui Y, Cong L, Zhang D. Application of different types of CRISPR/Cas-based systems in bacteria. Microb Cell Fact 2020; 19:172. [PMID: 32883277 PMCID: PMC7470686 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-020-01431-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
As important genome editing tools, CRISPR/Cas systems, especially those based on type II Cas9 and type V Cas12a, are widely used in genetic and metabolic engineering of bacteria. However, the intrinsic toxicity of Cas9 and Cas12a-mediated CRISPR/Cas tools can lead to cell death in some strains, which led to the development of endogenous type I and III CRISPR/Cas systems. However, these systems are hindered by complicated development and limited applications. Thus, further development and optimization of CRISPR/Cas systems is needed. Here, we briefly summarize the mechanisms of different types of CRISPR/Cas systems as genetic manipulation tools and compare their features to provide a reference for selecting different CRISPR/Cas tools. Then, we show the use of CRISPR/Cas technology for bacterial strain evolution and metabolic engineering, including genome editing, gene expression regulation and the base editor tool. Finally, we offer a view of future directions for bacterial CRISPR/Cas technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenquan Liu
- School of Biological Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, 116034, People's Republic of China
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China
| | - Huina Dong
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China
| | - Yali Cui
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China
| | - Lina Cong
- School of Biological Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, 116034, People's Republic of China.
| | - Dawei Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China.
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, People's Republic of China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Chen Y, Yang Y, Ji X, Zhao R, Li G, Gu Y, Shi A, Jiang W, Zhang Q. The SCIFF-Derived Ranthipeptides Participate in Quorum Sensing in Solventogenic Clostridia. Biotechnol J 2020; 15:e2000136. [PMID: 32713052 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202000136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Ranthipeptides, defined as radical non-α thioether-containing peptides, are a newly emerging class of natural products belonging to the ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) superfamily. Ranthipeptides are shown to be widespread in the bacterial kingdom, whereas heretofore their biological functions remain completely elusive. In this work, putative ranthipeptides are investigated from two solventogenic clostridia, Clostridium beijerinckii and Clostridium ljungdahlii, which are derived from the so-called six Cys in forty-five residues (SCIFF) family of precursor peptides. A series of analysis show that these two ranthipeptides participate in quorum sensing and controlling cellular metabolism. These results highlight the diverse biological functions of the ever-increasing family of RiPP natural products and showcase the potential to engineer industrially interesting organisms by manipulating their RiPP biosynthetic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunliang Chen
- School of Agricultural Equipment Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China.,Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Yunpeng Yang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, CAS, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xinjian Ji
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Ran Zhao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Guoquan Li
- School of Agricultural Equipment Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Yang Gu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Aiping Shi
- School of Agricultural Equipment Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Weihong Jiang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
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Directed Evolution of CRISPR/Cas Systems for Precise Gene Editing. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 39:262-273. [PMID: 32828556 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR technology is a universal tool for genome engineering that has revolutionized biotechnology. Recently identified unique CRISPR/Cas systems, as well as re-engineered Cas proteins, have rapidly expanded the functions and applications of CRISPR/Cas systems. The structures of Cas proteins are complex, containing multiple functional domains. These protein domains are evolutionarily conserved polypeptide units that generally show independent structural or functional properties. In this review, we propose using protein domains as a new way to classify protein engineering strategies for these proteins and discuss common ways to engineer key domains to modify the functions of CRISPR/Cas systems.
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Liu J, Jiang Y, Chen J, Yang J, Jiang W, Zhuang W, Ying H, Yang S. Metabolic Engineering and Adaptive Evolution of Clostridium beijerinckii To Increase Solvent Production from Corn Stover Hydrolysate. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2020; 68:7916-7925. [PMID: 32614183 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c03048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The production of acetone-butanol-ethanol by solventogenic Clostridium using lignocellulosic biomass can be a potential alternative to petroleum-based butanol. However, previous studies on nondetoxified lignocellulose hydrolysate could not provide better results when compared to those in synthetic medium. In this study, we engineered the pentose pathway of Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052, which was then subjected to adaptive laboratory evolution in the gradient mixture of synthetic medium and pretreated corn stover enzymatic hydrolysate (CSH) prepared according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) standard. The final resultant strain CIBTS1274A produced 20.7 g/L of total solvents in NREL CSH diluted to 6% initial total sugars, supplemented with ammonium acetate. This performance was comparable with that of corn-based butanol. In addition, this strain was successfully used in the scale-up operation using nondetoxified corn stover and corncob hydrolysate at Lignicell Refining Biotechnologies Ltd., which once was the only commercial biobutanol industry in the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinle Liu
- School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Yu Jiang
- Huzhou Center of Industrial Biotechnology, Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huzhou 313000, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Junjie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Weihong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wei Zhuang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Energy, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Hanjie Ying
- School of Chemical Engineering and Energy, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Sheng Yang
- Huzhou Center of Industrial Biotechnology, Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huzhou 313000, China
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
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Wang Y, Liu Y, Zheng P, Sun J, Wang M. Microbial Base Editing: A Powerful Emerging Technology for Microbial Genome Engineering. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 39:165-180. [PMID: 32680590 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Genome engineering is crucial for answering fundamental questions about, and exploring practical applications of, microorganisms. Various microbial genome-engineering tools, including CRISPR/Cas-enhanced homologous recombination (HR), have been developed, with ever-improving simplicity, efficiency, and applicability. Recently, a powerful emerging technology based on CRISPR/Cas-nucleobase deaminase fusions, known as base editing, opened new avenues for microbial genome engineering. Base editing enables nucleotide transition without inducing lethal double-stranded (ds)DNA cleavage, adding foreign donor DNA, or depending on inefficient HR. Here, we review ongoing efforts to develop and apply base editing to engineer industrially and clinically relevant microorganisms. We also summarize bioinformatics tools that would greatly facilitate guide (g)RNA design and sequencing data analysis and discuss the future challenges and prospects associated with this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China.
| | - Ye Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Ping Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Jibin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China.
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Ding W, Zhang Y, Shi S. Development and Application of CRISPR/Cas in Microbial Biotechnology. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:711. [PMID: 32695770 PMCID: PMC7338305 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated (Cas) system has been rapidly developed as versatile genomic engineering tools with high efficiency, accuracy and flexibility, and has revolutionized traditional methods for applications in microbial biotechnology. Here, key points of building reliable CRISPR/Cas system for genome engineering are discussed, including the Cas protein, the guide RNA and the donor DNA. Following an overview of various CRISPR/Cas tools for genome engineering, including gene activation, gene interference, orthogonal CRISPR systems and precise single base editing, we highlighted the application of CRISPR/Cas toolbox for multiplexed engineering and high throughput screening. We then summarize recent applications of CRISPR/Cas systems in metabolic engineering toward production of chemicals and natural compounds, and end with perspectives of future advancements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Ding
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Ministry of Education, College of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Shuobo Shi
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
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50
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A CRISPR/Anti-CRISPR Genome Editing Approach Underlines the Synergy of Butanol Dehydrogenases in Clostridium acetobutylicum DSM 792. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.00408-20. [PMID: 32385078 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00408-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although Clostridium acetobutylicum is the model organism for the study of acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation, its characterization has long been impeded by the lack of efficient genome editing tools. In particular, the contribution of alcohol dehydrogenases to solventogenesis in this bacterium has mostly been studied with the generation of single-gene deletion strains. In this study, the three butanol dehydrogenase-encoding genes located on the chromosome of the DSM 792 reference strain were deleted iteratively by using a recently developed CRISPR-Cas9 tool improved by using an anti-CRISPR protein-encoding gene, acrIIA4 Although the literature has previously shown that inactivation of either bdhA, bdhB, or bdhC had only moderate effects on the strain, this study shows that clean deletion of both bdhA and bdhB strongly impaired solvent production and that a triple mutant ΔbdhA ΔbdhB ΔbdhC was even more affected. Complementation experiments confirmed the key role of these enzymes and the capacity of each bdh copy to fully restore efficient ABE fermentation in the triple deletion strain.IMPORTANCE An efficient CRISPR-Cas9 editing tool based on a previous two-plasmid system was developed for Clostridium acetobutylicum and used to investigate the contribution of chromosomal butanol dehydrogenase genes during solventogenesis. Thanks to the control of cas9 expression by inducible promoters and of Cas9-guide RNA (gRNA) complex activity by an anti-CRISPR protein, this genetic tool allows relatively fast, precise, markerless, and iterative modifications in the genome of this bacterium and potentially of other bacterial species. As an example, scarless mutants in which up to three genes coding for alcohol dehydrogenases are inactivated were then constructed and characterized through fermentation assays. The results obtained show that in C. acetobutylicum, other enzymes than the well-known AdhE1 are crucial for the synthesis of alcohol and, more globally, to perform efficient solventogenesis.
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