1
|
Roberts A, Spang D, Sanozky-Dawes R, Nethery MA, Barrangou R. Characterization of Ligilactobacillus salivarius CRISPR-Cas systems. mSphere 2024; 9:e0017124. [PMID: 38990000 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00171-24] [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: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Ligilactobacillus is a diverse genus among lactobacilli with phenotypes that reflect adaptation to various hosts. CRISPR-Cas systems are highly prevalent within lactobacilli, and Ligilactobacillus salivarius, the most abundant species of Ligilactobacillus, possesses both DNA- and RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas systems. In this study, we explore the presence and functional properties of I-B, I-C, I-E, II-A, and III-A CRISPR-Cas systems in over 500 Ligilactobacillus genomes, emphasizing systems found in L. salivarius. We examined the I-E, II-A, and III-A CRISPR-Cas systems of two L. salivarius strains and observed occurrences of split cas genes and differences in CRISPR RNA maturation in native hosts. This prompted testing of the single Cas9 and multiprotein Cascade and Csm CRISPR-Cas effector complexes in a cell-free context to demonstrate the functionality of these systems. We also predicted self-targeting spacers within L. salivarius CRISPR-Cas systems and found that nearly a third of L. salivarius genomes possess unique self-targeting spacers that generally target elements other than prophages. With these two L. salivarius strains, we performed prophage induction coupled with RNA sequencing and discovered that the prophages residing within these strains are inducible and likely active elements, despite targeting by CRISPR-Cas systems. These findings deepen our comprehension of CRISPR-Cas systems in L. salivarius, further elucidating their relationship with associated prophages and providing a functional basis for the repurposing of these Cas effectors for bacterial manipulation. IMPORTANCE Ligilactobacillus salivarius is a diverse bacterial species widely used in the food and dietary supplement industries. In this study, we investigate the occurrence and diversity of their adaptive immune systems, CRISPR-Cas, in over 500 genomes. We establish their function and provide insights into their role in the interplay between the bacterial host and the predatory phages that infect them. Such findings expand our knowledge about these important CRISPR-Cas immune systems widespread across the bacterial tree of life and also provide a technical basis for the repurposing of these molecular machines for the development of molecular biology tools and the manipulation and engineering of bacteria and other life forms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Avery Roberts
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel Spang
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rosemary Sanozky-Dawes
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Rodolphe Barrangou
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Burbano DA, Kiattisewee C, Karanjia AV, Cardiff RAL, Faulkner ID, Sugianto W, Carothers JM. CRISPR Tools for Engineering Prokaryotic Systems: Recent Advances and New Applications. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2024; 15:389-430. [PMID: 38598861 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-100522-114706] [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] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
In the past decades, the broad selection of CRISPR-Cas systems has revolutionized biotechnology by enabling multimodal genetic manipulation in diverse organisms. Rooted in a molecular engineering perspective, we recapitulate the different CRISPR components and how they can be designed for specific genetic engineering applications. We first introduce the repertoire of Cas proteins and tethered effectors used to program new biological functions through gene editing and gene regulation. We review current guide RNA (gRNA) design strategies and computational tools and how CRISPR-based genetic circuits can be constructed through regulated gRNA expression. Then, we present recent advances in CRISPR-based biosensing, bioproduction, and biotherapeutics across in vitro and in vivo prokaryotic systems. Finally, we discuss forthcoming applications in prokaryotic CRISPR technology that will transform synthetic biology principles in the near future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diego Alba Burbano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Cholpisit Kiattisewee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Ava V Karanjia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Ryan A L Cardiff
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Ian D Faulkner
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - Widianti Sugianto
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| | - James M Carothers
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute and Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Liu Z, Liu J, Yang Z, Zhu L, Zhu Z, Huang H, Jiang L. Endogenous CRISPR-Cas mediated in situ genome editing: State-of-the-art and the road ahead for engineering prokaryotes. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 68:108241. [PMID: 37633620 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108241] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
The CRISPR-Cas systems have shown tremendous promise as heterologous tools for genome editing in various prokaryotes. However, the perturbation of DNA homeostasis and the inherent toxicity of Cas9/12a proteins could easily lead to cell death, which led to the development of endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems. Programming the widespread endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems for in situ genome editing represents a promising tool in prokaryotes, especially in genetically intractable species. Here, this review briefly summarizes the advances of endogenous CRISPR-Cas-mediated genome editing, covering aspects of establishing and optimizing the genetic tools. In particular, this review presents the application of different types of endogenous CRISPR-Cas tools for strain engineering, including genome editing and genetic regulation. Notably, this review also provides a detailed discussion of the transposon-associated CRISPR-Cas systems, and the programmable RNA-guided transposition using endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems to enable editing of microbial communities for understanding and control. Therefore, they will be a powerful tool for targeted genetic manipulation. Overall, this review will not only facilitate the development of standard genetic manipulation tools for non-model prokaryotes but will also enable more non-model prokaryotes to be genetically tractable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenlei Liu
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Jiayu Liu
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Zhihan Yang
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Liying Zhu
- College of Chemical and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Zhengming Zhu
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
| | - He Huang
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
| | - Ling Jiang
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China; State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hussain MS, Anand V, Kumar M. Functional PAM sequence for DNA interference by CRISPR-Cas I-B system of Leptospira interrogans and the role of LinCas11b encoded within lincas8b. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 237:124086. [PMID: 36940764 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124086] [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: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenic species of Leptospira are recalcitrant for genetic manipulation using conventional tools, and therefore there is a need to explore techniques of higher efficiency. Application of endogenous CRISPR-Cas tool is emerging and efficient; nevertheless, it is limited by a poor understanding of interference machinery in the bacterial genome and its associated protospacer adjacent motif (PAM). In this study, interference machinery of CRISPR-Cas subtype I-B (Lin_I-B) from L. interrogans was experimentally validated in E. coli using the various identified PAM (TGA, ATG, ATA). The overexpression of the Lin_I-B interference machinery in E. coli demonstrated that LinCas5, LinCas6, LinCas7, and LinCas8b can self-assemble on cognate CRISPR RNA to form an interference complex (LinCascade). Moreover, a robust interference of target plasmids containing a protospacer with a PAM suggested a functional LinCascade. We also recognized a small open reading frame within lincas8b that independently co-translates LinCas11b. A mutant variant of LinCascade-Cas11b that lacks LinCas11b co-expression erred to mount target plasmid interference. At the same time, LinCas11b complementation in LinCascade-Cas11b rescued target plasmid interference. Thus, the present study establishes Leptospira subtype I-B interference machinery to be functional and, soon, may pave the way for scientists to harness it as a programmable endogenous genetic manipulation tool.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Md Saddam Hussain
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Vineet Anand
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
| | - Manish Kumar
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ciciani M, Demozzi M, Pedrazzoli E, Visentin E, Pezzè L, Signorini LF, Blanco-Miguez A, Zolfo M, Asnicar F, Casini A, Cereseto A, Segata N. Automated identification of sequence-tailored Cas9 proteins using massive metagenomic data. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6474. [PMID: 36309502 PMCID: PMC9617884 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34213-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The identification of the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences of Cas9 nucleases is crucial for their exploitation in genome editing. Here we develop a computational pipeline that was used to interrogate a massively expanded dataset of metagenome and virome assemblies for accurate and comprehensive PAM predictions. This procedure allows the identification and isolation of sequence-tailored Cas9 nucleases by using the target sequence as bait. As proof of concept, starting from the disease-causing mutation P23H in the RHO gene, we find, isolate and experimentally validate a Cas9 which uses the mutated sequence as PAM. Our PAM prediction pipeline will be instrumental to generate a Cas9 nuclease repertoire responding to any PAM requirement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Ciciani
- Department of Computational, Cellular and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Michele Demozzi
- Department of Computational, Cellular and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Eleonora Pedrazzoli
- Department of Computational, Cellular and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Visentin
- Department of Computational, Cellular and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Federico Signorini
- Department of Computational, Cellular and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Aitor Blanco-Miguez
- Department of Computational, Cellular and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Moreno Zolfo
- Department of Computational, Cellular and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Francesco Asnicar
- Department of Computational, Cellular and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | | | - Anna Cereseto
- Department of Computational, Cellular and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
| | - Nicola Segata
- Department of Computational, Cellular and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Exploiting the Type I-B CRISPR Genome Editing System in Thermoanaerobacterium aotearoense SCUT27 and Engineering the Strain for Enhanced Ethanol Production. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0075122. [PMID: 35862665 PMCID: PMC9361813 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00751-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Thermoanaerobacterium aotearoense strain SCUT27 is a potential industrial biofuel-producing strain because of its broad substrate spectrum, especially the ability to co-use glucose and xylose. The bottleneck hindering the development of strain SCUT27 is the lack of selective markers for polygene manipulation in this thermophilic bacterium. In this study, the endogenous type I-B clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) system was developed for multiplex genome editing of strain SCUT27. The protospacer-adjacent motif was identified by in silico analysis and verified with orotidine-5'-phosphate decarboxylase (pyrF) or lactate dehydrogenase (ldh) as the editing target. The type I-B CRISPR/Cas system was functional in strain SCUT27 with 58.3% to 100% editing efficiency. A multiplex genome editing method based on thymidine kinase (tdk) as a negative selection marker was developed, and strain SCUT27/Δtdk/Δldh/ΔargR, in which ldh and the arginine repressor (argR) were knocked out successively, was successfully obtained. Strain SCUT27/Δtdk/Δldh/ΔargR exhibited prominent advantages over wild-type SCUT27 in ethanol production, with significantly improved ability to metabolize xylose. IMPORTANCE Thermophilic microbes have attracted great attention as potential candidates for production of biofuels and chemicals from lignocellulose because of their thermal tolerance and wide substrate spectra. The ability to edit multiple genes using the native type I-B CRISPR/Cas system would speed up engineering of Thermoanaerobacterium aotearoense strain SCUT27 for higher ethanol production from lignocellulosic hydrolysates. Here, we produced a mutant strain, T. aotearoense SCUT27/Δtdk/Δldh/ΔargR, using the native CRISPR/Cas system. The engineered strain showed satisfactory performance with improved ethanol productivity from various lignocellulosic hydrolysates. Our data lay the foundations for development of this thermophilic microbe into an excellent ethanol producer using lignocellulosic hydrolysates. The methods described here may also provide a reference to develop multigene editing methods for other microorganisms.
Collapse
|
7
|
Rybnicky GA, Fackler NA, Karim AS, Köpke M, Jewett MC. Spacer2PAM: A computational framework to guide experimental determination of functional CRISPR-Cas system PAM sequences. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:3523-3534. [PMID: 35258601 PMCID: PMC8990532 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-guided nucleases from CRISPR-Cas systems expand opportunities for precise, targeted genome modification. Endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems in many prokaryotes are attractive to circumvent expression, functionality, and unintended activity hurdles posed by heterologous CRISPR-Cas effectors. However, each CRISPR-Cas system recognizes a unique set of protospacer adjacent motifs (PAMs), which requires identification by extensive screening of randomized DNA libraries. This challenge hinders development of endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems, especially those based on multi-protein effectors and in organisms that are slow-growing or have transformation idiosyncrasies. To address this challenge, we present Spacer2PAM, an easy-to-use, easy-to-interpret R package built to predict and guide experimental determination of functional PAM sequences for any CRISPR-Cas system given its corresponding CRISPR array as input. Spacer2PAM can be used in a 'Quick' method to generate a single PAM prediction or in a 'Comprehensive' method to inform targeted PAM libraries small enough to screen in difficult to transform organisms. We demonstrate Spacer2PAM by predicting PAM sequences for industrially relevant organisms and experimentally identifying seven PAM sequences that mediate interference from the Spacer2PAM-informed PAM library for the type I-B CRISPR-Cas system from Clostridium autoethanogenum. We anticipate that Spacer2PAM will facilitate the use of endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems for industrial biotechnology and synthetic biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grant A Rybnicky
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA,Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA,Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | | | - Ashty S Karim
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA,Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | | | - Michael C Jewett
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 847 467 5007; Fax: +1 847 467 5007;
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Guaman-Bautista LP, Moreta-Urbano E, Oña-Arias CG, Torres-Arias M, Kyriakidis NC, Malcı K, Jonguitud-Borrego N, Rios-Solis L, Ramos-Martinez E, López-Cortés A, Barba-Ostria C. Tracking SARS-CoV-2: Novel Trends and Diagnostic Strategies. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:1981. [PMID: 34829328 PMCID: PMC8621220 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11111981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on economies and health systems globally, therefore a top priority is the development of increasingly better diagnostic and surveillance alternatives to slow down the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In order to establish massive testing and contact tracing policies, it is crucial to have a clear view of the diagnostic options available and their principal advantages and drawbacks. Although classical molecular methods such as RT-qPCR are broadly used, diagnostic alternatives based on technologies such as LAMP, antigen, serological testing, or the application of novel technologies such as CRISPR-Cas for diagnostics, are also discussed. The present review also discusses the most important automation strategies employed to increase testing capability. Several serological-based diagnostic kits are presented, as well as novel nanotechnology-based diagnostic methods. In summary, this review provides a clear diagnostic landscape of the most relevant tools to track COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Linda P. Guaman-Bautista
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito 170147, Ecuador; (L.P.G.-B.); (E.M.-U.); (C.G.O.-A.)
| | - Erick Moreta-Urbano
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito 170147, Ecuador; (L.P.G.-B.); (E.M.-U.); (C.G.O.-A.)
| | - Claudia G. Oña-Arias
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito 170147, Ecuador; (L.P.G.-B.); (E.M.-U.); (C.G.O.-A.)
| | - Marbel Torres-Arias
- Immunology and Virology Laboratory, Department of Life Science and Agriculture, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas, Quito 171103, Ecuador;
| | - Nikolaos C. Kyriakidis
- Grupo de Investigación en Biotecnología Aplicada a Biomedicina (BIOMED), Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador;
- One Health Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Las Américas (UDLA), Quito 170125, Ecuador
| | - Koray Malcı
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9LE, UK; (K.M.); (N.J.-B.); (L.R.-S.)
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9LE, UK
| | - Nestor Jonguitud-Borrego
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9LE, UK; (K.M.); (N.J.-B.); (L.R.-S.)
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9LE, UK
| | - Leonardo Rios-Solis
- Institute for Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9LE, UK; (K.M.); (N.J.-B.); (L.R.-S.)
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology (SynthSys), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9LE, UK
| | - Espiridion Ramos-Martinez
- Experimental Medicine Research Unit, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 4510, Mexico;
| | - Andrés López-Cortés
- Centro de Investigación Genética y Genómica, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito 170147, Ecuador;
| | - Carlos Barba-Ostria
- Escuela de Medicina, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud Quito, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito 170901, Ecuador
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Vink JNA, Baijens JHL, Brouns SJJ. PAM-repeat associations and spacer selection preferences in single and co-occurring CRISPR-Cas systems. Genome Biol 2021; 22:281. [PMID: 34593010 PMCID: PMC8482600 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-021-02495-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The adaptive CRISPR-Cas immune system stores sequences from past invaders as spacers in CRISPR arrays and thereby provides direct evidence that links invaders to hosts. Mapping CRISPR spacers has revealed many aspects of CRISPR-Cas biology, including target requirements such as the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM). However, studies have so far been limited by a low number of mapped spacers in the database. RESULTS By using vast metagenomic sequence databases, we map approximately one-third of more than 200,000 unique CRISPR spacers from a variety of microbes and derive a catalog of more than two hundred unique PAM sequences associated with specific CRISPR-Cas subtypes. These PAMs are further used to correctly assign the orientation of CRISPR arrays, revealing conserved patterns between the last nucleotides of the CRISPR repeat and PAM. We could also deduce CRISPR-Cas subtype-specific preferences for targeting either template or coding strand of open reading frames. While some DNA-targeting systems (type I-E and type II systems) prefer the template strand and avoid mRNA, other DNA- and RNA-targeting systems (types I-A and I-B and type III systems) prefer the coding strand and mRNA. In addition, we find large-scale evidence that both CRISPR-Cas adaptation machinery and CRISPR arrays are shared between different CRISPR-Cas systems. This could lead to simultaneous DNA and RNA targeting of invaders, which may be effective at combating mobile genetic invaders. CONCLUSIONS This study has broad implications for our understanding of how CRISPR-Cas systems work in a wide range of organisms for which only the genome sequence is known.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jochem N A Vink
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H L Baijens
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Stan J J Brouns
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Zhou X, Wang X, Luo H, Wang Y, Wang Y, Tu T, Qin X, Su X, Bai Y, Yao B, Huang H, Zhang J. Exploiting heterologous and endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems for genome editing in the probiotic Clostridium butyricum. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:2448-2459. [PMID: 33719068 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Clostridium butyricum has been widely used as a probiotic for humans and food animals. However, the mechanisms of beneficial effects of C. butyricum on the host remain poorly understood, largely due to the lack of high-throughput genome engineering tools. Here, we report the exploitation of heterologous Type II CRISPR-Cas9 system and endogenous Type I-B CRISPR-Cas system in probiotic C. butyricum for seamless genome engineering. Although successful genome editing was achieved in C. butyricum when CRISPR-Cas9 system was employed, the expression of toxic cas9 gene result in really poor transformation, spurring us to develop an easy-applicable and high-efficient genome editing tool. Therefore, the endogenous Type I-B CRISPR-Cas machinery located on the megaplasmid of C. butyricum was co-opted for genome editing. In vivo plasmid interference assays identified that ACA and TAA were functional protospacer adjacent motif sequences needed for site-specific CRISPR attacking. Using the customized endogenous CRISPR-Cas system, we successfully deleted spo0A and aldh genes in C. butyricum, yielding an efficiency of up to 100%. Moreover, the conjugation efficiency of endogenous CRISPR-Cas system was dramatically enhanced due to the precluding expression of cas9. Altogether, the two approaches developed herein remarkably expand the existing genetic toolbox available for investigation of C. butyricum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiuqing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huiying Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yaru Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyun Su
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yingguo Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huoqing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Walton RT, Hsu JY, Joung JK, Kleinstiver BP. Scalable characterization of the PAM requirements of CRISPR-Cas enzymes using HT-PAMDA. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:1511-1547. [PMID: 33547443 PMCID: PMC8063866 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-020-00465-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The continued expansion of the genome-editing toolbox necessitates methods to characterize important properties of CRISPR-Cas enzymes. One such property is the requirement for Cas proteins to recognize a protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) in DNA target sites. The high-throughput PAM determination assay (HT-PAMDA) is a method that enables scalable characterization of the PAM preferences of different Cas proteins. Here, we provide a step-by-step protocol for the method, discuss experimental design considerations, and highlight how the method can be used to profile naturally occurring CRISPR-Cas9 enzymes, engineered derivatives with improved properties, orthologs of different classes (e.g., Cas12a), and even different platforms (e.g., base editors). A distinguishing feature of HT-PAMDA is that the enzymes are expressed in a cell type or organism of interest (e.g., mammalian cells), permitting scalable characterization and comparison of hundreds of enzymes in a relevant setting. HT-PAMDA does not require specialized equipment or expertise and is cost effective for multiplexed characterization of many enzymes. The protocol enables comprehensive PAM characterization of dozens or hundreds of Cas enzymes in parallel in <2 weeks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Russell T Walton
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan Y Hsu
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Center for Cancer Research and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J Keith Joung
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Center for Cancer Research and Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin P Kleinstiver
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Nishida K, Kondo A. CRISPR-derived genome editing technologies for metabolic engineering. Metab Eng 2020; 63:141-147. [PMID: 33307189 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In metabolic engineering, genome editing tools make it much easier to discover and evaluate relevant genes and pathways and construct strains. Clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated (Cas) systems now have become the first choice for genome engineering in many organisms includingindustrially relevant ones. Targeted DNA cleavage by CRISPR-Cas provides variousgenome engineering modes such as indels, replacements, large deletions, knock-in and chromosomal rearrangements, while host-dependent differences in repair pathways need to be considered. The versatility of the CRISPR system has given rise to derivative technologies that complement nuclease-based editing, which causes cytotoxicity especially in microorganisms. Deaminase-mediated base editing installs targeted point mutations with much less toxicity. CRISPRi and CRISPRa can temporarily control gene expression without changing the genomic sequence. Multiplex, combinatorial and large scale editing are made possible by streamlined design and construction of gRNA libraries to further accelerates comprehensive discovery, evaluation and building of metabolic pathways. This review summarizes the technical basis and recent advances in CRISPR-related genome editing tools applied for metabolic engineering purposes, with representative examples of industrially relevant eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keiji Nishida
- Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, Japan; Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Japan
| | - Akihiko Kondo
- Engineering Biology Research Center, Kobe University, Japan; Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kobe University, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Alkhnbashi OS, Meier T, Mitrofanov A, Backofen R, Voß B. CRISPR-Cas bioinformatics. Methods 2020; 172:3-11. [PMID: 31326596 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2019.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and their associated proteins (Cas) are essential genetic elements in many archaeal and bacterial genomes, playing a key role in a prokaryote adaptive immune system against invasive foreign elements. In recent years, the CRISPR-Cas system has also been engineered to facilitate target gene editing in eukaryotic genomes. Bioinformatics played an essential role in the detection and analysis of CRISPR systems and here we review the bioinformatics-based efforts that pushed the field of CRISPR-Cas research further. We discuss the bioinformatics tools that have been published over the last few years and, finally, present the most popular tools for the design of CRISPR-Cas9 guides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tobias Meier
- Computational Biology, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.
| | | | - Rolf Backofen
- Chair of Bioinformatics, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Björn Voß
- Computational Biology, Institute of Biochemical Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Tang Z, Chen S, Chen A, He B, Zhou Y, Chai G, Guo F, Huang J. CasPDB: an integrated and annotated database for Cas proteins from bacteria and archaea. DATABASE-THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL DATABASES AND CURATION 2019; 2019:5549733. [PMID: 31411686 PMCID: PMC6693189 DOI: 10.1093/database/baz093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and associated proteins (Cas) constitute CRISPR–Cas systems, which are antiphage immune systems present in numerous bacterial and most archaeal species. In recent years, CRISPR–Cas systems have been developed into reliable and powerful genome editing tools. Nevertheless, finding similar or better tools from bacteria or archaea remains crucial. This requires the exploration of different CRISPR systems, identification and characterization new Cas proteins. Archives tailored for Cas proteins are urgently needed and necessitate the prediction and grouping of Cas proteins into an information center with all available experimental evidence. Here, we constructed Cas Protein Data Bank (CasPDB), an integrated and annotated online database for Cas proteins from bacteria and archaea. The CasPDB database contains 287 reviewed Cas proteins, 257 745 putative Cas proteins and 3593 Cas operons from 32 023 bacteria species and 1802 archaea species. The database can be freely browsed and searched. The CasPDB web interface also represents all the 3593 putative Cas operons and its components. Among these operons, 328 are members of the type II CRISPR–Cas system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongjie Tang
- Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - ShaoQi Chen
- Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Ang Chen
- Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Bifang He
- Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China.,School of Medicine, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yuwei Zhou
- Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Guoshi Chai
- Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - FengBiao Guo
- Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Jian Huang
- Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Alper HS, Beisel CL. Advances in CRISPR Technologies for Microbial Strain Engineering. Biotechnol J 2018; 13:e1800460. [PMID: 30175907 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hal S Alper
- H. Alper, The University of Texas at Austin, USA
| | - Chase L Beisel
- Chase Beisel , Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Germany
| |
Collapse
|