1
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Zhang L, Wang H, Zeng J, Cao X, Gao Z, Liu Z, Li F, Wang J, Zhang Y, Yang M, Feng Y. Cas1 mediates the interference stage in a phage-encoded CRISPR-Cas system. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01659-5. [PMID: 38977786 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01659-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas systems are prokaryotic adaptive immune systems against invading phages and other mobile genetic elements. Notably, some phages, including the Vibrio cholerae-infecting ICP1 (International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh cholera phage 1), harbor CRISPR-Cas systems to counteract host defenses. Nevertheless, ICP1 Cas8f lacks the helical bundle domain essential for recruitment of helicase-nuclease Cas2/3 during target DNA cleavage and how this system accomplishes the interference stage remains unknown. Here, we found that Cas1, a highly conserved component known to exclusively work in the adaptation stage, also mediates the interference stage through connecting Cas2/3 to the DNA-bound CRISPR-associated complex for antiviral defense (Cascade; CRISPR system yersinia, Csy) of the ICP1 CRISPR-Cas system. A series of structures of Csy, Csy-dsDNA (double-stranded DNA), Cas1-Cas2/3 and Csy-dsDNA-Cas1-Cas2/3 complexes reveal the whole process of Cas1-mediated target DNA cleavage by the ICP1 CRISPR-Cas system. Together, these data support an unprecedented model in which Cas1 mediates the interference stage in a phage-encoded CRISPR-Cas system and the study also sheds light on a unique model of primed adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laixing Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Jianwei Zeng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xueli Cao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengyu Gao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Zihe Liu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Feixue Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Jiawei Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
| | - Maojun Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
- SUSTech Cryo-EM Facility Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Yue Feng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.
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2
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An alternative mechanism for recruiting Cas2/3 in a phage-encoded CRISPR-Cas system. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01667-5. [PMID: 38977790 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01667-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
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3
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Patel A, Sinha S, Arantes P, Palermo G. Unveiling Cas8 Dynamics and Regulation within a transposon-encoded Cascade-TniQ Complex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.21.600075. [PMID: 38948825 PMCID: PMC11213026 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.21.600075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Cascade is a class 1, type 1 CRISPR-Cas system with a variety of roles in prokaryote defense, specifically against DNA-based viruses. The Vibrio Cholerae transposon, Tn6677, encodes a variant of the type 1F Cascade known as type 1F-3. This Cascade variant complexes with a homodimer of the transposition protein TniQ and leverages the sequence specificity of Cascade to direct the integration activity of the heteromeric transposase tnsA/B, resulting in site-specific transposition of Tn6677. We desire to uncover the molecular details behind R Loop formation of 'Cascade-TniQ.' Due to the lack of a complete model of Cascade-TniQ available at atom-level resolution, we first build a complete model using AlphaFold V2.1. We then simulate this model via classical molecular dynamics and umbrella sampling to study an important regulatory component within Cascade-TniQ, known as the Cas8 'bundle.' Particularly, we show that this alpha helical bundle experiences a free energy barrier to its large-scale translatory motions and relative free energies of its states primarily dependent on a loop within a Cas7 subunit in Cascade-TniQ. Further, we comment on additional structural and dynamical regulatory points of Cascade-TniQ during R Loop formation, such as Cascade-TniQ backbone rigidity, and the potential role TniQ plays in regulating bundle dynamics. In summary, our outcomes provide the first all-atom dynamic representation of one of the largest CRISPR systems, with information that can contribute to understanding the mechanism of nucleic acid binding and, eventually, to transposase recruitment itself. Such information may prove informative to advance genome engineering efforts.
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4
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Lu M, Yu C, Zhang Y, Ju W, Ye Z, Hua C, Mao J, Hu C, Yang Z, Xiao Y. Structure and genome editing of type I-B CRISPR-Cas. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4126. [PMID: 38750051 PMCID: PMC11096372 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48598-2] [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: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Type I CRISPR-Cas systems employ multi-subunit effector Cascade and helicase-nuclease Cas3 to target and degrade foreign nucleic acids, representing the most abundant RNA-guided adaptive immune systems in prokaryotes. Their ability to cause long fragment deletions have led to increasing interests in eukaryotic genome editing. While the Cascade structures of all other six type I systems have been determined, the structure of the most evolutionarily conserved type I-B Cascade is still missing. Here, we present two cryo-EM structures of the Synechocystis sp. PCC 6714 (Syn) type I-B Cascade, revealing the molecular mechanisms that underlie RNA-directed Cascade assembly, target DNA recognition, and local conformational changes of the effector complex upon R-loop formation. Remarkably, a loop of Cas5 directly intercalated into the major groove of the PAM and facilitated PAM recognition. We further characterized the genome editing profiles of this I-B Cascade-Cas3 in human CD3+ T cells using mRNA-mediated delivery, which led to unidirectional 4.5 kb deletion in TRAC locus and achieved an editing efficiency up to 41.2%. Our study provides the structural basis for understanding target DNA recognition by type I-B Cascade and lays foundation for harnessing this system for long range genome editing in human T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiling Lu
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
| | - Chenlin Yu
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Yuwen Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Wenjun Ju
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Zhi Ye
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Chenyang Hua
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China
| | - Jinze Mao
- Nanjing Foreign Language School, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Chunyi Hu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
- Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme (TRP), Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Zhenhuang Yang
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518112, China.
| | - Yibei Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
- Chongqing Innovation Institute of China Pharmaceutical University, Chongqing, 401135, China.
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5
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Zheng C, Liang H, Dai L, Yu J, Long C. Dissecting the CRISPR Cas1-Cas2 Protospacer Binding and Selection Mechanism by Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:3563-3574. [PMID: 38573978 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c07320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Cas1 and Cas2 are highly conserved proteins among the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat Cas (CRISPR-Cas) systems and play a crucial role in protospacer selection and integration. According to the double-forked CRISPR Cas1-Cas2 complex, we conducted extensive all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the protospacer DNA binding and recognition. Our findings revealed that single-point amino acid mutations in Cas1 or in Cas2 had little impact on the binding of the protospacer, both in the binding and precatalytic states. In contrast, multiple-point amino acid mutations, particularly G74A, P80L, and V89A mutations on Cas2 and Cas2' proteins (m-multiple1 system), significantly affected the protospacer binding and selection. Notably, mutations on Cas2 and Cas2' led to an increased number of hydrogen bonds (#HBs) between Cas2&Cas2' and the dsDNA in the m-multiple1 system compared with the wild-type system. And the strong electrostatic interactions between Cas1-Cas2 and the protospacer DNA (psDNA) in the m-multiple1 system again suggested the increase in the binding affinity of protospacer acquisition. Specifically, mutations in Cas2 and Cas2' can remotely make the protospacer adjacent motif complementary (PAMc) sequences better in recognition by the two active sites, while multiple mutations K211E, P202Q, P212L, R138L, V134A, A286T, P282H, and P294H on Cas1a/Cas1b&Cas1a'/Cas1b' (m-multiple2 system) decrease the #HBs and the electrostatic interactions and make the PAMc worse in recognition compared with the wild-type system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanbo Zheng
- School of Science, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China
| | - Hongqiong Liang
- School of Science, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China
| | - Liqiang Dai
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325001, China
| | - Jin Yu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Chemistry, NSF-Simons Center for Multiscale Cell Fate Research, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Chunhong Long
- School of Science, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China
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6
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Hu C, Myers MT, Zhou X, Hou Z, Lozen ML, Nam KH, Zhang Y, Ke A. Exploiting activation and inactivation mechanisms in type I-C CRISPR-Cas3 for genome-editing applications. Mol Cell 2024; 84:463-475.e5. [PMID: 38242128 PMCID: PMC10857747 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.12.034] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Type I CRISPR-Cas systems utilize the RNA-guided Cascade complex to identify matching DNA targets and the nuclease-helicase Cas3 to degrade them. Among the seven subtypes, type I-C is compact in size and highly active in creating large-sized genome deletions in human cells. Here, we use four cryoelectron microscopy snapshots to define its RNA-guided DNA binding and cleavage mechanisms in high resolution. The non-target DNA strand (NTS) is accommodated by I-C Cascade in a continuous binding groove along the juxtaposed Cas11 subunits. Binding of Cas3 further traps a flexible bulge in NTS, enabling NTS nicking. We identified two anti-CRISPR proteins AcrIC8 and AcrIC9 that strongly inhibit Neisseria lactamica I-C function. Structural analysis showed that AcrIC8 inhibits PAM recognition through allosteric inhibition, whereas AcrIC9 achieves so through direct competition. Both Acrs potently inhibit I-C-mediated genome editing and transcriptional modulation in human cells, providing the first off-switches for type I CRISPR eukaryotic genome engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyi Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 253 Biotechnology Building, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science; Department of Biochemistry, Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme (TRP), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Mason T Myers
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xufei Zhou
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Zhonggang Hou
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Macy L Lozen
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ki Hyun Nam
- College of General Education, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Ailong Ke
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 253 Biotechnology Building, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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7
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Muzyukina P, Shkaruta A, Guzman NM, Andreani J, Borges AL, Bondy-Denomy J, Maikova A, Semenova E, Severinov K, Soutourina O. Identification of an anti-CRISPR protein that inhibits the CRISPR-Cas type I-B system in Clostridioides difficile. mSphere 2023; 8:e0040123. [PMID: 38009936 PMCID: PMC10732046 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00401-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Clostridioides difficile is the widespread anaerobic spore-forming bacterium that is a major cause of potentially lethal nosocomial infections associated with antibiotic therapy worldwide. Due to the increase in severe forms associated with a strong inflammatory response and higher recurrence rates, a current imperative is to develop synergistic and alternative treatments for C. difficile infections. In particular, phage therapy is regarded as a potential substitute for existing antimicrobial treatments. However, it faces challenges because C. difficile has highly active CRISPR-Cas immunity, which may be a specific adaptation to phage-rich and highly crowded gut environment. To overcome this defense, C. difficile phages must employ anti-CRISPR mechanisms. Here, we present the first anti-CRISPR protein that inhibits the CRISPR-Cas defense system in this pathogen. Our work offers insights into the interactions between C. difficile and its phages, paving the way for future CRISPR-based applications and development of effective phage therapy strategies combined with the engineering of virulent C. difficile infecting phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina Muzyukina
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Center for Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anton Shkaruta
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Center for Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Noemi M. Guzman
- Center for Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Jessica Andreani
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Adair L. Borges
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joseph Bondy-Denomy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Anna Maikova
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Center for Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Semenova
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Kurchatov National Research Center, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga Soutourina
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
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8
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Xu Z, Chen S, Wu W, Wen Y, Cao H. Type I CRISPR-Cas-mediated microbial gene editing and regulation. AIMS Microbiol 2023; 9:780-800. [PMID: 38173969 PMCID: PMC10758571 DOI: 10.3934/microbiol.2023040] [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: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
There are six major types of CRISPR-Cas systems that provide adaptive immunity in bacteria and archaea against invasive genetic elements. The discovery of CRISPR-Cas systems has revolutionized the field of genetics in many organisms. In the past few years, exploitations of the most abundant class 1 type I CRISPR-Cas systems have revealed their great potential and distinct advantages to achieve gene editing and regulation in diverse microorganisms in spite of their complicated structures. The widespread and diversified type I CRISPR-Cas systems are becoming increasingly attractive for the development of new biotechnological tools, especially in genetically recalcitrant microbial strains. In this review article, we comprehensively summarize recent advancements in microbial gene editing and regulation by utilizing type I CRISPR-Cas systems. Importantly, to expand the microbial host range of type I CRISPR-Cas-based applications, these structurally complicated systems have been improved as transferable gene-editing tools with efficient delivery methods for stable expression of CRISPR-Cas elements, as well as convenient gene-regulation tools with the prevention of DNA cleavage by obviating deletion or mutation of the Cas3 nuclease. We envision that type I CRISPR-Cas systems will largely expand the biotechnological toolbox for microbes with medical, environmental and industrial importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeling Xu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Shuzhen Chen
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Weiyan Wu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yongqi Wen
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Huiluo Cao
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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9
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Santiago-Frangos A, Henriques WS, Wiegand T, Gauvin CC, Buyukyoruk M, Graham AB, Wilkinson RA, Triem L, Neselu K, Eng ET, Lander GC, Wiedenheft B. Structure reveals why genome folding is necessary for site-specific integration of foreign DNA into CRISPR arrays. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2023; 30:1675-1685. [PMID: 37710013 PMCID: PMC10872659 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01097-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria and archaea acquire resistance to viruses and plasmids by integrating fragments of foreign DNA into the first repeat of a CRISPR array. However, the mechanism of site-specific integration remains poorly understood. Here, we determine a 560-kDa integration complex structure that explains how Pseudomonas aeruginosa Cas (Cas1-Cas2/3) and non-Cas proteins (for example, integration host factor) fold 150 base pairs of host DNA into a U-shaped bend and a loop that protrude from Cas1-2/3 at right angles. The U-shaped bend traps foreign DNA on one face of the Cas1-2/3 integrase, while the loop places the first CRISPR repeat in the Cas1 active site. Both Cas3 proteins rotate 100 degrees to expose DNA-binding sites on either side of the Cas2 homodimer, which each bind an inverted repeat motif in the leader. Leader sequence motifs direct Cas1-2/3-mediated integration to diverse repeat sequences that have a 5'-GT. Collectively, this work reveals new DNA-binding surfaces on Cas2 that are critical for DNA folding and site-specific delivery of foreign DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William S Henriques
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Tanner Wiegand
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Colin C Gauvin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Murat Buyukyoruk
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Ava B Graham
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Royce A Wilkinson
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Lenny Triem
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Kasahun Neselu
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Edward T Eng
- Simons Electron Microscopy Center, National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gabriel C Lander
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Blake Wiedenheft
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
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10
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Kang YJ, Kim JH, Lee GH, Ha HJ, Park YH, Hong E, Park HH. The structure of AcrIC9 revealing the putative inhibitory mechanism of AcrIC9 against the type IC CRISPR-Cas system. IUCRJ 2023; 10:624-634. [PMID: 37668219 PMCID: PMC10478522 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252523007236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are known to be part of the bacterial adaptive immune system that provides resistance against intruders such as viruses, phages and other mobile genetic elements. To combat this bacterial defense mechanism, phages encode inhibitors called Acrs (anti-CRISPR proteins) that can suppress them. AcrIC9 is the most recently identified member of the AcrIC family that inhibits the type IC CRISPR-Cas system. Here, the crystal structure of AcrIC9 from Rhodobacter capsulatus is reported, which comprises a novel fold made of three central antiparallel β-strands surrounded by three α-helixes, a structure that has not been detected before. It is also shown that AcrIC9 can form a dimer via disulfide bonds generated by the Cys69 residue. Finally, it is revealed that AcrIC9 directly binds to the type IC cascade. Analysis and comparison of its structure with structural homologs indicate that AcrIC9 belongs to DNA-mimic Acrs that directly bind to the cascade complex and hinder the target DNA from binding to the cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Jun Kang
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
- Department of Global Innovative Drugs, Graduate School of Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Ju Hyeong Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
- Department of Global Innovative Drugs, Graduate School of Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwan Hee Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
- Department of Global Innovative Drugs, Graduate School of Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Ji Ha
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Hoon Park
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunmi Hong
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Ho Park
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
- Department of Global Innovative Drugs, Graduate School of Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
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11
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Chen S, Cao H, Xu Z, Huang J, Liu Z, Li T, Duan C, Wu W, Wen Y, Zhang LH, Xu Z. A type I-F CRISPRi system unveils the novel role of CzcR in modulating multidrug resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0112323. [PMID: 37646520 PMCID: PMC10581170 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01123-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa has abundant signaling systems that exquisitely control its antibiotic resistance in response to different environmental cues. Understanding the regulation of antibiotic resistance will provide important implications for precise antimicrobial interventions. However, efficient genetic tools for functional gene characterizations are sometimes not available, particularly, in clinically isolated strains. Here, we established a type I-F CRISPRi (CSYi) system for programmable gene silencing. By incorporating anti-CRISPR proteins, this system was even applicable to bacterial hosts encoding a native type I-F CRISPR-Cas system. With the newly developed gene-silencing system, we revealed that the response regulator CzcR from the zinc (Zn2+)-responsive two-component system CzcS/CzcR is a repressor of efflux pumps MexAB-OprM and MexGHI-OpmD, which inhibits the expression of both operons by directly interacting with their promoters. Repression of MexAB-OprM consequently increases the susceptibility of P. aeruginosa to multiple antibiotics such as levofloxacin and amikacin. Together, this study provided a simple approach to study gene functions, which enabled us to unveil the novel role of CzcR in modulating efflux pump genes and multidrug resistance in P. aeruginosa. IMPORTANCE P. aeruginosa is a ubiquitous opportunistic pathogen frequently causing chronic infections. In addition to being an important model organism for antibiotic-resistant research, this species is also important for understanding and exploiting CRISPR-Cas systems. In this study, we established a gene-silencing system based on the most abundant type I-F CRISPR-Cas system in this species, which can be readily employed to achieve targeted gene repression in multiple bacterial species. Using this gene-silencing system, the physiological role of Zn2+ and its responsive regulator CzcR in modulating multidrug resistance was unveiled with great convenience. This study not only displayed a new framework to expand the abundant CRISPR-Cas and anti-CRISPR systems for functional gene characterizations but also provided new insights into the regulation of multidrug resistance in P. aeruginosa and important clues for precise anti-pseudomonal therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuzhen Chen
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huiluo Cao
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zirui Xu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiahui Huang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiqing Liu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ting Li
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cheng Duan
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weiyan Wu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongqi Wen
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lian-Hui Zhang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zeling Xu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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12
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Shmakov SA, Barth ZK, Makarova KS, Wolf Y, Brover V, Peters J, Koonin E. Widespread CRISPR-derived RNA regulatory elements in CRISPR-Cas systems. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8150-8168. [PMID: 37283088 PMCID: PMC10450183 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-cas loci typically contain CRISPR arrays with unique spacers separating direct repeats. Spacers along with portions of adjacent repeats are transcribed and processed into CRISPR(cr) RNAs that target complementary sequences (protospacers) in mobile genetic elements, resulting in cleavage of the target DNA or RNA. Additional, standalone repeats in some CRISPR-cas loci produce distinct cr-like RNAs implicated in regulatory or other functions. We developed a computational pipeline to systematically predict crRNA-like elements by scanning for standalone repeat sequences that are conserved in closely related CRISPR-cas loci. Numerous crRNA-like elements were detected in diverse CRISPR-Cas systems, mostly, of type I, but also subtype V-A. Standalone repeats often form mini-arrays containing two repeat-like sequence separated by a spacer that is partially complementary to promoter regions of cas genes, in particular cas8, or cargo genes located within CRISPR-Cas loci, such as toxins-antitoxins. We show experimentally that a mini-array from a type I-F1 CRISPR-Cas system functions as a regulatory guide. We also identified mini-arrays in bacteriophages that could abrogate CRISPR immunity by inhibiting effector expression. Thus, recruitment of CRISPR effectors for regulatory functions via spacers with partial complementarity to the target is a common feature of diverse CRISPR-Cas systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey A Shmakov
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Zachary K Barth
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Kira S Makarova
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Yuri I Wolf
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Vyacheslav Brover
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Joseph E Peters
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
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13
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Hu C, Myers MT, Zhou X, Hou Z, Lozen ML, Zhang Y, Ke A. Exploiting Activation and Inactivation Mechanisms in Type I-C CRISPR-Cas3 for Genome Editing Applications. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.05.552134. [PMID: 37577534 PMCID: PMC10418205 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.05.552134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Type I CRISPR-Cas systems utilize the RNA-guided Cascade complex to identify matching DNA targets, and the nuclease-helicase Cas3 to degrade them. Among seven subtypes, Type I-C is compact in size and highly active in creating large-sized genome deletions in human cells. Here we use four cryo-electron microscopy snapshots to define its RNA-guided DNA binding and cleavage mechanisms in high resolution. The non-target DNA strand (NTS) is accommodated by I-C Cascade in a continuous binding groove along the juxtaposed Cas11 subunits. Binding of Cas3 further traps a flexible bulge in NTS, enabling efficient NTS nicking. We identified two anti-CRISPR proteins AcrIC8 and AcrIC9, that strongly inhibit N. lactamica I-C function. Structural analysis showed that AcrIC8 inhibits PAM recognition through direct competition, whereas AcrIC9 achieves so through allosteric inhibition. Both Acrs potently inhibit I-C-mediated genome editing and transcriptional modulation in human cells, providing the first off-switches for controllable Type I CRISPR genome engineering.
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14
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Park JU, Petassi MT, Hsieh SC, Mehrotra E, Schuler G, Budhathoki J, Truong VH, Thyme SB, Ke A, Kellogg EH, Peters JE. Multiple adaptations underly co-option of a CRISPR surveillance complex for RNA-guided DNA transposition. Mol Cell 2023; 83:1827-1838.e6. [PMID: 37267904 PMCID: PMC10693918 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.05.005] [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: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-associated transposons (CASTs) are natural RNA-directed transposition systems. We demonstrate that transposon protein TniQ plays a central role in promoting R-loop formation by RNA-guided DNA-targeting modules. TniQ residues, proximal to CRISPR RNA (crRNA), are required for recognizing different crRNA categories, revealing an unappreciated role of TniQ to direct transposition into different classes of crRNA targets. To investigate adaptations allowing CAST elements to utilize attachment sites inaccessible to CRISPR-Cas surveillance complexes, we compared and contrasted PAM sequence requirements in both I-F3b CAST and I-F1 CRISPR-Cas systems. We identify specific amino acids that enable a wider range of PAM sequences to be accommodated in I-F3b CAST elements compared with I-F1 CRISPR-Cas, enabling CAST elements to access attachment sites as sequences drift and evade host surveillance. Together, this evidence points to the central role of TniQ in facilitating the acquisition of CRISPR effector complexes for RNA-guided DNA transposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Un Park
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Michael T Petassi
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Shan-Chi Hsieh
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Eshan Mehrotra
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Gabriel Schuler
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Jagat Budhathoki
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Vinh H Truong
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Summer B Thyme
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Ailong Ke
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Elizabeth H Kellogg
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
| | - Joseph E Peters
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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15
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Zhang M, Peng R, Peng Q, Liu S, Li Z, Zhang Y, Song H, Yang J, Xing X, Wang P, Qi J, Gao GF. Mechanistic insights into DNA binding and cleavage by a compact type I-F CRISPR-Cas system in bacteriophage. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2215098120. [PMID: 37094126 PMCID: PMC10161043 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215098120] [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: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are widespread adaptive antiviral systems used in prokaryotes. Some phages, in turn, although have small genomes can economize the use of genetic space to encode compact or incomplete CRISPR-Cas systems to inhibit the host and establish infection. Phage ICP1, infecting Vibrio cholerae, encodes a compact type I-F CRISPR-Cas system to suppress the antiphage mobile genetic element in the host genome. However, the mechanism by which this compact system recognizes the target DNA and executes interference remains elusive. Here, we present the electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of both apo- and DNA-bound ICP1 surveillance complexes (Aka Csy complex). Unlike most other type I surveillance complexes, the ICP1 Csy complex lacks the Cas11 subunit or a structurally homologous domain, which is crucial for dsDNA binding and Cas3 activation in other type I CRISPR-Cas systems. Structural and functional analyses revealed that the compact ICP1 Csy complex alone is inefficient in binding to dsDNA targets, presumably stalled at a partial R-loop conformation. The presence of Cas2/3 facilitates dsDNA binding and allows effective dsDNA target cleavage. Additionally, we found that Pseudomonas aeruginosa Cas2/3 efficiently cleaved the dsDNA target presented by the ICP1 Csy complex, but not vice versa. These findings suggest a unique mechanism for target dsDNA binding and cleavage by the compact phage-derived CRISPR-Cas system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manling Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Ruchao Peng
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Qi Peng
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Sheng Liu
- Cryo-EM Centre, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen518055, China
| | - Zhiteng Li
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Yuqin Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Hao Song
- Research Network of Immunity and Health, Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Jia Yang
- Shanxi Academy of Advanced Research and Innovation, 030032Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Xiao Xing
- Shanxi Academy of Advanced Research and Innovation, 030032Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Peiyi Wang
- Cryo-EM Centre, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen518055, China
| | - Jianxun Qi
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - George F. Gao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
- Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
- Shanxi Academy of Advanced Research and Innovation, 030032Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
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16
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Kraus C, Sontheimer EJ. Applications of Anti-CRISPR Proteins in Genome Editing and Biotechnology. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168120. [PMID: 37100169 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
In the ten years since the discovery of the first anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins, the number of validated Acrs has expanded rapidly, as has our understanding of the diverse mechanisms they employ to suppress natural CRISPR-Cas immunity. Many, though not all, function via direct, specific interaction with Cas protein effectors. The abilities of Acr proteins to modulate the activities and properties of CRISPR-Cas effectors have been exploited for an ever-increasing spectrum of biotechnological uses, most of which involve the establishment of control over genome editing systems. This control can be used to minimize off-target editing, restrict editing based on spatial, temporal, or conditional cues, limit the spread of gene drive systems, and select for genome-edited bacteriophages. Anti-CRISPRs have also been developed to overcome bacterial immunity, facilitate viral vector production, control synthetic gene circuits, and other purposes. The impressive and ever-growing diversity of Acr inhibitory mechanisms will continue to allow the tailored applications of Acrs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erik J Sontheimer
- RNA Therapeutics Institute; Program in Molecular Medicine, and; Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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17
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Figueroa W, Cazares A, Cazares D, Wu Y, de la Cruz A, Welch M, Kameyama L, Nobrega FL, Guarneros G. Distribution and molecular evolution of the anti-CRISPR family AcrIF7. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002072. [PMID: 37083687 PMCID: PMC10155984 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Anti-clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) are proteins capable of blocking CRISPR-Cas systems and typically their genes are located on mobile genetic elements. Since their discovery, numerous anti-CRISPR families have been identified. However, little is known about the distribution and sequence diversity of members within a family, nor how these traits influence the anti-CRISPR's function and evolution. Here, we use AcrIF7 to explore the dissemination and molecular evolution of an anti-CRISPR family. We uncovered 5 subclusters and prevalent anti-CRISPR variants within the group. Remarkably, AcrIF7 homologs display high similarity despite their broad geographical, ecological, and temporal distribution. Although mainly associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, AcrIF7 was identified in distinct genetic backgrounds indicating horizontal dissemination, primarily by phages. Using mutagenesis, we recreated variation observed in databases but also extended the sequence diversity of the group. Characterisation of the variants identified residues key for the anti-CRISPR function and other contributing to its mutational tolerance. Moreover, molecular docking revealed that variants with affected function lose key interactions with its CRISPR-Cas target. Analysis of publicly available data and the generated variants suggests that the dominant AcrIF7 variant corresponds to the minimal and optimal anti-CRISPR selected in the family. Our study provides a blueprint to investigate the molecular evolution of anti-CRISPR families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Figueroa
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Cazares
- EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Cazares
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Yi Wu
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Ana de la Cruz
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Martin Welch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Luis Kameyama
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Franklin L Nobrega
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriel Guarneros
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City, Mexico
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18
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Shmakov SA, Barth ZK, Makarova KS, Wolf YI, Brover V, Peters JE, Koonin EV. Widespread CRISPR repeat-like RNA regulatory elements in CRISPR-Cas systems. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.03.530964. [PMID: 37090614 PMCID: PMC10120712 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.03.530964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR- cas loci typically contain CRISPR arrays with unique spacers separating direct repeats. Spacers along with portions of adjacent repeats are transcribed and processed into CRISPR(cr) RNAs that target complementary sequences (protospacers) in mobile genetic elements, resulting in cleavage of the target DNA or RNA. Additional, standalone repeats in some CRISPR- cas loci produce distinct cr-like RNAs implicated in regulatory or other functions. We developed a computational pipeline to systematically predict crRNA-like elements by scanning for standalone repeat sequences that are conserved in closely related CRISPR- cas loci. Numerous crRNA-like elements were detected in diverse CRISPR-Cas systems, mostly, of type I, but also subtype V-A. Standalone repeats often form mini-arrays containing two repeat-like sequence separated by a spacer that is partially complementary to promoter regions of cas genes, in particular cas8 , or cargo genes located within CRISPR-Cas loci, such as toxins-antitoxins. We show experimentally that a mini-array from a type I-F1 CRISPR-Cas system functions as a regulatory guide. We also identified mini-arrays in bacteriophages that could abrogate CRISPR immunity by inhibiting effector expression. Thus, recruitment of CRISPR effectors for regulatory functions via spacers with partial complementarity to the target is a common feature of diverse CRISPR-Cas systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey A. Shmakov
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Zachary K. Barth
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Kira S. Makarova
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Yuri I. Wolf
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Vyacheslav Brover
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Joseph E. Peters
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Eugene V. Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
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19
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O'Brien RE, Bravo JPK, Ramos D, Hibshman GN, Wright JT, Taylor DW. Structural snapshots of R-loop formation by a type I-C CRISPR Cascade. Mol Cell 2023; 83:746-758.e5. [PMID: 36805026 PMCID: PMC10026943 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Type I CRISPR-Cas systems employ multi-subunit Cascade effector complexes to target foreign nucleic acids for destruction. Here, we present structures of D. vulgaris type I-C Cascade at various stages of double-stranded (ds)DNA target capture, revealing mechanisms that underpin PAM recognition and Cascade allosteric activation. We uncover an interesting mechanism of non-target strand (NTS) DNA stabilization via stacking interactions with the "belly" subunits, securing the NTS in place. This "molecular seatbelt" mechanism facilitates efficient R-loop formation and prevents dsDNA reannealing. Additionally, we provide structural insights into how two anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins utilize distinct strategies to achieve a shared mechanism of type I-C Cascade inhibition by blocking PAM scanning. These observations form a structural basis for directional R-loop formation and reveal how different Acr proteins have converged upon common molecular mechanisms to efficiently shut down CRISPR immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roisin E O'Brien
- Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Programs, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Jack P K Bravo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Delisa Ramos
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Grace N Hibshman
- Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Programs, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Jacquelyn T Wright
- Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Programs, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - David W Taylor
- Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Programs, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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20
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Yin P, Zhang Y, Yang L, Feng Y. Non-canonical inhibition strategies and structural basis of anti-CRISPR proteins targeting type I CRISPR-Cas systems. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:167996. [PMID: 36754343 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.167996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as bacteriophages and their host prokaryotes are trapped in an eternal battle against each other. To cope with foreign infection, bacteria and archaea have evolved multiple immune strategies, out of which CRISPR-Cas system is up to now the only discovered adaptive system in prokaryotes. Despite the fact that CRISPR-Cas system provides powerful and delicate protection against MGEs, MGEs have also evolved anti-CRISPR proteins (Acrs) to counteract the CRISPR-Cas immune defenses. To date, 46 families of Acrs targeting type I CRISPR-Cas system have been characterized, out of which structure information of 21 families have provided insights on their inhibition strategies. Here, we review the non-canonical inhibition strategies adopted by Acrs targeting type I CRISPR-Cas systems based on their structure information by incorporating the most recent advances in this field, and discuss our current understanding and future perspectives. The delicate interplay between type I CRISPR-Cas systems and their Acrs provides us with important insights into the ongoing fierce arms race between prokaryotic hosts and their predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Yin
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Natural Active Pharmaceutical Constituents, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Yichun University, Yichun 336000, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Lingguang Yang
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Natural Active Pharmaceutical Constituents, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Yichun University, Yichun 336000, China
| | - Yue Feng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
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21
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Bravo JP, Hibshman GN, Taylor DW. Constructing next-generation CRISPR-Cas tools from structural blueprints. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 78:102839. [PMID: 36371895 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats - CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR-Cas) systems are a critical component of the bacterial adaptive immune response. Since the discovery that they can be reengineered as programmable RNA-guided nucleases, there has been significant interest in using these systems to perform diverse and precise genetic manipulations. Here, we outline recent advances in the mechanistic understanding of CRISPR-Cas9, how these findings have been leveraged in the rational redesign of Cas9 variants with altered activities, and how these novel tools can be exploited for biotechnology and therapeutics. We also discuss the potential of the ubiquitous, yet often-overlooked, multisubunit CRISPR effector complexes for large-scale genomic deletions. Furthermore, we highlight how future structural studies will bolster these technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Pk Bravo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Grace N Hibshman
- Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - David W Taylor
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Program, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
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22
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Wang JY, Pausch P, Doudna JA. Structural biology of CRISPR-Cas immunity and genome editing enzymes. Nat Rev Microbiol 2022; 20:641-656. [PMID: 35562427 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-022-00739-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems provide resistance against foreign mobile genetic elements and have a wide range of genome editing and biotechnological applications. In this Review, we examine recent advances in understanding the molecular structures and mechanisms of enzymes comprising bacterial RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas immune systems and deployed for wide-ranging genome editing applications. We explore the adaptive and interference aspects of CRISPR-Cas function as well as open questions about the molecular mechanisms responsible for genome targeting. These structural insights reflect close evolutionary links between CRISPR-Cas systems and mobile genetic elements, including the origins and evolution of CRISPR-Cas systems from DNA transposons, retrotransposons and toxin-antitoxin modules. We discuss how the evolution and structural diversity of CRISPR-Cas systems explain their functional complexity and utility as genome editing tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy Y Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Patrick Pausch
- VU LSC-EMBL Partnership for Genome Editing Technologies, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Jennifer A Doudna
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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23
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Patterson A, White A, Waymire E, Fleck S, Golden S, Wilkinson RA, Wiedenheft B, Bothner B. Anti-CRISPR proteins function through thermodynamic tuning and allosteric regulation of CRISPR RNA-guided surveillance complex. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:11243-11254. [PMID: 36215034 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR RNA-guided detection and degradation of foreign DNA is a dynamic process. Viruses can interfere with this cellular defense by expressing small proteins called anti-CRISPRs. While structural models of anti-CRISPRs bound to their target complex provide static snapshots that inform mechanism, the dynamics and thermodynamics of these interactions are often overlooked. Here, we use hydrogen deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) and differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) experiments to determine how anti-CRISPR binding impacts the conformational landscape of the type IF CRISPR RNA guided surveillance complex (Csy) upon binding of two different anti-CRISPR proteins (AcrIF9 and AcrIF2). The results demonstrate that AcrIF2 binding relies on enthalpic stabilization, whereas AcrIF9 uses an entropy driven reaction to bind the CRISPR RNA-guided surveillance complex. Collectively, this work reveals the thermodynamic basis and mechanistic versatility of anti-CRISPR-mediated immune suppression. More broadly, this work presents a striking example of how allosteric effectors are employed to regulate nucleoprotein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Patterson
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Aidan White
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Elizabeth Waymire
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Sophie Fleck
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Sarah Golden
- Microbiology and Cell Biology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Royce A Wilkinson
- Microbiology and Cell Biology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Blake Wiedenheft
- Microbiology and Cell Biology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Brian Bothner
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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24
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Gao Z, Zhang L, Ge Z, Wang H, Yue Y, Jiang Z, Wang X, Xu C, Zhang Y, Yang M, Feng Y. Anti-CRISPR protein AcrIF4 inhibits the type I-F CRISPR-Cas surveillance complex by blocking nuclease recruitment and DNA cleavage. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102575. [PMID: 36209819 PMCID: PMC9637919 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102575] [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: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas system provides prokaryotes with protection against mobile genetic elements such as phages. In turn, phages deploy anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins to evade this immunity. AcrIF4, an Acr targeting the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system, has been reported to bind the crRNA-guided surveillance (Csy) complex. However, it remains controversial whether AcrIF4 inhibits target DNA binding to the Csy complex. Here, we present structural and mechanistic studies into AcrIF4, exploring its unique anti-CRISPR mechanism. While the Csy-AcrIF4 complex displays decreased affinity for target DNA, it is still able to bind the DNA. Our structural and functional analyses of the Csy-AcrIF4-dsDNA complex revealed that AcrIF4 binding prevents rotation of the helical bundle of the Cas8f subunit induced by dsDNA binding, therefore resulting in failure of nuclease Cas2/3 recruitment and DNA cleavage. Overall, our study provides an interesting example of attack on the nuclease recruitment event by an Acr, but not conventional mechanisms of blocking binding of target DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyu Gao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Laixing Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Zihao Ge
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yourun Yue
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuobing Jiang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Chenying Xu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China,For correspondence: Yue Feng; Maojun Yang; Yi Zhang
| | - Maojun Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China,For correspondence: Yue Feng; Maojun Yang; Yi Zhang
| | - Yue Feng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China,For correspondence: Yue Feng; Maojun Yang; Yi Zhang
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25
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Mukherjee IA, Gabel C, Noinaj N, Bondy-Denomy J, Chang L. Structural basis of AcrIF24 as an anti-CRISPR protein and transcriptional suppressor. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:1417-1424. [PMID: 36163386 PMCID: PMC9691602 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01137-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins are encoded by phages to inactivate CRISPR-Cas systems of bacteria and archaea and are used to enhance the CRISPR toolbox for genome editing. Here we report the structure and mechanism of AcrIF24, an Acr protein that inhibits the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. AcrIF24 is a homodimer that associates with two copies of the surveillance complex (Csy) and prevents the hybridization between CRISPR RNA and target DNA. Furthermore, AcrIF24 functions as an anti-CRISPR-associated (Aca) protein to repress the transcription of the acrIF23-acrIF24 operon. Alone or in complex with Csy, AcrIF24 is capable of binding to the acrIF23-acrIF24 promoter DNA with nanomolar affinity. The structure of a Csy-AcrIF24-promoter DNA complex at 2.7 Å reveals the mechanism for transcriptional suppression. Our results reveal that AcrIF24 functions as an Acr-Aca fusion protein, and they extend understanding of the diverse mechanisms used by Acr proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Clinton Gabel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Nicholas Noinaj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Joseph Bondy-Denomy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Leifu Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA. .,Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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26
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Disarming of type I-F CRISPR-Cas surveillance complex by anti-CRISPR proteins AcrIF6 and AcrIF9. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15548. [PMID: 36109551 PMCID: PMC9478129 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19797-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are prokaryotic adaptive immune systems that protect against phages and other invading nucleic acids. The evolutionary arms race between prokaryotes and phages gave rise to phage anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins that act as a counter defence against CRISPR-Cas systems by inhibiting the effector complex. Here, we used a combination of bulk biochemical experiments, X-ray crystallography and single-molecule techniques to explore the inhibitory activity of AcrIF6 and AcrIF9 proteins against the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa). We showed that AcrIF6 and AcrIF9 proteins hinder Aa-Cascade complex binding to target DNA. We solved a crystal structure of Aa1-AcrIF9 protein, which differ from other known AcrIF9 proteins by an additional structurally important loop presumably involved in the interaction with Cascade. We revealed that AcrIF9 association with Aa-Cascade promotes its binding to off-target DNA sites, which facilitates inhibition of CRISPR-Cas protection.
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27
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Kang YJ, Park HH. High-resolution crystal structure of the anti-CRISPR protein AcrIC5. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 625:102-108. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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28
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Hu C, Ni D, Nam KH, Majumdar S, McLean J, Stahlberg H, Terns MP, Ke A. Allosteric control of type I-A CRISPR-Cas3 complexes and establishment as effective nucleic acid detection and human genome editing tools. Mol Cell 2022; 82:2754-2768.e5. [PMID: 35835111 PMCID: PMC9357151 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Type I CRISPR-Cas systems typically rely on a two-step process to degrade DNA. First, an RNA-guided complex named Cascade identifies the complementary DNA target. The helicase-nuclease fusion enzyme Cas3 is then recruited in trans for processive DNA degradation. Contrary to this model, here, we show that type I-A Cascade and Cas3 function as an integral effector complex. We provide four cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) snapshots of the Pyrococcus furiosus (Pfu) type I-A effector complex in different stages of DNA recognition and degradation. The HD nuclease of Cas3 is autoinhibited inside the effector complex. It is only allosterically activated upon full R-loop formation, when the entire targeted region has been validated by the RNA guide. The mechanistic insights inspired us to convert Pfu Cascade-Cas3 into a high-sensitivity, low-background, and temperature-activated nucleic acid detection tool. Moreover, Pfu CRISPR-Cas3 shows robust bi-directional deletion-editing activity in human cells, which could find usage in allele-specific inactivation of disease-causing mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyi Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 253 Biotechnology Building, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Dongchun Ni
- Laboratory of Biological Electron Microscopy, Institute of Physics, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Cubotron, Route de la Sorge, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Fundamental Biology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ki Hyun Nam
- Department of Life Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Sonali Majumdar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Genetics, and Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Justin McLean
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Genetics, and Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Henning Stahlberg
- Laboratory of Biological Electron Microscopy, Institute of Physics, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Cubotron, Route de la Sorge, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Fundamental Biology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne (UNIL), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michael P Terns
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Genetics, and Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Ailong Ke
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, 253 Biotechnology Building, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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29
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Ren J, Wang H, Yang L, Li F, Wu Y, Luo Z, Chen Z, Zhang Y, Feng Y. Structural and mechanistic insights into the inhibition of type I-F CRISPR-Cas system by anti-CRISPR protein AcrIF23. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102124. [PMID: 35697070 PMCID: PMC9270243 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102124] [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: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Prokaryotes evolved CRISPR and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins as a kind of adaptive immune defense against mobile genetic elements (MGEs) including harmful phages. To counteract this defense, many MGEs in turn encode anti-CRISPR proteins (Acrs) to inactivate the CRISPR-Cas system. While multiple mechanisms of Acrs have been uncovered, it remains unknown whether other mechanisms are also utilized by uncharacterized Acrs. Here, we report a novel mechanism adopted by recently identified AcrIF23. We show that AcrIF23 interacts with the Cas2/3 helicase-nuclease in the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system, similar to AcrIF3. The structure of AcrIF23 demonstrated a novel fold and structure-based mutagenesis identified a surface region of AcrIF23 involved in both Cas2/3-binding and its inhibition capacity. Unlike AcrIF3, however, we found AcrIF23 only potently inhibits the DNA cleavage activity of Cas2/3, but does not hinder the recruitment of Cas2/3 to the CRISPR RNA (crRNA)-guided surveillance complex (the Csy complex). Also in contrast to AcrIF3 which hinders substrate DNA recognition by Cas2/3, we show AcrIF23 promotes DNA binding to Cas2/3. Taken together, our study identifies a novel anti-CRISPR mechanism used by AcrIF23 and highlights the diverse mechanisms adopted by Acrs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhui Ren
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Lingguang Yang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Natural Active Pharmaceutical Constituents, Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Yichun University, Yichun 336000, China
| | - Feixue Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomic, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhipu Luo
- Institute of Molecular Enzymology, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zeliang Chen
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110866, China.
| | - Yi Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Yue Feng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
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30
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Govindarajan S, Borges A, Karambelkar S, Bondy-Denomy J. Distinct Subcellular Localization of a Type I CRISPR Complex and the Cas3 Nuclease in Bacteria. J Bacteriol 2022; 204:e0010522. [PMID: 35389256 PMCID: PMC9112876 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00105-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated (Cas) systems are prokaryotic adaptive immune systems that have been well characterized biochemically, but in vivo spatiotemporal regulation and cell biology remain largely unaddressed. Here, we used fluorescent fusion proteins introduced at the chromosomal CRISPR-Cas locus to study the localization of the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. When lacking a target in the cell, the Cascade complex is broadly nucleoid bound, while Cas3 is diffuse in the cytoplasm. When targeted to an integrated prophage, however, the CRISPR RNA (crRNA)-guided type I-F Cascade complex and a majority of Cas3 molecules in the cell are recruited to a single focus. Nucleoid association of the Csy proteins that form the Cascade complex is crRNA dependent and specifically inhibited by the expression of anti-CRISPR AcrIF2, which blocks protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) binding. The Cas9 nuclease is also nucleoid localized, only when single guide RNA (sgRNA) bound, which is abolished by the PAM-binding inhibitor AcrIIA4. Our findings reveal PAM-dependent nucleoid surveillance and spatiotemporal regulation in type I CRISPR-Cas that separates the nuclease-helicase Cas3 from the crRNA-guided surveillance complex. IMPORTANCE CRISPR-Cas systems, the prokaryotic adaptive immune systems, are largely understood using structural biology, biochemistry, and genetics. How CRISPR-Cas effectors are organized within cells is currently not well understood. By investigating the cell biology of the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system, we show that the surveillance complex, which "patrols" the cell to find targets, is largely nucleoid bound, while Cas3 nuclease is cytoplasmic. Nucleoid localization is also conserved for class 2 CRISPR-Cas single protein effector Cas9. Our observation of differential localization of the surveillance complex and Cas3 reveals a new layer of posttranslational spatiotemporal regulation to prevent autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sutharsan Govindarajan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Adair Borges
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Shweta Karambelkar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joseph Bondy-Denomy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
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31
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Yang L, Zhang L, Yin P, Ding H, Xiao Y, Zeng J, Wang W, Zhou H, Wang Q, Zhang Y, Chen Z, Yang M, Feng Y. Insights into the inhibition of type I-F CRISPR-Cas system by a multifunctional anti-CRISPR protein AcrIF24. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1931. [PMID: 35411005 PMCID: PMC9001735 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29581-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are prokaryotic adaptive immune systems and phages use anti-CRISPR proteins (Acrs) to counteract these systems. Here, we report the structures of AcrIF24 and its complex with the crRNA-guided surveillance (Csy) complex. The HTH motif of AcrIF24 can bind the Acr promoter region and repress its transcription, suggesting its role as an Aca gene in self-regulation. AcrIF24 forms a homodimer and further induces dimerization of the Csy complex. Apart from blocking the hybridization of target DNA to the crRNA, AcrIF24 also induces the binding of non-sequence-specific dsDNA to the Csy complex, similar to AcrIF9, although this binding seems to play a minor role in AcrIF24 inhibitory capacity. Further structural and biochemical studies of the Csy-AcrIF24-dsDNA complexes and of AcrIF24 mutants reveal that the HTH motif of AcrIF24 and the PAM recognition loop of the Csy complex are structural elements essential for this non-specific dsDNA binding. Moreover, AcrIF24 and AcrIF9 display distinct characteristics in inducing non-specific DNA binding. Together, our findings highlight a multifunctional Acr and suggest potential wide distribution of Acr-induced non-specific DNA binding. Phages use anti-CRISPR proteins (Acrs) to counteract the bacterial CRISPR-Cas systems. Here, the authors characterize AcrIF24, which functions as an Aca (Acr-associated) to repress and regulate its own transcription, dimerizes the Csy complex, blocks the hybridization of target DNA, and tethers non-sequence-specific DNA to the Csy complex.
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32
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AcrIF5 specifically targets DNA-bound CRISPR-Cas surveillance complex for inhibition. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:670-677. [PMID: 35301482 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-00995-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are prokaryotic antiviral systems, and phages use anti-CRISPR proteins (Acrs) to inactivate these systems. Here we present structural and functional analyses of AcrIF5, exploring its unique anti-CRISPR mechanism. AcrIF5 shows binding specificity only for the target DNA-bound form of the crRNA-guided surveillance (Csy) complex, but not the apo Csy complex from the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system. We solved the structure of the Csy-dsDNA-AcrIF5 complex, revealing that the conformational changes of the Csy complex caused by dsDNA binding dictate the binding specificity for the Csy-dsDNA complex by AcrIF5. Mechanistically, five AcrIF5 molecules bind one Csy-dsDNA complex, which destabilizes the helical bundle domain of Cas8f, thus preventing subsequent Cas2/3 recruitment. AcrIF5 exists in symbiosis with AcrIF3, which blocks Cas2/3 recruitment. This attack on the recruitment event stands in contrast to the conventional mechanisms of blocking binding of target DNA. Overall, our study reveals an unprecedented mechanism of CRISPR-Cas inhibition by AcrIF5.
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33
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Klompe SE, Jaber N, Beh LY, Mohabir JT, Bernheim A, Sternberg SH. Evolutionary and mechanistic diversity of Type I-F CRISPR-associated transposons. Mol Cell 2022; 82:616-628.e5. [PMID: 35051352 PMCID: PMC8849592 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Canonical CRISPR-Cas systems utilize RNA-guided nucleases for targeted cleavage of foreign nucleic acids, whereas some nuclease-deficient CRISPR-Cas complexes have been repurposed to direct the insertion of Tn7-like transposons. Here, we established a bioinformatic and experimental pipeline to comprehensively explore the diversity of Type I-F CRISPR-associated transposons. We report DNA integration for 20 systems and identify a highly active subset that exhibits complete orthogonality in transposon DNA mobilization. We reveal the modular nature of CRISPR-associated transposons by exploring the horizontal acquisition of targeting modules and by characterizing a system that encodes both a programmable, RNA-dependent pathway, and a fixed, RNA-independent pathway. Finally, we analyzed transposon-encoded cargo genes and found the striking presence of anti-phage defense systems, suggesting a role in transmitting innate immunity between bacteria. Collectively, this study substantially advances our biological understanding of CRISPR-associated transposon function and expands the suite of RNA-guided transposases for programmable, large-scale genome engineering.
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MESH Headings
- Bacterial Proteins/genetics
- Bacterial Proteins/metabolism
- CRISPR-Cas Systems
- Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats
- DNA Transposable Elements/genetics
- DNA, Bacterial/genetics
- DNA, Bacterial/metabolism
- Escherichia coli/genetics
- Escherichia coli/immunology
- Escherichia coli/metabolism
- Evolution, Molecular
- Gene Editing
- Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
- Genetic Variation
- Immunity, Innate
- RNA, Bacterial/genetics
- RNA, Bacterial/metabolism
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/metabolism
- Transposases/genetics
- Transposases/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne E Klompe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Nora Jaber
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Leslie Y Beh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jason T Mohabir
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Aude Bernheim
- French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), University of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Samuel H Sternberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Wang H, Gao T, Zhou Y, Ren J, Guo J, Zeng J, Xiao Y, Zhang Y, Feng Y. Mechanistic insights into the inhibition of the CRISPR-Cas Surveillance Complex by anti-CRISPR protein AcrIF13. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101636. [PMID: 35085557 PMCID: PMC8857482 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101636] [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: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins provide prokaryotes with nucleic acid–based adaptive immunity against infections of mobile genetic elements, including phages. To counteract this immune process, phages have evolved various anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins which deactivate CRISPR-Cas–based immunity. However, the mechanisms of many of these Acr-mediated inhibitions are not clear. Here, we report the crystal structure of AcrIF13 and explore its inhibition mechanism. The structure of AcrIF13 is unique and displays a negatively charged surface. Additionally, biochemical studies identified that AcrIF13 interacts with the type I-F CRISPR-Cas surveillance complex (Csy complex) to block target DNA recognition and that the Cas5f-8f tail and Cas7.6f subunit of the Csy complex are specific binding targets of AcrIF13. Further mutational studies demonstrated that several negatively charged residues of AcrIF13 and positively charged residues of Cas8f and Cas7f of the Csy complex are involved in AcrIF13–Csy binding. Together, our findings provide mechanistic insights into the inhibition mechanism of AcrIF13 and further suggest the prevalence of the function of Acr proteins as DNA mimics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Teng Gao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, 102206 Beijing, China
| | - Junhui Ren
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Junhua Guo
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Jianwei Zeng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Yu Xiao
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Yue Feng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China.
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35
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Li X, Wang C, Peng T, Chai Z, Ni D, Liu Y, Zhang J, Chen T, Lu S. Atomic-scale insights into allosteric inhibition and evolutional rescue mechanism of Streptococcus thermophilus Cas9 by the anti-CRISPR protein AcrIIA6. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:6108-6124. [PMID: 34900128 PMCID: PMC8632846 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are prokaryotic adaptive immunity against invading phages and plasmids. Phages have evolved diverse protein inhibitors of CRISPR-Cas systems, called anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins, to neutralize this CRISPR machinery. In response, bacteria have co-evolved Cas variants to escape phage's anti-CRISPR strategies, called anti-anti-CRISPR systems. Here we explore the anti-CRISPR allosteric inhibition and anti-anti-CRISPR rescue mechanisms between Streptococcus thermophilus Cas9 (St1Cas9) and the anti-CRISPR protein AcrIIA6 at the atomic level, by generating mutants of key residues in St1Cas9. Extensive unbiased molecular dynamics simulations show that the functional motions of St1Cas9 in the presence of AcrIIA6 differ substantially from those of St1Cas9 alone. AcrIIA6 binding triggers a shift of St1Cas9 conformational ensemble towards a less catalytically competent state; this state significantly compromises protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) recognition and nuclease activity by altering interdependently conformational dynamics and allosteric signals among nuclease domains, PAM-interacting (PI) regions, and AcrIIA6 binding motifs. Via in vitro DNA cleavage assays, we further elucidate the rescue mechanism of efficiently escaping AcrIIA6 inhibition harboring St1Cas9 triple mutations (G993K/K1008M/K1010E) in the PI domain and identify the evolutionary landscape of such mutational escape within species. Our results provide mechanistic insights into Acr proteins as natural brakes for the CRISPR-Cas systems and a promising potential for the design of allosteric Acr peptidomimetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Li
- Department of Cardiology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Chengxiang Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ting Peng
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Zongtao Chai
- Department of Hepatic Surgery VI, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Duan Ni
- The Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Yaqin Liu
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ting Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
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36
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Yang L, Zhang Y, Yin P, Feng Y. Structural insights into the inactivation of the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system by anti-CRISPR proteins. RNA Biol 2021; 18:562-573. [PMID: 34606423 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2021.1985347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Phage infection is one of the major threats to prokaryotic survival, and prokaryotes in turn have evolved multiple protection approaches to fight against this challenge. Various delicate mechanisms have been discovered from this eternal arms race, among which the CRISPR-Cas systems are the prokaryotic adaptive immune systems and phages evolve diverse anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins to evade this immunity. Until now, about 90 families of Acr proteins have been identified, out of which 24 families were verified to fight against subtype I-F CRISPR-Cas systems. Here, we review the structural and biochemical mechanisms of the characterized type I-F Acr proteins, classify their inhibition mechanisms into two major groups and provide insights for future studies of other Acr proteins. Understanding Acr proteins in this context will lead to a variety of practical applications in genome editing and also provide exciting insights into the molecular arms race between prokaryotes and phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingguang Yang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.,Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Natural Active Pharmaceutical Constituents, Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Yichun University, Yichun, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Peipei Yin
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China.,Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Natural Active Pharmaceutical Constituents, Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Yichun University, Yichun, China
| | - Yue Feng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
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37
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Liu X, Zhang L, Xiu Y, Gao T, Huang L, Xie Y, Yang L, Wang W, Wang P, Zhang Y, Yang M, Feng Y. Insights into the dual functions of AcrIF14 during the inhibition of type I-F CRISPR-Cas surveillance complex. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:10178-10191. [PMID: 34432044 PMCID: PMC8464039 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR–Cas systems are bacterial adaptive immune systems, and phages counteract these systems using many approaches such as producing anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins. Here, we report the structures of both AcrIF14 and its complex with the crRNA-guided surveillance (Csy) complex. Our study demonstrates that apart from interacting with the Csy complex to block the hybridization of target DNA to the crRNA, AcrIF14 also endows the Csy complex with the ability to interact with non-sequence-specific dsDNA as AcrIF9 does. Further structural studies of the Csy–AcrIF14–dsDNA complex and biochemical studies uncover that the PAM recognition loop of the Cas8f subunit of the Csy complex and electropositive patches within the N-terminal domain of AcrIF14 are essential for the non-sequence-specific dsDNA binding to the Csy–AcrIF14 complex, which is different from the mechanism of AcrIF9. Our findings highlight the prevalence of Acr-induced non-specific DNA binding and shed light on future studies into the mechanisms of such Acr proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Liu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Laixing Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Yu Xiu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Teng Gao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Ling Huang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Yongchao Xie
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Lingguang Yang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Wenhe Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Peiyi Wang
- Cryo-EM Centre, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, 515055 Shenzhen, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
| | - Maojun Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Protein Science, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Yue Feng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029 Beijing, China
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38
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Wang S, Zhang F, Mei M, Wang T, Yun Y, Yang S, Zhang G, Yi L. A split protease-E. coli ClpXP system quantifies protein-protein interactions in Escherichia coli cells. Commun Biol 2021; 4:841. [PMID: 34230602 PMCID: PMC8260793 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02374-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterizing protein–protein interactions (PPIs) is an effective method to help explore protein function. Here, through integrating a newly identified split human Rhinovirus 3 C (HRV 3 C) protease, super-folder GFP (sfGFP), and ClpXP-SsrA protein degradation machinery, we developed a fluorescence-assisted single-cell methodology (split protease-E. coli ClpXP (SPEC)) to explore protein–protein interactions for both eukaryotic and prokaryotic species in E. coli cells. We firstly identified a highly efficient split HRV 3 C protease with high re-assembly ability and then incorporated it into the SPEC method. The SPEC method could convert the cellular protein-protein interaction to quantitative fluorescence signals through a split HRV 3 C protease-mediated proteolytic reaction with high efficiency and broad temperature adaptability. Using SPEC method, we explored the interactions among effectors of representative type I-E and I-F CRISPR/Cas complexes, which combining with subsequent studies of Cas3 mutations conferred further understanding of the functions and structures of CRISPR/Cas complexes. Wang et al. developed a fluorescence-assisted single-cell methodology (split protease-E. coli ClpXP (SPEC)) to characterise protein-protein interactions for both eukaryotic and prokaryotic species in E. coli cells. Their method can quantify these interactions with high sensitivity, easy manipulation, and broad temperature adaptability
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengchen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Hubei, China
| | - Faying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Hubei, China
| | - Meng Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Hubei, China
| | - Ting Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Hubei, China
| | - Yueli Yun
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Hubei, China
| | - Shihui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Hubei, China
| | - Guimin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Hubei, China.
| | - Li Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Hubei, China.
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39
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Long C, Dai L, E C, Da LT, Yu J. Allosteric regulation in CRISPR/Cas1-Cas2 protospacer acquisition mediated by DNA and Cas2. Biophys J 2021; 120:3126-3137. [PMID: 34197800 PMCID: PMC8390960 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cas1 and Cas2 are highly conserved proteins across clustered-regularly-interspaced-short-palindromic-repeat-Cas systems and play a significant role in protospacer acquisition. Based on crystal structure of twofold symmetric Cas1-Cas2 in complex with dual-forked protospacer DNA (psDNA), we conducted all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to study the psDNA binding, recognition, and response to cleavage on the protospacer-adjacent-motif complementary sequence, or PAMc, of Cas1-Cas2. In the simulation, we noticed that two active sites of Cas1 and Cas1’ bind asymmetrically to two identical PAMc on the psDNA captured from the crystal structure. For the modified psDNA containing only one PAMc, as that to be recognized by Cas1-Cas2 in general, our simulations show that the non-PAMc association site of Cas1-Cas2 remains destabilized until after the stably bound PAMc being cleaved at the corresponding association site. Thus, long-range correlation appears to exist upon the PAMc cleavage between the two active sites (∼10 nm apart) on Cas1-Cas2, which can be allosterically mediated by psDNA and Cas2 and Cas2’ in bridging. To substantiate such findings, we conducted repeated runs and further simulated Cas1-Cas2 in complex with synthesized psDNA sequences psL and psH, which have been measured with low and high frequency in acquisition, respectively. Notably, such intersite correlation becomes even more pronounced for the Cas1-Cas2 in complex with psH but remains low for the Cas1-Cas2 in complex with psL. Hence, our studies demonstrate that PAMc recognition and cleavage at one active site of Cas1-Cas2 may allosterically regulate non-PAMc association or even cleavage at the other site, and such regulation can be mediated by noncatalytic Cas2 and DNA protospacer to possibly support the ensued psDNA acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhong Long
- School of Science, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Liqiang Dai
- Shenzhen JL Computational Science and Applied Research Institute, Shenzhen, China; Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Chao E
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Lin-Tai Da
- Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Yu
- Departments of Physics and Astronomy and Chemistry, NSF-Simons Center for Multiscale Cell Fate Research, University of California, Irvine, California.
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40
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanner Wiegand
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
| | - Blake Wiedenheft
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
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41
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Lu WT, Trost CN, Müller-Esparza H, Randau L, Davidson AR. Anti-CRISPR AcrIF9 functions by inducing the CRISPR-Cas complex to bind DNA non-specifically. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:3381-3393. [PMID: 33660777 PMCID: PMC8034650 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Phages and other mobile genetic elements express anti-CRISPR proteins (Acrs) to protect their genomes from destruction by CRISPR–Cas systems. Acrs usually block the ability of CRISPR–Cas systems to bind or cleave their nucleic acid substrates. Here, we investigate an unusual Acr, AcrIF9, that induces a gain-of-function to a type I-F CRISPR–Cas (Csy) complex, causing it to bind strongly to DNA that lacks both a PAM sequence and sequence complementarity. We show that specific and non-specific dsDNA compete for the same site on the Csy:AcrIF9 complex with rapid exchange, but specific ssDNA appears to still bind through complementarity to the CRISPR RNA. Induction of non-specific DNA-binding is a shared property of diverse AcrIF9 homologues. Substitution of a conserved positively charged surface on AcrIF9 abrogated non-specific dsDNA-binding of the Csy:AcrIF9 complex, but specific dsDNA binding was maintained. AcrIF9 mutants with impaired non-specific dsDNA binding activity in vitro displayed a reduced ability to inhibit CRISPR–Cas activity in vivo. We conclude that misdirecting the CRISPR–Cas complex to bind non-specific DNA is a key component of the inhibitory mechanism of AcrIF9. This inhibitory mechanism is distinct from a previously characterized anti-CRISPR, AcrIF1, that sterically blocks DNA-binding, even though AcrIF1and AcrIF9 bind to the same site on the Csy complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang-Ting Lu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Chantel N Trost
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Hanna Müller-Esparza
- Faculty of Biology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 1, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Lennart Randau
- Faculty of Biology, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 1, 35043 Marburg, Germany.,Loewe Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg, Germany
| | - Alan R Davidson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
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42
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Zhou Y, Bravo JP, Taylor HN, Steens JA, Jackson RN, Staals RH, Taylor DW. Structure of a type IV CRISPR-Cas ribonucleoprotein complex. iScience 2021; 24:102201. [PMID: 33733066 PMCID: PMC7937560 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We reveal the cryo-electron microscopy structure of a type IV-B CRISPR ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex (Csf) at 3.9-Å resolution. The complex best resembles the type III-A CRISPR Csm effector complex, consisting of a Cas7-like (Csf2) filament intertwined with a small subunit (Cas11) filament, but the complex lacks subunits for RNA processing and target DNA cleavage. Surprisingly, instead of assembling around a CRISPR-derived RNA (crRNA), the complex assembles upon heterogeneous RNA of a regular length arranged in a pseudo-A-form configuration. These findings provide a high-resolution glimpse into the assembly and function of enigmatic type IV CRISPR systems, expanding our understanding of class I CRISPR-Cas system architecture, and suggesting a function for type IV-B RNPs that may be distinct from other class 1 CRISPR-associated systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhou
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jack P.K. Bravo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Hannah N. Taylor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Jurre A. Steens
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands
| | - Ryan N. Jackson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Raymond H.J. Staals
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands
| | - David W. Taylor
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
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43
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Diversity of molecular mechanisms used by anti-CRISPR proteins: the tip of an iceberg? Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 48:507-516. [PMID: 32196554 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190638] [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: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) and their preys are engaged in an evolutionary arms race driving the co-adaptation of their attack and defense mechanisms. In this context, phages have evolved diverse anti-CRISPR proteins to evade the bacterial CRISPR-Cas immune system, and propagate. Anti-CRISPR proteins do not share much resemblance with each other and with proteins of known function, which raises intriguing questions particularly relating to their modes of action. In recent years, there have been many structure-function studies shedding light on different CRISPR-Cas inhibition strategies. As the anti-CRISPR field of research is rapidly growing, it is opportune to review the current knowledge on these proteins, with particular emphasis on the molecular strategies deployed to inactivate distinct steps of CRISPR-Cas immunity. Anti-CRISPR proteins can be orthosteric or allosteric inhibitors of CRISPR-Cas machineries, as well as enzymes that irreversibly modify CRISPR-Cas components. This repertoire of CRISPR-Cas inhibition mechanisms will likely expand in the future, providing fundamental knowledge on phage-bacteria interactions and offering great perspectives for the development of biotechnological tools to fine-tune CRISPR-Cas-based gene edition.
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44
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Gabel C, Li Z, Zhang H, Chang L. Structural basis for inhibition of the type I-F CRISPR-Cas surveillance complex by AcrIF4, AcrIF7 and AcrIF14. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:584-594. [PMID: 33332569 PMCID: PMC7797054 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are adaptive immune systems in bacteria and archaea to defend against mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and have been repurposed as genome editing tools. Anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins are produced by MGEs to counteract CRISPR-Cas systems and can be used to regulate genome editing by CRISPR techniques. Here, we report the cryo-EM structures of three type I-F Acr proteins, AcrIF4, AcrIF7 and AcrIF14, bound to the type I-F CRISPR-Cas surveillance complex (the Csy complex) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. AcrIF4 binds to an unprecedented site on the C-terminal helical bundle of Cas8f subunit, precluding conformational changes required for activation of the Csy complex. AcrIF7 mimics the PAM duplex of target DNA and is bound to the N-terminal DNA vise of Cas8f. Two copies of AcrIF14 bind to the thumb domains of Cas7.4f and Cas7.6f, preventing hybridization between target DNA and the crRNA. Our results reveal structural detail of three AcrIF proteins, each binding to a different site on the Csy complex for inhibiting degradation of MGEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clinton Gabel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Zhuang Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Heng Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Leifu Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.,Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Shivram H, Cress BF, Knott GJ, Doudna JA. Controlling and enhancing CRISPR systems. Nat Chem Biol 2021; 17:10-19. [PMID: 33328654 PMCID: PMC8101458 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-00700-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Many bacterial and archaeal organisms use clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR associated (CRISPR-Cas) systems to defend themselves from mobile genetic elements. These CRISPR-Cas systems are classified into six types based on their composition and mechanism. CRISPR-Cas enzymes are widely used for genome editing and offer immense therapeutic opportunity to treat genetic diseases. To realize their full potential, it is important to control the timing, duration, efficiency and specificity of CRISPR-Cas enzyme activities. In this Review we discuss the mechanisms of natural CRISPR-Cas regulatory biomolecules and engineering strategies that enhance or inhibit CRISPR-Cas immunity by altering enzyme function. We also discuss the potential applications of these CRISPR regulators and highlight unanswered questions about their evolution and purpose in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haridha Shivram
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Brady F Cress
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Gavin J Knott
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jennifer A Doudna
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Liu TY, Doudna JA. Chemistry of Class 1 CRISPR-Cas effectors: Binding, editing, and regulation. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:14473-14487. [PMID: 32817336 PMCID: PMC7573268 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev120.007034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the multiple antiviral defense mechanisms found in prokaryotes, CRISPR-Cas systems stand out as the only known RNA-programmed pathways for detecting and destroying bacteriophages and plasmids. Class 1 CRISPR-Cas systems, the most widespread and diverse of these adaptive immune systems, use an RNA-guided multiprotein complex to find foreign nucleic acids and trigger their destruction. In this review, we describe how these multisubunit complexes target and cleave DNA and RNA and how regulatory molecules control their activities. We also highlight similarities to and differences from Class 2 CRISPR-Cas systems, which use a single-protein effector, as well as other types of bacterial and eukaryotic immune systems. We summarize current applications of the Class 1 CRISPR-Cas systems for DNA/RNA modification, control of gene expression, and nucleic acid detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Y Liu
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Jennifer A Doudna
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
- Gladstone Institutes, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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Niu Y, Yang L, Gao T, Dong C, Zhang B, Yin P, Hopp AK, Li D, Gan R, Wang H, Liu X, Cao X, Xie Y, Meng X, Deng H, Zhang X, Ren J, Hottiger MO, Chen Z, Zhang Y, Liu X, Feng Y. A Type I-F Anti-CRISPR Protein Inhibits the CRISPR-Cas Surveillance Complex by ADP-Ribosylation. Mol Cell 2020; 80:512-524.e5. [PMID: 33049228 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are bacterial anti-viral systems, and phages use anti-CRISPR proteins (Acrs) to inactivate these systems. Here, we report a novel mechanism by which AcrIF11 inhibits the type I-F CRISPR system. Our structural and biochemical studies demonstrate that AcrIF11 functions as a novel mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase (mART) to modify N250 of the Cas8f subunit, a residue required for recognition of the protospacer-adjacent motif, within the crRNA-guided surveillance (Csy) complex from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The AcrIF11-mediated ADP-ribosylation of the Csy complex results in complete loss of its double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) binding activity. Biochemical studies show that AcrIF11 requires, besides Cas8f, the Cas7.6f subunit for binding to and modifying the Csy complex. Our study not only reveals an unprecedented mechanism of type I CRISPR-Cas inhibition and the evolutionary arms race between phages and bacteria but also suggests an approach for designing highly potent regulatory tools in the future applications of type I CRISPR-Cas systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiying Niu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Lingguang Yang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Teng Gao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Changpeng Dong
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Buyu Zhang
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Peipei Yin
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Ann-Katrin Hopp
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dongdong Li
- The Protein Preparation and Characterization Core Facility of Tsinghua University, The China National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing) Tsinghua University Branch, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Rui Gan
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Hongou Wang
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xi Liu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xueli Cao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yongchao Xie
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xianbin Meng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Haiteng Deng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Jie Ren
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests/Key Laboratory of Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Plant Origin) for Agri-product Quality and Safety, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Michael O Hottiger
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zeliang Chen
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110866, China.
| | - Yi Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Xiaoyun Liu
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Yue Feng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
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Wiegand T, Semenova E, Shiriaeva A, Fedorov I, Datsenko K, Severinov K, Wiedenheft B. Reproducible Antigen Recognition by the Type I-F CRISPR-Cas System. CRISPR J 2020; 3:378-387. [PMID: 33095052 PMCID: PMC7580607 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2020.0069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-associated proteins 1 and 2 (Cas1-2) are necessary and sufficient for new spacer acquisition in some CRISPR-Cas systems (e.g., type I-E), but adaptation in other systems (e.g., type II-A) involves the crRNA-guided surveillance complex. Here we show that the type I-F Cas1-2/3 proteins are necessary and sufficient to produce low levels of spacer acquisition, but the presence of the type I-F crRNA-guided surveillance complex (Csy) improves the efficiency of adaptation and significantly increases the fidelity of protospacer adjacent motif selection. Sequences selected for integration are preferentially derived from specific regions of extrachromosomal DNA, and patterns of spacer selection are highly reproducible between independent biological replicates. This work helps define the role of the Csy complex in I-F adaptation and reveals that actively replicating mobile genetic elements have antigenic signatures that facilitate their integration during CRISPR adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanner Wiegand
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA; Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Semenova
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna Shiriaeva
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, Russia; Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia; Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ivan Fedorov
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, Russia; Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Kirill Datsenko
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, Russia; Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia; and Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Blake Wiedenheft
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA; Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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49
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Yu L, Marchisio MA. Types I and V Anti-CRISPR Proteins: From Phage Defense to Eukaryotic Synthetic Gene Circuits. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:575393. [PMID: 33102460 PMCID: PMC7556299 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.575393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas (CRISPR-associated proteins), a prokaryotic RNA-mediated adaptive immune system, has been repurposed for gene editing and synthetic gene circuit construction both in bacterial and eukaryotic cells. In the last years, the emergence of the anti-CRISPR proteins (Acrs), which are natural OFF-switches for CRISPR-Cas, has provided a new means to control CRISPR-Cas activity and promoted a further development of CRISPR-Cas-based biotechnological toolkits. In this review, we focus on type I and type V-A anti-CRISPR proteins. We first narrate Acrs discovery and analyze their inhibitory mechanisms from a structural perspective. Then, we describe their applications in gene editing and transcription regulation. Finally, we discuss the potential future usage-and corresponding possible challenges-of these two kinds of anti-CRISPR proteins in eukaryotic synthetic gene circuits.
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50
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Gussow AB, Park AE, Borges AL, Shmakov SA, Makarova KS, Wolf YI, Bondy-Denomy J, Koonin EV. Machine-learning approach expands the repertoire of anti-CRISPR protein families. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3784. [PMID: 32728052 PMCID: PMC7391736 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17652-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR-Cas are adaptive bacterial and archaeal immunity systems that have been harnessed for the development of powerful genome editing and engineering tools. In the incessant host-parasite arms race, viruses evolved multiple anti-defense mechanisms including diverse anti-CRISPR proteins (Acrs) that specifically inhibit CRISPR-Cas and therefore have enormous potential for application as modulators of genome editing tools. Most Acrs are small and highly variable proteins which makes their bioinformatic prediction a formidable task. We present a machine-learning approach for comprehensive Acr prediction. The model shows high predictive power when tested against an unseen test set and was employed to predict 2,500 candidate Acr families. Experimental validation of top candidates revealed two unknown Acrs (AcrIC9, IC10) and three other top candidates were coincidentally identified and found to possess anti-CRISPR activity. These results substantially expand the repertoire of predicted Acrs and provide a resource for experimental Acr discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayal B Gussow
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Allyson E Park
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Adair L Borges
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sergey A Shmakov
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Kira S Makarova
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Yuri I Wolf
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Joseph Bondy-Denomy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA.
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