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Wu Q, Cui L, Liu Y, Li R, Dai M, Xia Z, Wu M. CRISPR-Cas systems target endogenous genes to impact bacterial physiology and alter mammalian immune responses. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2022; 3:22. [PMID: 35854035 PMCID: PMC9296731 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-022-00084-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are an immune defense mechanism that is widespread in archaea and bacteria against invasive phages or foreign genetic elements. In the last decade, CRISPR-Cas systems have been a leading gene-editing tool for agriculture (plant engineering), biotechnology, and human health (e.g., diagnosis and treatment of cancers and genetic diseases), benefitted from unprecedented discoveries of basic bacterial research. However, the functional complexity of CRISPR systems is far beyond the original scope of immune defense. CRISPR-Cas systems are implicated in influencing the expression of physiology and virulence genes and subsequently altering the formation of bacterial biofilm, drug resistance, invasive potency as well as bacterial own physiological characteristics. Moreover, increasing evidence supports that bacterial CRISPR-Cas systems might intriguingly influence mammalian immune responses through targeting endogenous genes, especially those relating to virulence; however, unfortunately, their underlying mechanisms are largely unclear. Nevertheless, the interaction between bacterial CRISPR-Cas systems and eukaryotic cells is complex with numerous mysteries that necessitate further investigation efforts. Here, we summarize the non-canonical functions of CRISPR-Cas that potentially impact bacterial physiology, pathogenicity, antimicrobial resistance, and thereby altering the courses of mammalian immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Wu
- Department of Pediatrics, Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, 58203-9037, USA
| | - Luqing Cui
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, 58203-9037, USA
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, P. R. China
| | - Yingying Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, 58203-9037, USA
| | - Rongpeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, 221116, China
| | - Menghong Dai
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, P. R. China.
| | - Zhenwei Xia
- Department of Pediatrics, Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, 58203-9037, USA.
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Wu Y, Battalapalli D, Hakeem MJ, Selamneni V, Zhang P, Draz MS, Ruan Z. Engineered CRISPR-Cas systems for the detection and control of antibiotic-resistant infections. J Nanobiotechnology 2021; 19:401. [PMID: 34863214 PMCID: PMC8642896 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-021-01132-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is spreading rapidly around the world and seriously impeding efforts to control microbial infections. Although nucleic acid testing is widely deployed for the detection of antibiotic resistant bacteria, the current techniques-mainly based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-are time-consuming and laborious. There is an urgent need to develop new strategies to control bacterial infections and the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The CRISPR-Cas system is an adaptive immune system found in many prokaryotes that presents attractive opportunities to target and edit nucleic acids with high precision and reliability. Engineered CRISPR-Cas systems are reported to effectively kill bacteria or even revert bacterial resistance to antibiotics (resensitizing bacterial cells to antibiotics). Strategies for combating antimicrobial resistance using CRISPR (i.e., Cas9, Cas12, Cas13, and Cas14) can be of great significance in detecting bacteria and their resistance to antibiotics. This review discusses the structures, mechanisms, and detection methods of CRISPR-Cas systems and how these systems can be engineered for the rapid and reliable detection of bacteria using various approaches, with a particular focus on nanoparticles. In addition, we summarize the most recent advances in applying the CRISPR-Cas system for virulence modulation of bacterial infections and combating antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuye Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Mohammed J Hakeem
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Venkatarao Selamneni
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- Department of Central Laboratory, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Mohamed S Draz
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Zhi Ruan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
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Virulence Comparison of Salmonella enterica Subsp. enterica Isolates from Chicken and Whole Genome Analysis of the High Virulent Strain S. Enteritidis 211. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9112239. [PMID: 34835366 PMCID: PMC8619400 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Salmonellaenterica is one of the common pathogens in both humans and animals that causes salmonellosis and threatens public health all over the world. Methods and Results: Here we determined the virulence phenotypes of nine Salmonellaenterica subsp. enterica (S. enterica) isolates in vitro and in vivo, including pathogenicity to chicken, cell infection, biofilm formation and virulence gene expressions. S. Enteritidis 211 (SE211) was highly pathogenic with notable virulence features among the nine isolates. The combination of multiple virulence genes contributed to the conferring of the high virulence in SE211. Importantly, many mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were found in the genome sequence of SE211, including a virulence plasmid, genomic islands, and prophage regions. The MGEs and CRISPR-Cas system might function synergistically for gene transfer and immune defense. In addition, the neighbor joining tree and the minimum spanning tree were constructed in this study. Conclusions: This study provided both the virulence phenotypes and genomic features, which might contribute to the understanding of bacterial virulence mechanisms in Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica. The first completed genomic sequence for the high virulent S. Enteritidis isolate SE211 and the comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses provided a preliminary understanding of S. enterica genetics and laid the foundation for further study.
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First Description of a Temperate Bacteriophage (vB _FhiM_KIRK) of Francisella hispaniensis Strain 3523. Viruses 2021; 13:v13020327. [PMID: 33672748 PMCID: PMC7924643 DOI: 10.3390/v13020327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we present the characterization of a Francisella bacteriophage (vB_FhiM_KIRK) including the morphology, the genome sequence and the induction of the prophage. The prophage sequence (FhaGI-1) has previously been identified in F. hispaniensis strain 3523. UV radiation induced the prophage to assemble phage particles consisting of an icosahedral head (~52 nm in diameter), a tail of up to 97 nm in length and a mean width of 9 nm. The double stranded genome of vB_FhiM_KIRK contains 51 open reading frames and is 34,259 bp in length. The genotypic and phylogenetic analysis indicated that this phage seems to belong to the Myoviridae family of bacteriophages. Under the conditions tested here, host cell (Francisella hispaniensis 3523) lysis activity of KIRK was very low, and the phage particles seem to be defective for infecting new bacterial cells. Nevertheless, recombinant KIRK DNA was able to integrate site-specifically into the genome of different Francisella species after DNA transformation.
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Roy S, Naha S, Rao A, Basu S. CRISPR-Cas system, antibiotic resistance and virulence in bacteria: Through a common lens. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2021; 178:123-174. [PMID: 33685595 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas system, antibiotic resistance and virulence are different modes of survival for the bacteria. CRISPR-Cas is an adaptive immune system that can degrade foreign DNA, antibiotic resistance helps bacteria to evade drugs that can threaten their existence and virulence determinants are offensive tools that can facilitate the establishment of infection by pathogens. This chapter focuses on these three aspects, providing insights about the CRISPR system and resistance mechanisms in brief, followed by understanding the synergistic or antagonistic relationship of resistance and virulence determinants in connection to the CRISPR system. We have addressed the discussion of this evolving topic through specific examples and studies. Different approaches for successful detection of this unique defense system in bacteria and various applications of the CRISPR-Cas systems to show how it can be harnessed to tackle the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance have been put forth. World Health Organization has declared antibiotic resistance as a serious global problem of the 21st century. As antibiotic-resistant bacteria increase their footprint across the globe, newer tools such as the CRISPR-Cas system hold immense promise to tackle this problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhasree Roy
- Division of Bacteriology, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Scheme XM, Beliaghata, Kolkata, India
| | - Sharmi Naha
- Division of Bacteriology, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Scheme XM, Beliaghata, Kolkata, India
| | - Ankur Rao
- Division of Bacteriology, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Scheme XM, Beliaghata, Kolkata, India
| | - Sulagna Basu
- Division of Bacteriology, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Scheme XM, Beliaghata, Kolkata, India.
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Cui L, Wang X, Huang D, Zhao Y, Feng J, Lu Q, Pu Q, Wang Y, Cheng G, Wu M, Dai M. CRISPR- cas3 of Salmonella Upregulates Bacterial Biofilm Formation and Virulence to Host Cells by Targeting Quorum-Sensing Systems. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9010053. [PMID: 31936769 PMCID: PMC7168661 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9010053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Salmonella is recognized as one of the most common microbial pathogens worldwide. The bacterium contains the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated (Cas) systems, providing adaptive immunity against invading foreign nucleic acids. Previous studies suggested that certain bacteria employ the Cas proteins of CRISPR-Cas systems to target their own genes, which also alters the virulence during invasion of mammals. However, whether CRISPR-Cas systems in Salmonella have similar functions during bacterial invasion of host cells remains unknown. Here, we systematically analyzed the genes that are regulated by Cas3 in a type I-E CRISPR-Cas system and the virulence changes due to the deletion of cas3 in Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis. Compared to the cas3 gene wild-type (cas3 WT) Salmonella strain, cas3 deletion upregulated the lsrFGBE genes in lsr (luxS regulated) operon related to quorum sensing (QS) and downregulated biofilm-forming-related genes and Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) genes related to the type three secretion system (T3SS). Consistently, the biofilm formation ability was downregulated in the cas3 deletion mutant (Δcas3). The bacterial invasive and intracellular capacity of Δcas3 to host cells was also reduced, thereby increasing the survival of infected host cells and live chickens. By the transcriptome-wide screen (RNA-Seq), we found that the cas3 gene impacts a series of genes related to QS, the flagellum, and SPI-1-T3SS system, thereby altering the virulence phenotypes. As QS SPI-1-T3SS and CRISPR-Cas systems are widely distributed in the bacteria kingdom, our findings extend our understanding of virulence regulation and pathogenicity in mammalian hosts for Salmonella and potentially other bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luqing Cui
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (L.C.); (X.W.); (Y.Z.); (J.F.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA;
| | - Xiangru Wang
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (L.C.); (X.W.); (Y.Z.); (J.F.)
| | - Deyu Huang
- MOA Key Laboratory of Food Safety Evaluation/National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residue (HZAU), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (D.H.); (Q.L.); (Y.W.); (G.C.)
| | - Yue Zhao
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (L.C.); (X.W.); (Y.Z.); (J.F.)
| | - Jiawei Feng
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (L.C.); (X.W.); (Y.Z.); (J.F.)
| | - Qirong Lu
- MOA Key Laboratory of Food Safety Evaluation/National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residue (HZAU), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (D.H.); (Q.L.); (Y.W.); (G.C.)
| | - Qinqin Pu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA;
| | - Yulian Wang
- MOA Key Laboratory of Food Safety Evaluation/National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residue (HZAU), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (D.H.); (Q.L.); (Y.W.); (G.C.)
| | - Guyue Cheng
- MOA Key Laboratory of Food Safety Evaluation/National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residue (HZAU), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (D.H.); (Q.L.); (Y.W.); (G.C.)
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA;
- Correspondence: (M.W.); (M.D.); Tel.: +1-701-777-4875 (M.W.); +86-027-8767-2232 (M.D.); Fax: +1-701-777-2382 (M.W.); +86-027-8767-2232 (M.D.)
| | - Menghong Dai
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (L.C.); (X.W.); (Y.Z.); (J.F.)
- Correspondence: (M.W.); (M.D.); Tel.: +1-701-777-4875 (M.W.); +86-027-8767-2232 (M.D.); Fax: +1-701-777-2382 (M.W.); +86-027-8767-2232 (M.D.)
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7
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Wang Y, Yin X, Zhou Z, Hu S, Li S, Liu M, Wang X, Xiao Y, Shi D, Bi D, Li Z. Cas9 regulated gene expression and pathogenicity in Riemerella anatipestifer. Microb Pathog 2019; 136:103706. [PMID: 31491547 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.103706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Riemerellosis, a Riemerella anatipestifer infection, can cause meningitis, pericarditis, parahepatitis, and airsacculitis in ducks, leading to serious economic losses in the duck meat industry. However, the molecular mechanism of the pathogenesis and virulence factors of this infection are poorly understood. In the present study, we created a mutant strain RA-YMΔCas9 using trans-conjugation. Bacterial virulence tests indicated that the median lethal dose (LD50) of RA-YMΔCas9 was 5.01 × 107 CFU, significantly lower than that of the RA-YM strain, which was 1.58 × 105 CFU. The distribution and blood bacterial load from the infection groups showed no significant difference in the brain between the RA-YMΔCas9 mutant and the wild-type RA-YM strains, however, the number of mutant strains were significantly reduced in the liver, heart, and blood. Animal immunization experiments demonstrated that the intranasal administration of RA-YMΔCas9 in ducklings provided 80% protection after challenge with the wild-type strain, showing potential use as a live mucosal vaccine. RNAseq analysis indicated that Cas9 protein played a regulatory role in gene expression. This study is the first to report on the involvement of Cas9 in the regulation and pathogenesis of R. anatipestifer, and provides a theoretical basis for the development of relevant genetic engineering vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University. Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Xuehuan Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University. Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Zutao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University. Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Sishun Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University. Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Shaowen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University. Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Mei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University. Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Xiliang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University. Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Yuncai Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University. Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Deshi Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University. Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Dingren Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University. Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Zili Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University. Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China.
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Spencer BL, Deng L, Patras KA, Burcham ZM, Sanches GF, Nagao PE, Doran KS. Cas9 Contributes to Group B Streptococcal Colonization and Disease. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1930. [PMID: 31497003 PMCID: PMC6712506 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a major opportunistic pathogen in certain adult populations, including pregnant women, and remains a leading etiologic agent of newborn disease. During pregnancy, GBS asymptomatically colonizes the vaginal tract of 20-30% of healthy women, but can be transmitted to the neonate in utero or during birth resulting in neonatal pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis, and subsequently 10-15% mortality regardless of antibiotic treatment. While various GBS virulence factors have been implicated in vaginal colonization and invasive disease, the regulation of many of these factors remains unclear. Recently, CRISPR-associated protein-9 (Cas9), an endonuclease known for its role in CRISPR/Cas immunity, has also been observed to modulate virulence in a number of bacterial pathogens. However, the role of Cas9 in GBS colonization and disease pathogenesis has not been well-studied. We performed allelic replacement of cas9 in GBS human clinical isolates of the hypervirulent sequence-type 17 strain lineage to generate isogenic Δcas9 mutants. Compared to parental strains, Δcas9 mutants were attenuated in murine models of hematogenous meningitis and vaginal colonization and exhibited significantly decreased invasion of human brain endothelium and adherence to vaginal epithelium. To determine if Cas9 alters transcription in GBS, we performed RNA-Seq analysis and found that 353 genes (>17% of the GBS genome) were differentially expressed between the parental WT and Δcas9 mutant strain. Significantly dysregulated genes included those encoding predicted virulence factors, metabolic factors, two-component systems (TCS), and factors important for cell wall formation. These findings were confirmed by qRT-PCR and suggest that Cas9 may regulate a significant portion of the GBS genome. We studied one of the TCS regulators, CiaR, that was significantly downregulated in the Δcas9 mutant strain. RNA-Seq analysis of the WT and ΔciaR strains demonstrated that almost all CiaR-regulated genes were also significantly regulated by Cas9, suggesting that Cas9 may modulate GBS gene expression through other regulators. Further we show that CiaR contributes to GBS vaginal colonization and persistence. Altogether, these data highlight the potential complexity and importance of the non-canonical function of Cas9 in GBS colonization and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brady L. Spencer
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Liwen Deng
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Kathryn A. Patras
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Zachary M. Burcham
- Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Glenda F. Sanches
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Roberto Alcântara Gomes Biology Institute, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Prescilla E. Nagao
- Roberto Alcântara Gomes Biology Institute, Rio de Janeiro State University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Kelly S. Doran
- Department of Immunology & Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
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9
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Chyou TY, Brown CM. Prediction and diversity of tracrRNAs from type II CRISPR-Cas systems. RNA Biol 2019; 16:423-434. [PMID: 29995560 PMCID: PMC6546365 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2018.1498281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Type II CRISPR-Cas9 systems require a small RNA called the trans-activating CRISPR RNA (tracrRNA) in order to function. The prediction of these non-coding RNAs in prokaryotic genomes is challenging because they have dissimilar structures, having short stems (3-6 bp) and non-canonical base-pairs e.g. G-A. Much of the tracrRNA is involved in base-pairing interactions with the CRISPR RNA, or itself, or in RNA-protein interactions with Cas9. Here we develop a new bioinformatic tool to predict tracrRNAs. On an experimentally verified test set the algorithm achieved a high sensitivity and specificity, and a low false discovery rate (FDR) on genome analysis. Analysis of representative RefSeq genomes (5462) detected 275 tracrRNAs from 165 genera. These tracrRNAs could be grouped into 15 clusters which were used to build covariance models. These clusters included Streptococci and Staphylococci tracrRNAs from the CRISPR-Cas9 systems which are currently used for gene editing. Compensating base changes observed in the models were consistent with the experimental structures of single guide RNAs (sgRNAs). Other clusters, for which there are not yet structures available, were predicted to form novel tracrRNA folds. These clusters included a large and divergent tracrRNA set from Bacteroidetes. These computational models contribute to the understanding of CRISPR-Cas biology, and will assist in the design of further engineered CRISPR-Cas9 systems. The tracrRNA prediction software is available through a galaxy web server.
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Affiliation(s)
- Te-yuan Chyou
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Chris M Brown
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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10
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Burnight ER, Giacalone JC, Cooke JA, Thompson JR, Bohrer LR, Chirco KR, Drack AV, Fingert JH, Worthington KS, Wiley LA, Mullins RF, Stone EM, Tucker BA. CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering: Treating inherited retinal degeneration. Prog Retin Eye Res 2018; 65:28-49. [PMID: 29578069 PMCID: PMC8210531 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2018.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Gene correction is a valuable strategy for treating inherited retinal degenerative diseases, a major cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Single gene defects cause the majority of these retinal dystrophies. Gene augmentation holds great promise if delivered early in the course of the disease, however, many patients carry mutations in genes too large to be packaged into adeno-associated viral vectors and some, when overexpressed via heterologous promoters, induce retinal toxicity. In addition to the aforementioned challenges, some patients have sustained significant photoreceptor cell loss at the time of diagnosis, rendering gene replacement therapy insufficient to treat the disease. These patients will require cell replacement to restore useful vision. Fortunately, the advent of induced pluripotent stem cell and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technologies affords researchers and clinicians a powerful means by which to develop strategies to treat patients with inherited retinal dystrophies. In this review we will discuss the current developments in CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in vivo in animal models and in vitro in patient-derived cells to study and treat inherited retinal degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin R Burnight
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Joseph C Giacalone
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Jessica A Cooke
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Jessica R Thompson
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Laura R Bohrer
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Kathleen R Chirco
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Arlene V Drack
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - John H Fingert
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Kristan S Worthington
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States; Department of Biochemical Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Luke A Wiley
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Robert F Mullins
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Edwin M Stone
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Budd A Tucker
- Institute for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.
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11
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Abstract
Prokaryotes use diverse strategies to improve fitness in the face of different environmental threats and stresses, including those posed by mobile genetic elements (e.g., bacteriophages and plasmids). To defend against these elements, many bacteria and archaea use elegant, RNA-directed, nucleic acid-targeting adaptive restriction machineries called CRISPR -: Cas (CRISPR-associated) systems. While providing an effective defense against foreign genetic elements, these systems have also been observed to play critical roles in regulating bacterial physiology during environmental stress. Increasingly, CRISPR-Cas systems, in particular the Type II systems containing the Cas9 endonuclease, have been exploited for their ability to bind desired nucleic acid sequences, as well as direct sequence-specific cleavage of their targets. Cas9-mediated genome engineering is transcending biological research as a versatile and portable platform for manipulating genetic content in myriad systems. Here, we present a systematic overview of CRISPR-Cas history and biology, highlighting the revolutionary tools derived from these systems, which greatly expand the molecular biologists' toolkit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah K Ratner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
| | - Timothy R Sampson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
| | - David S Weiss
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
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12
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Abstract
The Cas9 protein (CRISPR-associated protein 9), derived from type II CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) bacterial immune systems, is emerging as a powerful tool for engineering the genome in diverse organisms. As an RNA-guided DNA endonuclease, Cas9 can be easily programmed to target new sites by altering its guide RNA sequence, and its development as a tool has made sequence-specific gene editing several magnitudes easier. The nuclease-deactivated form of Cas9 further provides a versatile RNA-guided DNA-targeting platform for regulating and imaging the genome, as well as for rewriting the epigenetic status, all in a sequence-specific manner. With all of these advances, we have just begun to explore the possible applications of Cas9 in biomedical research and therapeutics. In this review, we describe the current models of Cas9 function and the structural and biochemical studies that support it. We focus on the applications of Cas9 for genome editing, regulation, and imaging, discuss other possible applications and some technical considerations, and highlight the many advantages that CRISPR/Cas9 technology offers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifeng Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305; , ,
| | - Marie La Russa
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305; , ,
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Lei S Qi
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305; , ,
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
- Chemistry, Engineering and Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
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13
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Abstract
Bacterial adaptive immunity hinges on CRISPR-Cas systems that provide DNA-encoded, RNA-mediated targeting of exogenous nucleic acids. A plethora of CRISPR molecular machines occur broadly in prokaryotic genomes, with a diversity of Cas nucleases that can be repurposed for various applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolphe Barrangou
- Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
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14
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Identification and characterization of episomal forms of integrative genomic islands in the genus Francisella. Int J Med Microbiol 2015; 305:874-80. [PMID: 26358917 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2015.08.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Revised: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, we identified a putative prophage on a genomic island (GI) within the genome sequence of Francisella hispaniensis isolate AS0-814 (Francisella tularensis subsp. novicida-like 3523) by the analysis of the CRISPR-Cas systems of Francisella. Various spacer DNAs within the CRISPR region of different F. tularensis subsp. novicida strains were found to be homologous to the putative prophage (Schunder et al., 2013, Int. J. Med. Microbiol. 303:51-60). Now we identified the GI (FhaGI-1) as a mobile element which is able to form a circular episomal structure. The circular episomal form of FhaGI-1 is generated by F. hispaniensis, and the excision of the island is an integrase-dependent and site-specific process. Furthermore, we could demonstrate that the excision of the island is also possible in other bacterial species (Escherichia coli). In addition, we could show that a genetically generated small variant of the island is also functional and, after its electroporation into strain F. tularensis subsp. holarctica LVS, the GI was stable and site-specifically integrated into the genome of the transformants. The integrase is sufficient for the integration and excision of the small variant into and from the DNA backbone, respectively. Thus, the element may be suitable to be used as a genetic tool in F. tularensis research. Furthermore, we identified the tRNA(Val) gene of Francisella as an integration site for GIs. Genomic island FphGI-1 was identified in Francisella philomiragia ATCC 25016. We were not able to detect the episomal form of this GI, probably due to a mutated attR site. However, we could demonstrate that integrative GIs are present in Francisella and that they may allow horizontal gene transfer between different Francisella species.
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