1
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Jiang C, Yu C, Sun S, Lin J, Cai M, Wei Z, Feng L, Li J, Zhang Y, Dong K, Guo X, Qin J, Zhang Y. A new anti-CRISPR gene promotes the spread of drug-resistance plasmids in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:8370-8384. [PMID: 38888121 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae516] [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: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae, Kp) populations carrying both resistance-encoding and virulence-encoding mobile genetic elements (MGEs) significantly threaten global health. In this study, we identified a new anti-CRISPR gene (acrIE10) on a conjugative plasmid with self-target sequence in K. pneumoniae with type I-E* CRISPR-Cas system. AcrIE10 interacts with the Cas7* subunit of K. pneumoniae I-E* CRISPR-Cas system. The crystal structure of the AcrIE10-KpCas7* complex suggests that AcrIE10 suppresses the I-E* CRISPR-Cas by binding directly to Cas7 to prevent its hexamerization, thereby preventing the surveillance complex assembly and crRNA loading. Bioinformatic and functional analyses revealed that AcrIE10 is functionally widespread across diverse species. Our study reports a novel anti-CRISPR and highlights its potential role in spreading resistance and virulence among pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyu Jiang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Chengzhi Yu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, State Key Laboratory of Plant Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shuyi Sun
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, State Key Laboratory of Plant Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiajia Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Mufeng Cai
- Shanghai Immune Therapy Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Zhenquan Wei
- Core Facility of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Lingling Feng
- Core Facility of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jianhui Li
- Shanghai Institute of Phage, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ke Dong
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xiaokui Guo
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jinhong Qin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Shanghai Institute of Phage, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology (National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, State Key Laboratory of Plant Design, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
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2
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Birkholz N, Kamata K, Feussner M, Wilkinson ME, Cuba Samaniego C, Migur A, Kimanius D, Ceelen M, Went SC, Usher B, Blower TR, Brown CM, Beisel CL, Weinberg Z, Fagerlund RD, Jackson SA, Fineran PC. Phage anti-CRISPR control by an RNA- and DNA-binding helix-turn-helix protein. Nature 2024; 631:670-677. [PMID: 38987591 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07644-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
In all organisms, regulation of gene expression must be adjusted to meet cellular requirements and frequently involves helix-turn-helix (HTH) domain proteins1. For instance, in the arms race between bacteria and bacteriophages, rapid expression of phage anti-CRISPR (acr) genes upon infection enables evasion from CRISPR-Cas defence; transcription is then repressed by an HTH-domain-containing anti-CRISPR-associated (Aca) protein, probably to reduce fitness costs from excessive expression2-5. However, how a single HTH regulator adjusts anti-CRISPR production to cope with increasing phage genome copies and accumulating acr mRNA is unknown. Here we show that the HTH domain of the regulator Aca2, in addition to repressing Acr synthesis transcriptionally through DNA binding, inhibits translation of mRNAs by binding conserved RNA stem-loops and blocking ribosome access. The cryo-electron microscopy structure of the approximately 40 kDa Aca2-RNA complex demonstrates how the versatile HTH domain specifically discriminates RNA from DNA binding sites. These combined regulatory modes are widespread in the Aca2 family and facilitate CRISPR-Cas inhibition in the face of rapid phage DNA replication without toxic acr overexpression. Given the ubiquity of HTH-domain-containing proteins, it is anticipated that many more of them elicit regulatory control by dual DNA and RNA binding.
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MESH Headings
- Bacteriophages/chemistry
- Bacteriophages/genetics
- Bacteriophages/metabolism
- Bacteriophages/ultrastructure
- Binding Sites
- Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/genetics
- CRISPR-Associated Proteins/metabolism
- CRISPR-Cas Systems
- Cryoelectron Microscopy
- DNA-Binding Proteins/chemistry
- DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics
- DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
- DNA-Binding Proteins/ultrastructure
- Gene Expression Regulation, Viral
- Genes, Viral
- Helix-Turn-Helix Motifs
- Models, Molecular
- Nucleic Acid Conformation
- Pectobacterium carotovorum/virology
- Protein Biosynthesis/genetics
- Protein Domains
- Ribosomes/metabolism
- RNA, Messenger/chemistry
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- RNA, Messenger/ultrastructure
- RNA, Viral/chemistry
- RNA, Viral/genetics
- RNA, Viral/metabolism
- RNA, Viral/ultrastructure
- RNA-Binding Proteins/chemistry
- RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics
- RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
- RNA-Binding Proteins/ultrastructure
- Substrate Specificity
- Transcription, Genetic
- Viral Proteins/chemistry
- Viral Proteins/genetics
- Viral Proteins/metabolism
- Viral Proteins/ultrastructure
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Birkholz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kotaro Kamata
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Maximilian Feussner
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science and Interdisciplinary Centre for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Max E Wilkinson
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Angela Migur
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Marijn Ceelen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Institute for Integrative Biology, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sam C Went
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Ben Usher
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Tim R Blower
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Chris M Brown
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Chase L Beisel
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
- Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Zasha Weinberg
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science and Interdisciplinary Centre for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Robert D Fagerlund
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Simon A Jackson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Peter C Fineran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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3
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Workman RE, Stoltzfus MJ, Keith NC, Euler CW, Bondy-Denomy J, Modell JW. Anti-CRISPR proteins trigger a burst of CRISPR-Cas9 expression that enhances phage defense. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113849. [PMID: 38427560 PMCID: PMC11078563 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113849] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas immune systems provide bacteria with adaptive immunity against bacteriophages, but they are often transcriptionally repressed to mitigate auto-immunity. In some cases, CRISPR-Cas expression increases in response to a phage infection, but the mechanisms of induction are largely unknown, and it is unclear whether induction occurs strongly and quickly enough to benefit the bacterial host. In S. pyogenes, Cas9 is both an immune effector and auto-repressor of CRISPR-Cas expression. Here, we show that phage-encoded anti-CRISPR proteins relieve Cas9 auto-repression and trigger a rapid increase in CRISPR-Cas levels during a single phage infective cycle. As a result, fewer cells succumb to lysis, leading to a striking survival benefit after multiple rounds of infection. CRISPR-Cas induction also reduces lysogeny, thereby limiting a route for horizontal gene transfer. Altogether, we show that Cas9 is not only a CRISPR-Cas effector and repressor but also a phage sensor that can mount an anti-anti-CRISPR transcriptional response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael E Workman
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Marie J Stoltzfus
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Nicholas C Keith
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Chad W Euler
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, NY 10021, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Joseph Bondy-Denomy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Joshua W Modell
- Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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4
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Costa AR, van den Berg DF, Esser JQ, Muralidharan A, van den Bossche H, Bonilla BE, van der Steen BA, Haagsma AC, Fluit AC, Nobrega FL, Haas PJ, Brouns SJJ. Accumulation of defense systems in phage-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj0341. [PMID: 38394193 PMCID: PMC10889362 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj0341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Prokaryotes encode multiple distinct anti-phage defense systems in their genomes. However, the impact of carrying a multitude of defense systems on phage resistance remains unclear, especially in a clinical context. Using a collection of antibiotic-resistant clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and a broad panel of phages, we demonstrate that defense systems contribute substantially to defining phage host range and that overall phage resistance scales with the number of defense systems in the bacterial genome. We show that many individual defense systems target specific phage genera and that defense systems with complementary phage specificities co-occur in P. aeruginosa genomes likely to provide benefits in phage-diverse environments. Overall, we show that phage-resistant phenotypes of P. aeruginosa with at least 19 phage defense systems exist in the populations of clinical, antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rita Costa
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Daan F. van den Berg
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Jelger Q. Esser
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Aswin Muralidharan
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Halewijn van den Bossche
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Boris Estrada Bonilla
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Baltus A. van der Steen
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Anna C. Haagsma
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Ad C. Fluit
- Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Franklin L. Nobrega
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ Southampton, UK
| | - Pieter-Jan Haas
- Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Stan J. J. Brouns
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
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5
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Wang H, Zheng K, Wang M, Ma K, Ren L, Guo R, Ma L, Zhang H, Liu Y, Xiong Y, Wu M, Shao H, Sung YY, Mok WJ, Wong LL, McMinn A, Liang Y. Shewanella phage encoding a putative anti-CRISPR-like gene represents a novel potential viral family. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0336723. [PMID: 38214523 PMCID: PMC10846135 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03367-23] [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: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Shewanella is a prevalent bacterial genus in deep-sea environments including marine sediments, exhibiting diverse metabolic capabilities that indicate its significant contributions to the marine biogeochemical cycles. However, only a few Shewanella phages were isolated and deposited in the NCBI database. In this study, we report the isolation and characterization of a novel Shewanella phage, vB_SbaS_Y11, that infects Shewanella KR11 and was isolated from the sewage in Qingdao, China. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that vB_SbaS_Y11 has an icosahedral head and a long tail. The genome of vB_SbaS_Y11 is a linear, double-stranded DNA with a length of 62,799 bp and a G+C content of 46.9%, encoding 71 putative open reading frames. No tRNA genes or integrase-related feature genes were identified. An uncharacterized anti-CRISPR AcrVA2 gene was detected in its genome. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid sequences of whole genomes and comparative genomic analyses indicate that vB_SbaS_Y11 has a novel genomic architecture and shares low similarity to Pseudomonas virus H66 and Pseudomonas phage F116. vB_SbaS_Y11 represents a potential new family-level virus cluster with eight metagenomic assembled viral genomes named Ranviridae.IMPORTANCEThe Gram-negative Shewanella bacterial genus currently includes about 80 species of mostly aquatic Gammaproteobacteria, which were isolated around the globe in a multitude of environments, such as freshwater, seawater, coastal sediments, and the deepest trenches. Here, we present a Shewanella phage vB_SbaS_Y11 that contains an uncharacterized anti-CRISPR AcrVA2 gene and belongs to a potential virus family, Ranviridae. This study will enhance the knowledge about the genome, diversity, taxonomic classification, and global distribution of Shewanella phage populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmin Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Kaiyang Zheng
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Min Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Haide College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Universiti Malaysia Terengganu-Ocean Unversity of China Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China
- The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Keran Ma
- Haide College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Linyi Ren
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Ruizhe Guo
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Lina Ma
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yundan Liu
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yao Xiong
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Miaolan Wu
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Hongbing Shao
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Universiti Malaysia Terengganu-Ocean Unversity of China Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China
| | - Yeong Yik Sung
- Universiti Malaysia Terengganu-Ocean Unversity of China Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Wen Jye Mok
- Universiti Malaysia Terengganu-Ocean Unversity of China Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Li Lian Wong
- Universiti Malaysia Terengganu-Ocean Unversity of China Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China
- Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Andrew McMinn
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Yantao Liang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, MOE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Center for Ocean Carbon Neutrality, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Universiti Malaysia Terengganu-Ocean Unversity of China Joint Centre for Marine Studies, Qingdao, China
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6
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Gebhardt CM, Niopek D. Anti-CRISPR Proteins and Their Application to Control CRISPR Effectors in Mammalian Systems. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2774:205-231. [PMID: 38441767 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3718-0_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas effectors are powerful tools for genome and transcriptome targeting and editing. Naturally, these protein-RNA complexes are part of the microbial innate immune system, which emerged from the evolutionary arms race between microbes and phages. This coevolution has also given rise to so-called anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins that counteract the CRISPR-Cas adaptive immunity. Acrs constitutively block cognate CRISPR-Cas effectors, e.g., by interfering with guide RNA binding, target DNA/RNA recognition, or target cleavage. In addition to their important role in microbiology and evolution, Acrs have recently gained particular attention for being useful tools and switches to regulate or fine-tune the activity of CRISPR-Cas effectors. Due to their commonly small size, high inhibition potency, and structural and mechanistic versatility, Acrs offer a wide range of potential applications for controlling CRISPR effectors in heterologous systems, including mammalian cells.Here, we review the diverse applications of Acrs in mammalian cells and organisms and discuss the underlying engineering strategies. These applications include (i) persistent blockage of CRISPR-Cas function to create write-protected cells, (ii) reduction of CRISPR-Cas off-target editing, (iii) focusing CRISPR-Cas activity to specific cell types and tissues, (iv) spatiotemporal control of CRISPR effectors based on engineered, opto-, or chemogenetic Acrs, and (v) the use of Acrs for selective binding and detection of CRISPR-Cas effectors in complex samples. We will also highlight potential future applications of Acrs in a biomedical context and point out present challenges that need to be overcome on the way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Maja Gebhardt
- Centre for Synthetic Biology, Department of Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Dominik Niopek
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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7
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Kondo K, Nakano S, Hisatsune J, Sugawara Y, Kataoka M, Kayama S, Sugai M, Kawano M. Characterization of 29 newly isolated bacteriophages as a potential therapeutic agent against IMP-6-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae from clinical specimens. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0476122. [PMID: 37724861 PMCID: PMC10581060 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04761-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are one of the most detrimental species of antibiotic-resistant bacteria globally. Phage therapy has emerged as an effective strategy for the treatment of CPE infections. In western Japan, the rise of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains harboring the pKPI-6 plasmid encoding bla IMP-6 is of increasing concern. To address this challenge, we isolated 29 phages from Japanese sewage, specifically targeting 31 K. pneumoniae strains and one Escherichia coli strain harboring the pKPI-6 plasmid. Electron microscopy analysis revealed that among the 29 isolated phages, 21 (72.4%), 5 (17.2%), and 3 (10.3%) phages belonged to myovirus, siphovirus, and podovirus morphotypes, respectively. Host range analysis showed that 18 Slopekvirus strains within the isolated phages infected 25-26 K. pneumoniae strains, indicating that most of the isolated phages have a broad host range. Notably, K. pneumoniae strain Kp21 was exclusively susceptible to phage øKp_21, whereas Kp22 exhibited susceptibility to over 20 phages. Upon administering a phage cocktail composed of 10 phages, we observed delayed emergence of phage-resistant bacteria in Kp21 but not in Kp22. Intriguingly, phage-resistant Kp21 exhibited heightened sensitivity to other bacteriophages, indicating a "trade-off" for resistance to phage øKp_21. Our proposed phage set has an adequate number of phages to combat the K. pneumoniae strain prevalent in Japan, underscoring the potential of a well-designed phage cocktail in mitigating the occurrence of phage-resistant bacteria. IMPORTANCE The emergence of Klebsiella pneumoniae harboring the bla IMP-6 plasmid poses an escalating threat in Japan. In this study, we found 29 newly isolated bacteriophages that infect K. pneumoniae strains carrying the pKPI-6 plasmid from clinical settings in western Japan. Our phages exhibited a broad host range. We applied a phage cocktail treatment composed of 10 phages against two host strains, Kp21 and Kp22, which displayed varying phage susceptibility patterns. Although the phage cocktail delayed the emergence of phage-resistant Kp21, it was unable to hinder the emergence of phage-resistant Kp22. Moreover, the phage-resistant Kp21 became sensitive to other phages that were originally non-infective to the wild-type Kp21 strains. Our study highlights the potential of a well-tailored phage cocktail in reducing the occurrence of phage-resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Kondo
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nakano
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junzo Hisatsune
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yo Sugawara
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michiyo Kataoka
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shizuo Kayama
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Motoyuki Sugai
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsuoki Kawano
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Nakamura Gakuen University, Jonan-Ku, Fukuoka, Japan
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8
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Mayorga-Ramos A, Zúñiga-Miranda J, Carrera-Pacheco SE, Barba-Ostria C, Guamán LP. CRISPR-Cas-Based Antimicrobials: Design, Challenges, and Bacterial Mechanisms of Resistance. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1283-1302. [PMID: 37347230 PMCID: PMC10353011 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains is a source of public health concern across the globe. As the discovery of new conventional antibiotics has stalled significantly over the past decade, there is an urgency to develop novel approaches to address drug resistance in infectious diseases. The use of a CRISPR-Cas-based system for the precise elimination of targeted bacterial populations holds promise as an innovative approach for new antimicrobial agent design. The CRISPR-Cas targeting system is celebrated for its high versatility and specificity, offering an excellent opportunity to fight antibiotic resistance in pathogens by selectively inactivating genes involved in antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, pathogenicity, virulence, or bacterial viability. The CRISPR-Cas strategy can enact antimicrobial effects by two approaches: inactivation of chromosomal genes or curing of plasmids encoding antibiotic resistance. In this Review, we provide an overview of the main CRISPR-Cas systems utilized for the creation of these antimicrobials, as well as highlighting promising studies in the field. We also offer a detailed discussion about the most commonly used mechanisms for CRISPR-Cas delivery: bacteriophages, nanoparticles, and conjugative plasmids. Lastly, we address possible mechanisms of interference that should be considered during the intelligent design of these novel approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Mayorga-Ramos
- Centro
de Investigación Biomédica (CENBIO), Facultad de Ciencias
de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad
UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador
| | - Johana Zúñiga-Miranda
- Centro
de Investigación Biomédica (CENBIO), Facultad de Ciencias
de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad
UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador
| | - Saskya E. Carrera-Pacheco
- Centro
de Investigación Biomédica (CENBIO), Facultad de Ciencias
de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad
UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador
| | - Carlos Barba-Ostria
- Escuela
de Medicina, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud Quito, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito 170902, Ecuador
| | - Linda P. Guamán
- Centro
de Investigación Biomédica (CENBIO), Facultad de Ciencias
de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad
UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador
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9
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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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10
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Forsberg KJ. Anti-CRISPR Discovery: Using Magnets to Find Needles in Haystacks. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:167952. [PMID: 36638909 PMCID: PMC10073268 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.167952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas immune systems in bacteria and archaea protect against viral infection, which has spurred viruses to develop dedicated inhibitors of these systems called anti-CRISPRs (Acrs). Like most host-virus arms races, many diverse examples of these immune and counter-immune proteins are encoded by the genomes of bacteria, archaea, and their viruses. For the case of Acrs, it is almost certain that just a small minority of nature's true diversity has been described. In this review, I discuss the various approaches used to identify these Acrs and speculate on the future for Acr discovery. Because Acrs can determine infection outcomes in nature and regulate CRISPR-Cas activities in applied settings, they have a dual importance to both host-virus conflicts and emerging biotechnologies. Thus, revealing the largely hidden world of Acrs should provide important lessons in microbiology that have the potential to ripple far beyond the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Forsberg
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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11
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Puxty RJ, Millard AD. Functional ecology of bacteriophages in the environment. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 71:102245. [PMID: 36512900 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are as ubiquitous as their bacterial hosts and often more abundant. Understanding how bacteriophages control their bacterial host populations requires a number of different approaches. Bacteriophages can control bacterial populations through lysis, drive evolution of bacterial immunity systems through infection, provide a conduit for horizontal gene transfer and alter host metabolism by carriage of auxiliary metabolic genes. Understanding and quantifying how bacteriophages drive these processes, requires both technological developments to take measurements in situ, and laboratory-based studies to understand mechanisms. Technological advances have allowed quantification of the number of infected cells in situ, revealing far-lower levels than expected. Understanding how observations in laboratory conditions relate to what occurs in the environment, and experimental confirmation of the predicted function of phage genes from observations in environmental omics data, remains challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Puxty
- University of Warwick, School of Life Sciences, Gibbet Hill Road, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrew D Millard
- University of Leicester, Dept of Genetics and Genome Biology, University Road, Leicester, United Kingdom.
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12
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AcaFinder: Genome Mining for Anti-CRISPR-Associated Genes. mSystems 2022; 7:e0081722. [PMID: 36413017 PMCID: PMC9765179 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00817-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins are encoded by (pro)viruses to inhibit their host's CRISPR-Cas systems. Genes encoding Acr and Aca (Acr associated) proteins often colocalize to form acr-aca operons. Here, we present AcaFinder as the first Aca genome mining tool. AcaFinder can (i) predict Acas and their associated acr-aca operons using guilt-by-association (GBA); (ii) identify homologs of known Acas using an HMM (Hidden Markov model) database; (iii) take input genomes for potential prophages, CRISPR-Cas systems, and self-targeting spacers (STSs); and (iv) provide a standalone program (https://github.com/boweny920/AcaFinder) and a web server (http://aca.unl.edu/Aca). AcaFinder was applied to mining over 16,000 prokaryotic and 142,000 gut phage genomes. After a multistep filtering, 36 high-confident new Aca families were identified, which is three times that of the 12 known Aca families. Seven new Aca families were from major human gut bacteria (Bacteroidota, Actinobacteria, and Fusobacteria) and their phages, while most known Aca families were from Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. A complex association network between Acrs and Acas was revealed by analyzing their operonic colocalizations. It appears very common in evolution that the same aca genes can recombine with different acr genes and vice versa to form diverse acr-aca operon combinations. IMPORTANCE At least four bioinformatics programs have been published for genome mining of Acrs since 2020. In contrast, no bioinformatics tools are available for automated Aca discovery. As the self-transcriptional repressor of acr-aca operons, Aca can be viewed as anti-anti-CRISPRs, with great potential in the improvement of CRISPR-Cas technology. Although all the 12 known Aca proteins contain a conserved helix-turn-helix (HTH) domain, not all HTH-containing proteins are Acas. However, HTH-containing proteins with adjacent Acr homologs encoded in the same genetic operon are likely Aca proteins. AcaFinder implements this guilt-by-association idea and the idea of using HMMs of known Acas for homologs into one software package. Applying AcaFinder in screening prokaryotic and gut phage genomes reveals a complex acr-aca operonic colocalization network between different families of Acrs and Acas.
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13
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Kim GE, Lee SY, Birkholz N, Kamata K, Jeong JH, Kim YG, Fineran PC, Park HH. Molecular basis of dual anti-CRISPR and auto-regulatory functions of AcrIF24. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:11344-11358. [PMID: 36243977 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are adaptive immune systems in bacteria and archaea that provide resistance against phages and other mobile genetic elements. To fight against CRISPR-Cas systems, phages and archaeal viruses encode anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins that inhibit CRISPR-Cas systems. The expression of acr genes is controlled by anti-CRISPR-associated (Aca) proteins encoded within acr-aca operons. AcrIF24 is a recently identified Acr that inhibits the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system. Interestingly, AcrIF24 was predicted to be a dual-function Acr and Aca. Here, we elucidated the crystal structure of AcrIF24 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and identified its operator sequence within the regulated acr-aca operon promoter. The structure of AcrIF24 has a novel domain composition, with wing, head and body domains. The body domain is responsible for recognition of promoter DNA for Aca regulatory activity. We also revealed that AcrIF24 directly bound to type I-F Cascade, specifically to Cas7 via its head domain as part of its Acr mechanism. Our results provide new molecular insights into the mechanism of a dual functional Acr-Aca protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gi Eob 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
| | - So Yeon 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
| | - Nils Birkholz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.,Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Kotaro Kamata
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.,Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Jae-Hee Jeong
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Gil Kim
- Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Peter C Fineran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.,Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - 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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