1
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Yang Z, Li B, Bu R, Wang Z, Xin Z, Li Z, Zhang L, Wang W. A highly efficient method for genomic deletion across diverse lengths in thermophilic Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2024; 9:658-666. [PMID: 38817825 PMCID: PMC11137367 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2024.05.009] [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: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius is emerging as a highly promising thermophilic organism for metabolic engineering. The utilization of CRISPR-Cas technologies has facilitated programmable genetic manipulation in P. thermoglucosidasius. However, the absence of thermostable NHEJ enzymes limited the capability of the endogenous type I CRISPR-Cas system to generate a variety of extensive genomic deletions. Here, two thermophilic NHEJ enzymes were identified and combined with the endogenous type I CRISPR-Cas system to develop a genetic manipulation tool that can achieve long-range genomic deletion across various lengths. By optimizing this tool-through adjusting the expression level of NHEJ enzymes and leveraging our discovery of a negative correlation between GC content of the guide RNA (gRNA) and deletion efficacy-we streamlined a comprehensive gRNA selection manual for whole-genome editing, achieving a 100 % success rate in randomly selecting gRNAs. Notably, using just one gRNA, we achieved genomic deletions spanning diverse length, exceeding 200 kilobases. This tool will facilitate the genomic manipulation of P. thermoglucosidasius for both fundamental research and applied engineering studies, further unlocking its potential as a thermophilic cell factory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), 200237, Shanghai, China
| | - Bixiao Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electrophotonic Conversion Materials, Key Laboratory of Cluster Science, Ministry of Education, Frontiers Science Center for High Energy Material, Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Ruihong Bu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zhengduo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), 200237, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenguo Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zilong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Lixin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), 200237, Shanghai, China
| | - Weishan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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2
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Li X, Liu Y, Han J, Zhang L, Liu Z, Wang L, Zhang S, Zhang Q, Fu P, Yin H, Zhu H, Zhang H. Structural basis for the type I-F Cas8-HNH system. EMBO J 2024; 43:4656-4667. [PMID: 39251884 PMCID: PMC11480323 DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00229-8] [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: 08/05/2024] [Revised: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The Cas3 nuclease is utilized by canonical type I CRISPR-Cas systems for processive target DNA degradation, while a newly identified type I-F CRISPR variant employs an HNH nuclease domain from the natural fusion Cas8-HNH protein for precise target cleavage both in vitro and in human cells. Here, we report multiple cryo-electron microscopy structures of the type I-F Cas8-HNH system at different functional states. The Cas8-HNH Cascade complex adopts an overall G-shaped architecture, with the HNH domain occupying the C-terminal helical bundle domain (HB) of the Cas8 protein in canonical type I systems. The Linker region connecting Cas8-NTD and HNH domains adopts a rigid conformation and interacts with the Cas7.6 subunit, enabling the HNH domain to be in a functional position. The full R-loop formation displaces the HNH domain away from the Cas6 subunit, thus activating the target DNA cleavage. Importantly, our results demonstrate that precise target cleavage is dictated by a C-terminal helix of the HNH domain. Together, our work not only delineates the structural basis for target recognition and activation of the type I-F Cas8-HNH system, but also guides further developments leveraging this system for precise DNA editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuzichao Li
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular Homeostasis and Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanan Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Han
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lingling Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Zhikun Liu
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Shuqin Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Pengyu Fu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Hang Yin
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Hongtao Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Heng Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases (Ministry of Education), Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cellular Homeostasis and Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
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3
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Wang S, Zeng X, Jiang Y, Wang W, Bai L, Lu Y, Zhang L, Tan GY. Unleashing the potential: type I CRISPR-Cas systems in actinomycetes for genome editing. Nat Prod Rep 2024; 41:1441-1455. [PMID: 38888887 DOI: 10.1039/d4np00010b] [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: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Covering: up to the end of 2023Type I CRISPR-Cas systems are widely distributed, found in over 40% of bacteria and 80% of archaea. Among genome-sequenced actinomycetes (particularly Streptomyces spp.), 45.54% possess type I CRISPR-Cas systems. In comparison to widely used CRISPR systems like Cas9 or Cas12a, these endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems have significant advantages, including better compatibility, wide distribution, and ease of operation (since no exogenous Cas gene delivery is needed). Furthermore, type I CRISPR-Cas systems can simultaneously edit and regulate genes by adjusting the crRNA spacer length. Meanwhile, most actinomycetes are recalcitrant to genetic manipulation, hindering the discovery and engineering of natural products (NPs). The endogenous type I CRISPR-Cas systems in actinomycetes may offer a promising alternative to overcome these barriers. This review summarizes the challenges and recent advances in CRISPR-based genome engineering technologies for actinomycetes. It also presents and discusses how to establish and develop genome editing tools based on type I CRISPR-Cas systems in actinomycetes, with the aim of their future application in gene editing and the discovery of NPs in actinomycetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuliu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering (SKLBE), School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Xiaoqian Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering (SKLBE), School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Yue Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering (SKLBE), School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Weishan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources and CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China
| | - Linquan Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yinhua Lu
- College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Lixin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering (SKLBE), School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Gao-Yi Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering (SKLBE), School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), Shanghai 200237, China.
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Vercauteren S, Fiesack S, Maroc L, Verstraeten N, Dewachter L, Michiels J, Vonesch SC. The rise and future of CRISPR-based approaches for high-throughput genomics. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2024; 48:fuae020. [PMID: 39085047 PMCID: PMC11409895 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuae020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) has revolutionized the field of genome editing. To circumvent the permanent modifications made by traditional CRISPR techniques and facilitate the study of both essential and nonessential genes, CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) was developed. This gene-silencing technique employs a deactivated Cas effector protein and a guide RNA to block transcription initiation or elongation. Continuous improvements and a better understanding of the mechanism of CRISPRi have expanded its scope, facilitating genome-wide high-throughput screens to investigate the genetic basis of phenotypes. Additionally, emerging CRISPR-based alternatives have further expanded the possibilities for genetic screening. This review delves into the mechanism of CRISPRi, compares it with other high-throughput gene-perturbation techniques, and highlights its superior capacities for studying complex microbial traits. We also explore the evolution of CRISPRi, emphasizing enhancements that have increased its capabilities, including multiplexing, inducibility, titratability, predictable knockdown efficacy, and adaptability to nonmodel microorganisms. Beyond CRISPRi, we discuss CRISPR activation, RNA-targeting CRISPR systems, and single-nucleotide resolution perturbation techniques for their potential in genome-wide high-throughput screens in microorganisms. Collectively, this review gives a comprehensive overview of the general workflow of a genome-wide CRISPRi screen, with an extensive discussion of strengths and weaknesses, future directions, and potential alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Vercauteren
- Center for Microbiology, VIB - KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Simon Fiesack
- Center for Microbiology, VIB - KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laetitia Maroc
- Center for Microbiology, VIB - KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Natalie Verstraeten
- Center for Microbiology, VIB - KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Liselot Dewachter
- de Duve Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Hippokrateslaan 75, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jan Michiels
- Center for Microbiology, VIB - KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sibylle C Vonesch
- Center for Microbiology, VIB - KU Leuven, Gaston Geenslaan 1, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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5
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Zhang C, Chen F, Wang F, Xu H, Xue J, Li Z. Mechanisms for HNH-mediated target DNA cleavage in type I CRISPR-Cas systems. Mol Cell 2024; 84:3141-3153.e5. [PMID: 39047725 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.06.033] [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: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The metagenome-derived type I-E and type I-F variant CRISPR-associated complex for antiviral defense (Cascade) complexes, fused with HNH domains, precisely cleave target DNA, representing recently identified genome editing tools. However, the underlying working mechanisms remain unknown. Here, structures of type I-FHNH and I-EHNH Cascade complexes at different states are reported. In type I-FHNH Cascade, Cas8fHNH loosely attaches to Cascade head and is adjacent to the 5' end of the target single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). Formation of the full R-loop drives the Cascade head to move outward, allowing Cas8fHNH to detach and rotate ∼150° to accommodate target ssDNA for cleavage. In type I-EHNH Cascade, Cas5eHNH domain is adjacent to the 5' end of the target ssDNA. Full crRNA-target pairing drives the lift of the Cascade head, widening the substrate channel for target ssDNA entrance. Altogether, these analyses into both complexes revealed that crRNA-guided positioning of target DNA and target DNA-induced HNH unlocking are two key factors for their site-specific cleavage of target DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chendi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China
| | - Fugen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China
| | - Feng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China
| | - Haijiang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China
| | - Jialin Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China
| | - Zhuang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, Hubei, China.
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6
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Binan G, Yalun W, Xinyan W, Yongfu Y, Peng Z, Yunhaon C, Xuan Z, Chenguang L, Fengwu B, Ping X, Qiaoning H, Shihui Y. Efficient genome-editing tools to engineer the recalcitrant non-model industrial microorganism Zymomonas mobilis. Trends Biotechnol 2024:S0167-7799(24)00124-0. [PMID: 39209602 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.05.005] [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: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Current biotechnology relies on a few well-studied model organisms, such as Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, for which abundant information and efficient toolkits are available for genetic manipulation, but which lack industrially favorable characteristics. Non-model industrial microorganisms usually do not have effective and/or efficient genome-engineering toolkits, which hampers the development of microbial cell factories to meet the fast-growing bioeconomy. In this study, using the non-model ethanologenic bacterium Zymomonas mobilis as an example, we developed a workflow to mine and temper the elements of restriction-modification (R-M), CRISPR/Cas, toxin-antitoxin (T-A) systems, and native plasmids, which are hidden within industrial microorganisms themselves, as efficient genome-editing toolkits, and established a genome-wide iterative and continuous editing (GW-ICE) system for continuous genome editing with high efficiency. This research not only provides tools and pipelines for engineering the non-model polyploid industrial microorganism Z. mobilis efficiently, but also sets a paradigm to overcome biotechnological limitations in other genetically recalcitrant non-model industrial microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geng Binan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Wu Yalun
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Wu Xinyan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Yang Yongfu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Zhou Peng
- Department of Computer Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Chen Yunhaon
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Zhou Xuan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Liu Chenguang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Bai Fengwu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xu Ping
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - He Qiaoning
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China.
| | - Yang Shihui
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China.
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Zheng Y, Deng Y, Hu P, Wang S, Wu J, Luo S, Lei L, Yang J, Peng W. A convenient broad-host counterselectable system endowing rapid genetic manipulations of Kluyveromyces lactis and other yeast species. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:212. [PMID: 39061053 PMCID: PMC11282862 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02488-w] [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: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Being generally regarded as safe, Kluyveromyces lactis has been widely taken for food, feed, and pharmaceutical applications, owing to its ability to achieve high levels of protein secretion and hence being suitable for industrial production of heterologous proteins. Production platform strains can be created through genetic engineering; while prototrophic cells without chromosomally accumulated antibiotics resistance genes have been generally preferred, arising the need for dominant counterselection. We report here the establishment of a convenient counterselection system based on a Frs2 variant, Frs2v, which is a mutant of the alpha-subunit of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthase capable of preferentially incorporating a toxic analog of phenylalanine, r-chloro-phenylalanine (4-CP), into proteins to bring about cell growth inhibition. We demonstrated that expression of Frs2v from an episomal plasmid in K. lactis could make the host cells sensitive to 2 mM 4-CP, and a Frs2v-expressing plasmid could be efficiently removed from the cells immediately after a single round of cell culturing in a 4-CP-contianing YPD medium. This Frs2v-based counterselection helped us attain scarless gene replacement in K. lactis without any prior engineering of the host cells. More importantly, counterselection with this system was proven to be functionally efficient also in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Komagataella phaffii, suggestive of a broader application scope of the system in various yeast hosts. Collectively, this work has developed a strategy to enable rapid, convenient, and high-efficiency construction of prototrophic strains of K. lactis and possibly many other yeast species, and provided an important reference for establishing similar methods in other industrially important eukaryotic microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanli Zheng
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China
| | - Yuhui Deng
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China
| | - Ping Hu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China
| | - Shiqing Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China
| | - Jiawen Wu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China
| | - Siqi Luo
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, P.R. China
| | - Lei Lei
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China
| | - Jiangke Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China
| | - Wenfang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, P.R. China.
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8
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Enright AL, Heelan WJ, Ward RD, Peters JM. CRISPRi functional genomics in bacteria and its application to medical and industrial research. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2024; 88:e0017022. [PMID: 38809084 PMCID: PMC11332340 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00170-22] [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] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYFunctional genomics is the use of systematic gene perturbation approaches to determine the contributions of genes under conditions of interest. Although functional genomic strategies have been used in bacteria for decades, recent studies have taken advantage of CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) technologies, such as CRISPRi (CRISPR interference), that are capable of precisely modulating expression of all genes in the genome. Here, we discuss and review the use of CRISPRi and related technologies for bacterial functional genomics. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of CRISPRi as well as design considerations for CRISPRi genetic screens. We also review examples of how CRISPRi screens have defined relevant genetic targets for medical and industrial applications. Finally, we outline a few of the many possible directions that could be pursued using CRISPR-based functional genomics in bacteria. Our view is that the most exciting screens and discoveries are yet to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L. Enright
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - William J. Heelan
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Ryan D. Ward
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jason M. Peters
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Center for Genomic Science Innovation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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9
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Asefi S, Nouri H, Pourmohammadi G, Moghimi H. Comprehensive network of stress-induced responses in Zymomonas mobilis during bioethanol production: from physiological and molecular responses to the effects of system metabolic engineering. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:180. [PMID: 38890644 PMCID: PMC11186258 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02459-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, biofuels, especially bioethanol, are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to fossil fuels. Zymomonas mobilis is a desirable species for bioethanol production due to its unique characteristics, such as low biomass production and high-rate glucose metabolism. However, several factors can interfere with the fermentation process and hinder microbial activity, including lignocellulosic hydrolysate inhibitors, high temperatures, an osmotic environment, and high ethanol concentration. Overcoming these limitations is critical for effective bioethanol production. In this review, the stress response mechanisms of Z. mobilis are discussed in comparison to other ethanol-producing microbes. The mechanism of stress response is divided into physiological (changes in growth, metabolism, intracellular components, and cell membrane structures) and molecular (up and down-regulation of specific genes and elements of the regulatory system and their role in expression of specific proteins and control of metabolic fluxes) changes. Systemic metabolic engineering approaches, such as gene manipulation, overexpression, and silencing, are successful methods for building new metabolic pathways. Therefore, this review discusses systems metabolic engineering in conjunction with systems biology and synthetic biology as an important method for developing new strains with an effective response mechanism to fermentation stresses during bioethanol production. Overall, understanding the stress response mechanisms of Z. mobilis can lead to more efficient and effective bioethanol production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaqayeq Asefi
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hoda Nouri
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Golchehr Pourmohammadi
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Moghimi
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
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10
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Peng Q, Bao W, Geng B, Yang S. Biosensor-assisted CRISPRi high-throughput screening to identify genetic targets in Zymomonas mobilis for high d-lactate production. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2024; 9:242-249. [PMID: 38390372 PMCID: PMC10883783 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2024.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Lactate is an important monomer for the synthesis of poly-lactate (PLA), which is a substitute for the petrochemical plastics. To achieve the goal of high lactate titer, rate, and yield for commercial production, efficient lactate production pathway is needed as well as genetic targets that affect high lactate production and tolerance. In this study, an LldR-based d-lactate biosensor with a broad dynamic range was first applied into Zymomonas mobilis to select mutant strains with strong GFP fluorescence, which could be the mutant strains with increased d-lactate production. Then, LldR-based d-lactate biosensor was combined with a genome-wide CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) library targeting the entire genome to generate thousands of mutants with gRNA targeting different genetic targets across the whole genome. Specifically, two mutant libraries were selected containing 105 and 104 mutants with different interference sites from two rounds of fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), respectively. Two genetic targets of ZMO1323 and ZMO1530 were characterized and confirmed to be associated with the increased d-lactate production, further knockout of ZMO1323 and ZMO1530 resulted in a 15% and 21% increase of d-lactate production, respectively. This work thus not only established a high-throughput approach that combines genome-scale CRISPRi and biosensor-assisted screening to identify genetic targets associated with d-lactate production in Z. mobilis, but also provided a feasible high-throughput screening approach for rapid identification of genetic targets associated with strain performance for other industrial microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqun Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Weiwei Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Binan Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
| | - Shihui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, China
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11
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Lim SR, Lee SJ. Multiplex CRISPR-Cas Genome Editing: Next-Generation Microbial Strain Engineering. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:11871-11884. [PMID: 38744727 PMCID: PMC11141556 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c01650] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Genome editing is a crucial technology for obtaining desired phenotypes in a variety of species, ranging from microbes to plants, animals, and humans. With the advent of CRISPR-Cas technology, it has become possible to edit the intended sequence by modifying the target recognition sequence in guide RNA (gRNA). By expressing multiple gRNAs simultaneously, it is possible to edit multiple targets at the same time, allowing for the simultaneous introduction of various functions into the cell. This can significantly reduce the time and cost of obtaining engineered microbial strains for specific traits. In this review, we investigate the resolution of multiplex genome editing and its application in engineering microorganisms, including bacteria and yeast. Furthermore, we examine how recent advancements in artificial intelligence technology could assist in microbial genome editing and engineering. Based on these insights, we present our perspectives on the future evolution and potential impact of multiplex genome editing technologies in the agriculture and food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se Ra Lim
- Department of Systems Biotechnology
and Institute of Microbiomics, Chung-Ang
University, Anseong 17546, Republic
of Korea
| | - Sang Jun Lee
- Department of Systems Biotechnology
and Institute of Microbiomics, Chung-Ang
University, Anseong 17546, Republic
of Korea
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12
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Xiao Y, Tan X, He Q, Yang S. Systematic metabolic engineering of Zymomonas mobilis for β-farnesene production. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1392556. [PMID: 38827034 PMCID: PMC11140730 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1392556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Zymomonas mobilis is an ethanologenic bacterium that can produce hopanoids using farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), which can be used as the precursor by β-farnesene synthase for β-farnesene production. To explore the possibility and bottlenecks of developing Z. mobilis for β-farnesene production, five heterologous β-farnesene synthases were selected and screened, and AaBFS from Artemisia annua had the highest β-farnesene titer. Recombinant strains with AaBFS driven by the strong constitutive promoter Pgap (Pgap-AaBFS) doubled its β-farnesene production to 25.73 ± 0.31 mg/L compared to the recombinant strain with AaBFS driven by Ptet (Ptet-AaBFS), which can be further improved by overexpressing the Pgap-AaBFS construct using the strategies of multiple plasmids (41.00 ± 0.40 mg/L) or genomic multi-locus integration (48.33 ± 3.40 mg/L). The effect of cofactor NADPH balancing on β-farnesene production was also investigated, which can be improved only in zwf-overexpressing strains but not in ppnK-overexpressing strains, indicating that cofactor balancing is important and sophisticated. Furthermore, the β-farnesene titer was improved to 73.30 ± 0.71 mg/L by overexpressing dxs, ispG, and ispH. Finally, the β-farnesene production was increased to 159.70 ± 7.21 mg/L by fermentation optimization, including the C/N ratio, flask working volume, and medium/dodecane ratio, which was nearly 13-fold improved from the parental strain. This work thus not only generated a recombinant β-farnesene production Z. mobilis strain but also unraveled the bottlenecks to engineer Z. mobilis for farnesene production, which will help guide the future rational design and construction of cell factories for terpenoid production in non-model industrial microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Qiaoning He
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shihui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
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13
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Feng X, Xu R, Liao J, Zhao J, Zhang B, Xu X, Zhao P, Wang X, Yao J, Wang P, Wang X, Han W, She Q. Flexible TAM requirement of TnpB enables efficient single-nucleotide editing with expanded targeting scope. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3464. [PMID: 38658536 PMCID: PMC11043419 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47697-4] [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: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
TnpBs encoded by the IS200/IS605 family transposon are among the most abundant prokaryotic proteins from which type V CRISPR-Cas nucleases may have evolved. Since bacterial TnpBs can be programmed for RNA-guided dsDNA cleavage in the presence of a transposon-adjacent motif (TAM), these nucleases hold immense promise for genome editing. However, the activity and targeting specificity of TnpB in homology-directed gene editing remain unknown. Here we report that a thermophilic archaeal TnpB enables efficient gene editing in the natural host. Interestingly, the TnpB has different TAM requirements for eliciting cell death and for facilitating gene editing. By systematically characterizing TAM variants, we reveal that the TnpB recognizes a broad range of TAM sequences for gene editing including those that do not elicit apparent cell death. Importantly, TnpB shows a very high targeting specificity on targets flanked by a weak TAM. Taking advantage of this feature, we successfully leverage TnpB for efficient single-nucleotide editing with templated repair. The use of different weak TAM sequences not only facilitates more flexible gene editing with increased cell survival, but also greatly expands targeting scopes, and this strategy is probably applicable to diverse CRISPR-Cas systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Feng
- CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
| | - Ruyi Xu
- CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Jianglan Liao
- CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Jingyu Zhao
- CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
- College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Baochang Zhang
- CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Xu
- CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Pengpeng Zhao
- CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Xiaoning Wang
- CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Jianyun Yao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Pengxia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Xiaoxue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China
| | - Wenyuan Han
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Qunxin She
- CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
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14
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Xiao Y, Qin T, He S, Chen Y, Li H, He Q, Wang X, Yang S. Systematic investigation of TetR-family transcriptional regulators and their roles on lignocellulosic inhibitor acetate tolerance in Zymomonas mobilis. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1385519. [PMID: 38585710 PMCID: PMC10998469 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1385519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
TetR-family transcriptional regulators are widely distributed among bacteria and involved in various cellular processes such as multidrug and inhibitor resistance. Zymomonas mobilis is a industrial bacterium for lignocellulosic ethanol production. Although TetR-family regulators and their associated RND-family efflux pumps in Z. mobilis have been identified to be differentially expressed under various inhibitors and stressful conditions, there are no systematic investigation yet. In this study, bioinformatic analyses indicated that there are three TetR-family transcriptional regulators (ZMO0281, ZMO0963, ZMO1547) and two RND-family efflux pumps (ZMO0282-0285, ZMO0964-0966) adjacent to corresponding TetR-family regulators of ZMO0281 and ZMO0963 in Z. mobilis. Genetics studies were then carried out with various mutants of TetR-family regulators constructed, and ZMO0281 was characterized to be related to acetate tolerance. Combining transcriptomics and dual-reporter gene system, this study demonstrated that three TetR-family regulators repressed their adjacent genes specifically. Moreover, TetR-family regulator ZMO0281 might also be involved in other cellular processes in the presence of acetate. In addition, the upregulation of RND-family efflux pumps due to ZMO0281 deletion might lead to an energy imbalance and decreased cell growth in Z. mobilis under acetate stress. The systematic investigation of all three TetR-family regulators and their roles on a major lignocellulosic inhibitor acetate tolerance in Z. mobilis thus not only unravels the molecular mechanisms of TetR-family regulators and their potential cross-talks on regulating RND-family efflux pumps and other genes in Z. mobilis, but also provides guidance on understanding the roles of multiple regulators of same family in Z. mobilis and other microorganisms for efficient lignocellulosic biochemical production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubei Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tongjia Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
- Chinese Medicine College, Guangdong Yunfu Vocational College of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shuche He
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunhao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Han Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiaoning He
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shihui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
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15
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Han X, Chang L, Chen H, Zhao J, Tian F, Ross RP, Stanton C, van Sinderen D, Chen W, Yang B. Harnessing the endogenous Type I-C CRISPR-Cas system for genome editing in Bifidobacterium breve. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0207423. [PMID: 38319094 PMCID: PMC10952402 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02074-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Bifidobacterium breve, one of the main bifidobacterial species colonizing the human gastrointestinal tract in early life, has received extensive attention for its purported beneficial effects on human health. However, exploration of the mode of action of such beneficial effects exerted by B. breve is cumbersome due to the lack of effective genetic tools, which limits its synthetic biology application. The widespread presence of CRISPR-Cas systems in the B. breve genome makes endogenous CRISPR-based gene editing toolkits a promising tool. This study revealed that Type I-C CRISPR-Cas systems in B. breve can be divided into two groups based on the amino acid sequences encoded by cas gene clusters. Deletion of the gene coding uracil phosphoribosyl-transferase (upp) was achieved in five B. breve strains from both groups using this system. In addition, translational termination of uracil phosphoribosyl-transferase was successfully achieved in B. breve FJSWX38M7 by single-base substitution of the upp gene and insertion of three stop codons. The gene encoding linoleic acid isomerase (bbi) in B. breve, being a characteristic trait, was deleted after plasmid curing, which rendered it unable to convert linoleic acid into conjugated linoleic acid, demonstrating the feasibility of successive editing. This study expands the toolkit for gene manipulation in B. breve and provides a new approach toward functional genome editing and analysis of B. breve strains.IMPORTANCEThe lack of effective genetic tools for Bifidobacterium breve is an obstacle to studying the molecular mechanisms of its health-promoting effects, hindering the development of next-generation probiotics. Here, we introduce a gene editing method based on the endogenous CRISPR-Cas system, which can achieve gene deletion, single-base substitution, gene insertion, and successive gene editing in B. breve. This study will facilitate discovery of functional genes and elucidation of molecular mechanisms of B. breve pertaining to health-associated benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Han
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lulu Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haiqin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianxin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fengwei Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- International Joint Research Center for Probiotics & Gut Health, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - R. Paul Ross
- International Joint Research Center for Probiotics & Gut Health, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Catherine Stanton
- International Joint Research Center for Probiotics & Gut Health, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Wei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bo Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
- International Joint Research Center for Probiotics & Gut Health, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
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16
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Behrendt G, Vlachonikolou M, Tietgens H, Bettenbrock K. Construction and comparison of different vehicles for heterologous gene expression in Zymomonas mobilis. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14381. [PMID: 38264843 PMCID: PMC10832546 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14381] [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: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Zymomonas mobilis has the potential to be an optimal chassis for the production of bulk chemicals derived from pyruvate. However, a lack of available standardized and characterized genetic tools hinders both efficient engineering of Z. mobilis and progress in basic research on this organism. In this study, a series of different shuttle vectors were constructed based on the replication mechanisms of the native Z. mobilis plasmids pZMO1, pZMOB04, pZMOB05, pZMOB06, pZMO7 and p29191_2 and on the broad host range replication origin of pBBR1. These plasmids as well as genomic integration sites were characterized for efficiency of heterologous gene expression, stability without selection and compatibility. We were able to show that a wide range of expression levels could be achieved by using different plasmid replicons. The expression levels of the constructs were consistent with the relative copy numbers, as determined by quantitative PCR. In addition, most plasmids are compatible and could be combined. To avoid plasmid loss, antibiotic selection is required for all plasmids except the pZMO7-based plasmid, which is stable also without selection pressure. Stable expression of reporter genes without the need for selection was also achieved by genomic integration. All modules were adapted to the modular cloning toolbox Zymo-Parts, allowing easy reuse and combination of elements. This work provides an overview of heterologous gene expression in Z. mobilis and adds a rich set of standardized genetic elements to an efficient cloning system, laying the foundation for future engineering and research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerrich Behrendt
- Analysis and Redesign of Biological Networks, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical SystemsMagdeburgGermany
| | - Maria Vlachonikolou
- Analysis and Redesign of Biological Networks, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical SystemsMagdeburgGermany
| | - Helga Tietgens
- Analysis and Redesign of Biological Networks, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical SystemsMagdeburgGermany
| | - Katja Bettenbrock
- Analysis and Redesign of Biological Networks, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical SystemsMagdeburgGermany
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17
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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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18
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Huang Y, Chen M, Hu G, Wu B, He M. Elimination of editing plasmid mediated by theophylline riboswitch in Zymomonas mobilis. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:7151-7163. [PMID: 37728624 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12783-y] [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: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Zymomonas mobilis is regarded as a potential chassis for the production of platform chemicals. Genome editing using the CRISPR-Cas system could meet the need for gene modification in metabolic engineering. However, the low curing efficiency of CRISPR editing plasmid is a common bottleneck in Z. mobilis. In this study, we utilized a theophylline-dependent riboswitch to regulate the expression of the replicase gene of the editing plasmid, thereby promoting the elimination of exogeneous plasmid. The riboswitch D (RSD) with rigorous regulatory ability was identified as the optimal candidate by comparing the transformation efficiency of four theophylline riboswitch-based backbone editing plasmids, and the optimal theophylline concentration for inducing RSD was determined to be 2 mM. A highly effective method for eliminating the editing plasmid, cells with RSD-based editing plasmid which were cultured in liquid and solid RM media in alternating passages at 37 °C without shaking, was established by testing the curing efficiency of backbone editing plasmids pMini and pMini-RSD in RM medium with or without theophylline at 30 °C or 37 °C. Finally, the RSD-based editing plasmid was applied to genome editing, resulting in an increase of more than 10% in plasmid elimination efficiency compared to that of pMini-based editing plasmid. KEY POINTS: • An effective strategy for curing CRISPR editing plasmid has been established in Z. mobilis. • Elimination efficiency of the CRISPR editing plasmid was enhanced by 10% to 20% under the regulation of theophylline-dependent riboswitch RSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhuan Huang
- Biomass Energy Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Section 4-13, Renmin Rd. South, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Mao Chen
- Biomass Energy Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Section 4-13, Renmin Rd. South, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Guoquan Hu
- Biomass Energy Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Section 4-13, Renmin Rd. South, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Bo Wu
- Biomass Energy Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Section 4-13, Renmin Rd. South, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Mingxiong He
- Biomass Energy Technology Research Centre, Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Section 4-13, Renmin Rd. South, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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19
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Liu Z, Liu J, Yang Z, Zhu L, Zhu Z, Huang H, Jiang L. Endogenous CRISPR-Cas mediated in situ genome editing: State-of-the-art and the road ahead for engineering prokaryotes. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 68:108241. [PMID: 37633620 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
The CRISPR-Cas systems have shown tremendous promise as heterologous tools for genome editing in various prokaryotes. However, the perturbation of DNA homeostasis and the inherent toxicity of Cas9/12a proteins could easily lead to cell death, which led to the development of endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems. Programming the widespread endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems for in situ genome editing represents a promising tool in prokaryotes, especially in genetically intractable species. Here, this review briefly summarizes the advances of endogenous CRISPR-Cas-mediated genome editing, covering aspects of establishing and optimizing the genetic tools. In particular, this review presents the application of different types of endogenous CRISPR-Cas tools for strain engineering, including genome editing and genetic regulation. Notably, this review also provides a detailed discussion of the transposon-associated CRISPR-Cas systems, and the programmable RNA-guided transposition using endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems to enable editing of microbial communities for understanding and control. Therefore, they will be a powerful tool for targeted genetic manipulation. Overall, this review will not only facilitate the development of standard genetic manipulation tools for non-model prokaryotes but will also enable more non-model prokaryotes to be genetically tractable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenlei Liu
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Jiayu Liu
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Zhihan Yang
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Liying Zhu
- College of Chemical and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Zhengming Zhu
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
| | - He Huang
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China.
| | - Ling Jiang
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China; State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
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20
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Yao S, Wu X, Li Y, Song Y, Wang C, Zhang G, Feng J. Harnessing the Native Type I-F CRISPR-Cas System of Acinetobacter baumannii for Genome Editing and Gene Repression. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2023; 62:106962. [PMID: 37673355 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2023.106962] [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: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The rapid emergence of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) has posed a serious threat to global public health. It has therefore become important to obtain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of multidrug resistance and pathogenesis of A. baumannii; however, there are still relatively few genetic engineering tools for this. Although A. baumannii possesses Type I-F CRISPR-Cas systems, they have not yet been used for genetic modifications. METHODS A single plasmid-mediated native Type I-F CRISPR-Cas system for gene editing and gene regulation in A. baumannii was developed. The protospacer adjacent motif sequence was identified as 5'-NCC-3' by analysis of the CRISPR array. RESULTS Through introduction of the RecAb homologous recombination system, the knockout efficiency of the oxyR gene significantly increased from 12.5% to 75.0% in A. baumannii. To investigate transcriptional inhibition by the Type I-F CRISPR system, the gene encoding its Cas2-3 nuclease was deleted and the native Type I-F Cascade effector was repurposed to regulate transcription of alcohol dehydrogenase gene adh4. The level of adh4 transcription was inhibited by up to 900-fold compared with the control. The Cascade transcriptional module was also successfully applied in a clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate. CONCLUSION This study proposed a tool for future exploration of the genetic characteristics of A. baumannii or other clinical strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigang Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuqin Song
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Jie Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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21
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Liu Y, Zhu Z, Jiang L. Programming therapeutic probiotics by self-tunable sense-and-respond genetic circuits. Trends Microbiol 2023; 31:1099-1101. [PMID: 37620240 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.08.001] [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: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Probiotics can be programmed to sense and respond to intracellular disease signals to deliver the desired therapeutic effectors. The sense-and-respond genetic circuits, especially self-tunable ones, hold promise in improving the precision, effectiveness, and intelligence of therapeutic activities. Here, we present notable advances in the creation of engineered probiotics that harbour sense-and-respond genetic circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Liu
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Zhengming Zhu
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
| | - Ling Jiang
- College of Food Science and Light Industry, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China; State Key Laboratory of Material-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.
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22
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Li D, Chen Y, Huang F, Wang J, Li X, Yang Y. CRISPRe: An innate transcriptional enhancer for endogenous genes in CRISPR-Cas immunity. iScience 2023; 26:107814. [PMID: 37766991 PMCID: PMC10520945 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107814] [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: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas system has been repurposed to the promising strategy of CRISPR-based transcriptional interference/activation (CRISPRi/CRISPRa) without eliciting DNA breaks that enables Cas complex a block for transcription initiation or elongation, which greatly expands its application fields and values. However, loss of Cas nuclease ability, especially the endogenous nuclease, may affect genome stability seriously. Here, we found a transcriptional enhancer for genes (CRISPRe) in type I-C system of industrial strain Ketogulonicigenium vulgare by maintaining the natural activity of Cas3 nuclease and introducing the specific motifs that do not trigger immunity. CRISPRe greatly improved the expression of heterologous and endogenous genes and the biosynthesis of products by facilitating transcriptional elongation. Besides, the mechanism for pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) biosynthesis regulated by coupling transcriptional-translational elongation in operon was elucidated. Hence, we enrich the toolbox for CRISPR-Cas system and provide a new framework for gene regulation at transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- School of Liquor-making Engineering, Sichuan University Jinjiang College, Meishan 620680, China
| | - Yihong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Fei Huang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Jianmei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Xufeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
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23
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Zheng Y, Fu H, Chen J, Li J, Bian Y, Hu P, Lei L, Liu Y, Yang J, Peng W. Development of a counterselectable system for rapid and efficient CRISPR-based genome engineering in Zymomonas mobilis. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:208. [PMID: 37833755 PMCID: PMC10571335 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02217-9] [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: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zymomonas mobilis is an important industrial bacterium ideal for biorefinery and synthetic biology studies. High-throughput CRISPR-based genome editing technologies have been developed to enable targeted engineering of genes and hence metabolic pathways in the model ZM4 strain, expediting the exploitation of this biofuel-producing strain as a cell factory for sustainable chemicals, proteins and biofuels production. As these technologies mainly take plasmid-based strategies, their applications would be impeded due to the fact that curing of the extremely stable plasmids is laborious and inefficient. Whilst counterselection markers have been proven to be efficient for plasmid curing, hitherto only very few counterselection markers have been available for Z. mobilis. RESULTS We constructed a conditional lethal mutant of the pheS gene of Z. mobilis ZM4, clmPheS, containing T263A and A318G substitutions and coding for a mutated alpha-subunit of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase to allow for the incorporation of a toxic analog of phenylalanine, p-chloro-phenylalanine (4-CP), into proteins, and hence leading to inhibition of cell growth. We demonstrated that expression of clmPheS driven by a strong Pgap promoter from a plasmid could render the Z. mobilis ZM4 cells sufficient sensitivity to 4-CP. The clmPheS-expressing cells were assayed to be extremely sensitive to 0.2 mM 4-CP. Subsequently, the clmPheS-assisted counterselection endowed fast curing of genome engineering plasmids immediately after obtaining the desired mutants, shortening the time of every two rounds of multiplex chromosome editing by at least 9 days, and enabled the development of a strategy for scarless modification of the native Z. mobilis ZM4 plasmids. CONCLUSIONS This study developed a strategy, coupling an endogenous CRISPR-based genome editing toolkit with a counterselection marker created here, for rapid and efficient multi-round multiplex editing of the chromosome, as well as scarless modification of the native plasmids, providing an improved genome engineering toolkit for Z. mobilis and an important reference to develope similar genetic manipulation systems in other non-model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanli Zheng
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China
| | - Hongmei Fu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China
| | - Jue Chen
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, The College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, P. R. China
| | - Jie Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, The College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, P.R. China
| | - Yuejie Bian
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, P.R. China
| | - Ping Hu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China
| | - Lei Lei
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China
| | - Yihan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, The College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, P. R. China.
| | - Jiangke Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, 430023, P. R. China.
| | - Wenfang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, P.R. China.
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24
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Shangguan Q, White MF. Repurposing the atypical type I-G CRISPR system for bacterial genome engineering. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169:001373. [PMID: 37526970 PMCID: PMC10482374 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The CRISPR-Cas system functions as a prokaryotic immune system and is highly diverse, with six major types and numerous sub-types. The most abundant are type I CRISPR systems, which utilize a multi-subunit effector, Cascade, and a CRISPR RNA (crRNA) to detect invading DNA species. Detection leads to DNA loading of the Cas3 helicase-nuclease, leading to long-range deletions in the targeted DNA, thus providing immunity against mobile genetic elements (MGE). Here, we focus on the type I-G system, a streamlined, 4-subunit complex with an atypical Cas3 enzyme. We demonstrate that Cas3 helicase activity is not essential for immunity against MGE in vivo and explore applications of the Thioalkalivibrio sulfidiphilus Cascade effector for genome engineering in Escherichia coli. Long-range, bidirectional deletions were observed when the lacZ gene was targeted. Deactivation of the Cas3 helicase activity dramatically altered the types of deletions observed, with small deletions flanked by direct repeats that are suggestive of microhomology mediated end joining. When donor DNA templates were present, both the wild-type and helicase-deficient systems promoted homology-directed repair (HDR), with the latter system providing improvements in editing efficiency, suggesting that a single nick in the target site may promote HDR in E. coli using the type I-G system. These findings open the way for further application of the type I-G CRISPR systems in genome engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qilin Shangguan
- School of Biology, Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Malcolm F. White
- School of Biology, Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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25
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Poulalier-Delavelle M, Baker JP, Millard J, Winzer K, Minton NP. Endogenous CRISPR/Cas systems for genome engineering in the acetogens Acetobacterium woodii and Clostridium autoethanogenum. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1213236. [PMID: 37425362 PMCID: PMC10328091 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1213236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Acetogenic bacteria can play a major role in achieving Net Zero through their ability to convert CO2 into industrially relevant chemicals and fuels. Full exploitation of this potential will be reliant on effective metabolic engineering tools, such as those based on the Streptococcus pyogenes CRISPR/Cas9 system. However, attempts to introduce cas9-containing vectors into Acetobacterium woodii were unsuccessful, most likely as a consequence of Cas9 nuclease toxicity and the presence of a recognition site for an endogenous A. woodii restriction-modification (R-M) system in the cas9 gene. As an alternative, this study aims to facilitate the exploitation of CRISPR/Cas endogenous systems as genome engineering tools. Accordingly, a Python script was developed to automate the prediction of protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences and used to identify PAM candidates of the A. woodii Type I-B CRISPR/Cas system. The identified PAMs and the native leader sequence were characterized in vivo by interference assay and RT-qPCR, respectively. Expression of synthetic CRISPR arrays, consisting of the native leader sequence, direct repeats, and adequate spacer, along with an editing template for homologous recombination, successfully led to the creation of 300 bp and 354 bp in-frame deletions of pyrE and pheA, respectively. To further validate the method, a 3.2 kb deletion of hsdR1 was also generated, as well as the knock-in of the fluorescence-activating and absorption-shifting tag (FAST) reporter gene at the pheA locus. Homology arm length, cell density, and the amount of DNA used for transformation were found to significantly impact editing efficiencies. The devised workflow was subsequently applied to the Type I-B CRISPR/Cas system of Clostridium autoethanogenum, enabling the generation of a 561 bp in-frame deletion of pyrE with 100% editing efficiency. This is the first report of genome engineering of both A. woodii and C. autoethanogenum using their endogenous CRISPR/Cas systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Nigel P. Minton
- *Correspondence: Margaux Poulalier-Delavelle, ; Nigel P. Minton,
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26
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McBride TM, Cameron SC, Fineran PC, Fagerlund RD. The biology and type I/III hybrid nature of type I-D CRISPR-Cas systems. Biochem J 2023; 480:471-488. [PMID: 37052300 PMCID: PMC10212523 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Prokaryotes have adaptive defence mechanisms that protect them from mobile genetic elements and viral infection. One defence mechanism is called CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated proteins). There are six different types of CRISPR-Cas systems and multiple subtypes that vary in composition and mode of action. Type I and III CRISPR-Cas systems utilise multi-protein complexes, which differ in structure, nucleic acid binding and cleaving preference. The type I-D system is a chimera of type I and III systems. Recently, there has been a burst of research on the type I-D CRISPR-Cas system. Here, we review the mechanism, evolution and biotechnological applications of the type I-D CRISPR-Cas system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tess M. McBride
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Shaharn C. Cameron
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Peter C. Fineran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Robert D. Fagerlund
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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27
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Huang J, Wang X, Chen X, Li H, Chen Y, Hu Z, Yang S. Adaptive Laboratory Evolution and Metabolic Engineering of Zymomonas mobilis for Bioethanol Production Using Molasses. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1297-1307. [PMID: 37036829 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Molasses with abundant sugars is widely used for bioethanol production. Although the ethanologenic bacterium Zymomonas mobilis can use glucose, fructose, and sucrose for ethanol production, levan production from sucrose reduces the ethanol yield of molasses fermentation. To increase ethanol production from sucrose-rich molasses, Z. mobilis was adapted in molasses, sucrose, and fructose in parallel. Adaptation in fructose is the most effective route to generate an evolved strain F74 with improved molasses utilization, which is majorly due to a G99S mutation in Glf for enhanced fructose import. Subsequent sacB deletion and sacC overexpression in F74 to divert sucrose metabolism from levan production to ethanol production further enhanced ethanol productivity 28.6% to 1.35 g/L/h. The efficient utilization of molasses by diverting sucrose metabolic flux through adaptation and genome engineering not only generated an excellent ethanol producer using molasses but also provided the strategy for developing microbial cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Xia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Xiangyu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Han Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yunhao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Zhousheng Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Shihui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
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28
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Zhang K, Zhang W, Qin M, Li Y, Wang H. Characterization and Application of the Sugar Transporter Zmo0293 from Zymomonas mobilis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065888. [PMID: 36982961 PMCID: PMC10055971 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Zymomonas mobilis is a natural ethanologen with many desirable characteristics, which makes it an ideal industrial microbial biocatalyst for the commercial production of desirable bioproducts. Sugar transporters are responsible for the import of substrate sugars and the conversion of ethanol and other products. Glucose-facilitated diffusion protein Glf is responsible for facilitating the diffusion of glucose uptake in Z. mobilis. However, another sugar transporter-encoded gene, ZMO0293, is poorly characterized. We employed gene deletion and heterologous expression mediated by the CRISPR/Cas method to investigate the role of ZMO0293. The results showed that deletion of the ZMO0293 gene slowed growth and reduced ethanol production and the activities of key enzymes involved in glucose metabolism in the presence of high concentrations of glucose. Moreover, ZMO0293 deletion caused different transcriptional changes in some genes of the Entner Doudoroff (ED) pathway in the ZM4-ΔZM0293 strain but not in ZM4 cells. The integrated expression of ZMO0293 restored the growth of the glucose uptake-defective strain Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)-ΔptsG. This study reveals the function of the ZMO0293 gene in Z. mobilis in response to high concentrations of glucose and provides a new biological part for synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Zhang
- Henan Province Engineering Laboratory for Bioconversion Technology of Functional Microbes, College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Wenwen Zhang
- Henan Province Engineering Laboratory for Bioconversion Technology of Functional Microbes, College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Mengxing Qin
- Henan Province Engineering Laboratory for Bioconversion Technology of Functional Microbes, College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Yi Li
- Henan Province Engineering Laboratory for Bioconversion Technology of Functional Microbes, College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
| | - Hailei Wang
- Henan Province Engineering Laboratory for Bioconversion Technology of Functional Microbes, College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang 453007, China
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29
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Hu M, Bao W, Peng Q, Hu W, Yang X, Xiang Y, Yan X, Li M, Xu P, He Q, Yang S. Metabolic engineering of Zymomonas mobilis for co-production of D-lactic acid and ethanol using waste feedstocks of molasses and corncob residue hydrolysate. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1135484. [PMID: 36896016 PMCID: PMC9989019 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1135484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Lactate is the precursor for polylactide. In this study, a lactate producer of Z. mobilis was constructed by replacing ZMO0038 with LmldhA gene driven by a strong promoter PadhB, replacing ZMO1650 with native pdc gene driven by Ptet, and replacing native pdc with another copy of LmldhA driven by PadhB to divert carbon from ethanol to D-lactate. The resultant strain ZML-pdc-ldh produced 13.8 ± 0.2 g/L lactate and 16.9 ± 0.3 g/L ethanol using 48 g/L glucose. Lactate production of ZML-pdc-ldh was further investigated after fermentation optimization in pH-controlled fermenters. ZML-pdc-ldh produced 24.2 ± 0.6 g/L lactate and 12.9 ± 0.8 g/L ethanol as well as 36.2 ± 1.0 g/L lactate and 40.3 ± 0.3 g/L ethanol, resulting in total carbon conversion rate of 98.3% ± 2.5% and 96.2% ± 0.1% with final product productivity of 1.9 ± 0.0 g/L/h and 2.2 ± 0.0 g/L/h in RMG5 and RMG12, respectively. Moreover, ZML-pdc-ldh produced 32.9 ± 0.1 g/L D-lactate and 27.7 ± 0.2 g/L ethanol as well as 42.8 ± 0.0 g/L D-lactate and 53.1 ± 0.7 g/L ethanol with 97.1% ± 0.0% and 99.1% ± 0.8% carbon conversion rate using 20% molasses or corncob residue hydrolysate, respectively. Our study thus demonstrated that it is effective for lactate production by fermentation condition optimization and metabolic engineering to strengthen heterologous ldh expression while reducing the native ethanol production pathway. The capability of recombinant lactate-producer of Z. mobilis for efficient waste feedstock conversion makes it a promising biorefinery platform for carbon-neutral biochemical production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mimi Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Weiwei Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiqun Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Hu
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xinyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiongying Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mian Li
- Zhejiang Huakang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kaihua County, China
| | - Ping Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, and School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiaoning He
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shihui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
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30
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Metabolic Engineering of Zymomonas mobilis for Acetoin Production by Carbon Redistribution and Cofactor Balance. FERMENTATION-BASEL 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/fermentation9020113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Biorefinery to produce value-added biochemicals offers a promising alternative to meet our sustainable energy and environmental goals. Acetoin is widely used in the food and cosmetic industries as taste and fragrance enhancer. The generally regarded as safe (GRAS) bacterium Zymomonas mobilis produces acetoin as an extracellular product under aerobic conditions. In this study, metabolic engineering strategies were applied including redistributing the carbon flux to acetoin and manipulating the NADH levels. To improve the acetoin level, a heterologous acetoin pathway was first introduced into Z. mobilis, which contained genes encoding acetolactate synthase (Als) and acetolactate decarboxylase (AldC) driven by a strong native promoter Pgap. Then a gene encoding water-forming NADH oxidase (NoxE) was introduced for NADH cofactor balance. The recombinant Z. mobilis strain containing both an artificial acetoin operon and the noxE greatly enhanced acetoin production with maximum titer reaching 8.8 g/L and the productivity of 0.34 g∙L−1∙h−1. In addition, the strategies to delete ndh gene for redox balance by native I-F CRISPR-Cas system and to redirect carbon from ethanol production to acetoin biosynthesis through a dcas12a-based CRISPRi system targeting pdc gene laid a foundation to help construct an acetoin producer in the future. This study thus provides an informative strategy and method to harness the NADH levels for biorefinery and synthetic biology studies in Z. mobilis.
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Exploiting a conjugative endogenous CRISPR-Cas3 system to tackle multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. EBioMedicine 2023; 88:104445. [PMID: 36696817 PMCID: PMC9879765 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mobile plasmids play a key role in spurring the global dissemination of multidrug-resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae, while plasmid curing has been recognized as a promising strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance. Here we exploited a K. pneumoniae native CRISPR system to cure the high-risk IncFII plasmids. METHODS We examined matched protospacers in 725 completely sequenced IncFII plasmids from K. pneumoniae genomes. Then, we re-engineered a native CRISPR-Cas3 system and deliver the CRISPR-Cas3 system via conjugation. Plasmid killing efficiency and G. mellonella infection model were applied to evaluate the CRISPR-Cas3 immunity in vitro and in vivo. FINDINGS Genomic analysis revealed that most IncFII plasmids could be targeted by the native CRISPR-Cas3 system with multiple matched protospacers, and the targeting regions were highly conserved across different IncFII plasmids. This conjugative endogenous CRISPR-Cas3 system demonstrated high plasmid curing efficiency in vitro (8-log decrease) and in vivo (∼100% curing) in a Galleria mellonella infection model, as well as provided immunization against the invasion of IncFII plasmids once the system entering a susceptible bacterial host. INTERPRETATION Overall, our work demonstrated the applicability of using native CRISPR-mediated plasmid curing to re-sensitize drug-resistant K. pneumoniae to multiple antibiotics. This work provided strong support for the idea of utilizing native CRISPR-Cas systems to tackle AMR in K. pneumoniae. FUNDING This work was supported by research grants National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant numbers 81871692, 82172315, 82102439, and 82202564], the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission [grant number 19JC1413002], and Shanghai Sailing Program [grant number 22YF1437500].
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Tang Y, Wang F, Wang Y, Wang Y, Liu Y, Chen Z, Li W, Yang S, Ma L. In vitro characterization of a pAgo nuclease TtdAgo from Thermococcus thioreducens and evaluation of its effect in vivo. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1142637. [PMID: 36937752 PMCID: PMC10017986 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1142637] [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: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In spite of the development of genome-editing tools using CRISPR-Cas systems, highly efficient and effective genome-editing tools are still needed that use novel programmable nucleases such as Argonaute (Ago) proteins to accelerate the construction of microbial cell factories. In this study, a prokaryotic Ago (pAgo) from a hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus thioreducens (TtdAgo) was characterized in vitro. Our results showed that TtdAgo has a typical DNA-guided DNA endonuclease activity, and the efficiency and accuracy of cleavage are modulated by temperature, divalent ions, and the phosphorylation and length of gDNAs and their complementarity to the DNA targets. TtdAgo can utilize 5'-phosphorylated (5'-P) or 5'- hydroxylated (5'-OH) DNA guides to cleave single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) at temperatures ranging from 30°C to 95°C in the presence of Mn2+ or Mg2+ and displayed no obvious preference for the 5'-end-nucleotide of the guide. In addition, single-nucleotide mismatches had little effects on cleavage efficiency, except for mismatches at position 4 or 8 that dramatically reduced target cleavage. Moreover, TtdAgo performed programmable cleavage of double-stranded DNA at 75°C. We further introduced TtdAgo into an industrial ethanologenic bacterium Zymomonas mobilis to evaluate its effect in vivo. Our preliminary results indicated that TtdAgo showed cell toxicity toward Z. mobilis, resulting in a reduced growth rate and final biomass. In conclusion, we characterized TtdAgo in vitro and investigated its effect on Z. mobilis in this study, which lays a foundation to develop Ago-based genome-editing tools for recalcitrant industrial microorganisms in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lixin Ma
- *Correspondence: Shihui Yang, ; Lixin Ma,
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Geng B, Liu S, Chen Y, Wu Y, Wang Y, Zhou X, Li H, Li M, Yang S. A plasmid-free Zymomonas mobilis mutant strain reducing reactive oxygen species for efficient bioethanol production using industrial effluent of xylose mother liquor. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1110513. [PMID: 36619397 PMCID: PMC9816438 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1110513] [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: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome minimization is an effective way for industrial chassis development. In this study, Zymomonas mobilis ZMNP, a plasmid-free mutant strain of Z. mobilis ZM4 with four native plasmids deleted, was constructed using native type I-F CRISPR-Cas system. Cell growth of ZMNP under different temperatures and industrial effluent of xylose mother liquor were examined to investigate the impact of native plasmid removal. Despite ZMNP grew similarly as ZM4 under different temperatures, ZMNP had better xylose mother liquor utilization than ZM4. In addition, genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses were applied to unravel the molecular changes between ZM4 and ZMNP. Whole-genome resequencing result indicated that an S267P mutation in the C-terminal of OxyR, a peroxide-sensing transcriptional regulator, probably alters the transcription initiation of antioxidant genes for stress responses. Transcriptomic and proteomic studies illustrated that the reason that ZMNP utilized the toxic xylose mother liquor better than ZM4 was probably due to the upregulation of genes in ZMNP involving in stress responses as well as cysteine biosynthesis to accelerate the intracellular ROS detoxification and nucleic acid damage repair. This was further confirmed by lower ROS levels in ZMNP compared to ZM4 in different media supplemented with furfural or ethanol. The upregulation of stress response genes due to the OxyR mutation to accelerate ROS detoxification and DNA/RNA repair not only illustrates the underlying mechanism of the robustness of ZMNP in the toxic xylose mother liquor, but also provides an idea for the rational design of synthetic inhibitor-tolerant microorganisms for economic lignocellulosic biochemical production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binan Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuyi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunhao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yalun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Han Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mian Li
- Zhejiang Huakang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Quzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shihui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Shihui Yang,
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Tang Y, Wang Y, Yang Q, Zhang Y, Wu Y, Yang Y, Mei M, He M, Wang X, Yang S. Molecular mechanism of enhanced ethanol tolerance associated with hfq overexpression in Zymomonas mobilis. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1098021. [PMID: 36588936 PMCID: PMC9797736 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1098021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Zymomonas mobilis is a promising microorganism for industrial bioethanol production. However, ethanol produced during fermentation is toxic to Z. mobilis and affects its growth and bioethanol production. Although several reports demonstrated that the RNA-binding protein Hfq in Z. mobilis contributes to the tolerance against multiple lignocellulosic hydrolysate inhibitors, the role of Hfq on ethanol tolerance has not been investigated. In this study, hfq in Z. mobilis was either deleted or overexpressed and their effects on cell growth and ethanol tolerance were examined. Our results demonstrated that hfq overexpression improved ethanol tolerance of Z. mobilis, which is probably due to energy saving by downregulating flagellar biosynthesis and heat stress response proteins, as well as reducing the reactive oxygen species induced by ethanol stress via upregulating the sulfate assimilation and cysteine biosynthesis. To explore proteins potentially interacted with Hfq, the TEV protease mediated Yeast Endoplasmic Reticulum Sequestration Screening system (YESS) was established in Z. mobilis. YESS results suggested that Hfq may modulate the cytoplasmic heat shock response by interacting with the heat shock proteins DnaK and DnaJ to deal with the ethanol inhibition. This study thus not only revealed the underlying mechanism of enhanced ethanol tolerance by hfq overexpression, but also provided an alternative approach to investigate protein-protein interactions in Z. mobilis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Youpeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yalun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongfu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Meng Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingxiong He
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biomass Energy Technology Research Centre, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Chengdu, China
| | - Xia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Xia Wang, ; Shihui Yang,
| | - Shihui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Xia Wang, ; Shihui Yang,
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Wang J, Wei J, Li H, Li Y. High-efficiency genome editing of an extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus using endogenous type I and type III CRISPR-Cas systems. MLIFE 2022; 1:412-427. [PMID: 38818488 PMCID: PMC10989782 DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.12045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Thermus thermophilus is an attractive species in the bioindustry due to its valuable natural products, abundant thermophilic enzymes, and promising fermentation capacities. However, efficient and versatile genome editing tools are not available for this species. In this study, we developed an efficient genome editing tool for T. thermophilus HB27 based on its endogenous type I-B, I-C, and III-A/B CRISPR-Cas systems. First, we systematically characterized the DNA interference capabilities of the different types of the native CRISPR-Cas systems in T. thermophilus HB27. We found that genomic manipulations such as gene deletion, mutation, and in situ tagging could be easily implemented by a series of genome-editing plasmids carrying an artificial self-targeting mini-CRISPR and a donor DNA responsible for the recombinant recovery. We also compared the genome editing efficiency of different CRISPR-Cas systems and the editing plasmids with donor DNAs of different lengths. Additionally, we developed a reporter gene system for T. thermophilus based on a heat-stable β-galactosidase gene TTP0042, and constructed an engineered strain with a high production capacity of superoxide dismutases by genome modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinting Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and HealthHuazhong Agricultural UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
| | - Junwei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and HealthHuazhong Agricultural UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
| | - Haijuan Li
- College of Biological and Environmental EngineeringXi'an UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Yingjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and HealthHuazhong Agricultural UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
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Behrendt G, Frohwitter J, Vlachonikolou M, Klamt S, Bettenbrock K. Zymo-Parts: A Golden Gate Modular Cloning Toolbox for Heterologous Gene Expression in Zymomonas mobilis. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3855-3864. [PMID: 36346889 PMCID: PMC9680023 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Zymomonas mobilis is a microorganism with extremely high sugar consumption and ethanol production rates and is generally considered to hold great potential for biotechnological applications. However, its genetic engineering is still difficult, hampering the efficient construction of genetically modified strains. In this work, we present Zymo-Parts, a modular toolbox based on Golden-Gate cloning offering a collection of promoters (including native, inducible, and synthetic constitutive promoters of varying strength), an array of terminators and several synthetic ribosomal binding sites and reporter genes. All these parts can be combined in an efficient and flexible way to achieve a desired level of gene expression, either from plasmids or via genome integration. Use of the GoldenBraid-based system also enables an assembly of operons consisting of up to five genes. We present the basic structure of the Zymo-Parts cloning system, characterize several constitutive and inducible promoters, and exemplify the construction of an operon and of chromosomal integration of a reporter gene. Finally, we demonstrate the power and utility of the Zymo-Parts toolbox for metabolic engineering applications by overexpressing a heterologous gene encoding for the lactate dehydrogenase of Escherichia coli to achieve different levels of lactate production in Z. mobilis.
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Geng B, Huang X, Wu Y, He Q, Yang S. Identification and Characterization of Genes Related to Ampicillin Antibiotic Resistance in Zymomonas mobilis. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:1476. [PMID: 36358131 PMCID: PMC9686808 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11111476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics can inhibit or kill microorganisms, while microorganisms have evolved antibiotic resistance strategies to survive antibiotics. Zymomonas mobilis is an ideal industrial microbial chassis and can tolerate multiple antibiotics. However, the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and genes associated with antibiotic resistance have not been fully analyzed and characterized. In this study, we investigated genes associated with antibiotic resistance using bioinformatic approaches and examined genes associated with ampicillin resistance using CRISPR/Cas12a-based genome-editing technology. Six ampicillin-resistant genes (ZMO0103, ZMO0893, ZMO1094, ZMO1650, ZMO1866, and ZMO1967) were identified, and five mutant strains ZM4∆0103, ZM4∆0893, ZM4∆1094, ZM4∆1650, and ZM4∆1866 were constructed. Additionally, a four-gene mutant ZM4∆ARs was constructed by knocking out ZMO0103, ZMO0893, ZMO1094, and ZMO1650 continuously. Cell growth, morphology, and transformation efficiency of mutant strains were examined. Our results show that the cell growth of ZM4∆0103 and ZM4∆ARs was significantly inhibited with 150 μg/mL ampicillin, and cells changed to a long filament shape from a short rod shape. Moreover, the transformation efficiencies of ZM4∆0103 and ZM4∆ARs were decreased. Our results indicate that ZMO0103 is the key to ampicillin resistance in Z. mobilis, and other ampicillin-resistant genes may have a synergetic effect with it. In summary, this study identified and characterized genes related to ampicillin resistance in Z. mobilis and laid a foundation for further study of other antibiotic resistance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Qiaoning He
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Shihui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
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LeBlanc N, Charles TC. Bacterial genome reductions: Tools, applications, and challenges. Front Genome Ed 2022; 4:957289. [PMID: 36120530 PMCID: PMC9473318 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2022.957289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial cells are widely used to produce value-added products due to their versatility, ease of manipulation, and the abundance of genome engineering tools. However, the efficiency of producing these desired biomolecules is often hindered by the cells’ own metabolism, genetic instability, and the toxicity of the product. To overcome these challenges, genome reductions have been performed, making strains with the potential of serving as chassis for downstream applications. Here we review the current technologies that enable the design and construction of such reduced-genome bacteria as well as the challenges that limit their assembly and applicability. While genomic reductions have shown improvement of many cellular characteristics, a major challenge still exists in constructing these cells efficiently and rapidly. Computational tools have been created in attempts at minimizing the time needed to design these organisms, but gaps still exist in modelling these reductions in silico. Genomic reductions are a promising avenue for improving the production of value-added products, constructing chassis cells, and for uncovering cellular function but are currently limited by their time-consuming construction methods. With improvements to and the creation of novel genome editing tools and in silico models, these approaches could be combined to expedite this process and create more streamlined and efficient cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole LeBlanc
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Nicole LeBlanc,
| | - Trevor C. Charles
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- Metagenom Bio Life Science Inc., Waterloo, ON, Canada
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Song H, Yang Y, Li H, Du J, Hu Z, Chen Y, Yang N, Mei M, Xiong Z, Tang K, Yi L, Zhang Y, Yang S. Determination of Nucleotide Sequences within Promoter Regions Affecting Promoter Compatibility between Zymomonas mobilis and Escherichia coli. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:2811-2819. [PMID: 35771099 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A promoter plays a crucial role in controlling the expression of the target gene in cells, thus being one of the key biological parts for synthetic biology practices. Although significant efforts have been made to identify and characterize promoters with different strengths in various microorganisms, the compatibility of promoters within different hosts still lacks investigation. In this study, we chose the native Pgap promoter of Zymomonas mobilis to investigate nucleotide sequences within promoter regions affecting promoter compatibility between Escherichia coli and Z. mobilis. Pgap is one of the strongest promotors in Z. mobilis that has many excellent characteristics to be developed as microbial cell factories. Using EGFP as a reporter, a Z. mobilis-derived Pgap mutant library was constructed and sorted in E. coli, with candidate promoters exhibiting high fluorescence intensity collected. A total of 53 variants were finally selected and sequenced by Sanger sequencing. The sequencing results grouped these variants into 12 different Pgap variant types, among which seven types presented higher promoter strength than native Pgap in E. coli. The next-generation sequencing technique was then employed to identify key mutations within the Pgap promoter region that affect the promoter compatibility. Finally, six important sites were identified and confirmed to help increase Pgap strength in E. coli while keeping similar strength of native Pgap in Z. mobilis. Compared to native Pgap, synthetic promoters combining these sites had enhanced strength; especially, Pgap-6M combining all six sites exhibited 20-fold greater strength than native Pgap in E. coli. This study thus not only determined six important sites affecting promoter compatibility but also confirmed a series of Pgap promoter variants with strong promoter activity in both E. coli and Z. mobilis. In addition, a strategy was established in this study to investigate and determine nucleotide sequences in promoter regions affecting promoter compatibility, which can be applied in other microorganisms to help reveal universal factors affecting promoter compatibility and design promoters with desired strengths among different microbial cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyue Song
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yongfu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Han Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Jun Du
- Beijing Tsingke Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Beijing 101111, China
| | - Zhousheng Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yunhao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Ning Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Meng Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Zhiqiang Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Ke Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Li Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shihui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
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Call SN, Andrews LB. CRISPR-Based Approaches for Gene Regulation in Non-Model Bacteria. Front Genome Ed 2022; 4:892304. [PMID: 35813973 PMCID: PMC9260158 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2022.892304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) and CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) have become ubiquitous approaches to control gene expression in bacteria due to their simple design and effectiveness. By regulating transcription of a target gene(s), CRISPRi/a can dynamically engineer cellular metabolism, implement transcriptional regulation circuitry, or elucidate genotype-phenotype relationships from smaller targeted libraries up to whole genome-wide libraries. While CRISPRi/a has been primarily established in the model bacteria Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, a growing numbering of studies have demonstrated the extension of these tools to other species of bacteria (here broadly referred to as non-model bacteria). In this mini-review, we discuss the challenges that contribute to the slower creation of CRISPRi/a tools in diverse, non-model bacteria and summarize the current state of these approaches across bacterial phyla. We find that despite the potential difficulties in establishing novel CRISPRi/a in non-model microbes, over 190 recent examples across eight bacterial phyla have been reported in the literature. Most studies have focused on tool development or used these CRISPRi/a approaches to interrogate gene function, with fewer examples applying CRISPRi/a gene regulation for metabolic engineering or high-throughput screens and selections. To date, most CRISPRi/a reports have been developed for common strains of non-model bacterial species, suggesting barriers remain to establish these genetic tools in undomesticated bacteria. More efficient and generalizable methods will help realize the immense potential of programmable CRISPR-based transcriptional control in diverse bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie N. Call
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Lauren B. Andrews
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
- Biotechnology Training Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States
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Chen Y, Cheng M, Song H, Cao Y. Type I-F CRISPR-PAIR platform for multi-mode regulation to boost extracellular electron transfer in Shewanella oneidensis. iScience 2022; 25:104491. [PMID: 35712075 PMCID: PMC9194131 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bio-electrochemical systems are based on extracellular electron transfer (EET), whose efficiency relates to the expression level of numerous genes. However, the lack of multi-functional tools for gene activation and repression hampers the enhancement of EET in electroactive microorganisms (EAMs). We thus develop a type I-F CRISPR/PaeCascade-RpoD-mediated activation and inhibition regulation (CRISPR-PAIR) platform in the model EAM, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. Gene activation is achieved (3.8-fold) through fusing activator RpoD (σ70) to Cas7 when targeting the prioritized loci upstream of the transcription start site. Gene inhibition almost has no position preference when targeting the open reading frame, which makes the design of crRNAs easy and flexible. Then CRISPR-PAIR platform is applied to up-/down-regulate the expression of six endogenous genes, resulting in the improved EET efficiency. Moreover, simultaneous gene activation and inhibition are achieved in S. oneidensis MR-1. CRISPR-PAIR platform offers a programmable methodology for dual regulation, facilitating in-depth EET studies in Shewanella spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaru Chen
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Meijie Cheng
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Hao Song
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yingxiu Cao
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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Jiang D, Zhang D, Li S, Liang Y, Zhang Q, Qin X, Gao J, Qiu J. Highly efficient genome editing in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae through repurposing the endogenous type I-C CRISPR-Cas system. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY 2022; 23:583-594. [PMID: 34954876 PMCID: PMC8916207 DOI: 10.1111/mpp.13178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Efficient and modular genome editing technologies that manipulate the genome of bacterial pathogens will facilitate the study of pathogenesis mechanisms. However, such methods are yet to be established for Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), the causal agent of rice bacterial blight. We identified a single type I-C CRISPR-Cas system in the Xoo genome and leveraged this endogenous defence system for high-efficiency genome editing in Xoo. Specifically, we developed plasmid components carrying a mini-CRISPR array, donor DNA, and a phage-derived recombination system to enable the efficient and programmable genome editing of precise deletions, insertions, base substitutions, and gene replacements. Furthermore, the type I-C CRISPR-Cas system of Xoo cleaves target DNA unidirectionally, and this can be harnessed to generate large genomic deletions up to 212 kb efficiently. Therefore, the genome-editing strategy we have developed can serve as an excellent tool for functional genomics of Xoo, and should also be applicable to other CRISPR-harbouring bacterial plant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant GenomicsInstitute of MicrobiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic InteractionsUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Dandan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant GenomicsInstitute of MicrobiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Shengnan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant GenomicsInstitute of MicrobiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yueting Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant GenomicsInstitute of MicrobiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic InteractionsUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Qianwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant GenomicsInstitute of MicrobiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic InteractionsUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xu Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Plant GenomicsInstitute of MicrobiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic InteractionsUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jinlan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant GenomicsInstitute of MicrobiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jin‐Long Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant GenomicsInstitute of MicrobiologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic InteractionsUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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43
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Yan X, Wang X, Yang Y, Wang Z, Zhang H, Li Y, He Q, Li M, Yang S. Cysteine supplementation enhanced inhibitor tolerance of Zymomonas mobilis for economic lignocellulosic bioethanol production. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 349:126878. [PMID: 35189331 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.126878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitors in lignocellulosic hydrolysates are toxic to Zymomonas mobilis and reduce its bioethanol production. This study revealed cysteine supplementation enhanced furfural tolerance in Z. mobilis with a 2-fold biomass increase. Transcriptomic study illustrated that cysteine biosynthesis pathway was down-regulated while cysteine catabolism was up-regulated with cysteine supplementation. Mutants for genes involved in cysteine metabolism were constructed, and metabolites in cysteine metabolic pathway including methionine, glutathione, NaHS, glutamate, and pyruvate were supplemented into media. Cysteine supplementation boosted glutathione synthesis or H2S release effectively in Z. mobilis leading to the reduced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by furfural, while pyruvate and glutamate produced in the H2S generation pathway promoted cell growth by serving as the carbon or nitrogen source. Finally, cysteine supplementation was confirmed to enhance Z. mobilis tolerance against ethanol, acetate, and corncob hydrolysate with an enhanced ethanol productivity from 0.38 to 0.55 g-1∙L-1∙h-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiongying Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Xia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yongfu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Haoyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Qiaoning He
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Mian Li
- Zhejiang Huakang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kaihua County, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shihui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, and School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China.
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Rybnicky GA, Fackler NA, Karim AS, Köpke M, Jewett MC. Spacer2PAM: A computational framework to guide experimental determination of functional CRISPR-Cas system PAM sequences. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:3523-3534. [PMID: 35258601 PMCID: PMC8990532 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-guided nucleases from CRISPR-Cas systems expand opportunities for precise, targeted genome modification. Endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems in many prokaryotes are attractive to circumvent expression, functionality, and unintended activity hurdles posed by heterologous CRISPR-Cas effectors. However, each CRISPR-Cas system recognizes a unique set of protospacer adjacent motifs (PAMs), which requires identification by extensive screening of randomized DNA libraries. This challenge hinders development of endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems, especially those based on multi-protein effectors and in organisms that are slow-growing or have transformation idiosyncrasies. To address this challenge, we present Spacer2PAM, an easy-to-use, easy-to-interpret R package built to predict and guide experimental determination of functional PAM sequences for any CRISPR-Cas system given its corresponding CRISPR array as input. Spacer2PAM can be used in a 'Quick' method to generate a single PAM prediction or in a 'Comprehensive' method to inform targeted PAM libraries small enough to screen in difficult to transform organisms. We demonstrate Spacer2PAM by predicting PAM sequences for industrially relevant organisms and experimentally identifying seven PAM sequences that mediate interference from the Spacer2PAM-informed PAM library for the type I-B CRISPR-Cas system from Clostridium autoethanogenum. We anticipate that Spacer2PAM will facilitate the use of endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems for industrial biotechnology and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant A Rybnicky
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA,Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA,Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | | | - Ashty S Karim
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA,Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA,Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | | | - Michael C Jewett
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 847 467 5007; Fax: +1 847 467 5007;
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45
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Li J, Wang B, Yang Q, Si H, Zhao Y, Zheng Y, Peng W. Enabling Efficient Genetic Manipulations in a Rare Actinomycete Pseudonocardia alni Shahu. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:848964. [PMID: 35308340 PMCID: PMC8928166 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.848964] [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: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudonocardia species are emerging as important microorganisms of global concern with unique and increasingly significant ecological roles and represent a prominent source of bioactive natural products, but genetic engineering of these organisms for biotechnological applications is greatly hindered due to the limitation of efficient genetic manipulation tools. In this regard, we report here the establishment of an efficient genetic manipulation system for a newly isolated strain, Pseudonocardia alni Shahu, based on plasmid conjugal transfer from Escherichia coli to Pseudonocardia. Conjugants were yielded upon determining the optimal ratio between the donor and recipient cells, and designed genome modifications were efficiently accomplished, including exogenous gene integration based on an integrative plasmid and chromosomal stretch removal by homologous recombination using a suicidal non-replicating vector. Collectively, this work has made the P. alni Shahu accessible for genetic engineering, and provided an important reference for developing genetic manipulation methods in other rare actinomycetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Baiyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Han Si
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuting Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanli Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Yanli Zheng,
| | - Wenfang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
- Wenfang Peng,
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46
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Wimmer F, Mougiakos I, Englert F, Beisel CL. Rapid cell-free characterization of multi-subunit CRISPR effectors and transposons. Mol Cell 2022; 82:1210-1224.e6. [PMID: 35216669 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas biology and technologies have been largely shaped to date by the characterization and use of single-effector nucleases. By contrast, multi-subunit effectors dominate natural systems, represent emerging technologies, and were recently associated with RNA-guided DNA transposition. This disconnect stems from the challenge of working with multiple protein subunits in vitro and in vivo. Here, we apply cell-free transcription-translation (TXTL) systems to radically accelerate the characterization of multi-subunit CRISPR effectors and transposons. Numerous DNA constructs can be combined in one TXTL reaction, yielding defined biomolecular readouts in hours. Using TXTL, we mined phylogenetically diverse I-E effectors, interrogated extensively self-targeting I-C and I-F systems, and elucidated targeting rules for I-B and I-F CRISPR transposons using only DNA-binding components. We further recapitulated DNA transposition in TXTL, which helped reveal a distinct branch of I-B CRISPR transposons. These capabilities will facilitate the study and exploitation of the broad yet underexplored diversity of CRISPR-Cas systems and transposons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Wimmer
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ioannis Mougiakos
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Frank Englert
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Chase L Beisel
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), 97080 Würzburg, Germany; Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.
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47
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Hao Y, Wang Q, Li J, Yang S, Zheng Y, Peng W. Double nicking by RNA-directed Cascade-nCas3 for high-efficiency large-scale genome engineering. Open Biol 2022; 12:210241. [PMID: 35016549 PMCID: PMC8753164 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
New CRISPR-based genome editing technologies are developed to continually drive advances in life sciences, which, however, are predominantly derived from systems of Type II CRISPR-Cas9 and Type V CRISPR-Cas12a for eukaryotes. Here we report a novel CRISPR-n(nickase)Cas3 genome editing tool established upon a Type I-F system. We demonstrate that nCas3 variants can be created by alanine-substituting any catalytic residue of the Cas3 helicase domain. While nCas3 overproduction via plasmid shows severe cytotoxicity, an in situ nCas3 introduces targeted double-strand breaks, facilitating genome editing without visible cell killing. By harnessing this CRISPR-nCas3 in situ gene insertion, nucleotide substitution and deletion of genes or genomic DNA stretches can be consistently accomplished with near-100% efficiencies, including simultaneous removal of two large genomic fragments. Our work describes the first establishment of a CRISPR-nCas3-based genome editing technology, thereby offering a simple, yet useful approach to convert the naturally most abundantly occurring Type I systems into advanced genome editing tools to facilitate high-throughput prokaryotic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yile Hao
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, People's Republic of China,State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, People's Republic of China
| | - Qinhua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, People's Republic of China
| | - Shihui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanli Zheng
- College of Life Science and Technology, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenfang Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Engineering Research Center for Bio-enzyme Catalysis, Environmental Microbial Technology Center of Hubei Province, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, People's Republic of China
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48
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Wimmer F, Englert F, Beisel CL. A TXTL-Based Assay to Rapidly Identify PAMs for CRISPR-Cas Systems with Multi-Protein Effector Complexes. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2433:391-411. [PMID: 34985758 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1998-8_24] [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: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Type I CRISPR-Cas systems represent the most common and diverse type of these prokaryotic defense systems and are being harnessed for a growing set of applications. As these systems rely on multi-protein effector complexes, their characterization remains challenging. Here, we report a rapid and straightforward method to characterize these systems in a cell-free transcription-translation (TXTL) system. A ribonucleoprotein complex is produced and binds to its target next to a recognized PAM, thereby preventing the targeted sequence from being cleaved by a restriction enzyme. Selection for uncleaved targeted plasmids leads to an enrichment of recognized sequences within a PAM library. This assay will aid the exploration of CRISPR-Cas diversity and evolution and help contribute new systems for CRISPR technologies and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Wimmer
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Frank Englert
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - 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.
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49
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Braga A, Gomes D, Rainha J, Amorim C, Cardoso BB, Gudiña EJ, Silvério SC, Rodrigues JL, Rodrigues LR. Zymomonas mobilis as an emerging biotechnological chassis for the production of industrially relevant compounds. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2021; 8:128. [PMID: 38650193 PMCID: PMC10992037 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-021-00483-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Zymomonas mobilis is a well-recognized ethanologenic bacterium with outstanding characteristics which make it a promising platform for the biotechnological production of relevant building blocks and fine chemicals compounds. In the last years, research has been focused on the physiological, genetic, and metabolic engineering strategies aiming at expanding Z. mobilis ability to metabolize lignocellulosic substrates toward biofuel production. With the expansion of the Z. mobilis molecular and computational modeling toolbox, the potential of this bacterium as a cell factory has been thoroughly explored. The number of genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and fluxomic data that is becoming available for this bacterium has increased. For this reason, in the forthcoming years, systems biology is expected to continue driving the improvement of Z. mobilis for current and emergent biotechnological applications. While the existing molecular toolbox allowed the creation of stable Z. mobilis strains with improved traits for pinpointed biotechnological applications, the development of new and more flexible tools is crucial to boost the engineering capabilities of this bacterium. Novel genetic toolkits based on the CRISPR-Cas9 system and recombineering have been recently used for the metabolic engineering of Z. mobilis. However, they are mostly at the proof-of-concept stage and need to be further improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelaide Braga
- CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade Do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Daniela Gomes
- CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade Do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - João Rainha
- CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade Do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Cláudia Amorim
- CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade Do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Beatriz B Cardoso
- CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade Do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Eduardo J Gudiña
- CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade Do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Sara C Silvério
- CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade Do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Joana L Rodrigues
- CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade Do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Lígia R Rodrigues
- CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade Do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
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50
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Kaewchana A, Techaparin A, Boonchot N, Thanonkeo P, Klanrit P. Improved high-temperature ethanol production from sweet sorghum juice using Zymomonas mobilis overexpressing groESL genes. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:9419-9431. [PMID: 34787692 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11686-0] [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: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Zymomonas mobilis may encounter various types of stress during ethanol fermentation, which reduces ethanol production efficiency. This situation may be mitigated by molecular chaperones, including the chaperonin GroESL, which confers enhanced protection against various stresses. In this study, we successfully developed a Z. mobilis strain R301 that harbors groESL genes and can be used for high-temperature ethanol production from sweet sorghum juice. Sequence analyses of GroES and GroEL from Z. mobilis TISTR548 demonstrated conserved residues at specific positions within GroES and conserved glycine-glycine-methionine (GGM) repeats at the C-terminus of GroEL. The Z. mobilis wild-type and R301 strains were then evaluated for their tolerance to stresses, including high temperatures, high sugar concentrations, and high ethanol concentrations up to 40°C, 300 g/L, and 13% (v/v), respectively. Z. mobilis R301 exhibited better growth performance than the wild-type strain under all stress conditions. This is the first report on ethanol production at 40°C by recombinant Z. mobilis using sweet sorghum juice; this strain produced an ethanol concentration of 41.66 g/L, with a productivity of 0.87 g/L/h and a theoretical ethanol yield of 88.9%. Overexpression of groESL resulted in increased ethanol production, with values approximately 11% higher than those of the wild type at 40°C. Additionally, at 37°C, Z. mobilis R301 gave a higher theoretical ethanol yield (92.6%) than that shown in previous research. This work illustrates the potential for future enhancement of industrial-scale ethanol production at high temperatures utilizing Z. mobilis R301 in the bioconversion of sweet sorghum juice, a promising energy crop. KEY POINTS: • The groESL-overexpressing Z. mobilis strain was successfully constructed. • The recombinant Z. mobilis exhibited higher stress tolerance than the wild-type strain. • Overexpression of groESL genes improved ethanol production efficiency at high temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anchittha Kaewchana
- Graduate School, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.,Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Atiya Techaparin
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Nongluck Boonchot
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Pornthap Thanonkeo
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.,Fermentation Research Center for Value Added Agricultural Products (FerVAAP), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Preekamol Klanrit
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand. .,Fermentation Research Center for Value Added Agricultural Products (FerVAAP), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.
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