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Gandon S, Guillemet M, Gatchitch F, Nicot A, Renaud AC, Tremblay DM, Moineau S. Building pyramids against the evolutionary emergence of pathogens. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20231529. [PMID: 38471546 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1529] [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: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations allowing pathogens to escape host immunity promote the spread of infectious diseases in heterogeneous host populations and can lead to major epidemics. Understanding the conditions that slow down this evolution is key for the development of durable control strategies against pathogens. Here, we use theory and experiments to compare the efficacy of three strategies for the deployment of resistance: (i) a mixing strategy where the host population contains two single-resistant genotypes, (ii) a pyramiding strategy where the host carries a double-resistant genotype, (iii) a combining strategy where the host population is a mix of a single-resistant genotype and a double-resistant genotype. First, we use evolutionary epidemiology theory to clarify the interplay between demographic stochasticity and evolutionary dynamics to show that the pyramiding strategy always yields lower probability of evolutionary emergence. Second, we test experimentally these predictions with the introduction of bacteriophages into bacterial populations where we manipulated the diversity and the depth of immunity using a Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats-CRISPR associated (CRISPR-Cas) system. These biological assays confirm that pyramiding multiple defences into the same host genotype and avoiding combination with single-defence genotypes is a robust way to reduce pathogen evolutionary emergence. The experimental validation of these theoretical recommendations has practical implications in various areas, including for the optimal deployment of resistance varieties in agriculture and for the design of durable vaccination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Gandon
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Antoine Nicot
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Ariane C Renaud
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Quebec city, Canada G1V0A6
- Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Denise M Tremblay
- Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Sylvain Moineau
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Quebec city, Canada G1V0A6
- Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada G1V 0A6
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2
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Pastuszka A, Rousseau GM, Somerville V, Levesque S, Fiset JP, Goulet A, Doyon Y, Moineau S. Dairy phages escape CRISPR defence of Streptococcus thermophilus via the anti-CRISPR AcrIIA3. Int J Food Microbiol 2023; 407:110414. [PMID: 37778080 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110414] [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: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial community collapse due to phage infection is a major risk in cheese making processes. As virulent phages are ubiquitous and diverse in milk fermentation factories, the use of phage-resistant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is essential to obtain high-quality fermented dairy products. The LAB species Streptococcus thermophilus contains two type II-A CRISPR-Cas systems (CRISPR1 and CRISPR3) that can effectively protect against phage infection. However, virulent streptococcal phages carrying anti-CRISPR proteins (ACR) that block the activity of CRISPR-Cas systems have emerged in yogurt and cheese environments. For example, phages carrying AcrIIA5 can impede both CRISPR1 and CRISPR3 systems, while AcrIIA6 stops only CRISPR1. Here, we explore the activity and diversity of a third streptococcal phage anti-CRISPR protein, namely AcrIIA3. We were able to demonstrate that AcrIIA3 is efficiently active against the CRISPR3-Cas system of S. thermophilus. We used AlphaFold2 to infer the structure of AcrIIA3 and we predicted that this new family of functional ACR in virulent streptococcal phages has a new α-helical fold, with no previously identified structural homologs. Because ACR proteins are being explored as modulators in genome editing applications, we also tested AcrIIA3 against SpCas9. We found that AcrIIA3 could block SpCas9 in bacteria but not in human cells. Understanding the diversity and functioning of anti-defence mechanisms will be of importance in the design of long-term stable starter cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeline Pastuszka
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Geneviève M Rousseau
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Vincent Somerville
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sébastien Levesque
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Université Laval Cancer Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Philippe Fiset
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Université Laval Cancer Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Adeline Goulet
- Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Systèmes Macromoléculaires, Institut de Microbiologie, Bioénergies et Biotechnologies, CNRS UMR7255, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Yannick Doyon
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Université Laval Cancer Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Sylvain Moineau
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
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3
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Dong Y, Huang Y, Fan H, Song L, An X, Xu S, Li M, Tong Y. Characterization, complete genome sequencing, and CRISPR/Cas9 system-based decontamination of a novel Escherichia coli phage TR1 from fermentation substrates. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1230775. [PMID: 37637117 PMCID: PMC10450929 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1230775] [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: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Phage contamination has become a major concern for industrial bacteria, such as Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), used in fermentation processes. Herein, we report a CRISPR/Cas9 defense system-based strategy to precisely prey and degrade phage DNA to decontaminate target phages. First, we isolated a novel phage from fermentation substrates with BL21(DE3) as the host, named TR1. It showed a typical podovirus morphology with a head diameter of 51.46 ± 2.04 nm and a tail length of 9.31 ± 2.77 nm. The burst size of phage TR1 was 151 PFU/cell, suggesting its strong fecundity in the fermentation system. Additionally, whole-genome sequencing revealed that phage TR1 has a DNA genome of 44,099 bp in length with a 43.8% GC content, encoding a total of 68 open reading frames. Comparative genomics and phylogenetic analysis designated this phage to be a new species of the genus Christensenvirus. To counteract phage TR1, we employed the CRISPR/Cas9 system-based strategy and constructed two phage-resistant E. coli strains, BL21-C and BL21-T, based on conserved genes. Both EOP assays and growth curves indicated strong phage resistance of the recombinant strains, without affecting cell growth. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a resilient strategy to respond to ever-changing phages and ongoing phage-host arm race in industrial fermentation environments by the personalized design of spacers in the recombinant CRISPR/Cas system-containing plasmid. More importantly, our research sparks the use of phage defense mechanism to prevent phage contamination in extensive biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Dong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yunfei Huang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Huahao Fan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Lihua Song
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoping An
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Xu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Mengzhe Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
- Qinhuangdao Bohai Biological Research Institute, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China
| | - Yigang Tong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
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4
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A truncated anti-CRISPR protein prevents spacer acquisition but not interference. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2802. [PMID: 35589712 PMCID: PMC9120153 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30310-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems in prokaryotic cells provide an adaptive immunity against invading nucleic acids. For example, phage infection leads to addition of new immunity (spacer acquisition) and DNA cleavage (interference) in the bacterial model species Streptococcus thermophilus, which primarily relies on Cas9-containing CRISPR-Cas systems. Phages can counteract this defense system through mutations in the targeted protospacers or by encoding anti-CRISPR proteins (ACRs) that block Cas9 interference activity. Here, we show that S. thermophilus can block ACR-containing phages when the CRISPR immunity specifically targets the acr gene. This in turn selects for phage mutants carrying a deletion within the acr gene. Remarkably, a truncated acrIIA allele, found in a wild-type virulent streptococcal phage, does not block the interference activity of Cas9 but still prevents the acquisition of new immunities, thereby providing an example of an ACR specifically inhibiting spacer acquisition. Phages can use ACR proteins that inhibit the adaptive immunity activities of bacterial CRISPR-Cas systems. Here, Philippe et al. show that these systems can block ACR-containing phages by targeting the acr gene, and this can select for phage mutants carrying a deletion within acr that does not block DNA cleavage (interference) but prevents the addition of new immunity (spacer acquisition).
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Abstract
Bacteriophages represent the main microbiological threat for the manufacture of fermented foods. The dairy industry is the most affected by this problem, as phages are naturally present in raw milk, surfaces, vats, tanks, floors, and distributed by air displacements. Cheese whey may also contain high phage concentrations. Prophages harbored by lysogenic strains could be induced, generating new lytic phages. In this context, where phages cannot be eradicated from dairies, methods of phage monitoring are mandatory. These are mainly based in microbiological features, like classical methods, that are the most used, economic and simple to carry out. Phage DNA detection and quantification by PCR and qPCR, more complex and expensive, are faster, although not able to discern between viable and non-viable virions. Electron microscopy allows direct visualization and characterization of phage morphology, but the apparatus is expensive. Alternative methods based in other phage traits also exist, though less studied and not applicable on a daily basis. Recognition of contamination sources and correct phage monitoring in dairy factories allow a correct application of control measures. These include general measures such as proper factory design, efficient programs of sanitization, good treatment of raw materials, especially milk, and careful handling of by-products. Additionally, the use of starts cultures should be adequate, with application of rotation schemes when possible. Finally, the selection of bacteriophage insensitive mutants (BIM) is essential, and can be achieved simply and empirically, though the study of CRISPR-Cas and other newly discovered mechanisms provide a more rational basis to obtain BIMs with optimized features.
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Philippe C, Moineau S. The endless battle between phages and CRISPR-Cas systems in Streptococcus thermophilus. Biochem Cell Biol 2021; 99:397-402. [PMID: 33534660 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2020-0593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
This review describes the contribution of basic research on phage-bacteria interactions to the understanding of CRISPR-Cas systems and their various applications. It focuses on the natural function of CRISPR-Cas systems as adaptive defense mechanisms against mobile genetic elements such as bacteriophage genomes and plasmids. Some of the advances in the characterization of the type II-A CRISPR-Cas system of Streptococcus thermophilus and Streptococcus pyogenes led to the development of the CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing technology. We mostly discuss the 3 stages of the CRISPR-Cas system in S. thermophilus, namely the adaptation stage, which is unique to this resistance mechanism; the CRISPR RNA biogenesis; and the DNA-cutting activity in the interference stage to protect bacteria against phages. Finally, we look into applications of CRISPR-Cas in microbiology, including overcoming limitations in genome editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Philippe
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.,Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Sylvain Moineau
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.,Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.,Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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7
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Cheng X, Fan S, Wen C, Du X. CRISPR/Cas9 for cancer treatment: technology, clinical applications and challenges. Brief Funct Genomics 2020; 19:209-214. [PMID: 32052006 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elaa001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractClustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is described as RNA mediated adaptive immune system defense, which is naturally found in bacteria and archaea. CRISPR-Cas9 has shown great promise for cancer treatment in cancer immunotherapy, manipulation of cancer genome and epigenome and elimination or inactivation of carcinogenic viral infections. However, many challenges remain to be addressed to increase its efficacy, including off-target effects, editing efficiency, fitness of edited cells, immune response and delivery methods. Here, we explain CRISPR-Cas classification and its general function mechanism for gene editing. Then, we summarize these preclinical CRISPR-Cas9-based therapeutic strategies against cancer. Moreover, the challenges and improvements of CRISPR-Cas9 clinical applications will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Cheng
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Shaoyi Fan
- Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine,Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengcai Wen
- Department of Rehabilitation, Huai'an Second People's Hospital, The Affiliated Huai'an Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Huai'an, China
| | - Xianfa Du
- Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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8
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Hu T, Cui Y, Qu X. Characterization and comparison of CRISPR Loci in Streptococcus thermophilus. Arch Microbiol 2019; 202:695-710. [PMID: 31781808 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-019-01780-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) consists of a series of regular repeat-spacer sequences. It can not only act as a natural immune system in most prokaryotes, but also be utilized as the tool of newly developed genome modification and evolutionary researches. Streptococcus thermophilus is an important model organism for the study and application of CRISPR systems. In present study, the occurrence and diversity of CRISPR-Cas systems in the genomes of S. thermophilus were investigated including 4 new sequenced strains CS5, CS9, CS18, CS20, and other 23 strains downloaded from NCBI website. 66 CRISPR/Cas systems were identified among these 27 strains and could divided into four subsystems according to the arrangement of Cas proteins, notably I-E, II-A, II-C and III-A. Overall, 26 type II-C systems, 18 type II-A systems, 13 type III-A systems, 9 type I-E systems were identified. It was mentioned that CS20 contained two type II-C systems which had not been identified in the other 26 S. thermophilus strains. Overall, 1,080 spacers were analyzed and blasted. Sequence identity searches of spacers implied that most spacers derived from partial sequences of exogenous DNA, including various bacteriophages and plasmids. Of note, a large number of novel spacers were found in this study, indicating the unique phage environment they have undergone, especially CS20 strain. In addition, the analysis of the cas1 and cas9 genes revealed the genetic relationship among CRISPR-Cas system in these strains. Furthermore, the analysis of CRISPR spacers also indicated protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences. Summary of PAM sequences could lay the foundations for the application of S. thermophilus CRISPR-Cas system. Our results suggested CS5 and CS18 can be used as model strains in the research of CRISPR-Cas system, and CS20 might have greater application potential in gene editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Hu
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanhua Cui
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiaojun Qu
- Institute of Microbiology, Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences, Harbin, 150010, People's Republic of China
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9
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Abstract
CRISPR-Cas est un système immunitaire adaptatif utilisé par de nombreux microbes pour se défendre contre l’invasion d’acides nucléiques tels que les génomes viraux et autres éléments génétiques mobiles. Le système microbien utilise son locus CRISPR pour stocker de l’information génétique afin de produire des ARN guides. Ces derniers, de concert avec des endonucléases (Cas), empêchent des invasions futures. Des parties de ce système microbien ont été exploitées pour développer un puissant outil d’édition des génomes dans une panoplie d’organismes. La capacité de CRISPR-Cas9 à couper efficacement et à des endroits très précis de l’ADN pourrait peut-être permettre un jour de guérir certaines maladies génétiques humaines. La malléabilité de cet outil d’édition rend possible une variété d’applications allant de la modulation de l’expression de gènes à des modifications épigénétiques. Les locus CRISPR représentent également une mine d’informations pouvant servir de méthode de typage de souches microbiennes ou encore une façon d’étudier les interactions entre les bactéries et leurs habitats.
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10
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Baltz RH. Bacteriophage-resistant industrial fermentation strains: from the cradle to CRISPR/Cas9. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 45:1003-1006. [DOI: 10.1007/s10295-018-2079-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Bacteriophage contamination and cell lysis have been recurring issues with some actinomycetes used in the pharmaceutical fermentation industry since the commercialization of streptomycin in the 1940s. In the early years, spontaneous phage-resistant mutants or lysogens were isolated to address the problem. In some cases, multiple phages were isolated from different contaminated fermentors, so strains resistant to multiple phages were isolated to stabilize the fermentation processes. With the advent of recombinant DNA technology, the early scaleup of the Escherichia coli fermentation process for the production of human insulin A and B chains encountered contamination with multiple coliphages. A genetic engineering solution was to clone and express a potent restriction/modification system in the production strains. Very recently, an E. coli fermentation of 1,3-propanediol was contaminated by a coliphage related to T1. CRISPR/Cas9 technology was applied to block future contamination by targeting seven different phage genes for double-strand cleavage. These approaches employing spontaneous mutation, genetic engineering, and synthetic biology can be applied to many current and future microorganisms used in the biotechnology industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard H Baltz
- Cognogen Biotechnology Consulting 7636 Andora Drive 34238 Sarasota FL USA
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11
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Pujato SA, Quiberoni A, Mercanti DJ. Bacteriophages on dairy foods. J Appl Microbiol 2018; 126:14-30. [PMID: 30080952 DOI: 10.1111/jam.14062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
This review focuses on the impact of bacteriophages on the manufacture of dairy foods. Firstly, the impact of phages of lactic acid bacteria in the dairy industry, where they are considered enemies, is discussed. The sources of phage contamination in dairy plants are detailed, with special emphasis on the rise of phage infections related to the growing use of cheese whey as ingredient. Other topics include traditional and new methods of phage detection, quantification and monitoring, and strategies of phage control in dairy plants, either of physical, chemical or biological nature. Finally, the use of phages or purified phage enzymes as allies to control pathogenic bacteria in the food industry is reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Pujato
- Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Instituto de Lactología Industrial (Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - A Quiberoni
- Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Instituto de Lactología Industrial (Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - D J Mercanti
- Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Instituto de Lactología Industrial (Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Santa Fe, Argentina
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12
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Hynes AP, Rousseau GM, Agudelo D, Goulet A, Amigues B, Loehr J, Romero DA, Fremaux C, Horvath P, Doyon Y, Cambillau C, Moineau S. Widespread anti-CRISPR proteins in virulent bacteriophages inhibit a range of Cas9 proteins. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2919. [PMID: 30046034 PMCID: PMC6060171 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05092-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are bacterial anti-viral systems, and bacterial viruses (bacteriophages, phages) can carry anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins to evade that immunity. Acrs can also fine-tune the activity of CRISPR-based genome-editing tools. While Acrs are prevalent in phages capable of lying dormant in a CRISPR-carrying host, their orthologs have been observed only infrequently in virulent phages. Here we identify AcrIIA6, an Acr encoded in 33% of virulent Streptococcus thermophilus phage genomes. The X-ray structure of AcrIIA6 displays some features unique to this Acr family. We compare the activity of AcrIIA6 to those of other Acrs, including AcrIIA5 (also from S. thermophilus phages), and characterize their effectiveness against a range of CRISPR-Cas systems. Finally, we demonstrate that both Acr families from S. thermophilus phages inhibit Cas9-mediated genome editing of human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander P Hynes
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bioinformatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
- Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University. Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Geneviève M Rousseau
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bioinformatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Daniel Agudelo
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Adeline Goulet
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Aix-Marseille Université, Campus de Luminy, Case 932, 13288, Marseille Cedex 09, France
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Campus de Luminy, Case 932, 13288, Marseille Cedex 09, France
| | - Beatrice Amigues
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Aix-Marseille Université, Campus de Luminy, Case 932, 13288, Marseille Cedex 09, France
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Campus de Luminy, Case 932, 13288, Marseille Cedex 09, France
| | - Jeremy Loehr
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Dennis A Romero
- DuPont Nutrition and Health, 3329 Agriculture Dr, Madison, WI, 53716, USA
| | | | - Philippe Horvath
- DuPont Nutrition and Health, BP 10, 86220, Dangé-Saint-Romain, France
| | - Yannick Doyon
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Christian Cambillau
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Aix-Marseille Université, Campus de Luminy, Case 932, 13288, Marseille Cedex 09, France
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Campus de Luminy, Case 932, 13288, Marseille Cedex 09, France
| | - Sylvain Moineau
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bioinformatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
- Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
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de Melo AG, Levesque S, Moineau S. Phages as friends and enemies in food processing. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2018; 49:185-190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2017.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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14
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Mahmoudian-sani MR, Farnoosh G, Mahdavinezhad A, Saidijam M. CRISPR genome editing and its medical applications. BIOTECHNOL BIOTEC EQ 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/13102818.2017.1406823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad-Reza Mahmoudian-sani
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Farnoosh
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, Department of Medical Biotechnology, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Mahdavinezhad
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Massoud Saidijam
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
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15
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Baumdicker F, Huebner AMI, Pfaffelhuber P. The independent loss model with ordered insertions for the evolution of CRISPR spacers. Theor Popul Biol 2017; 119:72-82. [PMID: 29174635 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Today, the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) region within bacterial and archaeal genomes is known to encode an adaptive immune system. We rely on previous results on the evolution of the CRISPR arrays, which led to the ordered independent loss model, introduced by Kupczok and Bollback (2013). When focusing on the spacers (between the repeats), new elements enter a CRISPR array at rate θ at the leader end of the array, while all spacers present are lost at rate ρ along the phylogeny relating the sample. Within this model, we compute the distribution of distances of spacers which are present in all arrays in a sample of size n. We use these results to estimate the loss rate ρ from spacer array data for n=2 and n=3.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Baumdicker
- Department of Mathematical Stochastics, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Germany.
| | - A M I Huebner
- Department of Mathematical Stochastics, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - P Pfaffelhuber
- Department of Mathematical Stochastics, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Germany
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16
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An anti-CRISPR from a virulent streptococcal phage inhibits Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9. Nat Microbiol 2017; 2:1374-1380. [PMID: 28785032 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-017-0004-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The CRISPR-Cas system owes its utility as a genome-editing tool to its origin as a prokaryotic immune system. The first demonstration of its activity against bacterial viruses (phages) is also the first record of phages evading that immunity 1 . This evasion can be due to point mutations 1 , large-scale deletions 2 , DNA modifications 3 , or phage-encoded proteins that interfere with the CRISPR-Cas system, known as anti-CRISPRs (Acrs) 4 . The latter are of biotechnological interest, as Acrs can serve as off switches for CRISPR-based genome editing 5 . Every Acr characterized to date originated from temperate phages, genomic islands, or prophages 4-8 , and shared properties with the first Acr discovered. Here, with a phage-oriented approach, we have identified an unrelated Acr in a virulent phage of Streptococcus thermophilus. In challenging a S. thermophilus strain CRISPR-immunized against a set of virulent phages, we found one that evaded the CRISPR-encoded immunity >40,000× more often than the others. Through systematic cloning of its genes, we identified an Acr solely responsible for the abolished immunity. We extended our findings by demonstrating activity in another S. thermophilus strain, against unrelated phages, and in another bacterial genus immunized using the heterologous SpCas9 system favoured for genome editing. This Acr completely abolishes SpCas9-mediated immunity in our assays.
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17
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Abstract
If biology laboratories were smartphones, CRISPR-Cas would be the leading app. Nowadays, technology users rely on apps to communicate, get directions, entertain, and more. Likewise, many life scientists now rely on CRISPR-Cas systems to study the interactions between microbes and their viruses, to track strains as well as to modify and modulate genomes. Considering their high level of polymorphism, CRISPR arrays can increase the resolution of a microbial typing scheme. As dynamic systems, they allow the identification and the tracking of specific sequences, which is highly valuable for epidemiological studies. As a defense mechanism, they offer an opportunity to generate virus-resistant strains or even to construct strains refractory to the acquisition of specific genes. And last but not least, as customizable and transferable tools, CRISPR-Cas systems are particularly promising to fight multi-drug resistant bacteria through the engineering of phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Laurence Lemay
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bioinformatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Philippe Horvath
- DuPont Nutrition and Health, BP10, 86220 Dangé-Saint-Romain, France
| | - Sylvain Moineau
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bioinformatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses and Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
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18
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Phage-host interactions in Streptococcus thermophilus: Genome analysis of phages isolated in Uruguay and ectopic spacer acquisition in CRISPR array. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43438. [PMID: 28262818 PMCID: PMC5338259 DOI: 10.1038/srep43438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Three cos-type virulent Streptococcus thermophilus phages were isolated from failed mozzarella production in Uruguay. Genome analyses showed that these phages are similar to those isolated elsewhere around the world. The CRISPR1 and CRISPR3 arrays of the three S. thermophilus host strains from Uruguay were also characterized and similarities were noted with previously described model strains SMQ-301, LMD-9 and DGCC7710. Spontaneous bacteriophage-insensitive S. thermophilus mutants (BIMs) were obtained after challenging the phage-sensitive wild-type strain Uy02 with the phage 128 and their CRISPR content was analyzed. Analysis of 23 BIMs indicated that all of them had acquired at least one new spacer in their CRISPR1 array. While 14 BIMs had acquired spacer at the 5′-end of the array, 9 other BIMs acquired a spacer within the array. Comparison of the leader sequence in strains Uy02 and DGCC7710 showed a nucleotide deletion at position -1 in Uy02, which may be responsible for the observed ectopic spacer acquisition. Analysis of the spacer sequences upstream the newly acquired ectopic spacer indicated presence of a conserved adenine residue at position -2. This study indicates that natural strains of S. thermophilus can also acquire spacers within a CRISPR array.
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19
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Hynes AP, Lemay ML, Trudel L, Deveau H, Frenette M, Tremblay DM, Moineau S. Detecting natural adaptation of the Streptococcus thermophilus CRISPR-Cas systems in research and classroom settings. Nat Protoc 2017; 12:547-565. [PMID: 28207002 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2016.186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas systems have been adapted into a powerful genome-editing tool. The basis for the flexibility of the tool lies in the adaptive nature of CRISPR-Cas as a bacterial immune system. Here, we describe a protocol to experimentally demonstrate the adaptive nature of this bacterial immune system by challenging the model organism for the study of CRISPR adaptation, Streptococcus thermophilus, with phages in order to detect natural CRISPR immunization. A bacterial culture is challenged with lytic phages, the surviving cells are screened by PCR for expansion of their CRISPR array and the newly acquired specificities are mapped to the genome of the phage. Furthermore, we offer three variants of the assay to (i) promote adaptation by challenging the system using defective viruses, (ii) challenge the system using plasmids to generate plasmid-resistant strains and (iii) bias the system to obtain natural immunity against a specifically targeted DNA sequence. The core protocol and its variants serve as a means to explore CRISPR adaptation, discover new CRISPR-Cas systems and generate bacterial strains that are resistant to phages or refractory to undesired genes or plasmids. In addition, the core protocol has served in teaching laboratories at the undergraduate level, demonstrating both its robust nature and educational value. Carrying out the core protocol takes 4 h of hands-on time over 7 d. Unlike sequence-based methods for detecting natural CRISPR adaptation, this phage-challenge-based approach results in the isolation of CRISPR-immune bacteria for downstream characterization and use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander P Hynes
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.,Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Marie-Laurence Lemay
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.,Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Luc Trudel
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Hélène Deveau
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Michel Frenette
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.,Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Denise M Tremblay
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.,Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.,Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Sylvain Moineau
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.,Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.,Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
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20
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Role of Recombinant DNA Technology to Improve Life. Int J Genomics 2016; 2016:2405954. [PMID: 28053975 PMCID: PMC5178364 DOI: 10.1155/2016/2405954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past century, the recombinant DNA technology was just an imagination that desirable characteristics can be improved in the living bodies by controlling the expressions of target genes. However, in recent era, this field has demonstrated unique impacts in bringing advancement in human life. By virtue of this technology, crucial proteins required for health problems and dietary purposes can be produced safely, affordably, and sufficiently. This technology has multidisciplinary applications and potential to deal with important aspects of life, for instance, improving health, enhancing food resources, and resistance to divergent adverse environmental effects. Particularly in agriculture, the genetically modified plants have augmented resistance to harmful agents, enhanced product yield, and shown increased adaptability for better survival. Moreover, recombinant pharmaceuticals are now being used confidently and rapidly attaining commercial approvals. Techniques of recombinant DNA technology, gene therapy, and genetic modifications are also widely used for the purpose of bioremediation and treating serious diseases. Due to tremendous advancement and broad range of application in the field of recombinant DNA technology, this review article mainly focuses on its importance and the possible applications in daily life.
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21
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Hynes AP, Lemay ML, Moineau S. Applications of CRISPR-Cas in its natural habitat. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2016; 34:30-36. [PMID: 27280696 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Key components of CRISPR-Cas systems have been adapted into a powerful genome-editing tool that has caught the headlines and the attention of the public. Canonically, a customized RNA serves to guide an endonuclease (e.g. Cas9) to its DNA target, resulting in precise genomic lesions that can be repaired in a personalized fashion by cellular machinery. Here, we turn to the microbes that are the source of this system to explore many of its other notable applications. These include mining the CRISPR 'memory' arrays for functional genomic data, generation of customized virus-resistant or plasmid-refractory bacterial cells, editing of previously intractable viral genomes, and exploiting the unique properties of a catalytically inactive Cas9, dCas9, to serve as a highly customizable anti-nucleic acid 'antibody'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander P Hynes
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, 1045, Avenue de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Marie-Laurence Lemay
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, 1045, Avenue de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Sylvain Moineau
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, 1045, Avenue de la Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada G1V 0A6.
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