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Li J, Wu S, Zhang K, Sun X, Lin W, Wang C, Lin S. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat/CRISPR-Associated Protein and Its Utility All at Sea: Status, Challenges, and Prospects. Microorganisms 2024; 12:118. [PMID: 38257946 PMCID: PMC10820777 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010118] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Initially discovered over 35 years ago in the bacterium Escherichia coli as a defense system against invasion of viral (or other exogenous) DNA into the genome, CRISPR/Cas has ushered in a new era of functional genetics and served as a versatile genetic tool in all branches of life science. CRISPR/Cas has revolutionized the methodology of gene knockout with simplicity and rapidity, but it is also powerful for gene knock-in and gene modification. In the field of marine biology and ecology, this tool has been instrumental in the functional characterization of 'dark' genes and the documentation of the functional differentiation of gene paralogs. Powerful as it is, challenges exist that have hindered the advances in functional genetics in some important lineages. This review examines the status of applications of CRISPR/Cas in marine research and assesses the prospect of quickly expanding the deployment of this powerful tool to address the myriad fundamental marine biology and biological oceanography questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiashun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
| | - Shuaishuai Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
| | - Kaidian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in the South China Sea, School of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Hainan University, Haikou 570203, China
| | - Xueqiong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
| | - Wenwen Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
| | - Cong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
| | - Senjie Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361101, China
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT 06340, USA
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Van Cauwenberghe J, Simms EL. How might bacteriophages shape biological invasions? mBio 2023; 14:e0188623. [PMID: 37812005 PMCID: PMC10653932 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01886-23] [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] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasions by eukaryotes dependent on environmentally acquired bacterial mutualists are often limited by the ability of bacterial partners to survive and establish free-living populations. Focusing on the model legume-rhizobium mutualism, we apply invasion biology hypotheses to explain how bacteriophages can impact the competitiveness of introduced bacterial mutualists. Predicting how phage-bacteria interactions affect invading eukaryotic hosts requires knowing the eco-evolutionary constraints of introduced and native microbial communities, as well as their differences in abundance and diversity. By synthesizing research from invasion biology, as well as bacterial, viral, and community ecology, we create a conceptual framework for understanding and predicting how phages can affect biological invasions through their effects on bacterial mutualists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannick Van Cauwenberghe
- Institute of Biodiversity, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Ellen L. Simms
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
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Zhao J, Jing H, Wang Z, Wang L, Jian H, Zhang R, Xiao X, Chen F, Jiao N, Zhang Y. Novel Viral Communities Potentially Assisting in Carbon, Nitrogen, and Sulfur Metabolism in the Upper Slope Sediments of Mariana Trench. mSystems 2022; 7:e0135821. [PMID: 35089086 PMCID: PMC8725595 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01358-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses are ubiquitous in the oceans. Even in the deep sediments of the Mariana Trench, viruses have high productivity. However, little is known about their species composition and survival strategies in that environment. Here, we uncovered novel viral communities (3,206 viral scaffolds) in the upper slope sediments of the Mariana Trench via metagenomic analysis of 15 sediment samples. Most (99%) of the viral scaffolds lack known viral homologs, and ca. 59% of the high-quality viral genomes (total of 111 with completeness of >90%) represent novel genera, including some Phycodnaviridae and jumbo phages. These viruses contain various auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) potentially involved in organic carbon degradation, inorganic carbon fixation, denitrification, and assimilatory sulfate reduction, etc. This study provides novel insight into the almost unknown benthic viral communities in the Mariana Trench. IMPORTANCE The Mariana Trench harbors a substantial number of infective viral particles. However, very little is known about the identity, survival strategy, and potential functions of viruses in the trench sediments. Here, through metagenomic analysis, unusual benthic viral communities with high diversity and novelty were discovered. Among them, 59% of the viruses with a genome completeness of >90% represent novel genera. Various auxiliary metabolic genes carried by these viruses reflect the potential adaptive characteristics of viruses in this extreme environment and the biogeochemical cycles that they may participate in. This study gives us a deeper understanding of the peculiarities of viral communities in deep-sea/hadal sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiulong Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongmei Jing
- CAS Key Laboratory for Experimental Study under Deep-Sea Extreme Conditions, Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zengmeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Long Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Huahua Jian
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xiang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Chen
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Nianzhi Jiao
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yongyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Hoikkala V, Almeida GMF, Laanto E, Sundberg LR. Aquaculture as a source of empirical evidence for coevolution between CRISPR-Cas and phage. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180100. [PMID: 30905289 PMCID: PMC6452259 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
So far, studies on the bacterial immune system CRISPR-Cas and its ecological and evolutionary effects have been largely limited to laboratory conditions. While providing crucial information on the constituents of CRISPR-Cas, such studies may overlook fundamental components that affect bacterial immunity in natural habitats. Translating laboratory-derived predictions to nature is not a trivial task, owing partly to the instability of natural communities and difficulties in repeated sampling. To this end, we review how aquaculture, the farming of fishes and other aquatic species, may provide suitable semi-natural laboratories for examining the role of CRISPR-Cas in phage/bacterium coevolution. Existing data from disease surveillance conducted in aquaculture, coupled with growing interest towards phage therapy, may have already resulted in large collections of bacterium and phage isolates. These data, combined with premeditated efforts, can provide empirical evidence on phage-bacterium dynamics such as the bacteriophage adherence to mucus hypothesis, phage life cycles and their relationship with CRISPR-Cas and other immune defences. Typing of CRISPR spacer content in pathogenic bacteria can also provide practical information on diversity and origin of isolates during outbreaks. In addition to providing information of CRISPR functionality and phage-bacterium dynamics, aquaculture systems can significantly impact perspectives on design of phage-based disease treatment at the current era of increasing antibiotic resistance. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The ecology and evolution of prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune systems'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lotta-Riina Sundberg
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, PO Box 35, 40014 Jyvaskyla, Finland
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Abstract
Viruses infect all kingdoms of marine life from bacteria to whales. Viruses in the world's oceans play important roles in the mortality of phytoplankton, and as drivers of evolution and biogeochemical cycling. They shape host population abundance and distribution and can lead to the termination of algal blooms. As discoveries about this huge reservoir of genetic and biological diversity grow, our understanding of the major influences viruses exert in the global marine environment continues to expand. This chapter discusses the key discoveries that have been made to date about marine viruses and the current direction of this field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen D Weynberg
- School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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Karlsen C, Hjerde E, Klemetsen T, Willassen NP. Pan genome and CRISPR analyses of the bacterial fish pathogen Moritella viscosa. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:313. [PMID: 28427330 PMCID: PMC5399434 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3693-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Winter-ulcer Moritella viscosa infections continue to be a significant burden in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) farming. M. viscosa comprises two main clusters that differ in genetic variation and phenotypes including virulence. Horizontal gene transfer through acquisition and loss of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) is a major driving force of bacterial diversification. To gain insight into genomic traits that could affect sublineage evolution within this bacterium we examined the genome sequences of twelve M. viscosa strains. Matches between M. viscosa clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic, repeats and associated cas genes (CRISPR-Cas) were analysed to correlate CRISPR-Cas with adaptive immunity against MGEs. RESULTS The comparative genomic analysis of M. viscosa isolates from across the North Atlantic region and from different fish species support delineation of M. viscosa into four phylogenetic lineages. The results showed that M. viscosa carries two distinct variants of the CRISPR-Cas subtype I-F systems and that CRISPR features follow the phylogenetic lineages. A subset of the spacer content match prophage and plasmid genes dispersed among the M. viscosa strains. Further analysis revealed that prophage and plasmid-like element distribution were reflected in the content of the CRISPR-spacer profiles. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggests that CRISPR-Cas mediated interactions with MGEs impact genome properties among M. viscosa, and that patterns in spacer and MGE distributions are linked to strain relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Karlsen
- Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Pb 8146 Dep., 0033, Oslo, Norway. .,Present address: Nofima AS, Division of Aquaculture, PO Box 210, Ås, N-1431, Norway.
| | - Erik Hjerde
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tromsø, N-9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Terje Klemetsen
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tromsø, N-9037, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Nils Peder Willassen
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tromsø, N-9037, Tromsø, Norway.,The Norwegian Structural Biology Centre, University of Tromsø, N-9037, Tromsø, Norway
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Morris MM, Haggerty JM, Papudeshi BN, Vega AA, Edwards MS, Dinsdale EA. Nearshore Pelagic Microbial Community Abundance Affects Recruitment Success of Giant Kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1800. [PMID: 27895628 PMCID: PMC5107569 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine microbes mediate key ecological processes in kelp forest ecosystems and interact with macroalgae. Pelagic and biofilm-associated microbes interact with macroalgal propagules at multiple stages of recruitment, yet these interactions have not been described for Macrocystis pyrifera. Here we investigate the influence of microbes from coastal environments on recruitment of giant kelp, M. pyrifera. Through repeated laboratory experiments, we tested the effects of altered pelagic microbial abundance on the settlement and development of the microscopic propagules of M. pyrifera during recruitment. M. pyrifera zoospores were reared in laboratory microcosms exposed to environmental microbial communities from seawater during the complete haploid stages of the kelp recruitment cycle, including zoospore release, followed by zoospore settlement, to gametophyte germination and development. We altered the microbial abundance states differentially in three independent experiments with repeated trials, where microbes were (a) present or absent in seawater, (b) altered in community composition, and (c) altered in abundance. Within the third experiment, we also tested the effect of nearshore versus offshore microbial communities on the macroalgal propagules. Distinct pelagic microbial communities were collected from two southern California temperate environments reflecting contrasting intensity of human influence, the nearshore Point Loma kelp forest and the offshore Santa Catalina Island kelp forest. The Point Loma kelp forest is a high impacted coastal region adjacent to the populous San Diego Bay; whereas the kelp forest at Catalina Island is a low impacted region of the Channel Islands, 40 km offshore the southern California coast, and is adjacent to a marine protected area. Kelp gametophytes reared with nearshore Point Loma microbes showed lower survival, growth, and deteriorated morphology compared to gametophytes with the offshore Catalina Island microbial community, and these effects were magnified under high microbial abundances. Reducing abundance of Point Loma microbes restored M. pyrifera propagule success. Yet an intermediate microbial abundance was optimal for kelp propagules reared with Catalina Island microbes, suggesting that microbes also have a beneficial influence on kelp. Our study shows that pelagic microbes from nearshore and offshore environments are differentially influencing kelp propagule success, which has significant implications for kelp recruitment and kelp forest ecosystem health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Morris
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University San Diego, CA, USA
| | - John M Haggerty
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Bhavya N Papudeshi
- Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics, San Diego State University San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Alejandro A Vega
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Matthew S Edwards
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University San Diego, CA, USA
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