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Wang L, Yang J, Li X, Gu Y, Wang L, Liu Z, Hu J. Comparison of CRISPR typing and conventional molecular methods for distinguishing Laribacter hongkongensis isolates from fish, frogs and humans. Int J Food Microbiol 2024; 422:110824. [PMID: 39003891 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2024.110824] [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: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
High-resolution and efficient typing for Laribacter hongkongensis (L. hongkongensis) is essential for epidemiological investigation of such emerging foodborne pathogens. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) typing is an innovative molecular method that shows great promise for L. hongkongensis typing. Here, we explored the CRISPR typing method by combining CRISPR1 and CRISPR2 loci to characterize a collection of 109 L. hongkongensis isolates from humans and animals and compared it to current molecular methods such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The results showed that all three methods have high discriminatory power (diversity index was 0.9902 for PFGE, 0.9663 for CRISPR and 0.9562 for MLST); strong congruence was observed between them (Rand index was 0.969 between CRISPR and PFGE, 0.953 between CRISPR and MLST, 0.958 between PFGE and MLST). CRISPR typing could well distinguish the isolates in the same STs or PFGE profiles, and the genetic information contained by the CRISPR array is useful for deep phylogenetic typing. We demonstrate that rapid CRISPR typing is a practical genetic fingerprinting tool with high resolution, comparable ease of use and lower cost, ability to track the source of various groups of L. hongkongensis strains and indication of genetic characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Wang
- Department of Nosocomial Infection Administration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China
| | - Jun Yang
- Shaoguan Municipal Health Supervision Agency, Shaoguan 510200, China
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Nosocomial Infection Administration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China
| | - Yingjuan Gu
- Department of Nosocomial Infection Administration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China
| | - Li Wang
- Luohu district Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Zhihua Liu
- Department of Infectious Disease, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
| | - Jing Hu
- Department of Nosocomial Infection Administration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
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Fehrenbach A, Mitrofanov A, Alkhnbashi OS, Backofen R, Baumdicker F. SpacerPlacer: ancestral reconstruction of CRISPR arrays reveals the evolutionary dynamics of spacer deletions. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae772. [PMID: 39268572 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria employ CRISPR-Cas systems for defense by integrating invader-derived sequences, termed spacers, into the CRISPR array, which constitutes an immunity memory. While spacer deletions occur randomly across the array, newly acquired spacers are predominantly integrated at the leader end. Consequently, spacer arrays can be used to derive the chronology of spacer insertions. Reconstruction of ancestral spacer acquisitions and deletions could help unravel the coevolution of phages and bacteria, the evolutionary dynamics in microbiomes, or track pathogens. However, standard reconstruction methods produce misleading results by overlooking insertion order and joint deletions of spacers. Here, we present SpacerPlacer, a maximum likelihood-based ancestral reconstruction approach for CRISPR array evolution. We used SpacerPlacer to reconstruct and investigate ancestral deletion events of 4565 CRISPR arrays, revealing that spacer deletions occur 374 times more frequently than mutations and are regularly deleted jointly, with an average of 2.7 spacers. Surprisingly, we observed a decrease in the spacer deletion frequency towards both ends of the reconstructed arrays. While the resulting trailer-end conservation is commonly observed, a reduced deletion frequency is now also detectable towards the variable leader end. Finally, our results point to the hypothesis that frequent loss of recently acquired spacers may provide a selective advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Fehrenbach
- Cluster of Excellence 'Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections', Mathematical and Computational Population Genetics, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics (IBMI), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Alexander Mitrofanov
- Bioinformatics group, Department of Computer Science, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Omer S Alkhnbashi
- Center for Applied and Translational Genomics (CATG), Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), Dubai Healthcare City, 505055 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), Dubai Healthcare City, 505055 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rolf Backofen
- Bioinformatics group, Department of Computer Science, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Franz Baumdicker
- Cluster of Excellence 'Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections', Mathematical and Computational Population Genetics, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics (IBMI), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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Hu WF, Yang JY, Wang JJ, Yuan SF, Yue XJ, Zhang Z, Zhang YQ, Meng JY, Li YZ. Characteristics and immune functions of the endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems in myxobacteria. mSystems 2024; 9:e0121023. [PMID: 38747603 PMCID: PMC11237760 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01210-23] [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: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and their associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) system widely occurs in prokaryotic organisms to recognize and destruct genetic invaders. Systematic collation and characterization of endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems are conducive to our understanding and potential utilization of this natural genetic machinery. In this study, we screened 39 complete and 692 incomplete genomes of myxobacteria using a combined strategy to dispose of the abridged genome information and revealed at least 19 CRISPR-Cas subtypes, which were distributed with a taxonomic difference and often lost stochastically in intraspecies strains. The cas genes in each subtype were evolutionarily clustered but deeply separated, while most of the CRISPRs were divided into four types based on the motif characteristics of repeat sequences. The spacers recorded in myxobacterial CRISPRs were in high G+C content, matching lots of phages, tiny amounts of plasmids, and, surprisingly, massive organismic genomes. We experimentally demonstrated the immune and self-target immune activities of three endogenous systems in Myxococcus xanthus DK1622 against artificial genetic invaders and revealed the microhomology-mediated end-joining mechanism for the immunity-induced DNA repair but not homology-directed repair. The panoramic view and immune activities imply potential omnipotent immune functions and applications of the endogenous CRISPR-Cas machinery. IMPORTANCE Serving as an adaptive immune system, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and their associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) empower prokaryotes to fend off the intrusion of external genetic materials. Myxobacteria are a collective of swarming Gram-stain-negative predatory bacteria distinguished by intricate multicellular social behavior. An in-depth analysis of their intrinsic CRISPR-Cas systems is beneficial for our understanding of the survival strategies employed by host cells within their environmental niches. Moreover, the experimental findings presented in this study not only suggest the robust immune functions of CRISPR-Cas in myxobacteria but also their potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Feng Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jiang-Yu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jing-Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shu-Fei Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xin-Jing Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ya-Qi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jun-Yan Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yue-Zhong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
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Mannaa M, Lee D, Lee HH, Han G, Kang M, Kim TJ, Park J, Seo YS. Exploring the comparative genome of rice pathogen Burkholderia plantarii: unveiling virulence, fitness traits, and a potential type III secretion system effector. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1416253. [PMID: 38845849 PMCID: PMC11153758 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1416253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
This study presents a comprehensive genomic analysis of Burkholderia plantarii, a rice pathogen that causes blight and grain rot in seedlings. The entire genome of B. plantarii KACC 18964 was sequenced, followed by a comparative genomic analysis with other available genomes to gain insights into its virulence, fitness, and interactions with rice. Multiple secondary metabolite gene clusters were identified. Among these, 12 demonstrated varying similarity levels to known clusters linked to bioactive compounds, whereas eight exhibited no similarity, indicating B. plantarii as a source of potentially novel secondary metabolites. Notably, the genes responsible for tropolone and quorum sensing were conserved across the examined genomes. Additionally, B. plantarii was observed to possess three complete CRISPR systems and a range of secretion systems, exhibiting minor variations among the analyzed genomes. Genomic islands were analyzed across the four genomes, and a detailed study of the B. plantarii KACC 18964 genome revealed 59 unique islands. These islands were thoroughly investigated for their gene contents and potential roles in virulence. Particular attention has been devoted to the Type III secretion system (T3SS), a crucial virulence factor. An in silico analysis of potential T3SS effectors identified a conserved gene, aroA. Further mutational studies, in planta and in vitro analyses validated the association between aroA and virulence in rice. Overall, this study enriches our understanding of the genomic basis of B. plantarii pathogenicity and emphasizes the potential role of aroA in virulence. This understanding may guide the development of effective disease management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Mannaa
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
- Institute of System Biology, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
- Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Duyoung Lee
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
- Institute of System Biology, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Hee Lee
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Gil Han
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Minhee Kang
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
- Institute of System Biology, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Jin Kim
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
- Institute of System Biology, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungwook Park
- Biotechnology Research Division, National Institute of Fisheries Science, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Su Seo
- Department of Integrated Biological Science, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
- Institute of System Biology, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
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Dion MB, Shah SA, Deng L, Thorsen J, Stokholm J, Krogfelt KA, Schjørring S, Horvath P, Allard A, Nielsen DS, Petit MA, Moineau S. Escherichia coli CRISPR arrays from early life fecal samples preferentially target prophages. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae005. [PMID: 38366192 PMCID: PMC10910852 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae005] [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: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are defense mechanisms against phages and other nucleic acids that invade bacteria and archaea. In Escherichia coli, it is generally accepted that CRISPR-Cas systems are inactive in laboratory conditions due to a transcriptional repressor. In natural isolates, it has been shown that CRISPR arrays remain stable over the years and that most spacer targets (protospacers) remain unknown. Here, we re-examine CRISPR arrays in natural E. coli isolates and investigate viral and bacterial genomes for spacer targets using a bioinformatics approach coupled to a unique biological dataset. We first sequenced the CRISPR1 array of 1769 E. coli isolates from the fecal samples of 639 children obtained during their first year of life. We built a network with edges between isolates that reflect the number of shared spacers. The isolates grouped into 34 modules. A search for matching spacers in bacterial genomes showed that E. coli spacers almost exclusively target prophages. While we found instances of self-targeting spacers, those involving a prophage and a spacer within the same bacterial genome were rare. The extensive search for matching spacers also expanded the library of known E. coli protospacers to 60%. Altogether, these results favor the concept that E. coli's CRISPR-Cas is an antiprophage system and highlight the importance of reconsidering the criteria use to deem CRISPR-Cas systems active.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moïra B Dion
- 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
| | - Shiraz A Shah
- Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Ledreborg Alle 34, 2820 Gentofte, Denmark
| | - Ling Deng
- Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Jonathan Thorsen
- Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Ledreborg Alle 34, 2820 Gentofte, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jakob Stokholm
- Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Ledreborg Alle 34, 2820 Gentofte, Denmark
- Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Karen A Krogfelt
- Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300S Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Susanne Schjørring
- Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300S Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Philippe Horvath
- IFF Danisco, Health & Biosciences, Dangé-Saint-Romain 86220, France
| | - Antoine Allard
- Département de physique, de génie physique et d’optique, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre interdisciplinaire en modélisation mathématique, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Dennis S Nielsen
- Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Marie-Agnès Petit
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institut Micalis, Jouy-en-Josas 78350, France
| | - 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, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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Martínez-Trejo A, Ruiz-Ruiz JM, Gonzalez-Avila LU, Saldaña-Padilla A, Hernández-Cortez C, de Jesús Colmenero-Solís R, Bello-López JM, Castro-Escarpulli G. The CRISPR-Cas system in clinical strains of Acinetobacter baumannii: an in-silico analysis. Lett Appl Microbiol 2024; 77:ovae003. [PMID: 38211976 DOI: 10.1093/lambio/ovae003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is a relevant bacterium due to its high-resistance profile. It is well known that antimicrobial resistance is primarily linked to mutations and the acquisition of external genomic material, such as plasmids or phages, to which the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats associated with Cas proteins, or CRISPR-Cas, system is related. It is known that the system can influence the acquisition of foreign genetic material and play a role in various physiological pathways. In this study, we conducted an in-silico analysis using 91 fully assembled genomes of clinical strains obtained from the NCBI database. Among the analyzed genomes, the I-F1 subtype of the CRISPR-Cas system was detected showcasing variations in architecture and phylogeny. Using bioinformatic tools, we determined the presence, distribution, and specific characteristics of the CRISPR-Cas system. We found a possible association of the system with resistance genes but not with virulence determinants. Analysis of the system's components, including spacer sequences, suggests its potential role in protecting against phage infections, highlighting its protective function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Martínez-Trejo
- Laboratorio de Investigación Clínica y Ambiental, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
| | - Juan Manuel Ruiz-Ruiz
- Laboratorio Clínico, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Pediatría Dr. Silvestre Frenk Freud, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Luis Uriel Gonzalez-Avila
- Laboratorio de Investigación Clínica y Ambiental, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
| | - Andres Saldaña-Padilla
- Laboratorio de Investigación Clínica y Ambiental, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
| | - Cecilia Hernández-Cortez
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
| | - Raúl de Jesús Colmenero-Solís
- Laboratorio de Investigación Clínica y Ambiental, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
| | | | - Graciela Castro-Escarpulli
- Laboratorio de Investigación Clínica y Ambiental, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
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Collins AJ, Whitaker RJ. CRISPR Comparison Toolkit: Rapid Identification, Visualization, and Analysis of CRISPR Array Diversity. CRISPR J 2023; 6:386-400. [PMID: 37459160 PMCID: PMC10457644 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2022.0080] [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: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems provide immunity against mobile genetic elements (MGEs) through sequence-specific targeting by spacer sequences encoded in CRISPR arrays. Spacers are highly variable between microbial strains and can be acquired rapidly, making them well suited for use in strain typing of closely related organisms. However, no tools are currently available to automate the process of reconstructing strain histories using CRISPR spacers. We therefore developed the CRISPR Comparison Toolkit (CCTK) to enable analyses of array relationships. The CCTK includes tools to identify arrays, analyze relationships between arrays using CRISPRdiff and CRISPRtree, and predict targets of spacers. CRISPRdiff visualizes arrays and highlights the similarities between them. CRISPRtree infers a phylogenetic tree from array relationships and presents a hypothesis of the evolutionary history of the arrays. The CCTK unifies several CRISPR analysis tools into a single command line application, including the first tool to infer phylogenies from array relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan J. Collins
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Rachel J. Whitaker
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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Ma X, Sun T, Zhou J, Zhi M, Shen S, Wang Y, Gu X, Li Z, Gao H, Wang P, Feng Q. Pangenomic Study of Fusobacterium nucleatum Reveals the Distribution of Pathogenic Genes and Functional Clusters at the Subspecies and Strain Levels. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0518422. [PMID: 37042769 PMCID: PMC10269558 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.05184-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Fusobacterium nucleatum is a prevalent periodontal pathogen and is associated with many systemic diseases. Our knowledge of the genomic characteristics and pathogenic effectors of different F. nucleatum strains is limited. In this study, we completed the whole genome assembly of the 4 F. nucleatum strains and carried out a comprehensive pangenomic study of 30 strains with their complete genome sequences. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the F. nucleatum strains are mainly divided into 4 subspecies, while 1 of the sequenced strains was classified into a new subspecies. Gene composition analysis revealed that a total of 517 "core/soft-core genes" with housekeeping functions widely distributed in almost all the strains. Each subspecies had a unique gene cluster shared by strains within the subspecies. Analysis of the virulence factors revealed that many virulence factors were widely distributed across all the strains, with some present in multiple copies. Some virulence genes showed no consistent occurrence rule at the subspecies level and were specifically distributed in certain strains. The genomic islands mainly revealed strain-specific characteristics instead of subspecies level consistency, while CRISPR types and secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters were identically distributed in F. nucleatum strains from the same subspecies. The variation in amino acid sites in the adhesion protein FadA did not affect the monomer and dimer 3D structures, but it may affect the binding surface and the stability of binding to host receptors. This study provides a basis for the pathogenic study of F. nucleatum at the subspecies and strain levels. IMPORTANCE We used F. nucleatum as an example to analyze the genomic characteristics of oral pathogens at the species, subspecies, and strain levels and elucidate the similarities and differences in functional genes and virulence factors among different subspecies/strains of the same oral pathogen. We believe that the unique biological characteristics of each subspecies/strain can be attributed to the differences in functional gene clusters or the presence/absence of certain virulence genes. This study showed that F. nucleatum strains from the same subspecies had similar functional gene compositions, CRISPR types, and secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, while pathogenic genes, such as virulence genes, antibiotic resistance genes, and GIs, had more strain level specificity. The findings of this study suggest that, for microbial pathogenicity studies, we should carefully consider the subspecies/strains being used, as different strains may vary greatly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Ma
- Department of Human Microbiome & Implantology & Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, Jinan, China
| | - Tianyong Sun
- Department of Human Microbiome & Implantology & Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, Jinan, China
| | - Jiannan Zhou
- Department of Human Microbiome & Implantology & Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, Jinan, China
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Sciences of Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine, Ministry of Education (Hubei-MOST KLOS & KLOBM), School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengfan Zhi
- Department of Human Microbiome & Implantology & Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, Jinan, China
| | - Song Shen
- Department of Human Microbiome & Implantology & Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, Jinan, China
| | - Yushang Wang
- Department of Human Microbiome & Implantology & Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, Jinan, China
| | - Xiufeng Gu
- Department of Human Microbiome & Implantology & Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, Jinan, China
| | - Zixuan Li
- Department of Human Microbiome & Implantology & Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, Jinan, China
| | - Haiting Gao
- Department of Human Microbiome & Implantology & Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, Jinan, China
| | - Pingping Wang
- Department of Human Microbiome & Implantology & Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, Jinan, China
| | - Qiang Feng
- Department of Human Microbiome & Implantology & Orthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University & Shandong Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, Jinan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
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Deng X, Yuan J, Chen L, Chen H, Wei C, Nielsen PH, Wuertz S, Qiu G. CRISPR-Cas phage defense systems and prophages in Candidatus Accumulibacter. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 235:119906. [PMID: 37004306 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.119906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Candidatus Accumulibacter plays a major role in enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) from wastewater. Although bacteriophages have been shown to represent fatal threats to Ca. Accumulibacter organisms and thus interfere with the stability of the EBPR process, little is known about the ability of different Ca. Accumulibacter strains to resist phage infections. We conducted a systematic analysis of the occurrence and characteristics of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) systems and prophages in Ca. Accumulibacter lineage members (43 in total, including 10 newly recovered genomes). Results indicate that 28 Ca. Accumulibacter genomes encode CRISPR-Cas systems. They were likely acquired via horizontal gene transfer, conveying a distinct adaptivity to phage predation to different Ca. Accumulibacter members. Major differences in the number of spacers show the unique phage resistance of these members. A comparison of the spacers in closely related Ca. Accumulibacter members from distinct geographical locations indicates that habitat isolation may have resulted in the acquisition of resistance to different phages by different Ca. Accumulibacter. Long-term operation of three laboratory-scale EBPR bioreactors revealed high relative abundances of Ca. Accumulibacter with CRISPSR-Cas systems. Their specific resistance to phages in these reactors was indicated by spacer analysis. Metatranscriptomic analyses showed the activation of the CRISPR-Cas system under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Additionally, 133 prophage regions were identified in 43 Ca. Accumulibacter genomes. Twenty-seven of them (in 19 genomes) were potentially active. Major differences in the occurrence of CRISPR-Cas systems and prophages in Ca. Accumulibacter will lead to distinct responses to phage predation. This study represents the first systematic analysis of CRISPR-Cas systems and prophages in the Ca. Accumulibacter lineage, providing new perspectives on the potential impacts of phages on Ca. Accumulibacter and EBPR systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhan Deng
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Liping Chen
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Hang Chen
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Chaohai Wei
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Per H Nielsen
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; Centre for Microbial Communities, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg DK-9220, Denmark
| | - Stefan Wuertz
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore.
| | - Guanglei Qiu
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Wastes Pollution Control and Recycling, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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10
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Sun L, Wang J, Yan F, Wang G, Li Y, Huang J. CrisprVi: a software for visualizing and analyzing CRISPR sequences of prokaryotes. BMC Bioinformatics 2022; 23:172. [PMID: 35610585 PMCID: PMC9128103 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-022-04716-9] [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: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and their spacers are important components of prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas systems. In order to analyze the CRISPR loci of multiple genomes more intuitively and comparatively, here we propose a visualization analysis tool named CrisprVi. Results CrisprVi is a Python package consisting of a graphic user interface (GUI) for visualization, a module for commands parsing and data transmission, local SQLite and BLAST databases for data storage and a functions layer for data processing. CrisprVi can not only visually present information of CRISPR direct repeats (DRs) and spacers, such as their orders on the genome, IDs, start and end coordinates, but also provide interactive operation for users to display, label and align the CRISPR sequences, which help researchers investigate the locations, orders and components of the CRISPR sequences in a global view. In comparison to other CRISPR visualization tools such as CRISPRviz and CRISPRStudio, CrisprVi not only improves the interactivity and effects of the visualization, but also provides basic statistics of the CRISPR sequences, and the consensus sequences of DRs/spacers across the input strains can be inspected from a clustering heatmap based on the BLAST results of the CRISPR sequences hitting against the genomes. Conclusions CrisprVi is a convenient tool for visualizing and analyzing the CRISPR sequences and it would be helpful for users to inspect novel CRISPR-Cas systems of prokaryotes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12859-022-04716-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Sun
- School of Information Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China. .,School of Artificial Intelligence, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China. .,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China. .,Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jinbiao Wang
- School of Information Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Fu Yan
- School of Information Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Gongming Wang
- School of Information Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun Li
- School of Information Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Knowledge Management and Intelligent Service, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinlin Huang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou, People's Republic of China
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11
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Parlindungan E, McDonnell B, Lugli GA, Ventura M, van Sinderen D, Mahony J. Dairy streptococcal cell wall and exopolysaccharide genome diversity. Microb Genom 2022; 8. [PMID: 35442186 PMCID: PMC9453073 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The large-scale and high-intensity application of
Streptococcus thermophilus
species in milk fermentation processes is associated with a persistent threat of (bacterio)phage infection. Phage infection of starter cultures may cause inconsistent, slow or even failed fermentations with consequent diminished product quality and/or output. The phage life cycle commences with the recognition of, and binding to, a specific host-encoded and surface-exposed receptor, which in the case of
S. thermophilus
can be the rhamnose-glucose polysaccharide (RGP; specified by the rgp gene cluster) or exopolysaccharide (EPS; specified by the eps gene cluster). The genomic diversity of 23
S
.
thermophilus
strains isolated from unpasteurized dairy products was evaluated, including a detailed analysis of the rgp and eps loci. In the present study, five novel eps genotypes were identified while variations of currently recognized rgp gene cluster types were also observed. Furthermore, the diversity of rgp genotypes amongst retrieved isolates positively correlated with phage diversity based on phageome analysis of eight representative dairy products. Our findings therefore substantially expand our knowledge on S. thermophilus’ strain and phage diversity in (artisanal) dairy products and highlight the merit of phageome analysis of artisanal and traditional fermented foods as a sensitive marker of dominant microbiota involved in the fermentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvina Parlindungan
- School of Microbiology & APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland
| | - Brian McDonnell
- School of Microbiology & APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland
| | - Gabriele A Lugli
- Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Marco Ventura
- Laboratory of Probiogenomics, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Douwe van Sinderen
- School of Microbiology & APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland
| | - Jennifer Mahony
- School of Microbiology & APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork T12 YT20, Ireland
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12
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Wang Z, Zhang Y, Xu H, Chu C, Wang J, Jiao X, Li Q. Whole-genome sequencing analysis reveals pig as the main reservoir for persistent evolution of Salmonella enterica serovar Rissen causing human salmonellosis. Food Res Int 2022; 154:111007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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13
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Large-Scale Phylogenetic Analysis Reveals a New Genetic Clade among Escherichia coli O26 Strains. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0252521. [PMID: 35107330 PMCID: PMC8809355 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02525-21] [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] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26 is the predominant non-O157 serogroup causing hemolytic uremic syndrome worldwide. Moreover, the serogroup is highly dynamic and harbors several pathogenic clones. Here, we investigated the phylogenetic relationship of STEC O26 at a global level based on 1,367 strains from 20 countries deposited in NCBI and Enterobase databases. The whole-genome-based analysis identified a new genetic clade, called ST29C4. The new clade was unique in terms of multilocus sequence type (ST29), CRISPR (group Ia), and dominant plasmid gene profile (ehxA+/katP-/espP-/etpD-). Moreover, the combination of multiple typing methods (core genome single nucleotide polymorphism [SNP] typing, CRISPR typing, and virulence genes analysis) demonstrated that this new lineage ST29C4 was in the intermediate phylogenetic position between ST29C3 and other non-ST29C3 strains. Besides, we observed that ST29C4 harbored extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC)-related virulence gene (VG), tsh, and STEC-associated VG, stx2a, suggesting the emergence of a hybrid pathogen. The ST29C4 strains also exhibited high similarity in stx2a-prophage and integrase with the O104:H4 strain, further demonstrating its potential risk to human health. Collectively, the large-scale phylogenetic analysis extends the understanding of the clonal structure of O26 strains and provides new insights for O26 strain microevolution. IMPORTANCE Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26 is the second prevalent STEC serogroup only to O157, which can cause a series of diseases ranging from mild diarrhea to life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The serogroup is highly diverse and multiple clones are characterized, including ST29C1-C3 and ST21C1-C2. However, the phylogenetic relationship of these clones remains fully unclear. In this study, we revealed a new genetic clade among O26 strains, ST29C4, which was unique in terms of CRISPR, multilocus sequence type (MLST), and plasmid gene profile (PGP). Moreover, the combination of multiple typing methods demonstrated that this new clone was located in the intermediate phylogenetic position between ST29C3 and other non-ST29C3 strains (i.e., ST29C1-C2 and ST21C1-C2). Overall, the large-scale phylogenetic analysis extends our current understanding of O26 microevolution.
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14
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Thomas P, Abdel-Glil MY, Subbaiyan A, Busch A, Eichhorn I, Wieler LH, Neubauer H, Pletz M, Seyboldt C. First Comparative Analysis of Clostridium septicum Genomes Provides Insights Into the Taxonomy, Species Genetic Diversity, and Virulence Related to Gas Gangrene. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:771945. [PMID: 34956133 PMCID: PMC8696124 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.771945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium septicum is a Gram-positive, toxin-producing, and spore-forming bacterium that is recognized, together with C. perfringens, as the most important etiologic agent of progressive gas gangrene. Clostridium septicum infections are almost always fatal in humans and animals. Despite its clinical and agricultural relevance, there is currently limited knowledge of the diversity and genome structure of C. septicum. This study presents the complete genome sequence of C. septicum DSM 7534T type strain as well as the first comparative analysis of five C. septicum genomes. The taxonomy of C. septicum, as revealed by 16S rRNA analysis as well as by genomic wide indices such as protein-based phylogeny, average nucleotide identity, and digital DNA–DNA hybridization indicates a stable clade. The composition and presence of prophages, CRISPR elements and accessory genetic material was variable in the investigated genomes. This is in contrast to the limited genetic variability described for the phylogenetically and phenotypically related species Clostridium chauvoei. The restriction-modification (RM) systems between two C. septicum genomes were heterogeneous for the RM types they encoded. C. septicum has an open pangenome with 2,311 genes representing the core genes and 1,429 accessory genes. The core genome SNP divergence between genome pairs varied up to 4,886 pairwise SNPs. A vast arsenal of potential virulence genes was detected in the genomes studied. Sequence analysis of these genes revealed that sialidase, hemolysin, and collagenase genes are conserved compared to the α-toxin and hyaluronidase genes. In addition, a conserved gene found in all C. septicum genomes was predicted to encode a leucocidin homolog (beta-channel forming cytolysin) similar (71.10% protein identity) to Clostridium chauvoei toxin A (CctA), which is a potent toxin. In conclusion, our results provide first, valuable insights into strain relatedness and genomic plasticity of C. septicum and contribute to our understanding of the virulence mechanisms of this important human and animal pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasad Thomas
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
- Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India
| | - Mostafa Y. Abdel-Glil
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital – Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
- *Correspondence: Mostafa Y. Abdel-Glil,
| | - Anbazhagan Subbaiyan
- Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, India
| | - Anne Busch
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Inga Eichhorn
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lothar H. Wieler
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heinrich Neubauer
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
| | - Mathias Pletz
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital – Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Seyboldt
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
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15
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Thomas P, Abdel-Glil MY, Eichhorn I, Semmler T, Werckenthin C, Baumbach C, Murmann W, Bodenthin-Drauschke A, Zimmermann P, Schotte U, Galante D, Slavic D, Wagner M, Wieler LH, Neubauer H, Seyboldt C. Genome Sequence Analysis of Clostridium chauvoei Strains of European Origin and Evaluation of Typing Options for Outbreak Investigations. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:732106. [PMID: 34659160 PMCID: PMC8513740 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.732106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Black quarter caused by Clostridium (C.) chauvoei is an important bacterial disease that affects cattle and sheep with high mortality. A comparative genomics analysis of 64 C. chauvoei strains, most of European origin and a few of non-European and unknown origin, was performed. The pangenome analysis showed limited new gene acquisition for the species. The accessory genome involved prophages and genomic islands, with variations in gene composition observed in a few strains. This limited accessory genome may indicate that the species replicates only in the host or that an active CRISPR/Cas system provides immunity to foreign genetic elements. All strains contained a CRISPR type I-B system and it was confirmed that the unique spacer sequences therein can be used to differentiate strains. Homologous recombination events, which may have contributed to the evolution of this pathogen, were less frequent compared to other related species from the genus. Pangenome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) based phylogeny and clustering indicate diverse clusters related to geographical origin. Interestingly the identified SNPs were mostly non-synonymous. The study demonstrates the possibility of the existence of polymorphic populations in one host, based on strain variability observed for strains from the same animal and strains from different animals of one outbreak. The study also demonstrates that new outbreak strains are mostly related to earlier outbreak strains from the same farm/region. This indicates the last common ancestor strain from one farm can be crucial to understand the genetic changes and epidemiology occurring at farm level. Known virulence factors for the species were highly conserved among the strains. Genetic elements involved in Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) precursor synthesis (via nadA, nadB, and nadC metabolic pathway) which are known as potential anti-virulence loci are completely absent in C. chauvoei compared to the partial inactivation in C. septicum. A novel core-genome MLST based typing method was compared to sequence typing based on CRISPR spacers to evaluate the usefulness of the methods for outbreak investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasad Thomas
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
| | - Mostafa Y Abdel-Glil
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
| | - Inga Eichhorn
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Christiane Werckenthin
- Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES), Food and Veterinary Institute Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Christina Baumbach
- State Office for Agriculture, Food Safety and Fisheries Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rostock, Germany
| | - Wybke Murmann
- Chemical and Veterinary Investigations Office, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Pia Zimmermann
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority (LGL), Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Oberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schotte
- Department A-Veterinary Medicine, Central Institute of the Bundeswehr Medical Service Kiel, Kronshagen, Germany
| | - Domenico Galante
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Foggia, Italy
| | - Durda Slavic
- Animal Health Laboratory, Laboratory Services Division, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Martin Wagner
- Unit for Food Microbiology, Institute for Food Safety, Technology and Veterinary Public Health, University for Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Heinrich Neubauer
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Seyboldt
- Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Germany
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16
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Rykachevsky A, Stepakov A, Muzyukina P, Medvedeva S, Dobrovolski M, Burnaev E, Severinov K, Savitskaya E. SCRAMBLER: A Tool for De Novo CRISPR Array Reconstruction and Its Application for Analysis of the Structure of Prokaryotic Populations. CRISPR J 2021; 4:673-685. [PMID: 34661428 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2021.0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR arrays are prokaryotic genomic loci consisting of repeat sequences alternating with unique spacers acquired from foreign nucleic acids. As one of the fastest-evolving parts of the genome, CRISPR arrays can be used to differentiate closely related prokaryotic lineages and track individual strains in prokaryotic communities. However, the assembly of full-length CRISPR arrays sequences remains a problem. Here, we developed SCRAMBLER, a tool that includes several pipelines for assembling CRISPR arrays from high-throughput short-read sequencing data. We assessed its performance with model data sets (Escherichia coli strains containing different CRISPR arrays and imitating prokaryotic communities of different complexities) and intestinal microbiomes of extant and extinct pachyderms. Evaluation of SCRAMBLER's performance using model data sets demonstrated its ability to assemble CRISPR arrays correctly from reads containing pairs of spacers, yielding a precision rate of >80% and a recall rate of 60-85% when checked against ground-truth data. Likewise, SCRAMBLER successfully assembled CRISPR arrays from the environmental samples, as attested by their matching with database entries. SCRAMBLER, an open-source software (github.com/biolab-tools/SCRAMBLER), can facilitate analysis of the composition and dynamics of CRISPR arrays in complex communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Rykachevsky
- Center for Computational and Data-Intensive Science and Engineering and Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, USA
| | - Alexander Stepakov
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia; Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, USA
| | - Polina Muzyukina
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia; Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, USA
| | - Sofia Medvedeva
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia; Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, USA
| | - Mark Dobrovolski
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia; Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, USA
| | - Evgeny Burnaev
- Center for Computational and Data-Intensive Science and Engineering and Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, USA
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia; Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, USA.,Laboratory of Genetic Regulation of Prokaryotic Mobile Genetic Elements, Institute of Molecular Genetics of National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute," Moscow, Russia; and Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, USA.,Waksman Institute, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, USA
| | - Ekaterina Savitskaya
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia; Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, USA
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Legionella pneumophila CRISPR-Cas Suggests Recurrent Encounters with One or More Phages in the Family Microviridae. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0046721. [PMID: 34132590 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00467-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Legionella pneumophila is a ubiquitous freshwater pathogen and the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease. L. pneumophila growth within protists provides a refuge from desiccation, disinfection, and other remediation strategies. One outstanding question has been whether this protection extends to phages. L. pneumophila isolates are remarkably devoid of prophages and to date no Legionella phages have been identified. Nevertheless, many L. pneumophila isolates maintain active CRISPR-Cas defenses. So far, the only known target of these systems is an episomal element that we previously named Legionella mobile element 1 (LME-1). The continued expansion of publicly available genomic data promises to further our understanding of the role of these systems. We now describe over 150 CRISPR-Cas systems across 600 isolates to establish the clearest picture yet of L. pneumophila's adaptive defenses. By searching for targets of 1,500 unique CRISPR-Cas spacers, LME-1 remains the only identified CRISPR-Cas targeted integrative element. We identified 3 additional LME-1 variants-all targeted by previously and newly identified CRISPR-Cas spacers-but no other similar elements. Notably, we also identified several spacers with significant sequence similarity to microviruses, specifically those within the subfamily Gokushovirinae. These spacers are found across several different CRISPR-Cas arrays isolated from geographically diverse isolates, indicating recurrent encounters with these phages. Our analysis of the extended Legionella CRISPR-Cas spacer catalog leads to two main conclusions: current data argue against CRISPR-Cas targeted integrative elements beyond LME-1, and the heretofore unknown L. pneumophila phages are most likely lytic gokushoviruses. IMPORTANCE Legionnaires' disease is an often-fatal pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila, which normally grows inside amoebae and other freshwater protists. L. pneumophila trades diminished access to nutrients for the protection and isolation provided by the host. One outstanding question is whether L. pneumophila is susceptible to phages, given the protection provided by its intracellular lifestyle. In this work, we use Legionella CRISPR spacer sequences as a record of phage infection to predict that the "missing" L. pneumophila phages belong to the microvirus subfamily Gokushovirinae. Gokushoviruses are known to infect another intracellular pathogen, Chlamydia. How do gokushoviruses access L. pneumophila (and Chlamydia) inside their "cozy niches"? Does exposure to phages happen during a transient extracellular period (during cell-to-cell spread) or is it indicative of a more complicated environmental lifestyle? One thing is clear, 100 years after their discovery, phages continue to hold important secrets about the bacteria upon which they prey.
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Characterization and Analysis of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPRs) in Pandemic and Non-Pandemic Vibrio parahaemolyticus Isolates from Seafood Sources. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061220. [PMID: 34199972 PMCID: PMC8226915 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is one of the significant seafood-borne pathogens causing gastroenteritis in humans. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) are commonly detected in the genomes of V. parahaemolyticus and the polymorphism of CRISPR patterns has been applied as a genetic marker for tracking its evolution. In this work, a total of 15 pandemic and 36 non-pandemic V. parahaemolyticus isolates obtained from seafood between 2000 and 2012 were characterized based on hemolytic activity, antimicrobial susceptibility, and CRISPR elements. The results showed that 15/17 of the V. parahaemolyticus seafood isolates carrying the thermostable direct hemolysin gene (tdh+) were Kanagawa phenomenon (KP) positive. The Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index ranged between 0.1 and 0.4, and 45% of the isolates have an MAR index ≥ 0.2. A total of 19 isolates were positive for CRISPR detection, including all tdh+ trh− isolates, two of tdh− trh+, and each of tdh+ trh+ and tdh− trh−. Four spacer types (Sp1 to Sp4) were identified, and CRISPR-positive isolates had at least one type of spacer homolog to the region of Vibrio alginolyticus megaplasmid. It is of interest that a specific CRISPR profile and spacer sequence type was observed with correlations to the hemolysin genotype (tdh/trh). Thus, these provide essential data on the exposure of foreign genetic elements and indicate shared ancestry within different genotypes of V. parahaemolyticus isolates.
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19
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CRISPR-Cas systems in Proteus mirabilis. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 92:104881. [PMID: 33905883 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) is a bacterial defense mechanism against bacteriophages composed of two different parts: the CRISPR array and the Cas genes. The spacer acquisition is done by the adaptation module consisting of the hallmark Cas1 Cas2 proteins, which inserts new spacers into the CRISPR array. Here we aimed to describe the CRISPR-Cas system in Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis) isolates. CRISPR loci was observed in 30 genomic contents of 109 P. mirabilis isolates that each locus was consisted of two CRISPR arrays and each array had a different preserved leader sequences. Only the type I-E CRISPR-Cas system was common in these isolates. The source of the spacers was identified, including phages and prophages. CRISPR spacer origin analysis also identified a conserved PAM sequence of 5'-AAG-3' nucleotide stretch. Through collecting spacers, CRISPR arrays of P. mirabilis isolates were expanded mostly by integration of bacteriophageal source of spacers. This study shows novel findings in the area of the P-mirabilis CRISPR-Cas system. In this regard, among analyzed genome of P. mirabilis isolates, Class I CRISR-Cas systems were dominant, and all belonged to type I-E. In the flanks of the CRISPR, some other elements with regulatory role were also found. A motif of 11 nt size was found to be preserved among the analyzed genome. We believe that it might has a CRISPR-Cas system transcription facilitator by targeting the Rho element.
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Jungblut AD, Raymond F, Dion MB, Moineau S, Mohit V, Nguyen GQ, Déraspe M, Francovic-Fontaine É, Lovejoy C, Culley AI, Corbeil J, Vincent WF. Genomic diversity and CRISPR-Cas systems in the cyanobacterium Nostoc in the High Arctic. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:2955-2968. [PMID: 33760341 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Nostoc (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria) has a global distribution in the Polar Regions. However, the genomic diversity of Nostoc is little known and there are no genomes available for polar Nostoc. Here we carried out the first genomic analysis of the Nostoc commune morphotype with a recent sample from the High Arctic and a herbarium specimen collected during the British Arctic Expedition (1875-76). Comparisons of the polar genomes with 26 present-day non-polar members of the Nostocales family highlighted that there are pronounced genetic variations among Nostoc strains and species. Osmoprotection and other stress genes were found in all Nostoc strains, but the two Arctic strains had markedly higher numbers of biosynthetic gene clusters for uncharacterised non-ribosomal peptide synthetases, suggesting a high diversity of secondary metabolites. Since viral-host interactions contribute to microbial diversity, we analysed the CRISPR-Cas systems in the Arctic and two temperate Nostoc species. There were a large number of unique repeat-spacer arrays in each genome, indicating diverse histories of viral attack. All Nostoc strains had a subtype I-D system, but the polar specimens also showed evidence of a subtype I-B system that has not been previously reported in cyanobacteria, suggesting diverse cyanobacteria-virus interactions in the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne D Jungblut
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Frédéric Raymond
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Big Data Research Centre, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.,School of Nutrition and Institute on Nutrition and Functional Foods, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Moïra B Dion
- Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-informatique, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Groupe de Recherche en Écologie Buccale, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Sylvain Moineau
- Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-informatique, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Groupe de Recherche en Écologie Buccale, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Vani Mohit
- Centre for Northern Studies (CEN), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Takuvik Joint International Laboratory and Institute of Integrative Biology and Systems, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Guillaume Quang Nguyen
- School of Nutrition and Institute on Nutrition and Functional Foods, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Maxime Déraspe
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Big Data Research Centre, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Élina Francovic-Fontaine
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Big Data Research Centre, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Connie Lovejoy
- Takuvik Joint International Laboratory and Institute of Integrative Biology and Systems, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Alexander I Culley
- Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-informatique, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Groupe de Recherche en Écologie Buccale, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Centre for Northern Studies (CEN), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Takuvik Joint International Laboratory and Institute of Integrative Biology and Systems, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Jacques Corbeil
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Big Data Research Centre, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Warwick F Vincent
- Centre for Northern Studies (CEN), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Takuvik Joint International Laboratory and Institute of Integrative Biology and Systems, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.,Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
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21
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Wang L, Wang L, Liu Y, Wang Z, Chen Q, Liu Z, Hu J. Characterization of type I-F CRISPR-Cas system in Laribacter hongkongensis isolates from animals, the environment and diarrhea patients. Int J Food Microbiol 2021; 346:109153. [PMID: 33744818 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2021.109153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Laribacter hongkongensis is a foodborne organism that is associated with gastroenteritis and diarrhea in humans. Here we describe the structural characteristics and potential function of CRISPR systems to obtain insight into the genotypic diversity of L. hongkongensis. Specifically, we analyzed the genomic content of six L. hongkongensis genomes and identified two CRISPR loci (CRISPR1 and CRISPR2) belonging to the I-F subtype of CRISPR systems. CRISPR1 was flanked on one side by cas genes and a 170 bp-long putative leader sequence, while CRISPR2 arrays located further and processed by the same cas genes. Then a combination of PCR and sequencing was used to determine the prevalence and distribution of the two CRISPR arrays in 112 L. hongkongensis strains isolated from patients, animals, and water reservoirs. In total, the CRISPR1-Cas system of complete subtype I-F was detected in 91.5% (108/118) of the isolates, whereas CRISPR2 locus existed in 72.0% (85/118). Ten strains only possessed part of the cas genes of subtype I-F and four of them with CRISPR2 array. The two loci contained highly conserved and identical direct repeat sequences which were stable in their RNA secondary structure. Additionally, 2564 total spacers including 980 unique spacers arranged in 59 alleles were identified. Homology analysis showed only 1.8% (18/980) of the spacers matched with plasmid or phage. CRISPR polymorphism present in human isolates and frog isolates was more closely related and more extensive than that of fish isolates based on spacer polymorphism. The elucidation of the structural characteristics of the CRISPR-Cas system may be helpful for further studying the specific mechanism of adaptive immunity and other biological functions mediated by CRISPR in L. hongkongensis. The conservation of CRISPR loci and hypervariable repeat-spacer arrays imply the potential for molecular typing of L. hongkongensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Wang
- Department of Nosocomial Infection Administration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China
| | - Li Wang
- Office, Luohu district Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Youzhao Liu
- Department of AIDS Prevention and Control, Guangdong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou 510300, China
| | - Zhiyun Wang
- Department of Immunization Programmes, Baiyun district Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou 510540, China
| | - Qing Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Zhihua Liu
- Department of Infectious Disease, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
| | - Jing Hu
- Department of Nosocomial Infection Administration, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510280, China.
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22
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Achigar R, Scarrone M, Rousseau GM, Philippe C, Machado F, Duvós V, Campot MP, Dion MB, Shao Y, Pianzzola MJ, Moineau S. Ectopic Spacer Acquisition in Streptococcus thermophilus CRISPR3 Array. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9030512. [PMID: 33804420 PMCID: PMC7999890 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9030512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus thermophilus relies heavily on two type II-A CRISPR-Cas systems, CRISPR1 and CRISPR3, to resist siphophage infections. One hallmark of these systems is the integration of a new spacer at the 5' end of the CRISPR arrays following phage infection. However, we have previously shown that ectopic acquisition of spacers can occur within the CRISPR1 array. Here, we present evidence of the acquisition of new spacers within the array of CRISPR3 of S. thermophilus. The analysis of randomly selected bacteriophage-insensitive mutants of the strain Uy01 obtained after phage infection, as well as the comparison with other S. thermophilus strains with similar CRISPR3 content, showed that a specific spacer within the array could be responsible for misguiding the adaptation complex. These results also indicate that while the vast majority of new spacers are added at the 5' end of the CRISPR array, ectopic spacer acquisition is a common feature of both CRISPR1 and CRISPR3 systems in S. thermophilus, and it can still provide phage resistance. Ectopic spacer acquisition also appears to have occurred naturally in some strains of Streptococcus pyogenes, suggesting that it is a general phenomenon, at least in type II-A systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Achigar
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad ORT Uruguay, Montevideo 11100, Uruguay; (R.A.); (F.M.); (V.D.); (M.P.C.)
| | - Martina Scarrone
- Département de Biochimie, De Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Faculté des Sciences et de Génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (M.S.); (G.M.R.); (C.P.); (M.B.D.); (Y.S.)
| | - Geneviève M. Rousseau
- Département de Biochimie, De Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Faculté des Sciences et de Génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (M.S.); (G.M.R.); (C.P.); (M.B.D.); (Y.S.)
- Groupe de Recherche en Écologie Buccale, Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Cécile Philippe
- Département de Biochimie, De Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Faculté des Sciences et de Génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (M.S.); (G.M.R.); (C.P.); (M.B.D.); (Y.S.)
- Groupe de Recherche en Écologie Buccale, Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Felipe Machado
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad ORT Uruguay, Montevideo 11100, Uruguay; (R.A.); (F.M.); (V.D.); (M.P.C.)
| | - Valentina Duvós
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad ORT Uruguay, Montevideo 11100, Uruguay; (R.A.); (F.M.); (V.D.); (M.P.C.)
| | - María Pía Campot
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad ORT Uruguay, Montevideo 11100, Uruguay; (R.A.); (F.M.); (V.D.); (M.P.C.)
| | - Moïra B. Dion
- Département de Biochimie, De Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Faculté des Sciences et de Génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (M.S.); (G.M.R.); (C.P.); (M.B.D.); (Y.S.)
- Groupe de Recherche en Écologie Buccale, Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Yuyu Shao
- Département de Biochimie, De Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Faculté des Sciences et de Génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (M.S.); (G.M.R.); (C.P.); (M.B.D.); (Y.S.)
- Groupe de Recherche en Écologie Buccale, Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - María Julia Pianzzola
- Departamento de Biociencias (DEPBIO), Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay;
| | - Sylvain Moineau
- Département de Biochimie, De Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Faculté des Sciences et de Génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (M.S.); (G.M.R.); (C.P.); (M.B.D.); (Y.S.)
- 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, Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-418-656-3712
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23
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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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Comparative Genomic Analysis of Mycobacteriaceae Reveals Horizontal Gene Transfer-Mediated Evolution of the CRISPR-Cas System in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex. mSystems 2021; 6:6/1/e00934-20. [PMID: 33468705 PMCID: PMC7820667 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00934-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) genes are conserved genetic elements in many prokaryotes, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis. Although knowledge of CRISPR locus variability has been utilized in M. tuberculosis strain genotyping, its evolutionary path in Mycobacteriaceae is not well understood. In this study, we have performed a comparative analysis of 141 mycobacterial genomes and identified the exclusive presence of the CRISPR-Cas type III-A system in M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC). Our global phylogenetic analysis of CRISPR repeats and Cas10 proteins offers evidence of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of the CRISPR-Cas module in the last common ancestor of MTBC and Mycobacterium canettii from a Streptococcus-like environmental bacterium. Additionally, our results show that the variation of CRISPR-Cas organization in M. tuberculosis lineages, especially in the Beijing sublineage of lineage 2, is due to the transposition of insertion sequence IS6110 The direct repeat (DR) region of the CRISPR-Cas locus acts as a hot spot for IS6110 insertion. We show in M. tuberculosis H37Rv that the repeat at the 5' end of CRISPR1 of the forward strand is an atypical repeat made up partly of IS-terminal inverted repeat and partly CRISPR DR. By tracing an undetectable spacer sequence in the DR region, the two CRISPR loci could theoretically be joined to reconstruct the ancestral single CRISPR-Cas locus organization, as seen in M. canettii This study retracing the evolutionary events of HGT and IS6110-driven genomic deletions helps us to better understand the strain-specific variations in M. tuberculosis lineages.IMPORTANCE Comparative genomic analysis of prokaryotes has led to a better understanding of the biology of several pathogenic microorganisms. One such clinically important pathogen is M. tuberculosis, the leading cause of bacterial infection worldwide. Recent evidence on the functionality of the CRISPR-Cas system in M. tuberculosis has brought back focus on these conserved genetic elements, present in many prokaryotes. Our study advances understanding of mycobacterial CRISPR-Cas origin and its diversity among the different species. We provide phylogenetic evidence of acquisition of CRISPR-Cas type III-A in the last common ancestor shared between MTBC and M. canettii, by HGT-mediated events. The most likely source of HGT was an environmental Firmicutes bacterium. Genomic mapping of the CRISPR loci showed the IS6110 transposition-driven variations in M. tuberculosis strains. Thus, this study offers insights into events related to the evolution of CRISPR-Cas in M. tuberculosis lineages.
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Ruiz-Hernández UE, Pelcastre-Rodriguez LI, Cabrero-Martínez OA, Hernández-Cortez C, Castro-Escarpulli G. Analysis of CRISPR-Cas systems in Gardnerella suggests its potential role in the mechanisms of bacterial vaginosis. Comput Biol Chem 2020; 89:107381. [PMID: 33002715 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2020.107381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the principal cause of vaginal discharge among women, and it can lead to many comorbidities with a negative impact in women's daily activities. Despite the fact that the pathophysiological process of BV remains unclear, great advances had been achieved in determining consequences of the shift in the vaginal community, and it was defined that Gardnerella spp., plays a key role in the pathogenesis of BV. Interactions of vaginal phage communities and bacterial hosts may be relevant in eubiosis/dysbiosis states, so defense mechanisms in Gardnerella spp., against phage infections could be relevant in BV development. In this study, we analyzed CRISPR-Cas systems among the 13 Gardnerella species recently classified, considering that these systems act as prokaryotic immune systems against phages, plasmids, and other mobile genetic elements. In silico analyses for CRISPR-Cas systems mining over the 81 Gardnerella spp., strains genomes analyzed led to the identification of subtypes I-E and II-C. Spacers analyses showed a hypervariable region across species, providing a high resolution level in order to distinguish clonality in strains, which was supported with phylogenomic analyses based on Virtual Genomic Fingerprinting. Moreover, most of the spacers revealed interactions between Gardnerella spp., strains and prophages over the genus. Furthermore, virulence traits of the 13 species showed insights of potential niche specificity in the vaginal microbiome. Overall, our results suggest that the CRISPR-Cas systems in the genus Gardnerella may play an important role in the mechanisms of the development and maintenance of BV, considering that the Gardnerella species occupies different niches in the vaginal community; in addition, spacer sequences can be used for genotyping studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ubaldo Emilio Ruiz-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Investigación Clínica y Ambiental, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Leda Ivonne Pelcastre-Rodriguez
- Laboratorio de Investigación Clínica y Ambiental, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Omar Alejandro Cabrero-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Investigación Clínica y Ambiental, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Cecilia Hernández-Cortez
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Graciela Castro-Escarpulli
- Laboratorio de Investigación Clínica y Ambiental, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
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Long J, Xu Y, Ou L, Yang H, Xi Y, Chen S, Duan G. Utilization of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats to Genotype Escherichia coli Serogroup O80. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1708. [PMID: 32793166 PMCID: PMC7390953 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypervariable nature of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) makes them valuable biomarkers for subtyping and epidemiological investigation of Escherichia coli. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serogroup O80 is one hybrid pathotype that is emerging recently in Europe and is involved in hemolytic uremic syndrome with bacteremia. However, whether STEC O80 strains can be genotyped using CRISPR has not been evaluated. In this study, we aimed to characterize the genetic diversity of 81 E. coli serogroup O80 isolates deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information databases using CRISPR typing and to explore the association between virulence potential and CRISPR types (CTs). A total of 21 CTs were identified in 80 O80 strains. CRISRP typing provided discrimination with variants of a single serotype, which suggested a stronger discriminatory power. Based on CRISPR spacer profiles, 70 O80:H2 isolates were further divided into four lineages (lineage LI, LII, LIII, and LIV), which correlated well with whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphisms typing and virulence gene profiles. Moreover, the association between CRISPR lineages and virulence gene profiles hinted that STEC O80:H2 strains may originate from O80:H19 or O80:H26 and that lineage LI may have been evolved from lineage LII. CT2 and CT13 were shared by human and cattle isolates, suggesting that there might be the potential transmission between cattle and human. Collectively, CRISPR typing is one technology that can be used to monitor the transmission of STEC O80 strains and provide new insights into microevolution of serogroup O80.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinzhao Long
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yake Xu
- Institute for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Henan Province Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Henan, China
| | - Liuyang Ou
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Haiyan Yang
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yuanlin Xi
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shuaiyin Chen
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guangcai Duan
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.,Henan Innovation Center of Molecular Diagnosis and Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
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Novel Genus of Phages Infecting Streptococcus thermophilus: Genomic and Morphological Characterization. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.00227-20. [PMID: 32303549 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00227-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus thermophilus is a lactic acid bacterium commonly used for the manufacture of yogurt and specialty cheeses. Virulent phages represent a major risk for milk fermentation processes worldwide, as they can inactivate the added starter bacterial cells, leading to low-quality fermented dairy products. To date, four genetically distinct groups of phages infecting S. thermophilus have been described. Here, we describe a fifth group. Phages P738 and D4446 are virulent siphophages that infect a few industrial strains of S. thermophilus The genomes of phages P738 and D4446 were sequenced and found to contain 34,037 and 33,656 bp as well as 48 and 46 open reading frames, respectively. Comparative genomic analyses revealed that the two phages are closely related to each other but display very limited similarities to other S. thermophilus phages. In fact, these two novel S. thermophilus phages share similarities with streptococcal phages of nondairy origin, suggesting that they emerged recently in the dairy environment.IMPORTANCE Despite decades of research and adapted antiphage strategies such as CRISPR-Cas systems, virulent phages are still a persistent risk for the milk fermentation industry worldwide, as they can cause manufacturing failures and alter product quality. Phages P738 and D4446 are novel virulent phages that infect the food-grade Gram-positive bacterial species Streptococcus thermophilus These two related viruses represent a fifth group of S. thermophilus phages, as they are significantly distinct from other known S. thermophilus phages. Both phages share similarities with phages infecting nondairy streptococci, suggesting their recent emergence and probable coexistence in dairy environments. These findings highlight the necessity of phage surveillance programs as the phage population evolves in response to the application of antiphage strategies.
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Pourcel C, Touchon M, Villeriot N, Vernadet JP, Couvin D, Toffano-Nioche C, Vergnaud G. CRISPRCasdb a successor of CRISPRdb containing CRISPR arrays and cas genes from complete genome sequences, and tools to download and query lists of repeats and spacers. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:D535-D544. [PMID: 31624845 PMCID: PMC7145573 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In Archaea and Bacteria, the arrays called CRISPRs for 'clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats' and the CRISPR associated genes or cas provide adaptive immunity against viruses, plasmids and transposable elements. Short sequences called spacers, corresponding to fragments of invading DNA, are stored in-between repeated sequences. The CRISPR-Cas systems target sequences homologous to spacers leading to their degradation. To facilitate investigations of CRISPRs, we developed 12 years ago a website holding the CRISPRdb. We now propose CRISPRCasdb, a completely new version giving access to both CRISPRs and cas genes. We used CRISPRCasFinder, a program that identifies CRISPR arrays and cas genes and determine the system's type and subtype, to process public whole genome assemblies. Strains are displayed either in an alphabetic list or in taxonomic order. The database is part of the CRISPR-Cas++ website which also offers the possibility to analyse submitted sequences and to download programs. A BLAST search against lists of repeats and spacers extracted from the database is proposed. To date, 16 990 complete prokaryote genomes (16 650 bacteria from 2973 species and 340 archaea from 300 species) are included. CRISPR-Cas systems were found in 36% of Bacteria and 75% of Archaea strains. CRISPRCasdb is freely accessible at https://crisprcas.i2bc.paris-saclay.fr/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Pourcel
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marie Touchon
- Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR3525, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Villeriot
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Vernadet
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - David Couvin
- Unité Transmission, Réservoir et Diversité des Pathogènes, Institut Pasteur de Guadeloupe, 97139 Les Abymes, France
| | - Claire Toffano-Nioche
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Gilles Vergnaud
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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Milk microbial composition of Brazilian dairy cows entering the dry period and genomic comparison between Staphylococcus aureus strains susceptible to the bacteriophage vB_SauM-UFV_DC4. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5520. [PMID: 32218514 PMCID: PMC7099093 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62499-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Brazil has the second-largest dairy cattle herd in the world, and bovine mastitis still can cause significant losses for dairy farmers. Despite this fact, little information is available about milk microbial composition of Brazilian dairy cows, as well as the potential use of bacteriophages in the control of S. aureus. Here, we investigated milk bacterial composition of 28 Holstein Fresian cows (109 teats), selected in the dry-off period, using 16S rRNA analysis. Furthermore, a representative S. aureus strain (UFV2030RH1) was obtained at drying-off for isolation of a bacteriophage (vB_SauM-UFV_DC4, UFV_DC4) and bacterial genomic comparison purposes. Our outcomes revealed that Staphylococcus was the third most prevalent genus and positively correlated with subclinical mastitis events. As a major finding, genomic analyses showed the presence of adhesive matrix molecules that recognize microbial surface components (MSCRAMM) in UFV2030RH1 and might indicate great biofilm formation capability. A minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay showed that resistance to ampicillin was the highest among the antibiotic tested in S. aureus 3059 and UFV2030RH1, displaying values four and sixteen times greater than MIC resistance breakpoint, respectively. Together, our results suggest that Staphylococcus is highly prevalent in dairy cows at drying-off and the use of the phage UFV_DC4 as a biocontrol agent must be investigated in future studies.
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Type I-F CRISPR-Cas Distribution and Array Dynamics in Legionella pneumophila. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:1039-1050. [PMID: 31937548 PMCID: PMC7056967 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
In bacteria and archaea, several distinct types of CRISPR-Cas systems provide adaptive immunity through broadly similar mechanisms: short nucleic acid sequences derived from foreign DNA, known as spacers, engage in complementary base pairing with invasive genetic elements setting the stage for nucleases to degrade the target DNA. A hallmark of type I CRISPR-Cas systems is their ability to acquire spacers in response to both new and previously encountered invaders (naïve and primed acquisition, respectively). Our phylogenetic analyses of 43 L. pneumophila type I-F CRISPR-Cas systems and their resident genomes suggest that many of these systems have been horizontally acquired. These systems are frequently encoded on plasmids and can co-occur with nearly identical chromosomal loci. We show that two such co-occurring systems are highly protective and undergo efficient primed acquisition in the lab. Furthermore, we observe that targeting by one system’s array can prime spacer acquisition in the other. Lastly, we provide experimental and genomic evidence for a model in which primed acquisition can efficiently replenish a depleted type I CRISPR array following a mass spacer deletion event.
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Prevalence, genetic analysis and CRISPR typing of Cronobacter spp. isolated from meat and meat products in China. Int J Food Microbiol 2020; 321:108549. [PMID: 32062304 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2020.108549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cronobacter spp. are important foodborne pathogens that infections occur in all age groups, especially cause serious life-threatening diseases in infants. This study aimed to acquire data on Cronobacter spp. contamination of meat and meat products (n = 588) in China during 2011 to 2016, and investigated the use of CRISPR typing technology as an approach for characterizing the genetics of Cronobacter spp. The overall contamination rate for Cronobacter spp. was determined to be 9.18% (54/588). Of the positive samples, 90.74% (49/54) had <10 MPN/g, with duck samples had a relatively high contamination rate (15.69%, 8/51) and highest contamination level (28.90 MPN/g). Four species and nine serotypes were identified among 69 isolates, of which C. sakazakii was the major species (n = 50) and C. sakazakii serogroup O1 and O2 (n = 17) were the primary serotypes. The majority of Cronobacter spp. strains were found to be susceptible to most antibiotics except exhibited high resistance to cephalothin (76.81%, 53/69), and total two multi-drug resistant C. sakazakii strains were isolated from duck. The genetic diversity of Cronobacter spp. was remarkably high, as evidenced by the identification of 40 sequence types (STs) and 60 CRISPR types (CTs). C. sakazakii ST64 (n = 7) was the predominant genotype and was further divided into two sub-lineages based on CRISPR diversity, showing different antibiotic resistance profile. These results demonstrate that CRISPR typing results have a good correspondence with bacterial phenotypes, and it will be a tremendously useful approach for elucidating inter-subtyping during molecular epidemiological investigations while interpreting the divergent evolution of Cronobacter. The presence of Cronobacter spp. in meat and meat product is a potential threat to human public health.
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Pourcel C, Touchon M, Villeriot N, Vernadet JP, Couvin D, Toffano-Nioche C, Vergnaud G. CRISPRCasdb a successor of CRISPRdb containing CRISPR arrays and cas genes from complete genome sequences, and tools to download and query lists of repeats and spacers. Nucleic Acids Res 2020. [PMID: 31624845 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz915.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In Archaea and Bacteria, the arrays called CRISPRs for 'clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats' and the CRISPR associated genes or cas provide adaptive immunity against viruses, plasmids and transposable elements. Short sequences called spacers, corresponding to fragments of invading DNA, are stored in-between repeated sequences. The CRISPR-Cas systems target sequences homologous to spacers leading to their degradation. To facilitate investigations of CRISPRs, we developed 12 years ago a website holding the CRISPRdb. We now propose CRISPRCasdb, a completely new version giving access to both CRISPRs and cas genes. We used CRISPRCasFinder, a program that identifies CRISPR arrays and cas genes and determine the system's type and subtype, to process public whole genome assemblies. Strains are displayed either in an alphabetic list or in taxonomic order. The database is part of the CRISPR-Cas++ website which also offers the possibility to analyse submitted sequences and to download programs. A BLAST search against lists of repeats and spacers extracted from the database is proposed. To date, 16 990 complete prokaryote genomes (16 650 bacteria from 2973 species and 340 archaea from 300 species) are included. CRISPR-Cas systems were found in 36% of Bacteria and 75% of Archaea strains. CRISPRCasdb is freely accessible at https://crisprcas.i2bc.paris-saclay.fr/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Pourcel
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marie Touchon
- Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR3525, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Villeriot
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Vernadet
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - David Couvin
- Unité Transmission, Réservoir et Diversité des Pathogènes, Institut Pasteur de Guadeloupe, 97139 Les Abymes, France
| | - Claire Toffano-Nioche
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Gilles Vergnaud
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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Rogalski E, Vogel RF, Ehrmann MA. Monitoring of Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis strains during wheat and rye sourdough fermentations by CRISPR locus length polymorphism PCR. Int J Food Microbiol 2019; 316:108475. [PMID: 31874326 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2019.108475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Lactobacillus (L.) sanfranciscensis is a competitive key species in sourdough fermentations. However, the principles involved in establishing the commonly observed phenomenon of strain dominance are unresolved. This has been studied little because the methods for fast and reliable differentiation of strains and their monitoring during fermentation are tedious and cannot be done with large numbers of isolates. In this contribution, we present a strain-specific, PCR-based typing method that uses length heterogeneities of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) loci as they occur in the genomes of different strains. In silico analysis of 21 genomes revealed 14 different CRISPR genotypes. We then designed a primer set to simultaneously detect different strains in a multiplex PCR assay designated CRISPR locus length polymorphism PCR (CLLP-PCR). The usefulness of this method was evaluated in lab-scale sourdough fermentations conducted with rye and wheat flours. First, the flour was mixed with water to a dough yield of 200. Then each dough was inoculated with four different L. sanfranciscensis strains (TMW 1.1150, TMW 1.392, TMW 1.2142, and TMW 1.2138) at levels of 109 cfu/g each. Sourdoughs were propagated at 28 °C for 5 days by back slopping 5% to the flour mass every 24 h. Samples were collected each day; DNA was isolated, and the presence of strains was detected qualitatively in the sourdoughs with PCR. L. sanfranciscensis TMW 1.392 became dominant as early as 2 days into the fermentation and remained the only detectable strain for the rest of the sampling period. CLLP-PCR proved to be useful in investigating the assertiveness of different strains of L. sanfranciscensis in sourdoughs. Therefore, CLLP-PCR may be used as a tool to investigate assertiveness of microorganisms in food fermentations at the strain level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Rogalski
- Lehrstuhl für Technische Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Rudi F Vogel
- Lehrstuhl für Technische Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Matthias A Ehrmann
- Lehrstuhl für Technische Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany.
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Special Issue: Applications of CRISPR Technology in Virology 2018. Viruses 2019; 11:v11090839. [PMID: 31509984 PMCID: PMC6784035 DOI: 10.3390/v11090839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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Zeng H, Li C, He W, Zhang J, Chen M, Lei T, Wu H, Ling N, Cai S, Wang J, Ding Y, Wu Q. Cronobacter sakazakii, Cronobacter malonaticus, and Cronobacter dublinensis Genotyping Based on CRISPR Locus Diversity. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1989. [PMID: 31555228 PMCID: PMC6722223 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cronobacter strains harboring CRISPR-Cas systems are important foodborne pathogens that cause serious neonatal infections. CRISPR typing is a new molecular subtyping method to track the sources of pathogenic bacterial outbreaks and shows a promise in typing Cronobacter, however, this molecular typing procedure using routine PCR method has not been established. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish such methodology, 257 isolates of Cronobacter sakazakii, C. malonaticus, and C. dublinensis were used to verify the feasibility of the method. Results showed that 161 C. sakazakii strains could be divided into 129 CRISPR types (CTs), among which CT15 (n = 7) was the most prevalent CT followed by CT6 (n = 4). Further, 65 C. malonaticus strains were divided into 42 CTs and CT23 (n = 8) was the most prevalent followed by CT2, CT3, and CT13 (n = 4). Finally, 31 C. dublinensis strains belonged to 31 CTs. There was also a relationship among CT, sequence type (ST), food types, and serotype. Compared to multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), this new molecular method has greater power to distinguish similar strains and had better accordance with whole genome sequence typing (WGST). More importantly, some lineages were found to harbor conserved ancestral spacers ahead of their divergent specific spacer sequences; this can be exploited to infer the divergent evolution of Cronobacter and provide phylogenetic information reflecting common origins. Compared to WGST, CRISPR typing method is simpler and more affordable, it could be used to identify sources of Cronobacter food-borne outbreaks, from clinical cases to food sources and the production sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengsi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenjing He
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jumei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Moutong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haoming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Na Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuzhen Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juan Wang
- College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Ding
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingping Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbiology Culture Collection and Application, Guangdong Open Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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Long J, Xu Y, Ou L, Yang H, Xi Y, Chen S, Duan G. Polymorphism of Type I-F CRISPR/Cas system in Escherichia coli of phylogenetic group B2 and its application in genotyping. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2019; 74:103916. [PMID: 31195154 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2019.103916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
E. coli of phylogenetic group B2 is responsible for many extraintestinal infections, posing a great threat to health. The relatively polymorphic nature of CRISPR in phylogenetically related E. coli strains makes them potential markers for bacterial typing and evolutionary studies. In the current work, we investigated the occurrence and diversity of CRISPR/Cas system and explored its potential for genotyping. Type I-F CRISPR/Cas systems were found in 413 of 1190 strains of E. coli and exhibited the clustering within certain CCs and STs. And CRISPR spacer contents correlated well with MLST types. The divergence analysis of CRISPR showed stronger discriminatory power than MLST, and CRISPR polymorphism was instrumental for differentiating highly closely related strains. The timeline of spacer acquisition and deletion provided important information for inferring the evolution model between distinct serotypes. Identical spacer sequences were shared by strains with the same H-antigen type but not strains with the same O-antigen type. The homology between spacers and antibiotic-resistant plasmids demonstrated the role of Type I-F system in limiting the acquisition of antimicrobial resistance. Collectively, our data presents the dynamic nature of Type I-F CRISPR in E. coli of phylogenetic group B2 and provides new insights into the application of CRISPR-based typing in the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinzhao Long
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yake Xu
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China; School Hospital, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan, China
| | - Liuyang Ou
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Haiyan Yang
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yuanlin Xi
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Shuaiyin Chen
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| | - Guangcai Duan
- College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China; Henan Innovation Center of Molecular Diagnosis and Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China.
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