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Graver BA, Chakravarty N, Solomon KV. Prokaryotic Argonautes for in vivo biotechnology and molecular diagnostics. Trends Biotechnol 2024; 42:61-73. [PMID: 37451948 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Prokaryotic Argonautes (pAgos) are an emerging class of programmable endonucleases that are believed to be more flexible than existing CRISPR-Cas systems and have significant potential for biotechnology. Current applications of pAgos include a myriad of molecular diagnostics and in vitro DNA assembly tools. However, efforts have historically been centered on thermophilic pAgo variants. To enable in vivo biotechnological applications such as gene editing, focus has shifted to pAgos from mesophilic organisms. We discuss what is known of pAgos, how they are being developed for various applications, and strategies to overcome current challenges to in vivo applications in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett A Graver
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Namrata Chakravarty
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Kevin V Solomon
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
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Tang Y, Wang F, Wang Y, Wang Y, Liu Y, Chen Z, Li W, Yang S, Ma L. In vitro characterization of a pAgo nuclease TtdAgo from Thermococcus thioreducens and evaluation of its effect in vivo. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1142637. [PMID: 36937752 PMCID: PMC10017986 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1142637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In spite of the development of genome-editing tools using CRISPR-Cas systems, highly efficient and effective genome-editing tools are still needed that use novel programmable nucleases such as Argonaute (Ago) proteins to accelerate the construction of microbial cell factories. In this study, a prokaryotic Ago (pAgo) from a hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus thioreducens (TtdAgo) was characterized in vitro. Our results showed that TtdAgo has a typical DNA-guided DNA endonuclease activity, and the efficiency and accuracy of cleavage are modulated by temperature, divalent ions, and the phosphorylation and length of gDNAs and their complementarity to the DNA targets. TtdAgo can utilize 5'-phosphorylated (5'-P) or 5'- hydroxylated (5'-OH) DNA guides to cleave single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) at temperatures ranging from 30°C to 95°C in the presence of Mn2+ or Mg2+ and displayed no obvious preference for the 5'-end-nucleotide of the guide. In addition, single-nucleotide mismatches had little effects on cleavage efficiency, except for mismatches at position 4 or 8 that dramatically reduced target cleavage. Moreover, TtdAgo performed programmable cleavage of double-stranded DNA at 75°C. We further introduced TtdAgo into an industrial ethanologenic bacterium Zymomonas mobilis to evaluate its effect in vivo. Our preliminary results indicated that TtdAgo showed cell toxicity toward Z. mobilis, resulting in a reduced growth rate and final biomass. In conclusion, we characterized TtdAgo in vitro and investigated its effect on Z. mobilis in this study, which lays a foundation to develop Ago-based genome-editing tools for recalcitrant industrial microorganisms in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lixin Ma
- *Correspondence: Shihui Yang, ; Lixin Ma,
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Zeng Z, Chen Y, Pinilla-Redondo R, Shah SA, Zhao F, Wang C, Hu Z, Wu C, Zhang C, Whitaker RJ, She Q, Han W. A short prokaryotic Argonaute activates membrane effector to confer antiviral defense. Cell Host Microbe 2022; 30:930-943.e6. [PMID: 35594868 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Argonaute (Ago) proteins are widespread nucleic-acid-guided enzymes that recognize targets through complementary base pairing. Although, in eukaryotes, Agos are involved in RNA silencing, the functions of prokaryotic Agos (pAgos) remain largely unknown. In particular, a clade of truncated and catalytically inactive pAgos (short pAgos) lacks characterization. Here, we reveal that a short pAgo protein in the archaeon Sulfolobus islandicus, together with its two genetically associated proteins, Aga1 and Aga2, provide robust antiviral protection via abortive infection. Aga2 is a toxic transmembrane effector that binds anionic phospholipids via a basic pocket, resulting in membrane depolarization and cell killing. Ago and Aga1 form a stable complex that exhibits nucleic-acid-directed nucleic-acid-recognition ability and directly interacts with Aga2, pointing to an immune sensing mechanism. Together, our results highlight the cooperation between pAgos and their widespread associated proteins, suggesting an uncharted diversity of pAgo-derived immune systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifeng Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, 430070 Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, 430070 Wuhan, China
| | - Rafael Pinilla-Redondo
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Shiraz A Shah
- Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood (COPSAC), Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Ledreborg Alle 34, 2820 Gentofte, Denmark
| | - Fen Zhao
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, 430070 Wuhan, China; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, 430070 Wuhan, China; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Centre of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, China
| | - Zeyu Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, 430070 Wuhan, China
| | - Chang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, 430070 Wuhan, China
| | - Changyi Zhang
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Rachel J Whitaker
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Qunxin She
- CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Binhai Road 72, Jimo, 266237 Qingdao, China
| | - Wenyuan Han
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, 430070 Wuhan, China.
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Abstract
Bacteriophages or phages are viruses that infect bacterial cells (for the scope of this review we will also consider viruses that infect Archaea). The constant threat of phage infection is a major force that shapes evolution of microbial genomes. To withstand infection, bacteria had evolved numerous strategies to avoid recognition by phages or to directly interfere with phage propagation inside the cell. Classical molecular biology and genetic engineering had been deeply intertwined with the study of phages and host defenses. Nowadays, owing to the rise of phage therapy, broad application of CRISPR-Cas technologies, and development of bioinformatics approaches that facilitate discovery of new systems, phage biology experiences a revival. This review describes variety of strategies employed by microbes to counter phage infection. In the first part defense associated with cell surface, roles of small molecules, and innate immunity systems relying on DNA modification were discussed. The second part focuses on adaptive immunity systems, abortive infection mechanisms, defenses associated with mobile genetic elements, and novel systems discovered in recent years through metagenomic mining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem B Isaev
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, Moscow, 143028, Russia.
| | - Olga S Musharova
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, Moscow, 143028, Russia. .,Institute of Molecular Genetics, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Konstantin V Severinov
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, Moscow, 143028, Russia. .,Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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