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Garcia C, Charles M, Chollet B, Nadeau A, Serpin D, Quintric L, Pépin JF, Houssin M, Lupo C. Understanding the role of Francisella halioticida in mussel mortalities in France: an integrative approach. Dis Aquat Organ 2024; 158:81-99. [PMID: 38661140 DOI: 10.3354/dao03782] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Since 2014, mass mortalities of mussels Mytilus spp. have occurred in production areas on the Atlantic coast of France. The aetiology of these outbreaks remained unknown until the bacterium Francisella halioticida was detected in some mussel mortality cases. This retrospective study was conducted to assess the association between F. halioticida and these mussel mortalities. Mussel batches (n = 45) from the Atlantic coast and English Channel were selected from archived individual samples (n = 863) collected either during or outside of mortality events between 2014 and 2017. All mussels were analysed by real-time PCR assays targeting F. halioticida; in addition, 185 were analysed using histological analysis and 178 by 16S rRNA metabarcoding. F. halioticida DNA was detected by real-time PCR and 16S rRNA metabarcoding in 282 and 34 mussels, respectively. Among these individuals, 82% (real-time PCR analysis) and 76% (16S rRNA metabarcoding analysis) were sampled during a mortality event. Histological analyses showed that moribund individuals had lesions mainly characterized by necrosis, haemocyte infiltration and granulomas. Risk factor analysis showed that mussel batches with more than 20% of PCR-positive individuals were more likely to have been sampled during a mortality event, and positive 16S rRNA metabarcoding batches increased the strength of the association with mortality by 11.6 times. The role of F. halioticida in mussel mortalities was determined by reviewing the available evidence. To this end, a causation criteria grid, tailored to marine diseases and molecular pathogen detection tools, allowed more evidence to be gathered on the causal role of this bacterium in mussel mortalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Garcia
- Ifremer, ASIM Adaptation et Santé des Invertébrés Marins, F-17390 La Tremblade, France
| | | | - Bruno Chollet
- Ifremer, ASIM Adaptation et Santé des Invertébrés Marins, F-17390 La Tremblade, France
| | - Aurélie Nadeau
- Ifremer, ASIM Adaptation et Santé des Invertébrés Marins, F-17390 La Tremblade, France
| | - Delphine Serpin
- Ifremer, ASIM Adaptation et Santé des Invertébrés Marins, F-17390 La Tremblade, France
| | - Laure Quintric
- Ifremer, IRSI, SEBIMER Service Bio-informatique d'Ifremer, 29280 Plouzané, France
| | | | | | - Coralie Lupo
- Ifremer, ASIM Adaptation et Santé des Invertébrés Marins, F-17390 La Tremblade, France
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2
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Sarani S, Enferadi A, Hasani SJ, Sarani MY, Rahnama M, Sarani F. Identification of zoonotic pathogenic bacteria from blood and ticks obtained from hares and long-eared hedgehogs (Hemiechinus megalofis) in eastern Iran. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2024; 104:102097. [PMID: 38029723 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2023.102097] [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: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The role of wildlife in the complex balance of tick-borne diseases within ecosystems is crucial, as they serve as hosts for tick carriers and reservoirs for the pathogens carried by these ticks. This study aimed to investigate the presence of zoonotic pathogenic bacteria in wildlife, specifically in hares and long-eared hedgehogs (Hemiechinus megalofis), in the eastern region of Iran. The focus was on the detection of Borrelia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Anaplasma spp., Francisella spp., and Leptospira spp., using the Nested-PCR method. We analyzed a total of 124 blood samples, and 196 ticks collected from hares and long-eared hedgehogs were analyzed. The Nested-PCR method was employed to identify the presence of zoonotic pathogenic bacteria DNA. Our study revealed the presence of these zoonotic pathogenic bacteria in both wildlife species, indicating their potential role as hosts and reservoirs for the ticks carrying these pathogens. The specific presence and prevalence of Borrelia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Anaplasma spp., Francisella spp., and Leptospira spp. were determined through the Nested-PCR method. This study contributes to the limited knowledge about the involvement of wild animals in the transmission of tick-borne diseases. By using the Nested-PCR method, we successfully identified the presence of zoonotic pathogenic bacteria in hares and long-eared hedgehogs. This study emphasizes the need for further research to better understand the ecological process of tick-borne diseases, particularly the role of wildlife in their spread. Such knowledge is crucial for wildlife conservation efforts and the management of tick-borne diseases, ultimately benefiting both animal and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeedeh Sarani
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zabol University, Iran
| | - Ahmad Enferadi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Iran.
| | - Sayyed Jafar Hasani
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Rahnama
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zabol University, Iran
| | - Faroogh Sarani
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zabol University, Iran
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3
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Clarke A, Llabona IM, Khalid N, Hulvey D, Irvin A, Adams N, Heine HS, Eshraghi A. Tolfenpyrad displays Francisella-targeted antibiotic activity that requires an oxidative stress response regulator for sensitivity. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0271323. [PMID: 37800934 PMCID: PMC10848828 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02713-23] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Francisella species are highly pathogenic bacteria that pose a threat to global health security. These bacteria can be made resistant to antibiotics through facile methods, and we lack a safe and protective vaccine. Given their history of development as bioweapons, new treatment options must be developed to bolster public health preparedness. Here, we report that tolfenpyrad, a pesticide that is currently in use worldwide, effectively inhibits the growth of Francisella. This drug has an extensive history of use and a plethora of safety and toxicity data, making it a good candidate for development as an antibiotic. We identified mutations in Francisella novicida that confer resistance to tolfenpyrad and characterized a transcriptional regulator that is required for sensitivity to both tolfenpyrad and reactive oxygen species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Clarke
- Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Isabelle M. Llabona
- Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Nimra Khalid
- Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Danielle Hulvey
- Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Alexis Irvin
- Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Nicole Adams
- Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Henry S. Heine
- Institute for Therapeutic Innovation, University of Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Aria Eshraghi
- Department of Infectious Diseases & Immunology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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4
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Lazado CC, Iversen M, Johansen LH, Brenne H, Sundaram AYM, Ytteborg E. Nasal responses to elevated temperature and Francisella noatunensis infection in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Genomics 2023; 115:110735. [PMID: 37898334 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2023.110735] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
We report the histological and transcriptomic changes in the olfactory organ of Atlantic cod exposed to Francisella noatunensis. Experimental infection was performed at either 12 °C or 17 °C. Infected fish presented the classic gross pathologies of francisellosis. Nasal morpho-phenotypic parameters were not significantly affected by elevated temperature and infection, except for the number of mucus cells in the 12 °C group seven weeks after the challenge. A higher number of genes were altered through time in the group reared at 17 °C. At termination, the nasal transcriptome of infected fish in both groups was similar to the control. When both infected groups were compared, 754 DEGs were identified, many of which were involved in signalling, defence, transmembrane and enzymatic processes. In conclusion, the study reveals that elevated temperature could trigger responses in the olfactory organ of Atlantic cod and shape the nasal response to F. noatunensis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo C Lazado
- Nofima, The Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, Ås 1431, Norway.
| | - Marianne Iversen
- Nofima, The Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, Tromsø 9019, Norway
| | - Lill-Heidi Johansen
- Nofima, The Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, Tromsø 9019, Norway
| | - Hanne Brenne
- Nofima, The Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, Tromsø 9019, Norway
| | - Arvind Y M Sundaram
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Elisabeth Ytteborg
- Nofima, The Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, Ås 1431, Norway
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5
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Matulis GA, Sakolvaree J, Boldbaatar B, Cleary N, Takhampunya R, Poole-Smith BK, Lilak AA, Altantogtokh D, Tsogbadrakh N, Chanarat N, Youngdech N, Lindroth EJ, Fiorenzano JM, Letizia AG, von Fricken ME. Applying next generation sequencing to detect tick-pathogens in Dermacentor nuttalli, Ixodes persulcatus, and Hyalomma asiaticum collected from Mongolia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102203. [PMID: 37290396 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102203] [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: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ticks and tick-borne diseases represent major threats to the public health of the Mongolian population, of which an estimated 26% live a traditional nomadic pastoralist lifestyle that puts them at increased risk for exposure. Ticks were collected by dragging and removal from livestock in Khentii, Selenge, Tuv, and Umnugovi aimags (provinces) during March-May 2020. Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) with confirmatory PCR and DNA sequencing, we sought to characterize the microbial species present in Dermacentor nuttalli (n = 98), Hyalomma asiaticum (n = 38), and Ixodes persulcatus (n = 72) tick pools. Rickettsia spp. were detected in 90.4% of tick pools, with Khentii, Selenge, and Tuv tick pools all having 100% pool positivity. Coxiella spp. were detected at an overall pool positivity rate of 60%, while Francisella spp. were detected in 20% of pools and Borrelia spp. detected in 13% of pools. Additional confirmatory testing for Rickettsia-positive pools demonstrated Rickettsia raoultii (n = 105), Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae (n = 65) and R. slovaca/R. sibirica (n = 2), as well as the first report of Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis (n = 1) in Mongolia. For Coxiella spp. reads, most samples were identified as a Coxiella endosymbiont (n = 117), although Coxiella burnetii was detected in eight pools collected in Umnugovi. Borrelia species that were identified include Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (n = 3), B. garinii (n = 2), B. miyamotoi (n = 16), and B. afzelii (n = 3). All Francisella spp. reads were identified as Francisella endosymbiont species. Our findings emphasize the utility of NGS to provide baseline data across multiple tick-borne pathogen groups, which in turn can be used to inform health policy, determine regions for expanded surveillance, and guide risk mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham A Matulis
- Department of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Jira Sakolvaree
- Department of Entomology, US Army Medical Directorate of the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (USAMD-AFRIMS), Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Bazartseren Boldbaatar
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Nora Cleary
- Department of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Ratree Takhampunya
- Department of Entomology, US Army Medical Directorate of the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (USAMD-AFRIMS), Bangkok, Thailand
| | - B Katherine Poole-Smith
- Department of Entomology, US Army Medical Directorate of the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (USAMD-AFRIMS), Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Abigail A Lilak
- Department of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | | | | | - Nitima Chanarat
- Department of Entomology, US Army Medical Directorate of the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (USAMD-AFRIMS), Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nittayaphon Youngdech
- Department of Entomology, US Army Medical Directorate of the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (USAMD-AFRIMS), Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Erica J Lindroth
- Department of Entomology, US Army Medical Directorate of the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (USAMD-AFRIMS), Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | | | - Michael E von Fricken
- Department of Global and Community Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.
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6
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Kolo AO, Raghavan R. Impact of endosymbionts on tick physiology and fitness. Parasitology 2023; 150:859-865. [PMID: 37722758 PMCID: PMC10577665 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023000793] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Ticks transmit pathogens and harbour non-pathogenic, vertically transmitted intracellular bacteria termed endosymbionts. Almost all ticks studied to date contain 1 or more of Coxiella, Francisella, Rickettsia or Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii endosymbionts, indicative of their importance to tick physiology. Genomic and experimental data suggest that endosymbionts promote tick development and reproductive success. Here, we review the limited information currently available on the potential roles endosymbionts play in enhancing tick metabolism and fitness. Future studies that expand on these findings are needed to better understand endosymbionts’ contributions to tick biology. This knowledge could potentially be applied to design novel strategies that target endosymbiont function to control the spread of ticks and pathogens they vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agatha O. Kolo
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Rahul Raghavan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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7
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Wang Y, Ledvina HE, Tower CA, Kambarev S, Liu E, Charity JC, Kreuk LSM, Tang Q, Chen Q, Gallagher LA, Radey MC, Rerolle GF, Li Y, Penewit KM, Turkarslan S, Skerrett SJ, Salipante SJ, Baliga NS, Woodward JJ, Dove SL, Peterson SB, Celli J, Mougous JD. Discovery of a glutathione utilization pathway in Francisella that shows functional divergence between environmental and pathogenic species. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:1359-1370.e7. [PMID: 37453420 PMCID: PMC10763578 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Glutathione (GSH) is an abundant metabolite within eukaryotic cells that can act as a signal, a nutrient source, or serve in a redox capacity for intracellular bacterial pathogens. For Francisella, GSH is thought to be a critical in vivo source of cysteine; however, the cellular pathways permitting GSH utilization by Francisella differ between strains and have remained poorly understood. Using genetic screening, we discovered a unique pathway for GSH utilization in Francisella. Whereas prior work suggested GSH catabolism initiates in the periplasm, the pathway we define consists of a major facilitator superfamily (MFS) member that transports intact GSH and a previously unrecognized bacterial cytoplasmic enzyme that catalyzes the first step of GSH degradation. Interestingly, we find that the transporter gene for this pathway is pseudogenized in pathogenic Francisella, explaining phenotypic discrepancies in GSH utilization among Francisella spp. and revealing a critical role for GSH in the environmental niche of these bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxi Wang
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Hannah E Ledvina
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Catherine A Tower
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Stanimir Kambarev
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Elizabeth Liu
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - James C Charity
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Qing Tang
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Qiwen Chen
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Larry A Gallagher
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Matthew C Radey
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Guilhem F Rerolle
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Yaqiao Li
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Kelsi M Penewit
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | - Shawn J Skerrett
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Stephen J Salipante
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | - Joshua J Woodward
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Simon L Dove
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - S Brook Peterson
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Jean Celli
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Joseph D Mougous
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Microbial Interactions and Microbiome Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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8
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Jan HE, Tsai CS, Lee NY, Tsai PF, Wang LR, Chen PL, Ko WC. The first case of Francisella novicida infection in Taiwan: bacteraemic pneumonia in a haemodialysis adult. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:310-313. [PMID: 34986740 PMCID: PMC8786238 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2026199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Tularaemia is a zoonotic disease caused by Francisella tularensis (F. tularensis). Human infection is rare and can be life-threatening. F. tularensis subsp. novicida used to be a subspecies of F. tularensis, is now considered a different species, F. novicida. Though less virulent, F. novicida can cause morbidity and mortality among debilitated or immunocompromised patients. We reported that an adult with end-stage renal disease undergoing haemodialysis and a history of melioidotic aortic aneurysm developed F. novicida bacteraemic pneumonia, which was uneventfully treated by antimicrobial therapy. The microbiological confirmation of F. novicida infection relies on 16S rRNA sequencing. It is the first case of F. novicida infection in Taiwan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-En Jan
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Shiang Tsai
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Dou-Liou Branch, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Yunlin, Taiwan
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Center for Infection Control, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Nan-Yao Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Fang Tsai
- Department of Pathology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Li-Rong Wang
- Center for Infection Control, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Po-Lin Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Center for Infection Control, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Chien Ko
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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9
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Duncan KT, Elshahed MS, Sundstrom KD, Little SE, Youssef NH. Influence of tick sex and geographic region on the microbiome of Dermacentor variabilis collected from dogs and cats across the United States. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:102002. [PMID: 35810549 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102002] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
As tick-borne diseases continue to increase across North America, current research strives to understand how the tick microbiome may affect pathogen acquisition, maintenance, and transmission. Prior high throughput amplicon-based microbial diversity surveys of the widespread tick Dermacentor variabilis have suggested that life stage, sex, and geographic region may influence the composition of the tick microbiome. Here, adult D. variabilis ticks (n = 145) were collected from dogs and cats from 32 states with specimens originating from all four regions of the United States (West, Midwest, South, and Northeast), and the tick microbiome was examined via V4-16S rRNA gene amplification and Illumina sequencing. A total of 481,246 bacterial sequences were obtained (median 2924 per sample, range 399-11,990). Fifty genera represented the majority (>80%) of the sequences detected, with the genera Allofrancisella and Francisella being the most abundant. Further, 97%, 23%, and 5.5% of the ticks contained sequences belonging to Francisella spp., Rickettsia spp., and Coxiella spp., respectively. No Ehrlichia spp. or Anaplasma spp. were identified. Co-occurrence analysis, by way of correlation coefficients, between the top 50 most abundant genera demonstrated five strong positive and no strong negative correlation relationships. Geographic region had a consistent effect on species richness with ticks from the Northeast having a significantly greater level of richness. Alpha diversity patterns were dependent on tick sex, with males exhibiting higher levels of diversity, and geographical region, with higher level of diversity observed in ticks obtained from the Northeast, but not on tick host. Community structure, or beta diversity, of tick microbiome was impacted by tick sex and geographic location, with microbiomes of ticks from the western US exhibiting a distinct community structure when compared to those from the other three regions (Northeast, South, and Midwest). In total, LEfSe (Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size) identified 18 specific genera driving these observed patterns of diversity and community structure. Collectively, these findings highlight the differences in bacterial diversity of D. variabilis across the US and supports the interpretation that tick sex and geographic region affects microbiome composition across a broad sampling distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn T Duncan
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Room 250 McElroy Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
| | - Mostafa S Elshahed
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Kellee D Sundstrom
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Room 250 McElroy Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Susan E Little
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Room 250 McElroy Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| | - Noha H Youssef
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
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10
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Benyedem H, Lekired A, Mhadhbi M, Dhibi M, Romdhane R, Chaari S, Rekik M, Ouzari HI, Hajji T, Darghouth MA. First insights into the microbiome of Tunisian Hyalomma ticks gained through next-generation sequencing with a special focus on H. scupense. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268172. [PMID: 35587930 PMCID: PMC9119559 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are one of the most important vectors of several pathogens affecting humans and animals. In addition to pathogens, ticks carry diverse microbiota of symbiotic and commensal microorganisms. In this study, we have investigated the first Tunisian insight into the microbial composition of the most dominant Hyalomma species infesting Tunisian cattle and explored the relative contribution of tick sex, life stage, and species to the diversity, richness and bacterial species of tick microbiome. In this regard, next generation sequencing for the 16S rRNA (V3-V4 region) of tick bacterial microbiota and metagenomic analysis were established. The analysis of the bacterial diversity reveals that H. marginatum and H. excavatum have greater diversity than H. scupense. Furthermore, microbial diversity and composition vary according to the tick’s life stage and sex in the specific case of H. scupense. The endosymbionts Francisella, Midichloria mitochondrii, and Rickettsia were shown to be the most prevalent in Hyalomma spp. Rickettsia, Francisella, Ehrlichia, and Erwinia are the most common zoonotic bacteria found in Hyalomma ticks. Accordingly, Hyalomma ticks could represent potential vectors for these zoonotic bacterial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayet Benyedem
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Institution de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
- Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Abdelmalek Lekired
- Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives (LR03ES03), Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Moez Mhadhbi
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Institution de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
| | - Mokhtar Dhibi
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Institution de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
| | - Rihab Romdhane
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Institution de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
| | - Soufiene Chaari
- Laboratoire pharmaceutique vétérinaire MEDIVET, Soliman, Tunisia
| | - Mourad Rekik
- International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Hadda-Imene Ouzari
- Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Laboratoire des Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives (LR03ES03), Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Tarek Hajji
- Higher Institute of Biotechnology—Sidi Thabet, Laboratory of Biotechnology and Valorization of Bio-Geo-Resources (LR11ES31), Univ. Manouba, Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Aziz Darghouth
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Institution de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles and Univ. Manouba, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
- * E-mail:
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11
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Kumar D, Sharma SR, Adegoke A, Kennedy A, Tuten HC, Li AY, Karim S. Recently Evolved Francisella-Like Endosymbiont Outcompetes an Ancient and Evolutionarily Associated Coxiella-Like Endosymbiont in the Lone Star Tick ( Amblyomma americanum) Linked to the Alpha-Gal Syndrome. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:787209. [PMID: 35493735 PMCID: PMC9039623 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.787209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks are hematophagous arthropods that transmit various bacterial, viral, and protozoan pathogens of public health significance. The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is an aggressive human-biting tick that transmits bacterial and viral pathogens, and its bites are suspected of eliciting the alpha-gal syndrome, a newly emerged delayed hypersensitivity following consumption of red meat in the United States. While ongoing studies have attempted to investigate the contribution of different tick-inherent factors to the induction of alpha-gal syndrome, an otherwise understudied aspect is the contribution of the tick microbiome and specifically obligate endosymbionts to the establishment of the alpha-gal syndrome in humans. Materials and Methods Here we utilized a high-throughput metagenomic sequencing approach to cataloging the entire microbial communities residing within different developmental stages and tissues of unfed and blood-fed ticks from laboratory-maintained ticks and three new geographical locations in the United States. The Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology (QIIME2) pipeline was used to perform data analysis and taxonomic classification. Moreover, using a SparCC (Sparse Correlations for Compositional data) network construction model, we investigated potential interactions between members of the microbial communities from laboratory-maintained and field-collected ticks. Results Overall, Francisellaceae was the most dominant bacteria identified in the microbiome of both laboratory-raised and field-collected Am. americanum across all tissues and developmental stages. Likewise, microbial diversity was seen to be significantly higher in field-collected ticks compared with laboratory-maintained ticks as seen with a higher number of both Operational Taxonomic Units and measures of species richness. Several potential positive and negative correlations were identified from our network analysis. We observed a strong positive correlation between Francisellaceae, Rickettsiaceae, and Midichloriaceae in both developmental stages and tissues from laboratory-maintained ticks, whereas ovarian tissues had a strong positive correlation of bacteria in the family Xanthobacteraceae and Rhizobiaceae. A negative interaction was observed between Coxiellaceae and Francisellaceae in Illinois, and all the bacteria detected from ticks from Delaware were negatively correlated. Conclusion This study is the first to catalog the microbiome of Am. americanum throughout its developmental stages and different tissue niches and report the potential replacement of Coxiellaceae by Francisellaceae across developmental stages and tissues tested except in ovarian tissues. These unique and significant findings advance our knowledge and open a new avenue of research to further understand the role of tick microbiome in tick-borne diseases and develop a holistic strategy to control alpha-gal syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Kumar
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Surendra Raj Sharma
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Abdulsalam Adegoke
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
| | - Ashley Kennedy
- Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife, Delaware Mosquito Control Sect., Newark, DE, United States
| | - Holly C. Tuten
- Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Andrew Y. Li
- Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS), Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Shahid Karim
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States
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12
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Ozanic M, Marecic V, Knezevic M, Kelava I, Stojková P, Lindgren L, Bröms JE, Sjöstedt A, Abu Kwaik Y, Santic M. The type IV pili component PilO is a virulence determinant of Francisella novicida. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0261938. [PMID: 35077486 PMCID: PMC8789160 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Francisella tularensis is a highly pathogenic intracellular bacterium that causes the disease tularemia. While its ability to replicate within cells has been studied in much detail, the bacterium also encodes a less characterised type 4 pili (T4P) system. T4Ps are dynamic adhesive organelles identified as major virulence determinants in many human pathogens. In F. tularensis, the T4P is required for adherence to the host cell, as well as for protein secretion. Several components, including pilins, a pili peptidase, a secretin pore and two ATPases, are required to assemble a functional T4P, and these are encoded within distinct clusters on the Francisella chromosome. While some of these components have been functionally characterised, the role of PilO, if any, still is unknown. Here, we examined the role of PilO in the pathogenesis of F. novicida. Our results show that the PilO is essential for pilus assembly on the bacterial surface. In addition, PilO is important for adherence of F. novicida to human monocyte-derived macrophages, secretion of effector proteins and intracellular replication. Importantly, the pilO mutant is attenuated for virulence in BALB/c mice regardless of the route of infection. Following intratracheal and intradermal infection, the mutant caused no histopathology changes, and demonstrated impaired phagosomal escape and replication within lung liver as well as spleen. Thus, PilO is an essential virulence determinant of F. novicida.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateja Ozanic
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Valentina Marecic
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Masa Knezevic
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Ina Kelava
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Pavla Stojková
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lena Lindgren
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jeanette E. Bröms
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Sjöstedt
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Yousef Abu Kwaik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Center for Predictive Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Marina Santic
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
- * E-mail:
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13
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Buysse M, Floriano AM, Gottlieb Y, Nardi T, Comandatore F, Olivieri E, Giannetto A, Palomar AM, Makepeace BL, Bazzocchi C, Cafiso A, Sassera D, Duron O. A dual endosymbiosis supports nutritional adaptation to hematophagy in the invasive tick Hyalomma marginatum. eLife 2021; 10:e72747. [PMID: 34951405 PMCID: PMC8709577 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals are dependent on microbial partners that provide essential nutrients lacking from their diet. Ticks, whose diet consists exclusively on vertebrate blood, rely on maternally inherited bacterial symbionts to supply B vitamins. While previously studied tick species consistently harbor a single lineage of those nutritional symbionts, we evidence here that the invasive tick Hyalomma marginatum harbors a unique dual-partner nutritional system between an ancestral symbiont, Francisella, and a more recently acquired symbiont, Midichloria. Using metagenomics, we show that Francisella exhibits extensive genome erosion that endangers the nutritional symbiotic interactions. Its genome includes folate and riboflavin biosynthesis pathways but deprived functional biotin biosynthesis on account of massive pseudogenization. Co-symbiosis compensates this deficiency since the Midichloria genome encompasses an intact biotin operon, which was primarily acquired via lateral gene transfer from unrelated intracellular bacteria commonly infecting arthropods. Thus, in H. marginatum, a mosaic of co-evolved symbionts incorporating gene combinations of distant phylogenetic origins emerged to prevent the collapse of an ancestral nutritional symbiosis. Such dual endosymbiosis was never reported in other blood feeders but was recently documented in agricultural pests feeding on plant sap, suggesting that it may be a key mechanism for advanced adaptation of arthropods to specialized diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Buysse
- MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs : Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Univ. Montpellier (UM) - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (IRD)MontpellierFrance
- Centre of Research in Ecology and Evolution of Diseases (CREES), Montpellier, FranceMontpellierFrance
| | - Anna Maria Floriano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of PaviaPaviaItaly
- Faculty of Science, University of South BohemiaČeské BudějoviceCzech Republic
| | - Yuval Gottlieb
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovotIsrael
| | - Tiago Nardi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of PaviaPaviaItaly
| | - Francesco Comandatore
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences L. Sacco and Pediatric Clinical Research Center, University of MilanMilanItaly
| | - Emanuela Olivieri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of PaviaPaviaItaly
| | - Alessia Giannetto
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of MessinaMessinaItaly
| | - Ana M Palomar
- Center of Rickettsiosis and Arthropod-Borne Diseases (CRETAV), San Pedro University Hospital- Center of Biomedical Research from La Rioja (CIBIR)LogroñoSpain
| | - Benjamin L Makepeace
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary & Ecological Sciences, University of LiverpoolLiverpoolUnited Kingdom
| | | | | | - Davide Sassera
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of PaviaPaviaItaly
| | - Olivier Duron
- MIVEGEC (Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs : Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle), Univ. Montpellier (UM) - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) - Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement (IRD)MontpellierFrance
- Centre of Research in Ecology and Evolution of Diseases (CREES), Montpellier, FranceMontpellierFrance
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14
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Ratner HK, Weiss DS. crRNA complementarity shifts endogenous CRISPR-Cas systems between transcriptional repression and DNA defense. RNA Biol 2021; 18:1560-1573. [PMID: 33733999 PMCID: PMC8583161 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2021.1878335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are prokaryotic adaptive immune systems that recognize and cleave nucleic acid targets using small RNAs called CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) to guide Cas protein(s). There is increasing evidence for the broader endogenous roles of these systems. The CRISPR-Cas9 system of Francisella novicida also represses endogenous transcription using a non-canonical small RNA (scaRNA). We examined whether the crRNAs of the native F. novicida CRISPR-Cas systems, Cas12a and Cas9, can guide transcriptional repression. Both systems repressed mRNA transcript levels when crRNA-target complementarity was limited, and led to target cleavage with extended complementarity. Using these parameters we engineered the CRISPR array of Cas12a to guide the transcriptional repression of a new and endogenous target. Since the majority of crRNA targets remain unidentified, this work suggests that a re-analysis of crRNAs for endogenous targets with limited complementarity could reveal new, diverse regulatory roles for CRISPR-Cas systems in prokaryotic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah K. Ratner
- Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - David S. Weiss
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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15
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Chin CY, Zhao J, Llewellyn AC, Golovliov I, Sjöstedt A, Zhou P, Weiss DS. Francisella FlmX broadly affects lipopolysaccharide modification and virulence. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109247. [PMID: 34133919 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The outer membrane protects Gram-negative bacteria from the host environment. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a major outer membrane constituent, has distinct components (lipid A, core, O-antigen) generated by specialized pathways. In this study, we describe the surprising convergence of these pathways through FlmX, an uncharacterized protein in the intracellular pathogen Francisella. FlmX is in the flippase family, which includes proteins that traffic lipid-linked envelope components across membranes. flmX deficiency causes defects in lipid A modification, core remodeling, and O-antigen addition. We find that an F. tularensis mutant lacking flmX is >1,000,000-fold attenuated. Furthermore, FlmX is required to resist the innate antimicrobial LL-37 and the antibiotic polymyxin. Given FlmX's central role in LPS modification and its conservation in intracellular pathogens Brucella, Coxiella, and Legionella, FlmX may represent a novel drug target whose inhibition could cripple bacterial virulence and sensitize bacteria to innate antimicrobials and antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chui-Yoke Chin
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Jinshi Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Anna C Llewellyn
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Igor Golovliov
- Clinical Bacteriology, and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, 90185 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Sjöstedt
- Clinical Bacteriology, and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, 90185 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Pei Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - David S Weiss
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Research Service, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA 30033, USA.
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16
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Shevtsov V, Kairzhanova A, Shevtsov A, Shustov A, Kalendar R, Abdrakhmanov S, Lukhnova L, Izbanova U, Ramankulov Y, Vergnaud G. Genetic diversity of Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica in Kazakhstan. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009419. [PMID: 33999916 PMCID: PMC8158875 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Tularemia is a highly dangerous zoonotic infection due to the bacteria Francisella tularensis. Low genetic diversity promoted the use of polymorphic tandem repeats (MLVA) as first-line assay for genetic description. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is becoming increasingly accessible, opening the perspective of a time when WGS might become the universal genotyping assay. The main goal of this study was to describe F. tularensis strains circulating in Kazakhstan based on WGS data and develop a MLVA assay compatible with in vitro and in silico analysis. In vitro MLVA genotyping and WGS were performed for the vaccine strain and for 38 strains isolated in Kazakhstan from natural water bodies, ticks, rodents, carnivores, and from one migratory bird, an Isabellina wheatear captured in a rodent burrow. The two genotyping approaches were congruent and allowed to attribute all strains to two F. tularensis holarctica lineages, B.4 and B.12. The seven tandem repeats polymorphic in the investigated strain collection could be typed in a single multiplex PCR assay. Identical MLVA genotypes were produced by in vitro and in silico analysis, demonstrating full compatibility between the two approaches. The strains from Kazakhstan were compared to all publicly available WGS data of worldwide origin by whole genome SNP (wgSNP) analysis. Genotypes differing at a single SNP position were collected within a time interval of more than fifty years, from locations separated from each other by more than one thousand kilometers, supporting a role for migratory birds in the worldwide spread of the bacteria. Genotyping of Francisella tularensis has become a routine practice in epidemiology. Despite rapidly accumulating knowledge, the phylogeography of the pathogen is still poorly understood and discussions about geographic and temporal origins continue. One important reason is the poor characterization of the pathogen in many tularemia-endemic countries. This article describes the genetic diversity of Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica in Kazakhstan using tandem repeat polymorphisms as well as whole genome sequencing. Thirty-nine strains were analyzed and two lineages were identified, namely B.4 and B.12. The study demonstrates a wider distribution of genotype B.4 in Asia, and identified a more basal branching point in this subclade. The obtained data support the Asian origin hypothesis for F. tularensis. The finding of identical genotypes in strains separated in time by decades and a thousand-kilometers geographic distance, confirms the ability of the bacteria for long-term preservation and fast long distances spread. The isolation of F. tularensis subsp. holarctica from the bird species Isabellina wheatear allows speculating about a major contribution of birds to the phylogeography of the pathogen. A genotyping protocol was developed utilizing seven polymorphic tandem repeats, two of which were identified within the framework of this work. The in vitro and in silico results are identical when using sequencing reads of 300 base-pairs or more.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alma Kairzhanova
- National Center for Biotechnology, Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan
- S. Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University, Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan
| | - Alexandr Shevtsov
- National Center for Biotechnology, Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan
- * E-mail: (AS); (GV)
| | | | | | | | - Larissa Lukhnova
- National Scientific Center for Especially Dangerous Infections named by Masgut Aykimbayev, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Uinkul Izbanova
- National Scientific Center for Especially Dangerous Infections named by Masgut Aykimbayev, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Yerlan Ramankulov
- National Center for Biotechnology, Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan
- School of Science and Technology Nazarbayev University, Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan
| | - Gilles Vergnaud
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- * E-mail: (AS); (GV)
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17
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Parameshwaran HP, Babu K, Tran C, Guan K, Allen A, Kathiresan V, Qin PZ, Rajan R. The bridge helix of Cas12a imparts selectivity in cis-DNA cleavage and regulates trans-DNA cleavage. FEBS Lett 2021; 595:892-912. [PMID: 33523494 PMCID: PMC8044059 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cas12a is an RNA-guided DNA endonuclease of the type V-A CRISPR-Cas system that has evolved convergently with the type II Cas9 protein. We previously showed that proline substitutions in the bridge helix (BH) impart target DNA cleavage selectivity in Streptococcus pyogenes (Spy) Cas9. Here, we examined a BH variant of Cas12a from Francisella novicida (FnoCas12aKD2P ) to test mechanistic conservation. Our results show that for RNA-guided DNA cleavage (cis-activity), FnoCas12aKD2P accumulates nicked products while cleaving supercoiled DNA substrates with mismatches, with certain mismatch positions being more detrimental for linearization. FnoCas12aKD2P also possess reduced trans-single-stranded DNA cleavage activity. These results implicate the BH in substrate selectivity in both cis- and trans-cleavages and show its conserved role in target discrimination among Cas nucleases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hari Priya Parameshwaran
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Price Family Foundation Institute of Structural Biology, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Kesavan Babu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Price Family Foundation Institute of Structural Biology, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Christine Tran
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Price Family Foundation Institute of Structural Biology, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Kevin Guan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Price Family Foundation Institute of Structural Biology, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Aleique Allen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Peter Z Qin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rakhi Rajan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Price Family Foundation Institute of Structural Biology, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, OK, USA
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Dunaj J, Drewnowska J, Moniuszko-Malinowska A, Swiecicka I, Pancewicz S. First metagenomic report of Borrelia americana and Borrelia carolinensis in Poland - a preliminary study. Ann Agric Environ Med 2021; 28:49-55. [PMID: 33775067 DOI: 10.26444/aaem/118134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE Ixodes ricinus (I. ricinus) and Dermacentor reticulatus (D. reticulatus) are the most common ticks in Poland. These ticks contain many bacteria, which compose a microbiome with potential impact on humans. The aim of the study was to discover the microbiome of ticks in Poland. MATERIAL AND METHODS Ticks were collected in The Protected Landscape Area of the Bug and Nurzec Valley, Poland, in 2016-2018 by flagging. They were cleaned in 70% ethanol and damaged in mortar with PBS (without Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions). DNA was extracted from the homogenates with spin columns kits, and used as a matrix in end-point PCR for bacterial 16S rRNA fragments amplifications, and further for next generation sequencing (NGS) by ILLUMINA. RESULTS In 22 ticks (3 I. ricinus and 19 D. reticulatus) 38 microorganisms were detected. The most common were Francisella hispaniensis and Francisella novicida. In 17 ticks, Sphingomonas oligophenolica, and in 12 Rickettsia aeshlimanii were found. In 2, I. ricinus specific DNA of Borrelia americana and Borrelia carolinensis were found. In one female, D. reticulatus Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Anaplasma centrale were found. Pseudomonas lutea and Ps. moraviensis were detected in 9 and 8 ticks, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Polish ticks microbiome contains not only well-known tick-borne pathogens, but also other pathogenic microorganisms. For the first time in Poland, Borrelia americana and Borrelia carolinensis in I. ricinus collected from the environment were detected. The dominant pathogenic microorganisms for humans were Francisella spp. and Rickettsia spp., and non-pathogenic - Sphingomonas oligophenolica. Knowledge of a tick microbiome might be useful in tick-borne biocontrol and tick-borne diseases prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Dunaj
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland
| | | | | | | | - Sławomir Pancewicz
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland
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Kawahara M, Yoshitake K, Yoshinaga T, Itoh N. Francisellosis of Yesso scallops Mizuhopecten yessoensis in Japan is caused by a novel type of Francisella halioticida. Dis Aquat Organ 2021; 144:9-19. [PMID: 33704088 DOI: 10.3354/dao03574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Francisella halioticida, the causative agent of francisellosis of the giant abalone Haliotis gigantea, has also been isolated from Yesso scallops Mizuhopecten yessoensis, which presented with orange/pinkish lesions in the adductor muscle and experienced high mortality. However, it is not clear whether the F. halioticida isolated from the giant abalone and Yesso scallops are phenotypically and genetically identical to each other. The present study revealed that isolates from the giant abalone and Yesso scallops were phenotypically different, with slower growth in modified eugon broth and a lack of prolyl aminopeptidase and phenylalanine aminopeptidase in Yesso scallop isolates. Additionally, we found that 3 of 8 housekeeping genes were different between them. Based on these phenotypic and genetic differences, we propose that F. halioticida isolated from Yesso scallops in Japan be designated as the 'J-scallop type' to distinguish it from strains from abalone ('abalone type'). Whole-genome sequencing analysis of a strain belonging to the J-scallop type showed that the overall similarity between the J-scallop and abalone type strains was estimated to be 99.84%. In accordance with a lack of prolyl aminopeptidase activity, in general, all of the J-scallop type strains examined have a 1 bp deletion in the responsible gene encoding prolyl aminopeptidase. This deletion was confirmed in all F. halioticida in diseased Yesso scallops examined, suggesting that in Japan, francisellosis of Yesso scallops is caused by a novel type of F. halioticida and not by the abalone type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miku Kawahara
- Laboratory of Fish Diseases, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
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20
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Murugan K, Seetharam AS, Severin AJ, Sashital DG. CRISPR-Cas12a has widespread off-target and dsDNA-nicking effects. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:5538-5553. [PMID: 32161115 PMCID: PMC7186167 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cas12a (Cpf1) is an RNA-guided endonuclease in the bacterial type V-A CRISPR-Cas anti-phage immune system that can be repurposed for genome editing. Cas12a can bind and cut dsDNA targets with high specificity in vivo, making it an ideal candidate for expanding the arsenal of enzymes used in precise genome editing. However, this reported high specificity contradicts Cas12a's natural role as an immune effector against rapidly evolving phages. Here, we employed high-throughput in vitro cleavage assays to determine and compare the native cleavage specificities and activities of three different natural Cas12a orthologs (FnCas12a, LbCas12a, and AsCas12a). Surprisingly, we observed pervasive sequence-specific nicking of randomized target libraries, with strong nicking of DNA sequences containing up to four mismatches in the Cas12a-targeted DNA-RNA hybrid sequences. We also found that these nicking and cleavage activities depend on mismatch type and position and vary with Cas12a ortholog and CRISPR RNA sequence. Our analysis further revealed robust nonspecific nicking of dsDNA when Cas12a is activated by binding to a target DNA. Together, our findings reveal that Cas12a has multiple nicking activities against dsDNA substrates and that these activities vary among different Cas12a orthologs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthik Murugan
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Interdepartmental Program, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
| | - Arun S Seetharam
- Genome Informatics Facility, Office of Biotechnology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
| | - Andrew J Severin
- Genome Informatics Facility, Office of Biotechnology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
| | - Dipali G Sashital
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Interdepartmental Program, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011.
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21
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Dong M, Wang F, Li Q, Han R, Li A, Zhai C, Ma L. A single digestion, single-stranded oligonucleotide mediated PCR-independent site-directed mutagenesis method. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:3993-4003. [PMID: 32152687 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10477-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A PCR-independent in vitro site-directed mutagenesis method was established. Cas12a from Francisella novicida (FnCas12a) linearizes the plasmid with single digestion. T5 exonuclease removes the target nucleotide. A short single- or double-stranded mutagenic oligonucleotide introduces the mutation. This rapid and simple mutagenesis method is referred to as FnCas12a and T5 exonuclease mediated site-directed mutagenesis system (CT5-SDM). The platform is also suitable for the mutagenesis of plasmids larger than 10 kb. KEY POINTS: Site-directed mutagenesis mediated by single-stranded DNA. Removing target site with T5 exonuclease. Highly efficient cleavage of target DNA with FnCas12a.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjie Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Han
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Aitao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Lixin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-resources, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
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22
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Hsu CT, Cheng YJ, Yuan YH, Hung WF, Cheng QW, Wu FH, Lee LY, Gelvin SB, Lin CS. Application of Cas12a and nCas9-activation-induced cytidine deaminase for genome editing and as a non-sexual strategy to generate homozygous/multiplex edited plants in the allotetraploid genome of tobacco. Plant Mol Biol 2019; 101:355-371. [PMID: 31401729 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-019-00907-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Protoplasts can be used for genome editing using several different CRISPR systems, either separately or simultaneously, and that the resulting mutations can be recovered in regenerated non-chimaeric plants. Protoplast transfection and regeneration systems are useful platforms for CRISPR/Cas mutagenesis and genome editing. In this study, we demonstrate the use of Cpf1 (Cas12a) and nCas9-activation-induced cytidine deaminase (nCas9-Target-AID) systems to mutagenize Nicotiana tabacum protoplasts and to regenerate plants harboring the resulting mutations. We analyzed 20 progeny plants of Cas12a-mediated phytoene desaturase (PDS) mutagenized regenerants, as well as regenerants from wild-type protoplasts, and confirmed that their genotypes were inherited in a Mendelian manner. We used a Cas9 nickase (nCas9)-cytidine deaminase to conduct C to T editing of the Ethylene receptor 1 (ETR1) gene in tobacco protoplasts and obtained edited regenerates. It is difficult to obtain homozygous edits of polyploid genomes when the editing efficiency is low. A second round of mutagenesis of partially edited regenerants (a two-step transfection protocol) allowed us to derive ETR1 fully edited regenerants without the need for sexual reproduction. We applied three different Cas systems (SaCas9, Cas12a, and nCas9-Traget AID) using either a one-step or a two-step transfection platform to obtain triply mutated and/or edited tobacco regenerants. Our results indicate that these three Cas systems can function simultaneously within a single cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Tran Hsu
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jung Cheng
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsua Yuan
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Fon Hung
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Qiao-Wei Cheng
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Hui Wu
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Lan-Ying Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-1392, USA
| | - Stanton B Gelvin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-1392, USA
| | - Choun-Sea Lin
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
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23
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Yeo WL, Heng E, Tan LL, Lim YW, Lim YH, Hoon S, Zhao H, Zhang MM, Wong FT. Characterization of Cas proteins for CRISPR-Cas editing in streptomycetes. Biotechnol Bioeng 2019; 116:2330-2338. [PMID: 31090220 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [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: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Application of the well-characterized Streptococcus pyogenes CRISPR-Cas9 system in actinomycetes streptomycetes has enabled high-efficiency multiplex genome editing and CRISPRi-mediated transcriptional regulation in these prolific bioactive metabolite producers. Nonetheless, SpCas9 has its limitations and can be ineffective depending on the strains and target sites. Here, we built and tested alternative CRISPR-Cas constructs based on the standalone pCRISPomyces-2 editing plasmid. We showed that Streptococcus thermophilus CRISPR1 Cas9 (sth1Cas9), Staphylococcus aureus Cas9 (saCas9), and Francisella tularensis subsp. novicida U112 Cpf1 (fnCpf1) are functional in multiple streptomycetes, enabling efficient homology-directed repair-mediated knock-in and deletion. In strains where spCas9 was nonfunctional, these alternative Cas systems enabled precise genomic modifications within biosynthetic gene clusters for the discovery, production, and diversification of natural products. These additional Cas proteins provide us with the versatility to overcome the limitations of individual CRISPR-Cas systems for genome editing and transcriptional regulation of these industrially important bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan Lin Yeo
- Metabolic Engineering Research Laboratory, Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Elena Heng
- Molecular Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Institutes of Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lee Ling Tan
- Molecular Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Institutes of Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yi Wee Lim
- Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yee Hwee Lim
- Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shawn Hoon
- Molecular Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Institutes of Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Metabolic Engineering Research Laboratory, Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, United States
| | - Mingzi M Zhang
- Metabolic Engineering Research Laboratory, Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Genomic Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Fong Tian Wong
- Molecular Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Institutes of Sciences, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
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24
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Pulpipat T, Lin KH, Chen YH, Wang PC, Chen SC. Molecular characterization and pathogenicity of Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis isolated from cultured tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) in Taiwan. J Fish Dis 2019; 42:643-655. [PMID: 30715744 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis is a causative agent of systemic granulomatous disease in tilapia. The present study was designed to understand the genetic and phenotypic diversities among Taiwanese Fno isolates obtained from tilapia (n = 17) and green Texas cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus) (n = 1). The enzymatic profiles of the isolates were studied using the API ZYM system. Phylogenetic tree analysis of the 16S rRNA and housekeeping gene and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were carried out to determine the genotypic characters of all isolates. The phylogenetic tree showed similarity of 99%-100% nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA and housekeeping genes compared to the Fno references genes from GenBank database. Comparatively, the results revealed an identical profile of enzymatic and PFGE pattern which was distincted from that of F. philomiragia. To understand the pathogenicity, the isolates were intraperitoneal injected to tilapia the gross lesions were observed concomitant with natural outbreak. Median lethal dose upon Nile tilapia and red tilapia were 9.06 × 103 CFU/fish and 2.08 × 102 CFU/fish, respectively. Thus, our data provide understanding the epidemiology of Taiwanese Fno isolates, and help in development of future control and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theeraporn Pulpipat
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Hua Lin
- Animal Protection Office, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | | | - Pei-Chi Wang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
- Southern Taiwan Fish Diseases Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Chu Chen
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
- Southern Taiwan Fish Diseases Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
- International Degree Program of Ornamental Fish Technology and Aquatic Animal Health, International College, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
- Research Center for Animal Biologics, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
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25
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Liao C, Slotkowski RA, Achmedov T, Beisel CL. The Francisella novicida Cas12a is sensitive to the structure downstream of the terminal repeat in CRISPR arrays. RNA Biol 2019; 16:404-412. [PMID: 30252595 PMCID: PMC6546362 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2018.1526537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The Class 2 Type V-A CRISPR effector protein Cas12a/Cpf1 has gained widespread attention in part because of the ease in achieving multiplexed genome editing, gene regulation, and DNA detection. Multiplexing derives from the ability of Cas12a alone to generate multiple guide RNAs from a transcribed CRISPR array encoding alternating conserved repeats and targeting spacers. While array design has focused on how to optimize guide-RNA sequences, little attention has been paid to sequences outside of the CRISPR array. Here, we show that a structured hairpin located immediately downstream of the 3' repeat interferes with utilization of the adjacent encoded guide RNA by Francisella novicida (Fn)Cas12a. We first observed that a synthetic Rho-independent terminator immediately downstream of an array impaired DNA cleavage based on plasmid clearance in E. coli and DNA cleavage in a cell-free transcription-translation (TXTL) system. TXTL-based cleavage assays further revealed that inhibition was associated with incomplete processing of the transcribed CRISPR array and could be attributed to the stable hairpin formed by the terminator. We also found that the inhibitory effect partially extended to upstream spacers in a multi-spacer array. Finally, we found that removing the terminal repeat from the array increased the inhibitory effect, while replacing this repeat with an unprocessable terminal repeat from a native FnCas12a array restored cleavage activity directed by the adjacent encoded guide RNA. Our study thus revealed that sequences surrounding a CRISPR array can interfere with the function of a CRISPR nuclease, with implications for the design and evolution of CRISPR arrays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyu Liao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rebecca A. Slotkowski
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Tatjana Achmedov
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Chase L. Beisel
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Vallesi A, Sjödin A, Petrelli D, Luporini P, Taddei AR, Thelaus J, Öhrman C, Nilsson E, Di Giuseppe G, Gutiérrez G, Villalobo E. A New Species of the γ-Proteobacterium Francisella, F. adeliensis Sp. Nov., Endocytobiont in an Antarctic Marine Ciliate and Potential Evolutionary Forerunner of Pathogenic Species. Microb Ecol 2019; 77:587-596. [PMID: 30187088 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1256-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The study of the draft genome of an Antarctic marine ciliate, Euplotes petzi, revealed foreign sequences of bacterial origin belonging to the γ-proteobacterium Francisella that includes pathogenic and environmental species. TEM and FISH analyses confirmed the presence of a Francisella endocytobiont in E. petzi. This endocytobiont was isolated and found to be a new species, named F. adeliensis sp. nov.. F. adeliensis grows well at wide ranges of temperature, salinity, and carbon dioxide concentrations implying that it may colonize new organisms living in deeply diversified habitats. The F. adeliensis genome includes the igl and pdp gene sets (pdpC and pdpE excepted) of the Francisella pathogenicity island needed for intracellular growth. Consistently with an F. adeliensis ancient symbiotic lifestyle, it also contains a single insertion-sequence element. Instead, it lacks genes for the biosynthesis of essential amino acids such as cysteine, lysine, methionine, and tyrosine. In a genome-based phylogenetic tree, F. adeliensis forms a new early branching clade, basal to the evolution of pathogenic species. The correlations of this clade with the other clades raise doubts about a genuine free-living nature of the environmental Francisella species isolated from natural and man-made environments, and suggest to look at F. adeliensis as a pioneer in the Francisella colonization of eukaryotic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Vallesi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy.
| | - Andreas Sjödin
- Department of Chemistry, Computational Life Science Cluster (CLiC), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Division of CBRN Defence and Security, Swedish Defence Research Agency, FOI, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Dezemona Petrelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - Pierangelo Luporini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Taddei
- Center of Large Equipment-section of Electron Microscopy, University of Tuscia, Largo dell'Università, snc, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Johanna Thelaus
- Division of CBRN Defence and Security, Swedish Defence Research Agency, FOI, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Caroline Öhrman
- Division of CBRN Defence and Security, Swedish Defence Research Agency, FOI, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Elin Nilsson
- Division of CBRN Defence and Security, Swedish Defence Research Agency, FOI, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Gabriel Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Sevilla, Av Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Seville, Spain
| | - Eduardo Villalobo
- Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad de Sevilla, Av Reina Mercedes 6, 41012, Seville, Spain.
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27
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Swarts DC, Jinek M. Mechanistic Insights into the cis- and trans-Acting DNase Activities of Cas12a. Mol Cell 2019; 73:589-600.e4. [PMID: 30639240 PMCID: PMC6858279 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 230] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas12a (Cpf1) is an RNA-guided DNA-cutting nuclease that has been repurposed for genome editing. Upon target DNA binding, Cas12a cleaves both the target DNA in cis and non-target single-stranded DNAs (ssDNAs) in trans. To elucidate the molecular basis for both DNase cleavage modes, we performed structural and biochemical studies on Francisella novicida Cas12a. We show that guide RNA-target strand DNA hybridization conformationally activates Cas12a, triggering its trans-acting, non-specific, single-stranded DNase activity. In turn, cis cleavage of double-stranded DNA targets is a result of protospacer adjacent motif (PAM)-dependent DNA duplex unwinding, electrostatic stabilization of the displaced non-target DNA strand, and ordered sequential cleavage of the non-target and target DNA strands. Cas12a releases the PAM-distal DNA cleavage product and remains bound to the PAM-proximal DNA cleavage product in a catalytically competent, trans-active state. Together, these results provide a revised model for the molecular mechanisms of both the cis- and the trans-acting DNase activities of Cas12a enzymes, enabling their further exploitation as genome editing tools.
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MESH Headings
- Bacterial Proteins/genetics
- Bacterial Proteins/metabolism
- CRISPR-Associated Proteins/chemistry
- CRISPR-Associated Proteins/genetics
- CRISPR-Associated Proteins/metabolism
- CRISPR-Cas Systems
- DNA, Single-Stranded/chemistry
- DNA, Single-Stranded/genetics
- DNA, Single-Stranded/metabolism
- Enzyme Activation
- Francisella/enzymology
- Francisella/genetics
- Gene Editing/methods
- Models, Molecular
- Nucleic Acid Conformation
- Protein Conformation
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/chemistry
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/metabolism
- Structure-Activity Relationship
- Substrate Specificity
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan C Swarts
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Jinek
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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28
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Ravi A, Ereqat S, Al-Jawabreh A, Abdeen Z, Abu Shamma O, Hall H, Pallen MJ, Nasereddin A. Metagenomic profiling of ticks: Identification of novel rickettsial genomes and detection of tick-borne canine parvovirus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0006805. [PMID: 30640905 PMCID: PMC6347332 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Across the world, ticks act as vectors of human and animal pathogens. Ticks rely on bacterial endosymbionts, which often share close and complex evolutionary links with tick-borne pathogens. As the prevalence, diversity and virulence potential of tick-borne agents remain poorly understood, there is a pressing need for microbial surveillance of ticks as potential disease vectors. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We developed a two-stage protocol that includes 16S-amplicon screening of pooled samples of hard ticks collected from dogs, sheep and camels in Palestine, followed by shotgun metagenomics on individual ticks to detect and characterise tick-borne pathogens and endosymbionts. Two ticks isolated from sheep yielded an abundance of reads from the genus Rickettsia, which were assembled into draft genomes. One of the resulting genomes was highly similar to Rickettsia massiliae strain MTU5. Analysis of signature genes showed that the other represents the first genome sequence of the potential pathogen Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae. Ticks from a dog and a sheep yielded draft genome sequences of Coxiella strains. A sheep tick yielded sequences from the sheep pathogen Anaplasma ovis, while Hyalomma ticks from camels yielded sequences belonging to Francisella-like endosymbionts. From the metagenome of a dog tick from Jericho, we generated a genome sequence of a canine parvovirus. SIGNIFICANCE Here, we have shown how a cost-effective two-stage protocol can be used to detect and characterise tick-borne pathogens and endosymbionts. In recovering genome sequences from an unexpected pathogen (canine parvovirus) and a previously unsequenced pathogen (Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae), we demonstrate the open-ended nature of metagenomics. We also provide evidence that ticks can carry canine parvovirus, raising the possibility that ticks might contribute to the spread of this troublesome virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Ravi
- Quadram Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom
| | - Suheir Ereqat
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University, Abu Deis, East Jerusalem, Palestine
- Al-Quds Nutrition and Health Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University Abu Deis, East Jerusalem, Palestine and Al-Quds Public Health Society, Abu Deis, East Jerusalem, Palestine
| | - Amer Al-Jawabreh
- Al-Quds Nutrition and Health Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University Abu Deis, East Jerusalem, Palestine and Al-Quds Public Health Society, Abu Deis, East Jerusalem, Palestine
- Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Arab American University Palestine, Jenin, Palestine
| | - Ziad Abdeen
- Al-Quds Nutrition and Health Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University Abu Deis, East Jerusalem, Palestine and Al-Quds Public Health Society, Abu Deis, East Jerusalem, Palestine
| | - Omar Abu Shamma
- Al-Quds Nutrition and Health Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University Abu Deis, East Jerusalem, Palestine and Al-Quds Public Health Society, Abu Deis, East Jerusalem, Palestine
| | - Holly Hall
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Mark J. Pallen
- Quadram Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom
| | - Abedelmajeed Nasereddin
- Al-Quds Nutrition and Health Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University Abu Deis, East Jerusalem, Palestine and Al-Quds Public Health Society, Abu Deis, East Jerusalem, Palestine
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29
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Stella S, Mesa P, Thomsen J, Paul B, Alcón P, Jensen SB, Saligram B, Moses ME, Hatzakis NS, Montoya G. Conformational Activation Promotes CRISPR-Cas12a Catalysis and Resetting of the Endonuclease Activity. Cell 2018; 175:1856-1871.e21. [PMID: 30503205 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.10.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [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: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cas12a, also known as Cpf1, is a type V-A CRISPR-Cas RNA-guided endonuclease that is used for genome editing based on its ability to generate specific dsDNA breaks. Here, we show cryo-EM structures of intermediates of the cleavage reaction, thus visualizing three protein regions that sense the crRNA-DNA hybrid assembly triggering the catalytic activation of Cas12a. Single-molecule FRET provides the thermodynamics and kinetics of the conformational activation leading to phosphodiester bond hydrolysis. These findings illustrate why Cas12a cuts its target DNA and unleashes unspecific cleavage activity, degrading ssDNA molecules after activation. In addition, we show that other crRNAs are able to displace the R-loop inside the protein after target DNA cleavage, terminating indiscriminate ssDNA degradation. We propose a model whereby the conformational activation of the enzyme results in indiscriminate ssDNA cleavage. The displacement of the R-loop by a new crRNA molecule will reset Cas12a specificity, targeting new DNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Stella
- Structural Molecular Biology Group, Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pablo Mesa
- Structural Molecular Biology Group, Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Johannes Thomsen
- Department of Chemistry & Nanoscience Centre, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bijoya Paul
- Structural Molecular Biology Group, Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pablo Alcón
- Structural Molecular Biology Group, Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Simon B Jensen
- Department of Chemistry & Nanoscience Centre, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bhargav Saligram
- Structural Molecular Biology Group, Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matias E Moses
- Department of Chemistry & Nanoscience Centre, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nikos S Hatzakis
- Department of Chemistry & Nanoscience Centre, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Guillermo Montoya
- Structural Molecular Biology Group, Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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30
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Zhang T, Zheng Q, Yi X, An H, Zhao Y, Ma S, Zhou G. Establishing RNA virus resistance in plants by harnessing CRISPR immune system. Plant Biotechnol J 2018; 16:1415-1423. [PMID: 29327438 PMCID: PMC6041442 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Recently, CRISPR-Cas (clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR-associated proteins) system has been used to produce plants resistant to DNA virus infections. However, there is no RNA virus control method in plants that uses CRISPR-Cas system to target the viral genome directly. Here, we reprogrammed the CRISPR-Cas9 system from Francisella novicida to confer molecular immunity against RNA viruses in Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis plants. Plants expressing FnCas9 and sgRNA specific for the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) or tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) exhibited significantly attenuated virus infection symptoms and reduced viral RNA accumulation. Furthermore, in the transgenic virus-targeting plants, the resistance was inheritable and the progenies showed significantly less virus accumulation. These data reveal that the CRISPR/Cas9 system can be used to produce plant that stable resistant to RNA viruses, thereby broadening the use of such technology for virus control in agricultural field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease ControlCollege of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Qiufeng Zheng
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease ControlCollege of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Xin Yi
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical BiologyMinistry of EducationCollege of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Hong An
- Division of Biological SciencesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMOUSA
| | - Yaling Zhao
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease ControlCollege of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Siqi Ma
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease ControlCollege of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Guohui Zhou
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease ControlCollege of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
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31
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Matz LM, Kamdar KY, Holder ME, Metcalf GA, Weissenberger GM, Meng Q, Vee V, Han Y, Muzny DM, Gibbs RA, Johnson CL, Revell PA, Petrosino JF. Challenges of Francisella classification exemplified by an atypical clinical isolate. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2018; 90:241-247. [PMID: 29329757 PMCID: PMC5857240 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2017.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of sequenced Francisella strains has made it increasingly apparent that the 16S rRNA gene alone is not enough to stratify the Francisella genus into precise and clinically useful classifications. Continued whole-genome sequencing of isolates will provide a larger base of knowledge for targeted approaches with broad applicability. Additionally, examination of genomic information on a case-by-case basis will help resolve outstanding questions regarding strain stratification. We report the complete genome sequence of a clinical isolate, designated here as F. novicida-like strain TCH2015, acquired from the lymph node of a 6-year-old male. Two features were atypical for F. novicida: exhibition of functional oxidase activity and additional gene content, including proposed virulence determinants. These differences, which could potentially impact virulence and clinical diagnosis, emphasize the need for more comprehensive methods to profile Francisella isolates. This study highlights the value of whole-genome sequencing, which will lead to a more robust database of environmental and clinical genomes and inform strategies to improve detection and classification of Francisella strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Matz
- Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - K Y Kamdar
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Cancer and Hematology Centers, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - M E Holder
- Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - G A Metcalf
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - G M Weissenberger
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Q Meng
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - V Vee
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Y Han
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - D M Muzny
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - R A Gibbs
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - C L Johnson
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Pathology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - P A Revell
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Pathology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J F Petrosino
- Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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32
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Shahin K, Gustavo Ramirez-Paredes J, Harold G, Lopez-Jimena B, Adams A, Weidmann M. Development of a recombinase polymerase amplification assay for rapid detection of Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192979. [PMID: 29444148 PMCID: PMC5812721 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis (Fno) is the causative agent of piscine francisellosis in warm water fish including tilapia. The disease induces chronic granulomatous inflammation with high morbidity and can result in high mortality. Early and accurate detection of Fno is crucial to set appropriate outbreak control measures in tilapia farms. Laboratory detection of Fno mainly depends on bacterial culture and molecular techniques. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is a novel isothermal technology that has been widely used for the molecular diagnosis of various infectious diseases. In this study, a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay for rapid detection of Fno was developed and validated. The RPA reaction was performed at a constant temperature of 42°C for 20 min. The RPA assay was performed using a quantitative plasmid standard containing a unique Fno gene sequence. Validation of the assay was performed not only by using DNA from Fno, closely related Francisella species and other common bacterial pathogens in tilapia farms, but also by screening 78 Nile tilapia and 5 water samples. All results were compared with those obtained by previously established real-time qPCR. The developed RPA showed high specificity in detection of Fno with no cross-detection of either the closely related Francisella spp. or the other tested bacteria. The Fno-RPA performance was highly comparable to the published qPCR with detection limits at 15 and 11 DNA molecules detected, respectively. The RPA gave quicker results in approximately 6 min in contrast to the qPCR that needed about 90 min to reach the same detection limit, taking only 2.7–3 min to determine Fno in clinical samples. Moreover, RPA was more tolerant to reaction inhibitors than qPCR when tested with field samples. The fast reaction, simplicity, cost-effectiveness, sensitivity and specificity make the RPA an attractive diagnostic tool that will contribute to controlling the infection through prompt on-site detection of Fno.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Shahin
- Institute of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Aquatic Animal Diseases Lab, Division of Aquaculture, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Suez, Egypt
- * E-mail:
| | - Jose Gustavo Ramirez-Paredes
- Institute of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Graham Harold
- Institute of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Lopez-Jimena
- Institute of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandra Adams
- Institute of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Manfred Weidmann
- Institute of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom
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33
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Gerhart JG, Auguste Dutcher H, Brenner AE, Moses AS, Grubhoffer L, Raghavan R. Multiple Acquisitions of Pathogen-Derived Francisella Endosymbionts in Soft Ticks. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:607-615. [PMID: 29385445 PMCID: PMC5804916 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial endosymbionts of ticks are of interest due to their close evolutionary relationships with tick-vectored pathogens. For instance, whereas many ticks contain Francisella-like endosymbionts (FLEs), others transmit the mammalian pathogen Francisella tularensis. We recently sequenced the genome of an FLE present in the hard tick Amblyomma maculatum (FLE-Am) and showed that it likely evolved from a pathogenic ancestor. In order to expand our understanding of FLEs, in the current study we sequenced the genome of an FLE in the soft tick Ornithodoros moubata and compared it to the genomes of FLE-Am, Francisella persica-an FLE in the soft tick Argus (Persicargas) arboreus, Francisella sp. MA067296-a clinical isolate responsible for an opportunistic human infection, and F. tularensis, the established human pathogen. We determined that FLEs and MA067296 belonged to a sister taxon of mammalian pathogens, and contained inactivated versions of virulence genes present in F. tularensis, indicating that the most recent common ancestor shared by FLEs and F. tularensis was a potential mammalian pathogen. Our analyses also revealed that the two soft ticks (O. moubata and A. arboreus) probably acquired their FLEs separately, suggesting that the virulence attenuation observed in FLEs are not the consequence of a single acquisition event followed by speciation, but probably due to independent transitions of pathogenic francisellae into nonpathogenic FLEs within separate tick lineages. Additionally, we show that FLEs encode intact pathways for the production of several B vitamins and cofactors, denoting that they could function as nutrient-provisioning endosymbionts in ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan G Gerhart
- Biology Department and Center for Life in Extreme Environments, Portland State University
- Present address: Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Entomology Branch, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - H Auguste Dutcher
- Biology Department and Center for Life in Extreme Environments, Portland State University
| | - Amanda E Brenner
- Biology Department and Center for Life in Extreme Environments, Portland State University
| | - Abraham S Moses
- Biology Department and Center for Life in Extreme Environments, Portland State University
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Rahul Raghavan
- Biology Department and Center for Life in Extreme Environments, Portland State University
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34
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Sebastião FA, Pilarski F, Kearney MT, Soto E. Molecular detection of Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis in cultured Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) in three Brazilian states. J Fish Dis 2017; 40:1731-1735. [PMID: 28449216 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- F A Sebastião
- Department of Medicine & Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Centro de Aquicultura da UNESP, Univ Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - F Pilarski
- Centro de Aquicultura da UNESP, Univ Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - M T Kearney
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - E Soto
- Department of Medicine & Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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35
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Challacombe JF, Pillai S, Kuske CR. Shared features of cryptic plasmids from environmental and pathogenic Francisella species. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183554. [PMID: 28837612 PMCID: PMC5570271 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Francisella genus includes several recognized species, additional potential species, and other representatives that inhabit a range of incredibly diverse ecological niches, but are not closely related to the named species. Francisella species have been obtained from a wide variety of clinical and environmental sources; documented species include highly virulent human and animal pathogens, fish pathogens, opportunistic human pathogens, tick endosymbionts, and free-living isolates inhabiting brackish water. While more than 120 Francisella genomes have been sequenced to date, only a few contain plasmids, and most of these appear to be cryptic, with unknown benefit to the host cell. We have identified several putative cryptic plasmids in the sequenced genomes of three Francisella novicida and F. novicida-like strains (TX07-6608, AZ06-7470, DPG_3A-IS) and two new Francisella species (F. frigiditurris CA97-1460 and F. opportunistica MA06-7296). These plasmids were compared to each other and to previously identified plasmids from other Francisella species. Some of the plasmids encoded functions potentially involved in replication, conjugal transfer and partitioning, environmental survival (transcriptional regulation, signaling, metabolism), and hypothetical proteins with no assignable functions. Genomic and phylogenetic comparisons of these new plasmids to the other known Francisella plasmids revealed some similarities that add to our understanding of the evolutionary relationships among the diverse Francisella species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean F. Challacombe
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Segaran Pillai
- Office of Laboratory Science and Safety, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Cheryl R. Kuske
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States of America
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36
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Alcón P, Montoya G, Stella S. Assembly of Francisella novicida Cpf1 endonuclease in complex with guide RNA and target DNA. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2017; 73:409-415. [PMID: 28695850 PMCID: PMC5505246 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x1700838x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria and archaea use the CRISPR-Cas system as an adaptive response against infection by foreign nucleic acids. Owing to its remarkable flexibility, this mechanism has been harnessed and adopted as a powerful tool for genome editing. The CRISPR-Cas system includes two classes that are subdivided into six types and 19 subtypes according to conservation of the cas gene and loci organization. Recently, a new protein with endonuclease activity belonging to class 2 type V has been identified. This endonuclease, termed Cpf1, in complex with a single CRISPR RNA (crRNA) is able to recognize and cleave a target DNA preceded by a 5'-TTN-3' protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) complementary to the RNA guide. To obtain structural insight into the inner workings of Cpf1, the crystallization of an active complex containing the full extent of the crRNA and a 31-nucleotide dsDNA target was attempted. The gene encoding Cpf1 from Francisella novicida was cloned, overexpressed and purified. The crRNA was transcribed and purified in vitro. Finally, the ternary FnCpf1-crRNA-DNA complex was assembled and purified by preparative electrophoresis before crystallization. Crystals belonging to space group C2221, with unit-cell parameters a = 85.2, b = 137.6, c = 320.5 Å, were obtained and subjected to preliminary diffraction experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Alcón
- Protein Structure and Function Programme, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3b, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Guillermo Montoya
- Protein Structure and Function Programme, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3b, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stefano Stella
- Protein Structure and Function Programme, The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3b, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
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37
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Assis GBN, de Oliveira TF, Gardner IA, Figueiredo HCP, Leal CAG. Sensitivity and specificity of real-time PCR and bacteriological culture for francisellosis in farm-raised Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.). J Fish Dis 2017; 40:785-795. [PMID: 27670740 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite the worldwide occurrence of Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis (Fno) infection in farmed tilapia, sensitivity and specificity estimates of commonly used diagnostic tests have not been reported. This study aimed to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of bacteriological culture and qPCR to detect Fno infection. We tested 559 fish, sampled from four farms with different epidemiological scenarios: (i) healthy fish in a hatchery free of Fno; (ii) targeted sampling of diseased fish with suggestive external clinical signs of francisellosis during an outbreak; (iii) convenience sampling of diseased and clinically healthy fish during an outbreak; and (iv) sampling of healthy fish in a cage farm without a history of outbreaks, but with francisellosis reported in other farms in the same reservoir. The qPCR had higher median sensitivity (range, 48.8-99.5%) than culture (range, 1.6-74.4%). Culture had a substantially lower median sensitivity (1.6%) than qPCR (48.8%) to detect Fno in carrier tilapia (farm 4). Median specificity estimates for both tests were >99.2%. The qPCR is the superior test for use in surveillance and monitoring programmes for francisellosis in farmed Nile tilapia, but both tests have high sensitivity and specificity which make them fit for use in the diagnosis of Fno outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- G B N Assis
- AQUAVET, Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - T F de Oliveira
- AQUAVET, Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - I A Gardner
- Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE, Canada
| | - H C P Figueiredo
- AQUAVET, Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- AQUACEN - National Reference Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - C A G Leal
- AQUAVET, Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- AQUACEN - National Reference Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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38
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Swarts DC, van der Oost J, Jinek M. Structural Basis for Guide RNA Processing and Seed-Dependent DNA Targeting by CRISPR-Cas12a. Mol Cell 2017; 66:221-233.e4. [PMID: 28431230 PMCID: PMC6879319 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2017.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 323] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The CRISPR-associated protein Cas12a (Cpf1), which has been repurposed for genome editing, possesses two distinct nuclease activities: endoribonuclease activity for processing its own guide RNAs and RNA-guided DNase activity for target DNA cleavage. To elucidate the molecular basis of both activities, we determined crystal structures of Francisella novicida Cas12a bound to guide RNA and in complex with an R-loop formed by a non-cleavable guide RNA precursor and a full-length target DNA. Corroborated by biochemical experiments, these structures reveal the mechanisms of guide RNA processing and pre-ordering of the seed sequence in the guide RNA that primes Cas12a for target DNA binding. Furthermore, the R-loop complex structure reveals the strand displacement mechanism that facilitates guide-target hybridization and suggests a mechanism for double-stranded DNA cleavage involving a single active site. Together, these insights advance our mechanistic understanding of Cas12a enzymes and may contribute to further development of genome editing technologies.
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MESH Headings
- Bacterial Proteins/chemistry
- Bacterial Proteins/genetics
- Bacterial Proteins/metabolism
- CRISPR-Associated Proteins/chemistry
- CRISPR-Associated Proteins/genetics
- CRISPR-Associated Proteins/metabolism
- CRISPR-Cas Systems
- Catalysis
- Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats
- DNA, Bacterial/chemistry
- DNA, Bacterial/genetics
- DNA, Bacterial/metabolism
- Endonucleases/chemistry
- Endonucleases/genetics
- Endonucleases/metabolism
- Escherichia coli/enzymology
- Escherichia coli/genetics
- Francisella/enzymology
- Francisella/genetics
- Gene Editing/methods
- Models, Molecular
- Nucleic Acid Conformation
- Protein Conformation
- RNA Precursors/chemistry
- RNA Precursors/genetics
- RNA Precursors/metabolism
- RNA, Bacterial/chemistry
- RNA, Bacterial/genetics
- RNA, Bacterial/metabolism
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/chemistry
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/metabolism
- Structure-Activity Relationship
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan C Swarts
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - John van der Oost
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, 6708WE Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Jinek
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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39
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Lampe EO, Tandberg JI, Rishovd AL, Winther-Larsen HC. Francisella noatunensis ssp. noatunensis iglC deletion mutant protects adult zebrafish challenged with acute mortality dose of wild-type strain. Dis Aquat Organ 2017; 123:123-140. [PMID: 28262634 DOI: 10.3354/dao03087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The intracellular fish pathogen Francisella noatunensis remains an unsolved problem for aquaculture worldwide and an efficient vaccine is needed. In Francisella sp., IglC is an important virulence factor necessary for intracellular growth and escape from phagolysosomes. Deletion of the intracellular growth locus C (iglC) in Francisella sp. causes attenuation, but vaccine potential has only been attributed to ΔiglC from Francisella noatunensis ssp. orientalis, a warm-water fish pathogen. A ΔiglC mutant was constructed in the cold-water fish pathogen F. noatunensis ssp. noatunensis (Fnn), which causes francisellosis in Atlantic cod; the mutant was assessed in primary head kidney leucocytes from Atlantic cod. Fluorescence microscopy revealed reduced growth, while qPCR revealed an initial increase followed by a reduction in mutant genomes. Mutant-infected cod leucocytes presented higher interleukin 1 beta (il1β) and interleukin 8 (il8) transcription than wild-type (WT)-infected cells. Two doses of mutant and WT were tested in an adult zebrafish model whereupon 3 × 109 CFU caused acute disease and 3 × 107 CFU caused low mortality regardless of strain. However, splenomegaly developed only in the WT-infected zebrafish. Immunization with 7 × 106 CFU of Fnn ΔiglC protected zebrafish against challenge with a lethal dose of Fnn WT, and bacterial load was minimized within 28 d. Immunized fish had lower interleukin 6 (il6) and il8 transcription in kidney and prolonged interferon-gamma (ifng) transcription in spleens after challenge compared with non-immunized fish. Our data suggest an immunogenic potential of Fnn ΔiglC and indicate important cytokines associated with francisellosis pathogenesis and protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth O Lampe
- Center for Integrative Microbiology and Evolution, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
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Kim HK, Song M, Lee J, Menon AV, Jung S, Kang YM, Choi JW, Woo E, Koh HC, Nam JW, Kim H. In vivo high-throughput profiling of CRISPR-Cpf1 activity. Nat Methods 2017; 14:153-159. [PMID: 27992409 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.4104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 229] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR from Prevotella and Francisella 1 (Cpf1) is an effector endonuclease of the class 2 CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR-associated proteins) gene editing system. We developed a method for evaluating Cpf1 activity, based on target sequence composition in mammalian cells, in a high-throughput manner. A library of >11,000 target sequence and guide RNA pairs was delivered into human cells using lentiviral vectors. Subsequent delivery of Cpf1 into this cell library induced insertions and deletions (indels) at the integrated synthetic target sequences, which allowed en masse evaluation of Cpf1 activity by using deep sequencing. With this approach, we determined protospacer-adjacent motif sequences of two Cpf1 nucleases, one from Acidaminococcus sp. BV3L6 (hereafter referred to as AsCpf1) and the other from Lachnospiraceae bacterium ND2006 (hereafter referred to as LbCpf1). We also defined target-sequence-dependent activity profiles of AsCpf1, which enabled the development of a web tool that predicts the indel frequencies for given target sequences (http://big.hanyang.ac.kr/cindel). Both the Cpf1 characterization profile and the in vivo high-throughput evaluation method will greatly facilitate Cpf1-based genome editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui K Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Sciences, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Myungjae Song
- Department of Pharmacology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jinu Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yonsei University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - A Vipin Menon
- Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Soobin Jung
- Department of Pharmacology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Sciences, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Young-Mook Kang
- Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jae W Choi
- Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Euijeon Woo
- Drug Target Structure Research Center, Korea Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Hyun C Koh
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jin-Wu Nam
- Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyongbum Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Sciences, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Graduate Program of Nano Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
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Assis GBN, Tavares GC, Pereira FL, Figueiredo HCP, Leal CAG. Natural coinfection by Streptococcus agalactiae and Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis in farmed Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.). J Fish Dis 2017; 40:51-63. [PMID: 27144661 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Streptococcus agalactiae and Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis (Fno) are important pathogens for farm-raised tilapia worldwide. There are no reports of coinfection caused by S. agalactiae and Fno in fish. This study aimed to determine the aetiology of atypical mortalities in a cage farm of Nile tilapia and to characterize the genetic diversity of the isolates. Fifty-two fish were sampled and subjected to parasitological and bacteriological examination. The S. agalactiae and Fno isolates were genotyped using MLST and REP-PCR, respectively. Whole-genome sequencing was performed to confirm the MLST results. Seven fish were shown coinfected by S. agalactiae and Fno. Chronic hypoxia and a reduction in the water temperature were determined as risk factors for coinfection. Fno isolates were shown clonally related in REP-PCR. The MLST analysis revealed that the S. agalactiae isolates from seven coinfected fish were negative for the glcK gene; however, these were determined to be members of clonal complex CC-552. This is the first description of coinfection by S. agalactiae and Fno in farm-raised Nile tilapia. The coinfection was predisposed by chronic hypoxia and was caused by the main genotypes of S. agalactiae and Fno reported in Brazil. Finally, a new S. agalactiae genotype with glcK gene partially deleted was described.
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Affiliation(s)
- G B N Assis
- AQUAVET, Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - G C Tavares
- AQUAVET, Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - F L Pereira
- AQUACEN - National Reference Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - H C P Figueiredo
- AQUAVET, Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- AQUACEN - National Reference Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - C A G Leal
- AQUAVET, Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- AQUACEN - National Reference Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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Sarva ST, Waldo RH, Belland RJ, Klose KE. Comparative Transcriptional Analyses of Francisella tularensis and Francisella novicida. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158631. [PMID: 27537327 PMCID: PMC4990168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Francisella tularensis is composed of a number of subspecies with varied geographic distribution, host ranges, and virulence. In view of these marked differences, comparative functional genomics may elucidate some of the molecular mechanism(s) behind these differences. In this study a shared probe microarray was designed that could be used to compare the transcriptomes of Francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis Schu S4 (Ftt), Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica OR960246 (Fth), Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica LVS (LVS), and Francisella novicida U112 (Fn). To gain insight into expression differences that may be related to the differences in virulence of these subspecies, transcriptomes were measured from each strain grown in vitro under identical conditions, utilizing a shared probe microarray. The human avirulent Fn strain exhibited high levels of transcription of genes involved in general metabolism, which are pseudogenes in the human virulent Ftt and Fth strains, consistent with the process of genome decay in the virulent strains. Genes encoding an efflux system (emrA2 cluster of genes), siderophore (fsl operon), acid phosphatase, LPS synthesis, polyamine synthesis, and citrulline ureidase were all highly expressed in Ftt when compared to Fn, suggesting that some of these may contribute to the relative high virulence of Ftt. Genes expressed at a higher level in Ftt when compared to the relatively less virulent Fth included genes encoding isochorismatases, cholylglycine hydrolase, polyamine synthesis, citrulline ureidase, Type IV pilus subunit, and the Francisella Pathogenicity Island protein PdpD. Fth and LVS had very few expression differences, consistent with the derivation of LVS from Fth. This study demonstrated that a shared probe microarray designed to detect transcripts in multiple species/subspecies of Francisella enabled comparative transcriptional analyses that may highlight critical differences that underlie the relative pathogenesis of these strains for humans. This strategy could be extended to other closely-related bacterial species for inter-strain and inter-species analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siva T. Sarva
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States of America
| | - Robert H. Waldo
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States of America
| | - Robert J. Belland
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States of America
| | - Karl E. Klose
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Dept. of Biology, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Ortega C, Mancera G, Enríquez R, Vargas A, Martínez S, Fajardo R, Avendaño-Herrera R, Navarrete MJ, Romero A. First identification of Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis causing mortality in Mexican tilapia Oreochromis spp. Dis Aquat Organ 2016; 120:205-215. [PMID: 27503916 DOI: 10.3354/dao02999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Francisellosis, an emerging disease in tilapia Oreochromis spp., is caused by the facultative, intracellular bacterium Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis, which is present in various countries where tilapia farming is commercially important. We confirmed the presence of francisellosis in Mexican tilapia cultures in association with an outbreak during the second semester of 2012. Broodstock fish presented a mortality rate of approximately 40%, and disease was characterized by histologically classified granulomas, or whitish nodules, in different organs, mainly the spleen and kidney. Through DNA obtained from infected tissue and pure cultures in a cysteine heart medium supplemented with hemoglobin, F. noatunensis subsp. orientalis was initially confirmed through the amplification and analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer region. Phylogenetic analysis of these genes demonstrated close similarity with previously reported F. noatunensis subsp. orientalis sequences obtained from infected tilapia from various countries. The identification of this subspecies as the causative agent of the outbreak was confirmed using the iglC gene as a target sequence, which showed 99.5% identity to 2 F. noatunensis subsp. orientalis strains (Ethime-1 and Toba04). These findings represent the first documented occurrence of francisellosis in Mexican tilapia cultures, which highlights the importance of establishing preventative measures to minimize the spread of this disease within the Mexican aquaculture industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Ortega
- Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados en Salud Animal (CIESA), Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Carretera Toluca-Atlacomulco Km. 15.5, Toluca 50200, Mexico
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Abstract
Francisella infections developed in freshwater Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus and red tilapia Oreochromis spp. farms in Thailand during 2012-2014. The diseased fish were lethargic and pale in color and showed numerous white nodules in their enlarged spleens. Histopathological examination and electron microscopy suggested that the white nodules were multifocal granulomas consisting of coccobacilli within vacuolated cells. Isolation of Francisella-like bacteria was achieved from 42 of 100 samples, while polymerase chain reaction confirmed Francisella infections in all samples. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene from samples obtained from three different geographical culture areas revealed more than 99% similarity with F. noatunensis subsp. orientalis. The influence of Francisella infection on inflammatory cytokines was determined on splenic cells of fish intraperitoneally injected with the bacteria (0.8 × 10(5) colony-forming units per fish). Infected tilapia showed significantly greater expression of the pro-inflammatory genes interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrotic factor-α (TNF-α) within 24 h postinjection (hpi) and for up to 96 hpi. However, down-regulation of an anti-inflammatory gene, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) was observed as early as 24 hpi. This investigation demonstrates that an imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in response to the infection may account for the substantial number of granulomas in fish hematopoietic tissues that was found in the later stage of the disease. Received September 9, 2015; accepted December 13, 2015.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasibha Jantrakajorn
- a Faculty of Veterinary Science , Prince of Songkla University , Songkhla , Thailand
- b Department of Veterinary Medicine , Chulalongkorn University , Bangkok , Thailand
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Zetsche B, Gootenberg JS, Abudayyeh OO, Slaymaker IM, Makarova KS, Essletzbichler P, Volz SE, Joung J, van der Oost J, Regev A, Koonin EV, Zhang F. Cpf1 is a single RNA-guided endonuclease of a class 2 CRISPR-Cas system. Cell 2015; 163:759-71. [PMID: 26422227 PMCID: PMC4638220 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2700] [Impact Index Per Article: 300.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The microbial adaptive immune system CRISPR mediates defense against foreign genetic elements through two classes of RNA-guided nuclease effectors. Class 1 effectors utilize multi-protein complexes, whereas class 2 effectors rely on single-component effector proteins such as the well-characterized Cas9. Here, we report characterization of Cpf1, a putative class 2 CRISPR effector. We demonstrate that Cpf1 mediates robust DNA interference with features distinct from Cas9. Cpf1 is a single RNA-guided endonuclease lacking tracrRNA, and it utilizes a T-rich protospacer-adjacent motif. Moreover, Cpf1 cleaves DNA via a staggered DNA double-stranded break. Out of 16 Cpf1-family proteins, we identified two candidate enzymes from Acidaminococcus and Lachnospiraceae, with efficient genome-editing activity in human cells. Identifying this mechanism of interference broadens our understanding of CRISPR-Cas systems and advances their genome editing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Zetsche
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Developmental Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Bonn Medical School, Sigmund Freud Street 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jonathan S Gootenberg
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Omar O Abudayyeh
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ian M Slaymaker
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kira S Makarova
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Patrick Essletzbichler
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sara E Volz
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Julia Joung
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - John van der Oost
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 10, 6703 HB Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Aviv Regev
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Feng Zhang
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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Cho M, Chung S, Kim YT, Jung JH, Kim DH, Seo TS. A fully integrated microdevice for biobarcode assay based biological agent detection. Lab Chip 2015; 15:2744-2748. [PMID: 26032690 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc00355e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
An integrated microdevice, consisting of a micropump, a passive mixer, a magnetic separation chamber, and a microcapillary electrophoretic channel, was constructed for biobarcode assay based multiplex biological agent detection in a sample-to-answer-out manner within 30 min with high sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minkyung Cho
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea.
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Timofeev VS, Bakhteeva IV, Pavlov VM, Mokrievich AN. [CITRULLINUREIDASE GENE DIVERSITY IN THE GENUS FRANCISELLA]. Mol Gen Mikrobiol Virusol 2015; 33:15-22. [PMID: 27192816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This work describes the results, of the in silico analysis of the genetic diversity of the citrullinureidase gene (ctu) in two species of bacteria of the genus Francisella: tularensis (ssp. tularensis, holarctica, mediasiatica, novicida) and philomiragia. The strains of the Central Asiatic subspecies possessing the citrullinureidase activity differ in the gene ctu from the ssp tularensis Schu by three nucleotide substitutions leading to two insignificant amino acid substitutions in the encoded polypeptide. In the strain F. tularensis of the ssp. holarctica the gene ctu encodes inactive enzyme, which is probably due to amino acid substitutions: 151 Gly --> Asp, 183 Pro --> Leu, 222 Asp --> Asn. Except for the Japan biovar bacteria, in all strains of the Holarctic subspecies there are two stop codons in the gene ctu. The bacteria of the subspecies novicida contain the ctu gene only in the strain 3523, whereas the other strains contain the gene FTN_0827 encoding the C-N hydrolase, which probably provides the citrullinureidase activity.
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Reif KE, Palmer GH, Crowder DW, Ueti MW, Noh SM. Restriction of Francisella novicida genetic diversity during infection of the vector midgut. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004499. [PMID: 25392914 PMCID: PMC4231110 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic diversity of pathogens, and interactions between genotypes, can strongly influence pathogen phenotypes such as transmissibility and virulence. For vector-borne pathogens, both mammalian hosts and arthropod vectors may limit pathogen genotypic diversity (number of unique genotypes circulating in an area) by preventing infection or transmission of particular genotypes. Mammalian hosts often act as “ecological filters” for pathogen diversity, where novel variants are frequently eliminated because of stochastic events or fitness costs. However, whether vectors can serve a similar role in limiting pathogen diversity is less clear. Here we show using Francisella novicida and a natural tick vector of Francisella spp. (Dermacentor andersoni), that the tick vector acted as a stronger ecological filter for pathogen diversity compared to the mammalian host. When both mice and ticks were exposed to mixtures of F. novicida genotypes, significantly fewer genotypes co-colonized ticks compared to mice. In both ticks and mice, increased genotypic diversity negatively affected the recovery of available genotypes. Competition among genotypes contributed to the reduction of diversity during infection of the tick midgut, as genotypes not recovered from tick midguts during mixed genotype infections were recovered from tick midguts during individual genotype infection. Mediated by stochastic and selective forces, pathogen genotype diversity was markedly reduced in the tick. We incorporated our experimental results into a model to demonstrate how vector population dynamics, especially vector-to-host ratio, strongly affected pathogen genotypic diversity in a population over time. Understanding pathogen genotypic population dynamics will aid in identification of the variables that most strongly affect pathogen transmission and disease ecology. Co-infection, the presence of multiple genotypes of the same pathogen species within an infected individual, is common. Genotype diversity, defined as the number of unique genotypes, and the interaction between genotypes, can strongly influence virulence and pathogen transmission. Understanding how genotypic diversity affects transmission of pathogens that naturally cycle among disparate hosts, such as vector-borne pathogens, is especially important as the capacity of the host and vector to sustain genotypic diversity may differ. To address this, we exposed Dermacentor andersoni ticks, via infected mice, to variably diverse populations of Francisella novicida genotypes. Interestingly, we found that ticks served as greater ecological filters for genotypic diversity compared to mice. This loss in genotypic diversity was due to both stochastic and selective forces. Based on these data and a model, we determined that high numbers of ticks in an environment support high genotypic diversity, while genotypic diversity will be lost rapidly in environments with low tick numbers. Together, these results provide evidence that vector population dynamics, vector-to-host ratios, and competition among pathogen genotypes play critical roles in the maintenance of pathogen genotypic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E. Reif
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, and Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Guy H. Palmer
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, and Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - David W. Crowder
- Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Massaro W. Ueti
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Susan M. Noh
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, and Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
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Hare RF, Hueffer K. Francisella novicida pathogenicity island encoded proteins were secreted during infection of macrophage-like cells. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105773. [PMID: 25158041 PMCID: PMC4144950 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular pathogens and other organisms have evolved mechanisms to exploit host cells for their life cycles. Virulence genes of some intracellular bacteria responsible for these mechanisms are located in pathogenicity islands, such as secretion systems that secrete effector proteins. The Francisella pathogenicity island is required for phagosomal escape, intracellular replication, evasion of host immune responses, virulence, and encodes a type 6 secretion system. We hypothesize that some Francisella novicida pathogenicity island proteins are secreted during infection of host cells. To test this hypothesis, expression plasmids for all Francisella novicida FPI-encoded proteins with C-terminal and N-terminal epitope FLAG tags were developed. These plasmids expressed their respective epitope FLAG-tagged proteins at their predicted molecular weights. J774 murine macrophage-like cells were infected with Francisella novicida containing these plasmids. The FPI proteins expressed from these plasmids successfully restored the intramacrophage growth phenotype in mutants of the respective genes that were deficient for intramacrophage growth. Using these expression plasmids, the localization of the Francisella pathogenicity island proteins were examined via immuno-fluorescence microscopy within infected macrophage-like cells. Several Francisella pathogenicity island encoded proteins (IglABCDEFGHIJ, PdpACE, DotU and VgrG) were detected extracellularly and they were co-localized with the bacteria, while PdpBD and Anmk were not detected and thus remained inside bacteria. Proteins that were co-localized with bacteria had different patterns of localization. The localization of IglC was dependent on the type 6 secretion system. This suggests that some Francisella pathogenicity island proteins were secreted while others remain within the bacterium during infection of host cells as structural components of the secretion system and were necessary for secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah F. Hare
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Karsten Hueffer
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Law HT, Sriram A, Fevang C, Nix EB, Nano FE, Guttman JA. IglC and PdpA are important for promoting Francisella invasion and intracellular growth in epithelial cells. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104881. [PMID: 25115488 PMCID: PMC4130613 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The highly infectious bacteria, Francisella tularensis, colonize a variety of organs and replicate within both phagocytic as well as non-phagocytic cells, to cause the disease tularemia. These microbes contain a conserved cluster of important virulence genes referred to as the Francisella Pathogenicity Island (FPI). Two of the most characterized FPI genes, iglC and pdpA, play a central role in bacterial survival and proliferation within phagocytes, but do not influence bacterial internalization. Yet, their involvement in non-phagocytic epithelial cell infections remains unexplored. To examine the functions of IglC and PdpA on bacterial invasion and replication during epithelial cell infections, we infected liver and lung epithelial cells with F. novicida and F. tularensis 'Type B' Live Vaccine Strain (LVS) deletion mutants (ΔiglC and ΔpdpA) as well as their respective gene complements. We found that deletion of either gene significantly reduced their ability to invade and replicate in epithelial cells. Gene complementation of iglC and pdpA partially rescued bacterial invasion and intracellular growth. Additionally, substantial LAMP1-association with both deletion mutants was observed up to 12 h suggesting that the absence of IglC and PdpA caused deficiencies in their ability to dissociate from LAMP1-positive Francisella Containing Vacuoles (FCVs). This work provides the first evidence that IglC and PdpA are important pathogenic factors for invasion and intracellular growth of Francisella in epithelial cells, and further highlights the discrete mechanisms involved in Francisella infections between phagocytic and non-phagocytic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. T. Law
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Aarati Sriram
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Charlotte Fevang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Eli B. Nix
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Francis E. Nano
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Julian Andrew Guttman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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