scholarly journals Structural basis for inhibition of the type I-F CRISPR–Cas surveillance complex by AcrIF4, AcrIF7 and AcrIF14

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clinton Gabel ◽  
Zhuang Li ◽  
Heng Zhang ◽  
Leifu Chang
Keyword(s):  
Genome Editing ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Type I ◽  
Structural Detail ◽  
Immune Systems ◽  
Helical Bundle ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Target Dna ◽  
Adaptive Immune Systems

Abstract CRISPR–Cas systems are adaptive immune systems in bacteria and archaea to defend against mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and have been repurposed as genome editing tools. Anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins are produced by MGEs to counteract CRISPR–Cas systems and can be used to regulate genome editing by CRISPR techniques. Here, we report the cryo-EM structures of three type I-F Acr proteins, AcrIF4, AcrIF7 and AcrIF14, bound to the type I-F CRISPR–Cas surveillance complex (the Csy complex) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. AcrIF4 binds to an unprecedented site on the C-terminal helical bundle of Cas8f subunit, precluding conformational changes required for activation of the Csy complex. AcrIF7 mimics the PAM duplex of target DNA and is bound to the N-terminal DNA vise of Cas8f. Two copies of AcrIF14 bind to the thumb domains of Cas7.4f and Cas7.6f, preventing hybridization between target DNA and the crRNA. Our results reveal structural detail of three AcrIF proteins, each binding to a different site on the Csy complex for inhibiting degradation of MGEs.

scholarly journals Structure reveals mechanism of CRISPR RNA-guided nuclease recruitment and anti-CRISPR viral mimicry

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
MaryClare F. Rollins ◽  
Saikat Chowdhury ◽  
Joshua Carter ◽  
Sarah M. Golden ◽  
Heini M. Miettinen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Type I ◽  
Structural Homology ◽  
Immune Systems ◽  
Helical Bundle ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Double Stranded Dna ◽  
Viral Mimicry ◽  
Cas Genes ◽  
Adaptive Immune Systems

AbstractBacteria and archaea have evolved sophisticated adaptive immune systems that rely on CRISPR RNA (crRNA)-guided detection and nuclease-mediated elimination of invading nucleic acids. Here we present the cryo-EM structure of the type I-F CRISPR RNA-guided surveillance complex (Csy complex) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa bound to a double-stranded DNA target. Comparison of this structure to previously determined structures of this complex reveals a Ȉ180-degree rotation of the C-terminal helical bundle on the “large” Cas8f subunit. We show that the dsDNA-induced conformational change in Cas8f exposes a Cas2/3 “nuclease recruitment helix” that is structurally homologous to a virally encoded anti-CRISPR protein (AcrIF3). Structural homology between Cas8f and AcrIF3 suggests that AcrIF3 is a mimic of the Cas8f “nuclease recruitment helix”, implying that cas genes may sometimes serve as genetic fodder for the evolution of anti-CRISPRs.

scholarly journals CRISPR-Cas immunity repressed by a biofilm-activating pathway inPseudomonas aeruginosa

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adair L. Borges ◽  
Bardo Castro ◽  
Sutharsan Govindarajan ◽  
Tina Solvik ◽  
Veronica Escalante ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Screen ◽  
Type I ◽  
Two Component System ◽  
Component System ◽  
Forward Genetic Screen ◽  
Immune Systems ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Biofilm Production ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Adaptive Immune Systems

CRISPR-Cas systems are adaptive immune systems that protect bacteria from bacteriophage (phage) infection. To provide immunity, RNA-guided protein surveillance complexes recognize foreign nucleic acids, triggering their destruction by Cas nucleases. While the essential requirements for immune activity are well understood, the physiological cues that regulate CRISPR-Cas expression are not. Here, a forward genetic screen identifies a two-component system (KinB/AlgB), previously characterized in regulatingPseudomonas aeruginosavirulence and biofilm establishment, as a regulator of the biogenesis and activity of the Type I-F CRISPR-Cas system. Downstream of the KinB/AlgB system, activators of biofilm production AlgU (a σEorthologue) and AlgR, act as repressors of CRISPR-Cas activity during planktonic and surface-associated growth. AmrZ, another biofilm activator, functions as a surface-specific repressor of CRISPR-Cas immunity.Pseudomonasphages and plasmids have taken advantage of this regulatory scheme, and carry hijacked homologs of AmrZ, which are functional CRISPR-Cas repressors. This suggests that while CRISPR-Cas regulation may be important to limit self-toxicity, endogenous repressive pathways represent a vulnerability for parasite manipulation.

Structural basis for the dimerization-dependent CRISPR-Cas12f nuclease

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renjian Xiao ◽  
Zhuang Li ◽  
Shukun Wang ◽  
Ruijie Han ◽  
Leifu Chang
Keyword(s):  
Genome Editing ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Dna Cleavage ◽  
Substrate Recognition ◽  
Activation Mechanism ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Target Dna ◽  
Type V ◽  
Underlying Substrate

ABSTRACTCas12f, also known as Cas14, is an exceptionally small type V-F CRISPR-Cas nuclease that is roughly half the size of comparable nucleases of this type. To reveal the mechanisms underlying substrate recognition and cleavage, we determined the cryo-EM structures of the Cas12f-sgRNA-target DNA and Cas12f-sgRNA complexes at 3.1 Å and 3.9 Å, respectively. An asymmetric Cas12f dimer is bound to one sgRNA for recognition and cleavage of dsDNA substrate with a T-rich PAM sequence. Despite its dimerization, Cas12f adopts a conserved activation mechanism among the type V nucleases which requires coordinated conformational changes induced by the formation of the crRNA-target DNA heteroduplex, including the close-to-open transition in the lid motif of the RuvC domain. Only one RuvC domain in the Cas12f dimer is activated by substrate recognition, and the substrate bound to the activated RuvC domain is captured in the structure. Structure-assisted truncated sgRNA, which is less than half the length of the original sgRNA, is still active for target DNA cleavage. Our results expand our understanding of the diverse type V CRISPR-Cas nucleases and facilitate potential genome editing applications using the miniature Cas12f.

scholarly journals Competition between mobile genetic elements drives optimization of a phage-encoded CRISPR-Cas system: insights from a natural arms race

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1772) ◽  
pp. 20180089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia C. McKitterick ◽  
Kristen N. LeGault ◽  
Angus Angermeyer ◽  
Munirul Alam ◽  
Kimberley D. Seed
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Mobile Genetic Element ◽  
Arms Race ◽  
Type I ◽  
Helicase Activity ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Immune Systems ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Adaptive Immune Systems

CRISPR-Cas systems function as adaptive immune systems by acquiring nucleotide sequences called spacers that mediate sequence-specific defence against competitors. Uniquely, the phage ICP1 encodes a Type I-F CRISPR-Cas system that is deployed to target and overcome PLE, a mobile genetic element with anti-phage activity in Vibrio cholerae . Here, we exploit the arms race between ICP1 and PLE to examine spacer acquisition and interference under laboratory conditions to reconcile findings from wild populations. Natural ICP1 isolates encode multiple spacers directed against PLE, but we find that single spacers do not interfere equally with PLE mobilization. High-throughput sequencing to assay spacer acquisition reveals that ICP1 can also acquire spacers that target the V. cholerae chromosome. We find that targeting the V. cholerae chromosome proximal to PLE is sufficient to block PLE and is dependent on Cas2-3 helicase activity. We propose a model in which indirect chromosomal spacers are able to circumvent PLE by Cas2-3-mediated processive degradation of the V. cholerae chromosome before PLE mobilization. Generally, laboratory-acquired spacers are much more diverse than the subset of spacers maintained by ICP1 in nature, showing how evolutionary pressures can constrain CRISPR-Cas targeting in ways that are often not appreciated through in vitro analyses. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The ecology and evolution of prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune systems’.

scholarly journals Distinct subcellular localization of a Type I CRISPR complex and the Cas3 nuclease in bacteria

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sutharsan Govindarajan ◽  
Adair Borges ◽  
Joseph Bondy-Denomy
Keyword(s):  
Fusion Proteins ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Type I ◽  
Immune Systems ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Spatiotemporal Regulation ◽  
Cas9 Nuclease ◽  
Adaptive Immune Systems ◽  
Single Focus

AbstractCRISPR-Cas systems are prokaryotic adaptive immune systems that have been well characterized biochemically, but in vivo spatiotemporal regulation and cell biology remains largely unaddressed. Here, we used fluorescent fusion proteins to study the localization of the Type I-F CRISPR-Cas system native to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. When targeted to an integrated prophage, the crRNA-guided (Csy) complex and a majority of Cas3 molecules in the cell are recruited to a single focus. When lacking a target in the cell, however, the Csy complex is broadly nucleoid bound, while Cas3 is diffuse in the cytoplasm. Nucleoid association for the Csy proteins is crRNA-dependent, and inhibited by expression of anti-CRISPR AcrIF2, which blocks PAM binding. The Cas9 nuclease is also nucleoid localized, only when gRNA-bound, which is abolished by PAM mimic, AcrIIA4. Our findings reveal PAM-dependent nucleoid surveillance and spatiotemporal regulation in Type I CRISPR-Cas that separates the nuclease-helicase Cas3 from the crRNA-guided surveillance complex.

scholarly journals Structural basis for substrate recognition and cleavage by the dimerization-dependent CRISPR–Cas12f nuclease

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 4120-4128
Author(s):  
Renjian Xiao ◽  
Zhuang Li ◽  
Shukun Wang ◽  
Ruijie Han ◽  
Leifu Chang
Keyword(s):  
Genome Editing ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Dna Cleavage ◽  
Substrate Recognition ◽  
Activation Mechanism ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Target Dna ◽  
Type V ◽  
Underlying Substrate

Abstract Cas12f, also known as Cas14, is an exceptionally small type V-F CRISPR–Cas nuclease that is roughly half the size of comparable nucleases of this type. To reveal the mechanisms underlying substrate recognition and cleavage, we determined the cryo-EM structures of the Cas12f-sgRNA-target DNA and Cas12f-sgRNA complexes at 3.1 and 3.9 Å, respectively. An asymmetric Cas12f dimer is bound to one sgRNA for recognition and cleavage of dsDNA substrate with a T-rich PAM sequence. Despite its dimerization, Cas12f adopts a conserved activation mechanism among the type V nucleases which requires coordinated conformational changes induced by the formation of the crRNA-target DNA heteroduplex, including the close-to-open transition in the lid motif of the RuvC domain. Only one RuvC domain in the Cas12f dimer is activated by substrate recognition, and the substrate bound to the activated RuvC domain is captured in the structure. Structure-assisted truncated sgRNA, which is less than half the length of the original sgRNA, is still active for target DNA cleavage. Our results expand our understanding of the diverse type V CRISPR–Cas nucleases and facilitate potential genome editing applications using the miniature Cas12f.

scholarly journals Systematic discovery of natural CRISPR-Cas12a inhibitors

Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 362 (6411) ◽  
pp. 236-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle E. Watters ◽  
Christof Fellmann ◽  
Hua B. Bai ◽  
Shawn M. Ren ◽  
Jennifer A. Doudna
Keyword(s):  
Genome Editing ◽  
Biomedical Applications ◽  
Genome Engineering ◽  
Microbial World ◽  
Immune Systems ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Synthetic Genome ◽  
Prokaryotic Genomes ◽  
Adaptive Immune Systems ◽  
Cascade Complex

Cas12a (Cpf1) is a CRISPR-associated nuclease with broad utility for synthetic genome engineering, agricultural genomics, and biomedical applications. Although bacteria harboring CRISPR-Cas9 or CRISPR-Cas3 adaptive immune systems sometimes acquire mobile genetic elements encoding anti-CRISPR proteins that inhibit Cas9, Cas3, or the DNA-binding Cascade complex, no such inhibitors have been found for CRISPR-Cas12a. Here we use a comprehensive bioinformatic and experimental screening approach to identify three different inhibitors that block or diminish CRISPR-Cas12a–mediated genome editing in human cells. We also find a widespread connection between CRISPR self-targeting and inhibitor prevalence in prokaryotic genomes, suggesting a straightforward path to the discovery of many more anti-CRISPRs from the microbial world.

Structural plasticity and in vivo activity of Cas1 from the type I-F CRISPR–Cas system

2016 ◽  
Vol 473 (8) ◽  
pp. 1063-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max E. Wilkinson ◽  
Yoshio Nakatani ◽  
Raymond H.J. Staals ◽  
Sebastian N. Kieper ◽  
Helen K. Opel-Reading ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Plasticity ◽  
Type I ◽  
Immune Systems ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Foreign Dna ◽  
Adaptive Immune Systems

CRISPR–Cas systems are adaptive immune systems that defend prokaryotes against foreign DNA. In a type I-F CRISPR–Cas system we show that Cas1 is required for adaptation to new threats, and that this protein is characterized by remarkable structural plasticity.

scholarly journals An Evolutionary Link between Natural Transformation and CRISPR Adaptive Immunity

mBio ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Jorth ◽  
Marvin Whiteley
Keyword(s):  
Gene Transfer ◽  
Horizontal Gene Transfer ◽  
Bacterial Diversity ◽  
Natural Transformation ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Immune Systems ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Adaptive Immune Systems

ABSTRACTNatural transformation by competent bacteria is a primary means of horizontal gene transfer; however, evidence that competence drives bacterial diversity and evolution has remained elusive. To test this theory, we used a retrospective comparative genomic approach to analyze the evolutionary history ofAggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a bacterial species with both competent and noncompetent sister strains. Through comparative genomic analyses, we reveal that competence is evolutionarily linked to genomic diversity and speciation. Competence loss occurs frequently during evolution and is followed by the loss of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs), bacterial adaptive immune systems that protect against parasitic DNA. Relative to noncompetent strains, competent bacteria have larger genomes containing multiple rearrangements. In contrast, noncompetent bacterial genomes are extremely stable but paradoxically susceptible to infective DNA elements, which contribute to noncompetent strain genetic diversity. Moreover, incomplete noncompetent strain CRISPR immune systems are enriched for self-targeting elements, which suggests that the CRISPRs have been co-opted for bacterial gene regulation, similar to eukaryotic microRNAs derived from the antiviral RNA interference pathway.IMPORTANCEThe human microbiome is rich with thousands of diverse bacterial species. One mechanism driving this diversity is horizontal gene transfer by natural transformation, whereby naturally competent bacteria take up environmental DNA and incorporate new genes into their genomes. Competence is theorized to accelerate evolution; however, attempts to test this theory have proved difficult. Through genetic analyses of the human periodontal pathogenAggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, we have discovered an evolutionary connection between competence systems promoting gene acquisition and CRISPRs (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats), adaptive immune systems that protect bacteria against genetic parasites. We show that competentA. actinomycetemcomitansstrains have numerous redundant CRISPR immune systems, while noncompetent bacteria have lost their CRISPR immune systems because of inactivating mutations. Together, the evolutionary data linking the evolution of competence and CRISPRs reveals unique mechanisms promoting genetic heterogeneity and the rise of new bacterial species, providing insight into complex mechanisms underlying bacterial diversity in the human body.

scholarly journals Emerging evidence of an effect of salt on innate and adaptive immunity

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 2007-2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhys D R Evans ◽  
Marilina Antonelou ◽  
Scott Henderson ◽  
Stephen B Walsh ◽  
Alan D Salama
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Animal ◽  
Salt Intake ◽  
Natural Diet ◽  
Innate And Adaptive Immunity ◽  
Immune Systems ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Multiple Components ◽  
Excess Salt Intake ◽  
Adaptive Immune Systems ◽  
Recent Laboratory

AbstractSalt intake as part of a western diet currently exceeds recommended limits, and the small amount found in the natural diet enjoyed by our Paleolithic ancestors. Excess salt is associated with the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, but other adverse effects of excess salt intake are beginning to be recognized, including the development of autoimmune and inflammatory disease. Over the last decade there has been an increasing body of evidence demonstrating that salt affects multiple components of both the innate and adaptive immune systems. In this review we outline the recent laboratory, animal and human data, highlighting the effect of salt on immunity, with a particular focus on the relevance to inflammatory kidney disease.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document