Antimicrobials 1 Flashcards
How does CRISPR work?
- Invastion
- bacteriophage injects DNA into bacteria - adaptation
- phage DNA gets chopped and spacer gets inserted into CRISPR array - production
- the CRISPR array forms CRISPR RNA (guide RNA) - targeting
- RNA guides Cas9 protein (molecular machinery) to the correct sequence and cleaves it
CRISPR/Cas 9 molecular components
3 components
- Cas 9 protein (endonuclease)
- crRNA with 20bp complentary seqeunce for target
- transactivating crRNA (tracrRNA) that provides a bridge between Cas9 protein and guide RNA
CRISPR/Cas 13 system
- RNA dependent RNA nuclease (searches RNA not DNA)
- collateral activity: nuclease domains remain active even after cleaving target sequence so it cleaves anything else that’s close
CRISPR/Cas 9 molecular mechanism
mechanism
- scans DNA for PAM sequence (bacteria don’t have PAM –> not self)
- when it finds the PAM Cas9 binds to it
- Cas9 unwinds the DNA and attempts pairing
- the 20pb sequence of the guide crRNA pairs to the DNA
- Cas9 cleaves it if full match
CRISPR Cas12 system
- RNA dependent DNA nuclease (like cas 9)
- staggered cuts
- different PAM
What are the 2 main classes of CRISPR systems?
Class 1: multiprotein system
Class 2: require only one protein to cleave DNA (ex. cas9)
how many bacteria have CRISPR/cas systems and how is it spread?
- 48% eubacteria
- 95% archea
- spread through conjugation
importance of PAMs?
- self vs non self recognition
- PAMS only present on phage DNA and not CRISPR array (CRISPR array is an immunological record)
How do phages counter CRISPR?
- resistance due to mutations in target sequences following repair
- evolved anti CRIPSR (Acr) proteins that inactive bacterial adaptive immunity
–> evolutionary war between bacteria getting new defences and phages developing resistance
Mechanisms of Acr and protein examples
- crRNA loading interference (AcrIIC2)
- blocking DNA binding
- blocking DNA cleavage (ACrIIA2)
- enzymatically deactivate system (AcrVA5)
–> acetylates PAM-sensing lysine residue
use of Acrs in phage therapy
Acrs can be used to turn off CRISPR systems to enhance phage therapy
How can we use CRISPR/Cas9 as an antibacterial therapy?
- re-program the system by changing the spacer sequence to a bacterial sequence
- can deliver suicide crRNA alone or with Cas enzyme
- can be targeted against antiobiotic resisatnce genes or knock out essential genes –> now sensitve and can use normal antibiotics
Which CRISPR/Cas system should we use as a therapy?
Cas13
- collateral damage –> results in cell death by shredding RNA and killing bacteria
- bactericidal
Challenges and contraindications of CRISPR/Cas antimicrobial therapy
- immune reaction - if cas9 or cas13 entered circulation it could cause an immune response
- off target DNA and RNA cleavage - if it got into human cells it could target similar sites and edit the genome
- stimulate evolution - DNA repair could lead to increased antimicrobial resistance
- delivery - not small molecules anymore so hard to get through biofilm and cell wall
what are antibacterial nanomaterials?
synthetic nanomaterials (<500nM in size)