Systematic interrogation of CRISPR antimicrobials in Klebsiella pneumoniae reveals nuclease-, guide- and strain-dependent features influencing antimicrobial activity

Elena Vialetto, Solange Miele, Moran G. Goren, Jiaqi Yu, Yanying Yu, Daphne Collias, Beatriz Beamud, Lisa Osbelt, Marta Lourenço, Till Strowig, Sylvain Brisse, Lars Barquist, Udi Qimron, David Bikard, Chase L. Beisel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

CRISPR-Cas systems can be utilized as programmable-spectrum antimicrobials to combat bacterial infections. However, how CRISPR nucleases perform as antimicrobials across target sites and strains remains poorly explored. Here, we address this knowledge gap by systematically interrogating the use of CRISPR antimicrobials using multidrug-resistant and hypervirulent strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae as models. Comparing different Cas nucleases, DNA-targeting nucleases outperformed RNA-targeting nucleases based on the tested targets. Focusing on AsCas12a that exhibited robust targeting across different strains, we found that the elucidated modes of escape varied widely, restraining opportunities to enhance killing. We also encountered individual guide RNAs yielding different extents of clearance across strains, which were linked to an interplay between improper gRNA folding and strain-specific DNA repair and survival. To explore features that could improve targeting across strains, we performed a genome-wide screen in different K. pneumoniae strains that yielded guide design rules and trained an algorithm for predicting guide efficiency. Finally, we showed that Cas12a antimicrobials can be exploited to eliminate K. pneumoniae when encoded in phagemids delivered by T7-like phages. Altogether, our results highlight the importance of evaluating antimicrobial activity of CRISPR antimicrobials across relevant strains and define critical parameters for efficient CRISPR-based targeting.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)6079-6091
Number of pages13
JournalNucleic Acids Research
Volume52
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - 10 Jun 2024
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Genetics

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