Functional genetic characterization of stress tolerance and biofilm formation in Nakaseomyces (Candida) glabrata via a novel CRISPR activation system
ABSTRACTThe overexpression of genes frequently arises in Nakaseomyces (formerly Candida) glabrata via gain-of-function mutations, gene duplication, or aneuploidies, with important consequences on pathogenesis traits and antifungal drug resistance. This highlights the need to develop specific genetic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2024-02-01
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| Series: | mSphere |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00761-23 |
| _version_ | 1797292554029367296 |
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| author | Laetitia Maroc Hajer Shaker Rebecca S. Shapiro |
| author_facet | Laetitia Maroc Hajer Shaker Rebecca S. Shapiro |
| author_sort | Laetitia Maroc |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACTThe overexpression of genes frequently arises in Nakaseomyces (formerly Candida) glabrata via gain-of-function mutations, gene duplication, or aneuploidies, with important consequences on pathogenesis traits and antifungal drug resistance. This highlights the need to develop specific genetic tools to mimic and study genetic amplification in this important fungal pathogen. Here, we report the development, validation, and applications of the first clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) activation (CRISPRa) system in N. glabrata for targeted genetic overexpression. Using this system, we demonstrate the ability of CRISPRa to drive high levels of gene expression in N. glabrata, and further assess optimal guide RNA targeting for robust overexpression. We demonstrate the applications of CRISPRa to overexpress genes involved in fungal pathogenesis and drug resistance and detect corresponding phenotypic alterations in these key traits, including the characterization of novel phenotypes. Finally, we capture strain variation using our CRISPRa system in two commonly used N. glabrata genetic backgrounds. Together, this tool will expand our capacity for functional genetic overexpression in this pathogen, with numerous possibilities for future applications.IMPORTANCENakaseomyces (formerly Candida) glabrata is an important fungal pathogen that is now the second leading cause of candidiasis infections. A common strategy that this pathogen employs to resist antifungal treatment is through the upregulation of gene expression, but we have limited tools available to study this phenomenon. Here, we develop, optimize, and apply the use of CRISPRa as a means to overexpress genes in N. glabrata. We demonstrate the utility of this system to overexpress key genes involved in antifungal susceptibility, stress tolerance, and biofilm growth. This tool will be an important contribution to our ability to study the biology of this important fungal pathogen. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:58:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7883189c8c6e4e8b8a8b34c851316270 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2379-5042 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:58:06Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | mSphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-7883189c8c6e4e8b8a8b34c8513162702024-02-28T14:07:38ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologymSphere2379-50422024-02-019210.1128/msphere.00761-23Functional genetic characterization of stress tolerance and biofilm formation in Nakaseomyces (Candida) glabrata via a novel CRISPR activation systemLaetitia Maroc0Hajer Shaker1Rebecca S. Shapiro2Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, CanadaDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, CanadaDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, CanadaABSTRACTThe overexpression of genes frequently arises in Nakaseomyces (formerly Candida) glabrata via gain-of-function mutations, gene duplication, or aneuploidies, with important consequences on pathogenesis traits and antifungal drug resistance. This highlights the need to develop specific genetic tools to mimic and study genetic amplification in this important fungal pathogen. Here, we report the development, validation, and applications of the first clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) activation (CRISPRa) system in N. glabrata for targeted genetic overexpression. Using this system, we demonstrate the ability of CRISPRa to drive high levels of gene expression in N. glabrata, and further assess optimal guide RNA targeting for robust overexpression. We demonstrate the applications of CRISPRa to overexpress genes involved in fungal pathogenesis and drug resistance and detect corresponding phenotypic alterations in these key traits, including the characterization of novel phenotypes. Finally, we capture strain variation using our CRISPRa system in two commonly used N. glabrata genetic backgrounds. Together, this tool will expand our capacity for functional genetic overexpression in this pathogen, with numerous possibilities for future applications.IMPORTANCENakaseomyces (formerly Candida) glabrata is an important fungal pathogen that is now the second leading cause of candidiasis infections. A common strategy that this pathogen employs to resist antifungal treatment is through the upregulation of gene expression, but we have limited tools available to study this phenomenon. Here, we develop, optimize, and apply the use of CRISPRa as a means to overexpress genes in N. glabrata. We demonstrate the utility of this system to overexpress key genes involved in antifungal susceptibility, stress tolerance, and biofilm growth. This tool will be an important contribution to our ability to study the biology of this important fungal pathogen.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00761-23fungal geneticsNakaseomyces glabrataCRISPRgenetic regulationantifungal drug resistancestress tolerance |
| spellingShingle | Laetitia Maroc Hajer Shaker Rebecca S. Shapiro Functional genetic characterization of stress tolerance and biofilm formation in Nakaseomyces (Candida) glabrata via a novel CRISPR activation system mSphere fungal genetics Nakaseomyces glabrata CRISPR genetic regulation antifungal drug resistance stress tolerance |
| title | Functional genetic characterization of stress tolerance and biofilm formation in Nakaseomyces (Candida) glabrata via a novel CRISPR activation system |
| title_full | Functional genetic characterization of stress tolerance and biofilm formation in Nakaseomyces (Candida) glabrata via a novel CRISPR activation system |
| title_fullStr | Functional genetic characterization of stress tolerance and biofilm formation in Nakaseomyces (Candida) glabrata via a novel CRISPR activation system |
| title_full_unstemmed | Functional genetic characterization of stress tolerance and biofilm formation in Nakaseomyces (Candida) glabrata via a novel CRISPR activation system |
| title_short | Functional genetic characterization of stress tolerance and biofilm formation in Nakaseomyces (Candida) glabrata via a novel CRISPR activation system |
| title_sort | functional genetic characterization of stress tolerance and biofilm formation in nakaseomyces candida glabrata via a novel crispr activation system |
| topic | fungal genetics Nakaseomyces glabrata CRISPR genetic regulation antifungal drug resistance stress tolerance |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00761-23 |
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