LipL41 and LigA/LigB Gene Silencing on a LipL32 Knockout Leptospira interrogans Reveals the Impact of Multiple Mutations on Virulence

Autor(es)

Fernandes, Luis Guilherme V. ; Foltran, Bruno B. ; Teixeira, Aline F. ; Nascimento, Ana Lucia Tabet Oller

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: PATHOGENS; v. 12, n. 10, p. 12-pg., 2023-10-01.

Resumo

Leptospirosis is a global zoonosis caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira. The application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system has facilitated the generation of mutants and subsequent evaluation of phenotypes. Since DNA breaks induced by RNA-guided Cas9 nuclease are lethal to Leptospira, different methodologies were implemented to overcome this limitation. Initially, CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) was employed to create knockdown mutants, utilizing a catalytically inactive Cas9 (dCas9). Subsequently, the co-expression of CRISPR/Cas9 and a DNA repair system from Mycobacterium smegmatis enabled the generation of scarless knockout mutants. We eliminated plasmids from the lipL32 knockout L. interrogans strain and further achieved multiple gene mutations via gene silencing in this knockout background. Strains lacking both LipL41 and LipL32 and LigA, LigB, and LipL32, were evaluated. The absence of proteins LipL32 and LipL41 had no effect on leptospiral virulence. On the other hand, mutants lacking LigA, LigB, and LipL32 were unable to cause acute disease. The expanded apparatus for genetic manipulation of pathogenic leptospires via the CRISPR/Cas9 system has allowed the evaluation of multiple mutations upon leptospiral virulence. This work shows that LipL32 and LipL41 are not required for acute disease and consolidates LigA and LigB proteins as virulence factors. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 19/17488-2 - Avançando no entendimento da patogenicidade e virulência da Leptospira interrogans através de análises proteômicas, estruturais, mutagênicas e imunológicas
• Beneficiário: Ana Lucia Tabet Oller do Nascimento
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático
• Processo FAPESP: 17/06731-8 - Aplicação de CRISPR-interferência na elucidação da patogênese da leptospirose e desenvolvimento de novas estratégias para obtenção de mutantes knockout
• Beneficiário: Luis Guilherme Virgílio Fernandes
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 16/11541-0 - Avaliação do potencial vacinal de frações antigênicas obtidas em Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni utilizando hamster como modelo animal
• Beneficiário: Aline Florencio Teixeira
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 22/16481-7 - Obtenção de mutantes de proteínas Leucine Rich Repeats (LRR) em Leptospira interrogans e avaliação fenotípica das interações patógeno-hospedeiro
• Beneficiário: Bruno Botega Foltran
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado Direto