Occurrence and Diversity of CRISPR-Cas Systems in the Genus Bifidobacterium

PLoS One. 2015 Jul 31;10(7):e0133661. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133661. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

CRISPR-Cas systems constitute adaptive immune systems for antiviral defense in bacteria. We investigated the occurrence and diversity of CRISPR-Cas systems in 48 Bifidobacterium genomes to gain insights into the diversity and co-evolution of CRISPR-Cas systems within the genus and investigate CRISPR spacer content. We identified the elements necessary for the successful targeting and inference of foreign DNA in select Type II CRISPR-Cas systems, including the tracrRNA and target PAM sequence. Bifidobacterium species have a very high frequency of CRISPR-Cas occurrence (77%, 37 of 48). We found that many Bifidobacterium species have unusually large and diverse CRISPR-Cas systems that contain spacer sequences showing homology to foreign genetic elements like prophages. A large number of CRISPR spacers in bifidobacteria show perfect homology to prophage sequences harbored in the chromosomes of other species of Bifidobacterium, including some spacers that self-target the chromosome. A correlation was observed between strains that lacked CRISPR-Cas systems and the number of times prophages in that chromosome were targeted by other CRISPR spacers. The presence of prophage-targeting CRISPR spacers and prophage content may shed light on evolutionary processes and strain divergence. Finally, elements of Type II CRISPR-Cas systems, including the tracrRNA and crRNAs, set the stage for the development of genome editing and genetic engineering tools.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bifidobacterium / genetics*
  • CRISPR-Cas Systems / genetics*
  • Chromosomes, Bacterial / genetics
  • Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats / genetics
  • DNA / genetics
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Genetic Variation / genetics*
  • Genome, Bacterial / genetics
  • Prophages / genetics

Substances

  • DNA

Grants and funding

This study was supported by startup funds from North Carolina State University. The authors thank GenProbio srl for financial support of the Laboratory of Probiogenomics. DvS is a member of the Alimentary pharmabiotic Centre funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), through the Irish Government’s National Development Plan (Grant number SFI/12/RC/2273). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.