CRISPR Inhibition of Essential Peptidoglycan Biosynthesis Genes in Mycobacterium abscessus and Its Impact on β-Lactam Susceptibility.

Natalia KurepinaLiang ChenKaelea CompostoDalin RifatEric L Nuermberger Barry N Kreiswirth

Published in: Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy (2022)

We utilized a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) assay to control the gene expressions of two predicted essential peptidoglycan biosynthesis genes, pbpB and cwIM , in Mycobacterium abscessus and to evaluate their contribution to β-lactam susceptibility. Our results showed that CRISPR inhibition of each gene led to a significant 3-log 10 reduction in CFU in the presence of imipenem but not for cefoxitin. These results demonstrate that CRISPRi provides an experimental approach to study drug/target interactions in M. abscessus.

Keyphrases

genome wide
cell wall
dna methylation
copy number
mycobacterium tuberculosis
genome wide identification
genome editing
crispr cas
gram negative
high throughput
gene expression
emergency department
bacillus subtilis
transcription factor
single cell
drug induced
electronic health record