CRISPR-Cas13 Inhibitors Block RNA Editing in Bacteria and Mammalian Cells.

Cas13 has demonstrated unique and broad utility in RNA editing, nucleic acid detection, and disease diagnosis; however, a constantly active Cas enzyme may induce unwanted effects. Bacteriophage- or prophage-region-encoded anti-CRISPR (acr) gene molecules provide the potential to control targeting specificity and potency to allow for optimal RNA editing and nucleic acid detection by spatiotemporally modulating endonuclease activities. Using integrated approaches to screen acrVI candidates and evaluate their effects on Cas13 function, we discovered a series of acrVIA1-7 genes that block the activities of Cas13a.

SHIP-1 Regulates Phagocytosis and M2 Polarization Through the PI3K/Akt-STAT5-Trib1 Circuit in Infection.

SHIP-1 is an inositol phosphatase that hydrolyzes phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) products and negatively regulates protein kinase B (Akt) activity, thereby modulating a variety of cellular processes in mammals. However, the role of SHIP-1 in bacterial-induced sepsis is largely unknown. Here, we show that SHIP-1 regulates inflammatory responses during Gram-negative bacterium infection.

High-throughput screen reveals sRNAs regulating crRNA biogenesis by targeting CRISPR leader to repress Rho termination.

Discovery of CRISPR-Cas systems is one of paramount importance in the field of microbiology. Currently, how CRISPR-Cas systems are finely regulated remains to be defined. Here we use small regulatory RNA (sRNA) library to screen sRNAs targeting type I-F CRISPR-Cas system through proximity ligation by T4 RNA ligase and find 34 sRNAs linking to CRISPR loci.

Mechanistic research holds promise for bacterial vaccines and phage therapies for .

Vaccines for have been of longstanding interest to immunologists, bacteriologists, and clinicians, due to the widespread prevalence of hospital-acquired infection. As becomes increasingly antibiotic resistant, there is a dire need for novel treatments and preventive vaccines. Despite intense efforts, there currently remains no vaccine on the market to combat this dangerous pathogen.