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Quorum Sensing Controls Adaptive Immunity through the Regulation of Multiple CRISPR-Cas Systems

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Patterson, AG 
Jackson, SA 
Taylor, C 
Evans, GB 
Salmond, GPC 

Abstract

Bacteria commonly exist in high cell density populations, making them prone to viral predation and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) through transformation and conjugation. To combat these invaders, bacteria possess an arsenal of defenses, such as CRISPR-Cas adaptive immunity. Many bacterial populations coordinate their behavior as cell density increases, using quorum sensing (QS) signaling. In this study, we demonstrate that QS regulation results in increased expression of the type I-E, I-F, and III-A CRISPR-Cas systems in Serratia cells in high-density populations. Strains unable to communicate via QS were less effective at defending against invaders targeted by any of the three CRISPR-Cas systems. Additionally, the acquisition of immunity by the type I-E and I-F systems was impaired in the absence of QS signaling. We propose that bacteria can use chemical communication to modulate the balance between community-level defense requirements in high cell density populations and host fitness costs of basal CRISPR-Cas activity.

Description

Keywords

CRISPR-Cas, regulation, quorum sensing, bacterial communication, horizontal gene transfer, phage resistance

Journal Title

Mol Cell

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1097-2765
1097-4164

Volume Title

64

Publisher

Elsevier (Cell Press)
Sponsorship
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/H013261/1)
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/H002677/1)
This work was supported by a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship (P.C.F.) from the Royal Society of New Zealand (RSNZ) and the Marsden Fund, RSNZ. A.G.P. was supported by a University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship. G.P.C.S. is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, UK.