Role of CRISPR-Cas systems and anti-CRISPR proteins in bacterial antibiotic resistance
Hiva Kadkhoda,
Pourya Gholizadeh,
Hossein Samadi Kafil,
Reza Ghotaslou,
Tahereh Pirzadeh,
Mohammad Ahangarzadeh Rezaee,
Edris Nabizadeh,
Hadi Feizi,
Mohammad Aghazadeh
Affiliations
Hiva Kadkhoda
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Pourya Gholizadeh
Digestive Disease Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran; Zoonoses Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
Hossein Samadi Kafil
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Corresponding author. Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Reza Ghotaslou
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Tahereh Pirzadeh
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Mohammad Ahangarzadeh Rezaee
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Edris Nabizadeh
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Hadi Feizi
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Medical Microbiology, Aalinasab Hospital, Social Security Organization, Tabriz, Iran
Mohammad Aghazadeh
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Corresponding author. Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
The emergence and development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a serious threat to global public health. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are often located on mobile genetic elements (MGEs). They can be transferred among bacteria by horizontal gene transfer (HGT), leading to the spread of drug-resistant strains and antibiotic treatment failure. CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas (CRISPR-associated genes) is one of the many strategies bacteria have developed under long-term selection pressure to restrict the HGT. CRISPR-Cas systems exist in about half of bacterial genomes and play a significant role in limiting the spread of antibiotic resistance. On the other hand, bacteriophages and other MGEs encode a wide range of anti-CRISPR proteins (Acrs) to counteract the immunity of the CRISPR-Cas system. The Acrs could decrease the CRISPR-Cas system's activity against phages and facilitate the acquisition of ARGs and virulence traits for bacteria. This review aimed to assess the relationship between the CRISPR-Cas systems and Acrs with bacterial antibiotic resistance. We also highlighted the CRISPR technology and Acrs to control and prevent antibacterial resistance. The CRISPR-Cas system can target nucleic acid sequences with high accuracy and reliability; therefore, it has become a novel gene editing and gene therapy tool to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance. CRISPR-based approaches may pave the way for developing smart antibiotics, which could eliminate multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria and distinguish between pathogenic and beneficial microorganisms. Additionally, the engineered anti-CRISPR gene-containing phages in combination with antibiotics could be used as a cutting-edge treatment approach to reduce antibiotic resistance.
