Microorganisms leverage the CRISPR-Cas system as a defense mechanism against viral intrusions. In the realm of genetic engineering, this microbial immune system is repurposed for the targeted modification of the genetic makeup.
Under the leadership of Professor Dr. Alexander Probst, microbiologist at the Research Center One Health Ruhr at the Research Alliance Ruhr a research team has now discovered another function of this specialised genomic sequence: archaea – microorganisms that are often very similar to bacteria in appearance – also use them to fight parasites.
The team has recently published their findings in Nature Microbiology.
Dr. Alexander Probst. Credit: UDE/Bettina Engel-Albustin
Biochemists Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna received the Nobel Prize for the biotechnological application of the CRISPR-Cas systems, or ‘genetic scissors’, for genetic engineering in 2020. However, many functions of this genetic tool are still unexplored to date. Could microorganisms, for example, use them to fight off other microorganisms that live on them as parasites?
With this research question in mind, Alexander Probst analyzed the genetic material of microbes in the Earth’s deep crust. ‘More than 70 percent of the Earth’s microorganisms are housed in the deep biosphere. If we want to understand diversity on our planet, it is worth taking a look into the deep’, he explains.
With his team, the microbiologist has analyzed the water that a geyser in the USA spits to the surface from the depths, as well as samples from the Horonobe underground laboratory in Japan. The research team focused on archaea, which live in the ecosystem as hosts and parasites. The tiny microbes are highly similar to bacteria in cell size but have substantially different physiological properties.
The result of their genomic analysis provided new insights: there were conspicuously few parasites in the vicinity of the hosts, and the hosts showed genetic resistance to the parasites. The researchers discovered the reason for this in the genetic scissors in the genome of the microorganisms. ‘In the course of evolution, the archaea have incorporated the parasitic DNA. If a parasite with the same DNA now attacks the organism, the foreign genetic material is probably recognized by the CRISPR system and presumably decomposed’, Probst explains. The microbiologist is an expert in the analysis of genetic material from environmental samples and uses the latest methods in his lab, such as Oxford Nanopore technology, which enables rapid and comprehensive sequencing of the material.
In order to rule out the possibility that they have only come across isolated cases, the researchers have extended the analysis to over 7,000 genomes and observed the phenomenon very frequently. In future research, this finding will also facilitate distinguishing between beneficial symbionts and harmful parasites. If there has been a CRISPR recognition, the microorganism is very likely to be a parasite. This will probably also help better understand important metabolic processes, such as the carbon flow in ecosystems, in the future.
Reference: “A predicted CRISPR-mediated symbiosis between uncultivated archaea” by Sarah P. Esser, Janina Rahlff, Weishu Zhao, Michael Predl, Julia Plewka, Katharina Sures, Franziska Wimmer, Janey Lee, Panagiotis S. Adam, Julia McGonigle, Victoria Turzynski, Indra Banas, Katrin Schwank, Mart Krupovic, Till L. V. Bornemann, Perla Abigail Figueroa-Gonzalez, Jessica Jarett, Thomas Rattei, Yuki Amano, Ian K. Blaby, Jan-Fang Cheng, William J. Brazelton, Chase L. Beisel, Tanja Woyke, Ying Zhang and Alexander J. Probst, 27 July 2023, Nature Microbiology.
DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01439-2

News
Unlocking hidden soil microbes for new antibiotics
Most bacteria cannot be cultured in the lab-and that's been bad news for medicine. Many of our frontline antibiotics originated from microbes, yet as antibiotic resistance spreads and drug pipelines run dry, the soil [...]
By working together, cells can extend their senses beyond their direct environment
The story of the princess and the pea evokes an image of a highly sensitive young royal woman so refined, she can sense a pea under a stack of mattresses. When it comes to [...]
Overworked Brain Cells May Hold the Key to Parkinson’s
Scientists at Gladstone Institutes uncovered a surprising reason why dopamine-producing neurons, crucial for smooth body movements, die in Parkinson’s disease. In mice, when these neurons were kept overactive for weeks, they began to falter, [...]
Old tires find new life: Rubber particles strengthen superhydrophobic coatings against corrosion
Development of highly robust superhydrophobic anti-corrosion coating using recycled tire rubber particles. Superhydrophobic materials offer a strategy for developing marine anti-corrosion materials due to their low solid-liquid contact area and low surface energy. However, [...]
This implant could soon allow you to read minds
Mind reading: Long a science fiction fantasy, today an increasingly concrete scientific goal. Researchers at Stanford University have succeeded in decoding internal language in real time thanks to a brain implant and artificial intelligence. [...]
A New Weapon Against Cancer: Cold Plasma Destroys Hidden Tumor Cells
Cold plasma penetrates deep into tumors and attacks cancer cells. Short-lived molecules were identified as key drivers. Scientists at the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), working with colleagues from Greifswald University Hospital and [...]
This Common Sleep Aid May Also Protect Your Brain From Alzheimer’s
Lemborexant and similar sleep medications show potential for treating tau-related disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that a commonly used sleep medication can restore normal sleep patterns and [...]
Sugar-Coated Nanoparticles Boost Cancer Drug Efficacy
A team of researchers at the University of Mississippi has discovered that coating cancer treatment carrying nanoparticles in a sugar-like material increases their treatment efficacy. They reported their findings in Advanced Healthcare Materials. Over a tenth of breast [...]
Nanoparticle-Based Vaccine Shows Promise in Fighting Cancer
In a study published in OncoImmunology, researchers from the German Cancer Research Center and Heidelberg University have created a therapeutic vaccine that mobilizes the immune system to target cancer cells. The researchers demonstrated that virus peptides combined [...]
Quantitative imaging method reveals how cells rapidly sort and transport lipids
Lipids are difficult to detect with light microscopy. Using a new chemical labeling strategy, a Dresden-based team led by André Nadler at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) and [...]
Ancient DNA reveals cause of world’s first recorded pandemic
Scientists have confirmed that the Justinian Plague, the world’s first recorded pandemic, was caused by Yersinia pestis, the same bacterium behind the Black Death. Dating back some 1,500 years and long described in historical texts but [...]
“AI Is Not Intelligent at All” – Expert Warns of Worldwide Threat to Human Dignity
Opaque AI systems risk undermining human rights and dignity. Global cooperation is needed to ensure protection. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has changed how people interact, but it also poses a global risk to human [...]
Nanomotors: Where Are They Now?
First introduced in 2004, nanomotors have steadily advanced from a scientific curiosity to a practical technology with wide-ranging applications. This article explores the key developments, recent innovations, and major uses of nanomotors today. A [...]
Study Finds 95% of Tested Beers Contain Toxic “Forever Chemicals”
Researchers found PFAS in 95% of tested beers, with the highest levels linked to contaminated local water sources. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), better known as forever chemicals, are gaining notoriety for their ability [...]
Long COVID Symptoms Are Closer To A Stroke Or Parkinson’s Disease Than Fatigue
When most people get sick with COVID-19 today, they think of it as a brief illness, similar to a cold. However, for a large number of people, the illness doesn't end there. The World [...]
The world’s first AI Hospital, developed in China is transforming healthcare
Artificial Intelligence and its developments have had a revolutionary impact on society, and healthcare is not an exception. China has made massive strides in AI integrated healthcare, and continues to do so as AI [...]