CRISPR/Cas系统与结核病防控新措施相关性研究

结核分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium tuberculosis,MTB,以下简称结核杆菌)感染引起的结核病仍然是严重影响人类健康全球性重大传染病。全球约1/4人口是结核杆菌的潜伏感染者。2019年,世界卫生组织(Worldhealthorganization,WHO)报道全球约150万人死于结核病。深入研究结核杆菌生物学有望为结核病防控提供新工具。成簇规律性间隔短回文重复(Clusteredregularlyinterspacedshort palindromic repeats,CRISPR)/Cas是细菌免疫系统的重要成分,在结核杆菌等分枝杆菌中也广泛存在,同时,也是分枝杆菌基因编辑的重要工具。本文结合课题组研究工作,综述了结核杆菌III-A型CRISPR/Cas系统各组分的生物学功能以及与致病的相关性,CRISPR/Cas编辑工具在诊断治疗耐药结核杆菌和结核病防控新措施中的进展。

CRISPR/Cas system and implications for novel measures against tuberculosis

Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) remains a serious global infectious disease. The world health organization estimates that 1.5 million people died from the disease in 2019. The biology of Mtb can inform new measures against tuberculosis. To summarize the progress of CRISPR/Cas-associated genes (CRISPR/Cas) system in Mtb for better tuberculosis control tools development and biology study of Mtb. Current publications and progress in our lab were retrieved and compared. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, CRISPR/Cas system, well known bacterial adaptive immunity system widespread in Mycobacteria including M. tuberculosis, was developed as gene editing tool. We summarized the biology of the endogenous type III-A CRISPR-Cas systems in Mycobacteria, as well as CRISPR/Cas gene editing tool application in Mtb basic and applied studies, with focus on its potential for novel measures against tuberculosis. CRISPR/Cas is burgeoning focus in M. tuberculosis study and promising tool for better tuberculosis control.