A CRISPR interference platform for selective downregulation of gene expression in <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i>.

ABSTRACT: The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi causes Lyme disease, an increasingly prevalent infection. While previous studies have provided important insight into B. burgdorferi biology, many aspects, including basic cellular processes, remain underexplored. To help speed up the discovery process, we adapted a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) platform for use in B. burgdorferi For efficiency and flexibility of use, we generated various CRISPRi template constructs that produce different basal and induced levels of dcas9 and carry different antibiotic resistance markers. We characterized the effectiveness of our CRISPRi platform by targeting the motility and cell morphogenesis genes flaB, mreB, rodA, and ftsI, whose native expression levels span two orders of ma

SUBMITTER: Takacs CN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7851697 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature