The ECF sigma factor PvdS regulates the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract During infection, successful colonization of bacteria requires a fine-tuned supply of iron acquired via iron transport systems. However, the transport systems serve as phage attachment sites and entry portals for foreign nucleic acid. Most bacteria possess the CRISPR-Cas system, which targets and destroys foreign nucleic acids and prevents deleterious effects of horizontal gene transfer. To understand the regulation of the CRISPR-Cas system, we performed genome-wide random transposon mutagenesis which led to the identification of the Extracytoplasmic Function (ECF) Sigma factor, PvdS as a regulator of the Type I-F CRISPR-Cas system in P. aeruginosa . We show that under iron-depleted conditions PvdS induces the expression of the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system. This regulatory mechanism involves direct interaction of PvdS with specific binding sites in the promoter region of cas1 . Furthermore, activation of the CRISPR-Cas system under iron-depleted conditions increases horizontal gene transfer (HGT) interference and adaptation. The PvdS activation of the CRISPR-Cas system under iron limitation highlights the versatility of the P. aeruginosa in multitasking its regulatory machinery to integrate multiple stress factors. Importance P. aeruginosa infects a wide range of host organisms and adapts to various environmental stress factors such as iron limitation due to its elaborate regulatory system. P aeruginosa possesses the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system as a defense mechanism against phages infection and HGT. This work highlights the ability of P. aeruginosa to multitask its iron regulatory system to control the CRISPR-Cas system under a physiologically relevant stress factor such as iron limitation where the bacteria are vulnerable to phage infection. It also adds to the knowledge of the regulation of the CRISPR-Cas system in bacteria and presents a possible target that could prevent the emergence of phage resistance via the CRISPR-Cas system during the development of phage therapy.