Rationally designed pooled CRISPRi-seq uncovers an inhibitor of bacterial peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase

Bacterial mutant libraries with downregulated antibiotic targets are useful tools for elucidating the mechanisms of action of antibacterial compounds, a pivotal step in antibiotic discovery. However, achieving genomic coverage of antibacterial targets poses a challenge due to the uneven proliferation of knockdown mutants during pooled growth, leading to the unintended loss of important targets. To overcome this issue, we constructed an arrayed essential gene mutant library (EGML) in the antibiotic-resistant bacterium Burkholderia cenocepacia using CRISPR interference (CRISPRi). By modeling depletion levels and adjusting knockdown mutant inocula, we rationally designed and optimized a CRISPR interference-mediated pooled library of essential genes (CIMPLE) approaching coverage of the bacterial essential genome with mutant sensitization. We exposed CIMPLE to an uncharacterized bacterial growth inhibitor structurally different from antibiotics and discovered that it inhibits the essential peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase. Overall, CIMPLE leverages the advantages of arrayed and pooled CRISPRi libraries to uncover unexplored targets for antibiotic action.