51
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Lou YC, Chen L, Borges AL, West-Roberts J, Firek BA, Morowitz MJ, Banfield JF. Infant gut DNA bacteriophage strain persistence during the first 3 years of life. Cell Host Microbe 2024; 32:35-47.e6. [PMID: 38096814 PMCID: PMC11156429 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are key components of gut microbiomes, yet the phage colonization process in the infant gut remains uncertain. Here, we establish a large phage sequence database and use strain-resolved analyses to investigate DNA phage succession in infants throughout the first 3 years of life. Analysis of 819 fecal metagenomes collected from 28 full-term and 24 preterm infants and their mothers revealed that early-life phageome richness increases over time and reaches adult-like complexity by age 3. Approximately 9% of early phage colonizers, which are mostly maternally transmitted and infect Bacteroides, persist for 3 years and are more prevalent in full-term than in preterm infants. Although rare, phages with stop codon reassignment are more likely to persist than non-recoded phages and generally display an increase in in-frame reassigned stop codons over 3 years. Overall, maternal seeding, stop codon reassignment, host CRISPR-Cas locus prevalence, and diverse phage populations contribute to stable viral colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Clare Lou
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - LinXing Chen
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA
| | - Adair L Borges
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jacob West-Roberts
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Brian A Firek
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Michael J Morowitz
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Jillian F Banfield
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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52
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Jenson JM, Chen ZJ. cGAS goes viral: A conserved immune defense system from bacteria to humans. Mol Cell 2024; 84:120-130. [PMID: 38181755 PMCID: PMC11168419 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
To survive, all organisms need the ability to accurately recognize and neutralize pathogens. As a result, many of the fundamental strategies that our innate immune system uses to fight infection have deep evolutionary roots. The innate immune sensor cyclic-GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), an enzyme that plays a critical role in our bodies by sensing and signaling in response to microbial infection, is broadly conserved and has functional homologs in many vertebrates, invertebrates, and even bacteria. In this review, we will provide an overview of cGAS and cGAS-like signaling in eukaryotes before discussing cGAS-like homologs in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M Jenson
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA; Center for Inflammation Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA.
| | - Zhijian J Chen
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA; Center for Inflammation Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9148, USA.
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53
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Maffei E, Woischnig AK, Burkolter MR, Heyer Y, Humolli D, Thürkauf N, Bock T, Schmidt A, Manfredi P, Egli A, Khanna N, Jenal U, Harms A. Phage Paride can kill dormant, antibiotic-tolerant cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by direct lytic replication. Nat Commun 2024; 15:175. [PMID: 38168031 PMCID: PMC10761892 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44157-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are ubiquitous viral predators that have primarily been studied using fast-growing laboratory cultures of their bacterial hosts. However, microbial life in nature is mostly in a slow- or non-growing, dormant state. Here, we show that diverse phages can infect deep-dormant bacteria and suspend their replication until the host resuscitates ("hibernation"). However, a newly isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage, named Paride, can directly replicate and induce the lysis of deep-dormant hosts. While non-growing bacteria are notoriously tolerant to antibiotic drugs, the combination with Paride enables the carbapenem meropenem to eradicate deep-dormant cultures in vitro and to reduce a resilient bacterial infection of a tissue cage implant in mice. Our work might inspire new treatments for persistent bacterial infections and, more broadly, highlights two viral strategies to infect dormant bacteria (hibernation and direct replication) that will guide future studies on phage-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enea Maffei
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, D-HEST, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Kathrin Woischnig
- Laboratory of Infection Biology, Department of Biomedicine, University and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marco R Burkolter
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, D-HEST, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yannik Heyer
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dorentina Humolli
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, D-HEST, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Thomas Bock
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Adrian Egli
- Division of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Applied Microbiology Research, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nina Khanna
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, D-HEST, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Infection Biology, Department of Biomedicine, University and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Urs Jenal
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Harms
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, D-HEST, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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54
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Deep A, Liang Q, Enustun E, Pogliano J, Corbett KD. Architecture and infection-sensing mechanism of the bacterial PARIS defense system. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.02.573835. [PMID: 38260510 PMCID: PMC10802264 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.02.573835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria and the viruses that infect them (bacteriophages or phages) are engaged in an evolutionary arms race that has resulted in the development of hundreds of bacterial defense systems and myriad phage-encoded counterdefenses1-5. While the mechanisms of many bacterial defense systems are known1, how these systems avoid toxicity outside infection yet activate quickly upon sensing phage infection is less well understood. Here, we show that the bacterial Phage Anti-Restriction-Induced System (PARIS) operates as a toxin-antitoxin system, in which the antitoxin AriA sequesters and inactivates the toxin AriB until triggered by the T7 phage counterdefense protein Ocr. Using cryoelectron microscopy (cryoEM), we show that AriA is structurally similar to dimeric SMC-family ATPases but assembles into a distinctive homohexameric complex through two distinct oligomerization interfaces. In the absence of infection, the AriA hexamer binds up to three monomers of AriB, maintaining them in an inactive state. Ocr binding to the AriA-AriB complex triggers rearrangement of the AriA hexamer, releasing AriB and allowing it to dimerize and activate. AriB is a toprim/OLD-family nuclease whose activation arrests cell growth and inhibits phage propagation by globally inhibiting protein translation. Collectively, our findings reveal the intricate molecular mechanisms of a bacterial defense system that evolved in response to a phage counterdefense protein, and highlight how an SMC-family ATPase has been adapted as a bacterial infection sensor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Deep
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA, USA
| | - Qishan Liang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA, USA
| | - Eray Enustun
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA, USA
| | - Joe Pogliano
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA, USA
| | - Kevin D. Corbett
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA, USA
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55
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Brenzinger S, Airoldi M, Ogunleye AJ, Jugovic K, Amstalden MK, Brochado AR. The Vibrio cholerae CBASS phage defence system modulates resistance and killing by antifolate antibiotics. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:251-262. [PMID: 38172623 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01556-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Toxic bacterial modules such as toxin-antitoxin systems hold antimicrobial potential, though successful applications are rare. Here we show that in Vibrio cholerae the cyclic-oligonucleotide-based anti-phage signalling system (CBASS), another example of a toxic module, increases sensitivity to antifolate antibiotics up to 10×, interferes with their synergy and ultimately enables bacterial lysis by these otherwise classic bacteriostatic antibiotics. Cyclic-oligonucleotide production by the CBASS nucleotidyltransferase DncV upon antifolate treatment confirms full CBASS activation under these conditions, and suggests that antifolates release DncV allosteric inhibition by folates. Consequently, the CBASS-antifolate interaction is specific to CBASS systems with closely related nucleotidyltransferases and similar folate-binding pockets. Last, antifolate resistance genes abolish the CBASS-antifolate interaction by bypassing the effects of on-target antifolate activity, thereby creating potential for their coevolution with CBASS. Altogether, our findings illustrate how toxic modules can impact antibiotic activity and ultimately confer bactericidal activity to classical bacteriostatic antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Brenzinger
- Department of Microbiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Martina Airoldi
- Department of Microbiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Karl Jugovic
- Department of Microbiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Ana Rita Brochado
- Department of Microbiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence 'Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections', University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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56
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Kulshrestha M, Tiwari M, Tiwari V. Bacteriophage therapy against ESKAPE bacterial pathogens: Current status, strategies, challenges, and future scope. Microb Pathog 2024; 186:106467. [PMID: 38036110 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
The ESKAPE pathogens are the primary threat due to their constant spread of drug resistance worldwide. These pathogens are also regarded as opportunistic pathogens and could potentially cause nosocomial infections. Most of the ESKAPE pathogens have developed resistance to almost all the antibiotics that are used against them. Therefore, to deal with antimicrobial resistance, there is an urgent requirement for alternative non-antibiotic strategies to combat this rising issue of drug-resistant organisms. One of the promising alternatives to this scenario is implementing bacteriophage therapy. This under-explored mode of treatment in modern medicine has posed several concerns, such as preferable phages for the treatment, impact on the microbiome (or gut microflora), dose optimisation, safety, etc. The review will cover a rationale for phage therapy, clinical challenges, and propose phage therapy as an effective therapeutic against bacterial coinfections during pandemics. This review also addresses the expected uncertainties for administering the phage as a treatment against the ESKAPE pathogens and the advantages of using lytic phage over temperate, the immune response to phages, and phages in combinational therapies. The interaction between bacteria and bacteriophages in humans and countless animal models can also be used to design novel and futuristic therapeutics like personalised medicine or bacteriophages as anti-biofilm agents. Hence, this review explores different aspects of phage therapy and its potential to emerge as a frontline therapy against the ESKAPE bacterial pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukta Kulshrestha
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, 305817, India
| | - Monalisa Tiwari
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, 305817, India
| | - Vishvanath Tiwari
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, 305817, India.
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57
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Baca CF, Yu Y, Rostøl JT, Majumder P, Patel DJ, Marraffini LA. The CRISPR effector Cam1 mediates membrane depolarization for phage defence. Nature 2024; 625:797-804. [PMID: 38200316 PMCID: PMC10808066 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06902-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Prokaryotic type III CRISPR-Cas systems provide immunity against viruses and plasmids using CRISPR-associated Rossman fold (CARF) protein effectors1-5. Recognition of transcripts of these invaders with sequences that are complementary to CRISPR RNA guides leads to the production of cyclic oligoadenylate second messengers, which bind CARF domains and trigger the activity of an effector domain6,7. Whereas most effectors degrade host and invader nucleic acids, some are predicted to contain transmembrane helices without an enzymatic function. Whether and how these CARF-transmembrane helix fusion proteins facilitate the type III CRISPR-Cas immune response remains unknown. Here we investigate the role of cyclic oligoadenylate-activated membrane protein 1 (Cam1) during type III CRISPR immunity. Structural and biochemical analyses reveal that the CARF domains of a Cam1 dimer bind cyclic tetra-adenylate second messengers. In vivo, Cam1 localizes to the membrane, is predicted to form a tetrameric transmembrane pore, and provides defence against viral infection through the induction of membrane depolarization and growth arrest. These results reveal that CRISPR immunity does not always operate through the degradation of nucleic acids, but is instead mediated via a wider range of cellular responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian F Baca
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Rockefeller University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - You Yu
- Structural Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jakob T Rostøl
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Puja Majumder
- Structural Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dinshaw J Patel
- Structural Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Luciano A Marraffini
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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58
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Laanto E. Overcoming Bacteriophage Resistance in Phage Therapy. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2738:401-410. [PMID: 37966611 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3549-0_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria is one of the most severe global challenges. It is predicted that over ten million lives will be lost annually by 2050. Phage therapy is a promising alternative to antibiotics. However, the ease of development of phage resistance during therapy is a concern. This review focuses on the possible ways to overcome phage resistance in phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Laanto
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Nanoscience Center, University of Jyvaskyla, Jyväskylä, Finland.
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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59
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Shi P, Wu X. Programmable RNA targeting with CRISPR-Cas13. RNA Biol 2024; 21:1-9. [PMID: 38764173 PMCID: PMC11110701 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2024.2351657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas13 system has enabled precise engineering of endogenous RNAs, significantly advancing our understanding of RNA regulation and the development of RNA-based diagnostic and therapeutic applications. This review aims to provide a summary of Cas13-based RNA targeting tools and applications, discuss limitations and challenges of existing tools and suggest potential directions for further development of the RNA targeting system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiguo Shi
- Department of Medicine and Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xuebing Wu
- Department of Medicine and Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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60
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McFarlane JA, Hansen EG, Ortega EC, Iskender I, Noireaux V, Bowden SD. A ToxIN homolog from Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis impairs bacteriophage infection. J Appl Microbiol 2023; 134:lxad299. [PMID: 38059866 DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxad299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
AIMS To determine if the bacteriophage abortive infection system ToxIN is present in foodborne Salmonella and if it protects against infection by bacteriophages specific to enteric bacteria. METHODS AND RESULTS A set of foodborne Salmonella enteritidis isolates from a 2010 eggshell outbreak was identified via BLASTN (basic local alignment search tool nucleotide) queries as harboring a close homolog of ToxIN, carried on a plasmid with putative mobilization proteins. This homolog was cloned into a plasmid vector and transformed into the laboratory strain Salmonella typhimurium LT2 and tested against a set of Salmonella-specific phages (FelixO1, S16, Sp6, LPST153, and P22 HT105/1 int-201). ToxIN reduced infection by FelixO1, S16, and LPST153 by ∼1-4 log PFU ml-1 while reducing the plaque size of Sp6. When present in LT2 and Escherichia coli MG1655, ToxIN conferred cross-genus protection against phage isolates, which infect both bacteria. Finally, the putative ToxIN plasmid was found in whole-genome sequence contigs of several Salmonella serovars, pathogenic E. coli, and other pathogenic enterobacteria. CONCLUSIONS Salmonella and E. coli can resist infection by several phages via ToxIN under laboratory conditions; ToxIN is present in foodborne pathogens including Salmonella and Shiga-toxigenic E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A McFarlane
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Eleanore G Hansen
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Estephany C Ortega
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Irem Iskender
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Vincent Noireaux
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Steven D Bowden
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
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61
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Kulkarni M, Hardwick JM. Programmed Cell Death in Unicellular Versus Multicellular Organisms. Annu Rev Genet 2023; 57:435-459. [PMID: 37722687 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-033123-095833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Programmed cell death (self-induced) is intrinsic to all cellular life forms, including unicellular organisms. However, cell death research has focused on animal models to understand cancer, degenerative disorders, and developmental processes. Recently delineated suicidal death mechanisms in bacteria and fungi have revealed ancient origins of animal cell death that are intertwined with immune mechanisms, allaying earlier doubts that self-inflicted cell death pathways exist in microorganisms. Approximately 20 mammalian death pathways have been partially characterized over the last 35 years. By contrast, more than 100 death mechanisms have been identified in bacteria and a few fungi in recent years. However, cell death is nearly unstudied in most human pathogenic microbes that cause major public health burdens. Here, we consider how the current understanding of programmed cell death arose through animal studies and how recently uncovered microbial cell death mechanisms in fungi and bacteria resemble and differ from mechanisms of mammalian cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhura Kulkarni
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; ,
| | - J Marie Hardwick
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; ,
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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62
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Arkhipova IR, Yushenova IA. To Be Mobile or Not: The Variety of Reverse Transcriptases and Their Recruitment by Host Genomes. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2023; 88:1754-1762. [PMID: 38105196 DOI: 10.1134/s000629792311007x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Reverse transcriptases (RT), or RNA-dependent DNA polymerases, are unorthodox enzymes that originally added a new angle to the conventional view of the unidirectional flow of genetic information in the cell from DNA to RNA to protein. First discovered in vertebrate retroviruses, RTs were since re-discovered in most eukaryotes, bacteria, and archaea, spanning essentially all domains of life. For retroviruses, RTs provide the ability to copy the RNA genome into DNA for subsequent incorporation into the host genome, which is essential for their replication and survival. In cellular organisms, most RT sequences originate from retrotransposons, the type of self-replicating genetic elements that rely on reverse transcription to copy and paste their sequences into new genomic locations. Some retroelements, however, can undergo domestication, eventually becoming a valuable addition to the overall repertoire of cellular enzymes. They can be beneficial yet accessory, like the diversity-generating elements, or even essential, like the telomerase reverse transcriptases. Nowadays, ever-increasing numbers of domesticated RT-carrying genetic elements are being discovered. It may be argued that domesticated RTs and reverse transcription in general is more widespread in cellular organisms than previously thought, and that many important cellular functions, such as chromosome end maintenance, may evolve from an originally selfish process of converting RNA into DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina R Arkhipova
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
| | - Irina A Yushenova
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
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63
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McLaughlin M, Fiebig A, Crosson S. XRE transcription factors conserved in Caulobacter and φCbK modulate adhesin development and phage production. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1011048. [PMID: 37972151 PMCID: PMC10688885 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The xenobiotic response element (XRE) family of transcription factors (TFs), which are commonly encoded by bacteria and bacteriophage, regulate diverse features of bacterial cell physiology and impact phage infection dynamics. Through a pangenome analysis of Caulobacter species isolated from soil and aquatic ecosystems, we uncovered an apparent radiation of a paralogous XRE TF gene cluster, several of which have established functions in the regulation of holdfast adhesin development and biofilm formation in C. crescentus. We further discovered related XRE TFs throughout the class Alphaproteobacteria and its phages, including the φCbK Caulophage, suggesting that members of this cluster impact host-phage interactions. Here we show that a closely related group of XRE transcription factors encoded by both C. crescentus and φCbK can physically interact and function to control the transcription of a common gene set, influencing processes including holdfast development and the production of φCbK virions. The φCbK-encoded XRE paralog, tgrL, is highly expressed at the earliest stages of infection and can directly inhibit transcription of host genes including hfiA, a potent holdfast inhibitor, and gafYZ, an activator of prophage-like gene transfer agents (GTAs). XRE proteins encoded from the C. crescentus chromosome also directly repress gafYZ transcription, revealing a functionally redundant set of host regulators that may protect against spurious production of GTA particles and inadvertent cell lysis. Deleting the C. crescentus XRE transcription factors reduced φCbK burst size, while overexpressing these host genes or φCbK tgrL rescued this burst defect. We conclude that this XRE TF gene cluster, shared by C. crescentus and φCbK, plays an important role in adhesion regulation under phage-free conditions, and influences host-phage dynamics during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maeve McLaughlin
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Aretha Fiebig
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Sean Crosson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
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64
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Hardy A, Shomar H, Bernheim A. [Bacterial immunity: Uncovering a new world]. Med Sci (Paris) 2023; 39:862-868. [PMID: 38018930 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2023163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses are parasites that infect all living organisms, and bacteria are no exception. To defend themselves against their viruses (phages), bacteria have developed numerous and sophisticated defense mechanisms, our understanding of which is rapidly growing. In the 2000s, only a handful of mechanisms were known and only two of them seemed to be found in most bacteria. In 2018, a new key method based on genome analysis revealed that there were likely many others. Indeed, over the past five years, more than 150 new mechanisms have been discovered. It is now estimated that there are probably thousands. This remarkable diversity, paralleled with the tremendous viral diversity, is evident both in terms of possible combinations of systems in bacterial genomes and in molecular mechanisms. One of the most surprising observations emerging from the exploration of this diversity is the discovery of striking similarities between certain bacterial defense systems and antiviral systems in humans, as well as plant (and eukaryotes in general) immune systems. Contrary to the previously accepted paradigm, organisms as diverse as fungi, plants, bacteria and humans share certain molecular strategies to fight viral infections, suggesting that an underestimated part of eukaryotic antiviral immunity could have evolved from bacterial antiviral defense systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aël Hardy
- Institut Pasteur, université Paris Cité, Inserm U1284, Diversité moléculaire des microbes (Molecular Diversity of Microbes lab), 75015 Paris, France
| | - Helena Shomar
- Institut Pasteur, université Paris Cité, Inserm U1284, Diversité moléculaire des microbes (Molecular Diversity of Microbes lab), 75015 Paris, France
| | - Aude Bernheim
- Institut Pasteur, université Paris Cité, Inserm U1284, Diversité moléculaire des microbes (Molecular Diversity of Microbes lab), 75015 Paris, France
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Song X, Lei S, Liu S, Liu Y, Fu P, Zeng Z, Yang K, Chen Y, Li M, She Q, Han W. Catalytically inactive long prokaryotic Argonaute systems employ distinct effectors to confer immunity via abortive infection. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6970. [PMID: 37914725 PMCID: PMC10620215 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42793-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Argonaute proteins (Agos) bind short nucleic acids as guides and are directed by them to recognize target complementary nucleic acids. Diverse prokaryotic Agos (pAgos) play potential functions in microbial defense. The functions and mechanisms of a group of full-length yet catalytically inactive pAgos, long-B pAgos, remain unclear. Here, we show that most long-B pAgos are functionally connected with distinct associated proteins, including nucleases, Sir2-domain-containing proteins and trans-membrane proteins, respectively. The long-B pAgo-nuclease system (BPAN) is activated by guide RNA-directed target DNA recognition and performs collateral DNA degradation in vitro. In vivo, the system mediates genomic DNA degradation after sensing invading plasmid, which kills the infected cells and results in the depletion of the invader from the cell population. Together, the BPAN system provides immunoprotection via abortive infection. Our data also suggest that the defense strategy is employed by other long-B pAgos equipped with distinct associated proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinmi Song
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and Technology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Sheng Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and Technology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Shunhang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and Technology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanqiu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and Technology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Pan Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and Technology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhifeng Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and Technology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Ke Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and Technology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and Technology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Ming Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qunxin She
- CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Binhai Road 72, 266237, Jimo, Qingdao, China
| | - Wenyuan Han
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and Technology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China.
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Oluwarinde BO, Ajose DJ, Abolarinwa TO, Montso PK, Du Preez I, Njom HA, Ateba CN. Safety Properties of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Specific Bacteriophages: Recent Advances for Food Safety. Foods 2023; 12:3989. [PMID: 37959107 PMCID: PMC10650914 DOI: 10.3390/foods12213989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is typically detected on food products mainly due to cross-contamination with faecal matter. The serotype O157:H7 has been of major public health concern due to the severity of illness caused, prevalence, and management. In the food chain, the main methods of controlling contamination by foodborne pathogens often involve the application of antimicrobial agents, which are now becoming less efficient. There is a growing need for the development of new approaches to combat these pathogens, especially those that harbour antimicrobial resistant and virulent determinants. Strategies to also limit their presence on food contact surfaces and food matrices are needed to prevent their transmission. Recent studies have revealed that bacteriophages are useful non-antibiotic options for biocontrol of E. coli O157:H7 in both animals and humans. Phage biocontrol can significantly reduce E. coli O157:H7, thereby improving food safety. However, before being certified as potential biocontrol agents, the safety of the phage candidates must be resolved to satisfy regulatory standards, particularly regarding phage resistance, antigenic properties, and toxigenic properties. In this review, we provide a general description of the main virulence elements of E. coli O157:H7 and present detailed reports that support the proposals that phages infecting E. coli O157:H7 are potential biocontrol agents. This paper also outlines the mechanism of E. coli O157:H7 resistance to phages and the safety concerns associated with the use of phages as a biocontrol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bukola Opeyemi Oluwarinde
- Food Security and Safety Focus Area, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Mahikeng 2375, South Africa; (B.O.O.); (D.J.A.); (T.O.A.); (P.K.M.)
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Phage Bio-Control Research Group (AREPHABREG), Department of Microbiology, North-West University, Mahikeng 2735, South Africa
| | - Daniel Jesuwenu Ajose
- Food Security and Safety Focus Area, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Mahikeng 2375, South Africa; (B.O.O.); (D.J.A.); (T.O.A.); (P.K.M.)
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Phage Bio-Control Research Group (AREPHABREG), Department of Microbiology, North-West University, Mahikeng 2735, South Africa
| | - Tesleem Olatunde Abolarinwa
- Food Security and Safety Focus Area, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Mahikeng 2375, South Africa; (B.O.O.); (D.J.A.); (T.O.A.); (P.K.M.)
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Phage Bio-Control Research Group (AREPHABREG), Department of Microbiology, North-West University, Mahikeng 2735, South Africa
| | - Peter Kotsoana Montso
- Food Security and Safety Focus Area, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Mahikeng 2375, South Africa; (B.O.O.); (D.J.A.); (T.O.A.); (P.K.M.)
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Phage Bio-Control Research Group (AREPHABREG), Department of Microbiology, North-West University, Mahikeng 2735, South Africa
| | - Ilse Du Preez
- Centre for Human Metabolomics, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa;
| | - Henry Akum Njom
- Agricultural Research Council, Private Bag X1251, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa;
| | - Collins Njie Ateba
- Food Security and Safety Focus Area, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University, Mahikeng 2375, South Africa; (B.O.O.); (D.J.A.); (T.O.A.); (P.K.M.)
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Phage Bio-Control Research Group (AREPHABREG), Department of Microbiology, North-West University, Mahikeng 2735, South Africa
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Pacios O, Blasco L, Ortiz Cartagena C, Bleriot I, Fernández-García L, López M, Barrio-Pujante A, Cuenca FF, Aracil B, Oteo-Iglesias J, Tomás M. Molecular studies of phages- Klebsiella pneumoniae in mucoid environment: innovative use of mucolytic agents prior to the administration of lytic phages. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1286046. [PMID: 37886069 PMCID: PMC10598653 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1286046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Mucins are important glycoproteins that form a protective layer throughout the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. There is scientific evidence of increase in phage-resistance in the presence of mucin for some bacterial pathogens. Manipulation in mucin composition may ultimately influence the effectiveness of phage therapy. In this work, two clinical strains of K. pneumoniae (K3574 and K3325), were exposed to the lytic bacteriophage vB_KpnS-VAC35 in the presence and absence of mucin on a long-term co-evolution assay, in an attempt to mimic in vitro the exposure to mucins that bacteria and their phages face in vivo. Enumerations of the bacterial and phage counts at regular time intervals were conducted, and extraction of the genomic DNA of co-evolved bacteria to the phage, the mucin and both was performed. We determined the frequency of phage-resistant mutants in the presence and absence of mucin and including a mucolytic agent (N-acetyl L-cysteine, NAC), and sequenced them using Nanopore. We phenotypically demonstrated that the presence of mucin induces the emergence of bacterial resistance against lytic phages, effectively decreased in the presence of NAC. In addition, the genomic analysis revealed some of the genes relevant to the development of phage resistance in long-term co-evolution, with a special focus on the mucoid environment. Genes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates were mutated in the presence of mucin. In conclusion, the use of mucolytic agents prior to the administration of lytic phages could be an interesting therapeutic option when addressing K. pneumoniae infections in environments where mucin is overproduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Pacios
- Grupo de Microbiología Traslacional y Multidisciplinar (MicroTM)-Servicio de Microbiología Instituto de Investigación Biomédica A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Grupo de Estudio de los Mecanismos de Resistencia Antimicrobiana (GEMARA) formando parte de la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica (SEIMC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucía Blasco
- Grupo de Microbiología Traslacional y Multidisciplinar (MicroTM)-Servicio de Microbiología Instituto de Investigación Biomédica A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Grupo de Estudio de los Mecanismos de Resistencia Antimicrobiana (GEMARA) formando parte de la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica (SEIMC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Concha Ortiz Cartagena
- Grupo de Microbiología Traslacional y Multidisciplinar (MicroTM)-Servicio de Microbiología Instituto de Investigación Biomédica A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Grupo de Estudio de los Mecanismos de Resistencia Antimicrobiana (GEMARA) formando parte de la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica (SEIMC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Inés Bleriot
- Grupo de Microbiología Traslacional y Multidisciplinar (MicroTM)-Servicio de Microbiología Instituto de Investigación Biomédica A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Grupo de Estudio de los Mecanismos de Resistencia Antimicrobiana (GEMARA) formando parte de la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica (SEIMC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Fernández-García
- Grupo de Microbiología Traslacional y Multidisciplinar (MicroTM)-Servicio de Microbiología Instituto de Investigación Biomédica A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Grupo de Estudio de los Mecanismos de Resistencia Antimicrobiana (GEMARA) formando parte de la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica (SEIMC), Madrid, Spain
| | - María López
- Grupo de Microbiología Traslacional y Multidisciplinar (MicroTM)-Servicio de Microbiología Instituto de Investigación Biomédica A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Grupo de Estudio de los Mecanismos de Resistencia Antimicrobiana (GEMARA) formando parte de la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica (SEIMC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Barrio-Pujante
- Grupo de Microbiología Traslacional y Multidisciplinar (MicroTM)-Servicio de Microbiología Instituto de Investigación Biomédica A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Grupo de Estudio de los Mecanismos de Resistencia Antimicrobiana (GEMARA) formando parte de la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica (SEIMC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Felipe Fernández Cuenca
- Grupo de Estudio de los Mecanismos de Resistencia Antimicrobiana (GEMARA) formando parte de la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica (SEIMC), Madrid, Spain
- Unidad Clínica de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla), Sevilla, Spain
- MePRAM, Proyecto de Medicina de Precisión contra las resistencias Antimicrobianas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén Aracil
- MePRAM, Proyecto de Medicina de Precisión contra las resistencias Antimicrobianas, Madrid, Spain
- Laboratorio de Referencia e Investigación de Resistencias a Antibióticos e Infecciones Sanitarias, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Oteo-Iglesias
- Grupo de Estudio de los Mecanismos de Resistencia Antimicrobiana (GEMARA) formando parte de la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica (SEIMC), Madrid, Spain
- MePRAM, Proyecto de Medicina de Precisión contra las resistencias Antimicrobianas, Madrid, Spain
- Laboratorio de Referencia e Investigación de Resistencias a Antibióticos e Infecciones Sanitarias, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Tomás
- Grupo de Microbiología Traslacional y Multidisciplinar (MicroTM)-Servicio de Microbiología Instituto de Investigación Biomédica A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), Universidad de A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Grupo de Estudio de los Mecanismos de Resistencia Antimicrobiana (GEMARA) formando parte de la Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica (SEIMC), Madrid, Spain
- MePRAM, Proyecto de Medicina de Precisión contra las resistencias Antimicrobianas, Madrid, Spain
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Georjon H, Bernheim A. The highly diverse antiphage defence systems of bacteria. Nat Rev Microbiol 2023; 21:686-700. [PMID: 37460672 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00934-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 72.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria and their viruses have coevolved for billions of years. This ancient and still ongoing arms race has led bacteria to develop a vast antiphage arsenal. The development of high-throughput screening methods expanded our knowledge of defence systems from a handful to more than a hundred systems, unveiling many different molecular mechanisms. These findings reveal that bacterial immunity is much more complex than previously thought. In this Review, we explore recently discovered bacterial antiphage defence systems, with a particular focus on their molecular diversity, and discuss the ecological and evolutionary drivers and implications of the existing diversity of antiphage defence mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héloïse Georjon
- Molecular Diversity of Microbes Lab, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Aude Bernheim
- Molecular Diversity of Microbes Lab, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM, Paris, France.
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Aframian N, Eldar A. Abortive infection antiphage defense systems: separating mechanism and phenotype. Trends Microbiol 2023; 31:1003-1012. [PMID: 37268559 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved a wide array of mechanisms that allow them to eliminate phage infection. 'Abortive infection' (abi) systems are an expanding category of such mechanisms, defined as those which induce programmed cell death (or dormancy) upon infection, and thus halt phage propagation within a bacterial population. This definition entails two requirements - a phenotypic observation (cell death upon infection), and a mechanistic determination of its sources (system-induced death). The phenotypic and mechanistic aspects of abi are often implicitly assumed to be tightly linked, and studies regularly tend to establish one and deduce the other. However, recent evidence points to a complicated relationship between the mechanism of defense and the phenotype observed upon infection. We argue that rather than viewing the abi phenotype as an inherent quality of a set of defense systems, it should be more appropriately thought of as an attribute of interactions between specific phages and bacteria under given conditions. Consequently, we also point to potential pitfalls in the prevailing methods for ascertaining the abi phenotype. Overall, we propose an alternative framework for parsing interactions between attacking phages and defending bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitzan Aframian
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Avigdor Eldar
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel.
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70
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Slavik KM, Kranzusch PJ. CBASS to cGAS-STING: The Origins and Mechanisms of Nucleotide Second Messenger Immune Signaling. Annu Rev Virol 2023; 10:423-453. [PMID: 37380187 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-virology-111821-115636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Host defense against viral pathogens is an essential function for all living organisms. In cell-intrinsic innate immunity, dedicated sensor proteins recognize molecular signatures of infection and communicate to downstream adaptor or effector proteins to activate immune defense. Remarkably, recent evidence demonstrates that much of the core machinery of innate immunity is shared across eukaryotic and prokaryotic domains of life. Here, we review a pioneering example of evolutionary conservation in innate immunity: the animal cGAS-STING (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes) signaling pathway and its ancestor in bacteria, CBASS (cyclic nucleotide-based antiphage signaling system) antiphage defense. We discuss the unique mechanism by which animal cGLRs (cGAS-like receptors) and bacterial CD-NTases (cGAS/dinucleotide-cyclase in Vibrio (DncV)-like nucleotidyltransferases) in these pathways link pathogen detection with immune activation using nucleotide second messenger signals. Comparing the biochemical, structural, and mechanistic details of cGAS-STING, cGLR signaling, and CBASS, we highlight emerging questions in the field and examine evolutionary pressures that may have shaped the origins of nucleotide second messenger signaling in antiviral defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailey M Slavik
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Philip J Kranzusch
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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71
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López-Pérez J, Otero J, Sánchez-Osuna M, Erill I, Cortés P, Llagostera M. Impact of mutagenesis and lateral gene transfer processes in bacterial susceptibility to phage in food biocontrol and phage therapy. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1266685. [PMID: 37842006 PMCID: PMC10569123 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1266685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The emergence of resistance and interference mechanisms to phage infection can hinder the success of bacteriophage-based applications, but the significance of these mechanisms in phage therapy has not been determined. This work studies the emergence of Salmonella isolates with reduced susceptibility to a cocktail of three phages under three scenarios: i) Salmonella cultures (LAB), ii) biocontrol of cooked ham slices as a model of food safety (FOOD), and iii) oral phage therapy in broilers (PT). Methods S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028 RifR variants with reduced phage susceptibility were isolated from the three scenarios and conventional and molecular microbiology techniques were applied to study them. Results and discussion In LAB, 92% of Salmonella isolates lost susceptibility to all three phages 24 h after phage infection. This percentage was lower in FOOD, with 4.3% of isolates not susceptible to at least two of the three phages after seven days at 4°C following phage treatment. In PT, 9.7% and 3.3 % of isolates from untreated and treated broilers, respectively, displayed some mechanism of interference with the life cycle of some of the phages. In LAB and FOOD scenarios, resistant variants carrying mutations in rfc and rfaJ genes involved in lipopolysaccharide synthesis (phage receptor) were identified. However, in PT, the significant decrease of EOP, ECOI, and burst size observed in isolates was prompted by lateral gene transfer of large IncI1 plasmids, which may encode phage defense mechanisms. These data indicate that the acquisition of specific conjugative plasmids has a stronger impact than mutagenesis on the emergence of reduced phage-susceptibility bacteria in certain environments. In spite of this, neither mechanism seems to significantly impair the success of Salmonella biocontrol and oral phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia López-Pérez
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Jennifer Otero
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- SK8 Biotech, Parc Científic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miquel Sánchez-Osuna
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Ivan Erill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Departament Enginyeria de la Informació i de les Comunicacions, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Pilar Cortés
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Montserrat Llagostera
- Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
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Akritidou K, Thurtle-Schmidt BH. OLD family nuclease function across diverse anti-phage defense systems. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1268820. [PMID: 37840731 PMCID: PMC10568477 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1268820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages constitute a ubiquitous threat to bacteria, and bacteria have evolved numerous anti-phage defense systems to protect themselves. These systems include well-studied phenomena such as restriction endonucleases and CRISPR, while emerging studies have identified many new anti-phage defense systems whose mechanisms are unknown or poorly understood. Some of these systems involve overcoming lysogenization defect (OLD) nucleases, a family of proteins comprising an ABC ATPase domain linked to a Toprim nuclease domain. Despite being discovered over 50 years ago, OLD nuclease function remained mysterious until recent biochemical, structural, and bioinformatic studies revealed that OLD nucleases protect bacteria by functioning in diverse anti-phage defense systems including the Gabija system and retrons. In this review we will highlight recent discoveries in OLD protein function and their involvement in multiple discrete anti-phage defense systems.
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Rios Galicia B, Sáenz JS, Yergaliyev T, Camarinha-Silva A, Seifert J. Host specific adaptations of Ligilactobacillus aviarius to poultry. CURRENT RESEARCH IN MICROBIAL SCIENCES 2023; 5:100199. [PMID: 37727231 PMCID: PMC10505982 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2023.100199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Ligilactobacillus encompasses species adapted to vertebrate hosts and fermented food. Their genomes encode adaptations to the host lifestyle. Reports of gut microbiota from chicken and turkey gastrointestinal tract have shown a high persistence of Ligilactobacillus aviarius along the digestive system compared to other species found in the same host. However, its adaptations to poultry as a host has not yet been described. In this work, the pan-genome of Ligilactobacillus aviarius was explored to describe the functional adaptability to the gastrointestinal environment. The core genome is composed of 1179 gene clusters that are present at least in one copy that codifies to structural, ribosomal and biogenesis proteins. The rest of the identified regions were classified into three different functional clusters of orthologous groups (clusters) that codify carbohydrate metabolism, envelope biogenesis, viral defence mechanisms, and mobilome inclusions. The pan-genome of Ligilactobacillus aviarius is a closed pan-genome, frequently found in poultry and highly prevalent across chicken faecal samples. The genome of L. aviarius codifies different clusters of glycoside hydrolases and glycosyltransferases that mediate interactions with the host cells. Accessory features, such as antiviral mechanisms and prophage inclusions, variate amongst strains from different GIT sections. This information provides hints about the interaction of this species with viral particles and other bacterial species. This work highlights functional adaptability traits present in L. aviarius that make it a dominant key member of the poultry gut microbiota and enlightens the convergent ecological relation of this species to the poultry gut environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibiana Rios Galicia
- Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 6-10, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
- HoLMiR-Hohenheim Center for Livestock Microbiome Research, University of Hohenheim, Leonore-Blosser-Reisen Weg 3, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
| | - Johan Sebastian Sáenz
- Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 6-10, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
- HoLMiR-Hohenheim Center for Livestock Microbiome Research, University of Hohenheim, Leonore-Blosser-Reisen Weg 3, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
| | - Timur Yergaliyev
- Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 6-10, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
- HoLMiR-Hohenheim Center for Livestock Microbiome Research, University of Hohenheim, Leonore-Blosser-Reisen Weg 3, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
| | - Amélia Camarinha-Silva
- Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 6-10, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
- HoLMiR-Hohenheim Center for Livestock Microbiome Research, University of Hohenheim, Leonore-Blosser-Reisen Weg 3, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
| | - Jana Seifert
- Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Emil-Wolff-Str. 6-10, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
- HoLMiR-Hohenheim Center for Livestock Microbiome Research, University of Hohenheim, Leonore-Blosser-Reisen Weg 3, Stuttgart 70593, Germany
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Zheng Q, Daskalov A. Microbial gasdermins: More than a billion years of pyroptotic-like cell death. Semin Immunol 2023; 69:101813. [PMID: 37480832 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2023.101813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
In the recent past, the concept of immunity has been extended to eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms, like fungi and bacteria. The latest findings have drawn remarkable evolutionary parallels between metazoan and microbial defense-related genes, unveiling a growing number of shared transkingdom components of immune systems. One such component is the gasdermin family of pore-forming proteins - executioners of a highly inflammatory immune cell death program in mammals, termed pyroptosis. Pyroptotic cell death limits the spread of intracellular pathogens by eliminating infected cells and coordinates the broader inflammatory response to infection. The microbial gasdermins have similarly been implicated in defense-related cell death reactions in fungi, bacteria and archaea. Moreover, the discovery of the molecular regulators of gasdermin cytotoxicity in fungi and bacteria, has established additional evolutionary links to mammalian pyroptotic pathways. Here, we focus on the gasdermin proteins in microorganisms and their role in organismal defense and provide perspective on this remarkable case study in comparative immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Asen Daskalov
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China; ImmunoConcEpT, CNRS UMR 5164, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
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75
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Fernández-García L, Wood TK. Phage-Defense Systems Are Unlikely to Cause Cell Suicide. Viruses 2023; 15:1795. [PMID: 37766202 PMCID: PMC10535081 DOI: 10.3390/v15091795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As new phage-defense systems (PDs) are discovered, the overlap between their mechanisms and those of toxin/antitoxin systems (TAs) is becoming clear in that both use similar means to reduce cellular metabolism; for example, both systems have members that deplete energetic compounds (e.g., NAD+, ATP) and deplete nucleic acids, and both have members that inflict membrane damage. Moreover, both TAs and PDs are similar in that rather than altruistically killing the host to limit phage propagation (commonly known as abortive infection), both reduce host metabolism since phages propagate less in slow-growing cells, and slow growth facilitates the interaction of multiple phage-defense systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas K. Wood
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802-4400, USA;
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76
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McLaughlin M, Fiebig A, Crosson S. XRE Transcription Factors Conserved in Caulobacter and φCbK Modulate Adhesin Development and Phage Production. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.20.554034. [PMID: 37645952 PMCID: PMC10462132 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.20.554034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Upon infection, transcriptional shifts in both a host bacterium and its invading phage determine host and viral fitness. The xenobiotic response element (XRE) family of transcription factors (TFs), which are commonly encoded by bacteria and phages, regulate diverse features of bacterial cell physiology and impact phage infection dynamics. Through a pangenome analysis of Caulobacter species isolated from soil and aquatic ecosystems, we uncovered an apparent radiation of a paralogous XRE TF gene cluster, several of which have established functions in the regulation of holdfast adhesin development and biofilm formation in C. crescentus. We further discovered related XRE TFs across the class Alphaproteobacteria and its phages, including the φCbK Caulophage, suggesting that members of this gene cluster impact host-phage interactions. Here we show that that a closely related group of XRE proteins, encoded by both C. crescentus and φCbK, can form heteromeric associations and control the transcription of a common gene set, influencing processes including holdfast development and the production of φCbK virions. The φCbK XRE paralog, tgrL, is highly expressed at the earliest stages of infection and can directly repress transcription of hfiA, a potent holdfast inhibitor, and gafYZ, a transcriptional activator of prophage-like gene transfer agents (GTAs) encoded on the C. crescentus chromosome. XRE proteins encoded from the C. crescentus chromosome also directly repress gafYZ transcription, revealing a functionally redundant set of host regulators that may protect against spurious production of GTA particles and inadvertent cell lysis. Deleting host XRE transcription factors reduced φCbK burst size, while overexpressing these genes or φCbK tgrL rescued this burst defect. We conclude that an XRE TF gene cluster, shared by C. crescentus and φCbK, plays an important role in adhesion regulation under phage-free conditions, and influences host-phage dynamics during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maeve McLaughlin
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Aretha Fiebig
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Sean Crosson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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77
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Rousset F, Yirmiya E, Nesher S, Brandis A, Mehlman T, Itkin M, Malitsky S, Millman A, Melamed S, Sorek R. A conserved family of immune effectors cleaves cellular ATP upon viral infection. Cell 2023; 186:3619-3631.e13. [PMID: 37595565 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
During viral infection, cells can deploy immune strategies that deprive viruses of molecules essential for their replication. Here, we report a family of immune effectors in bacteria that, upon phage infection, degrade cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and deoxyadenosine triphosphate (dATP) by cleaving the N-glycosidic bond between the adenine and sugar moieties. These ATP nucleosidase effectors are widely distributed within multiple bacterial defense systems, including cyclic oligonucleotide-based antiviral signaling systems (CBASS), prokaryotic argonautes, and nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR)-like proteins, and we show that ATP and dATP degradation during infection halts phage propagation. By analyzing homologs of the immune ATP nucleosidase domain, we discover and characterize Detocs, a family of bacterial defense systems with a two-component phosphotransfer-signaling architecture. The immune ATP nucleosidase domain is also encoded within diverse eukaryotic proteins with immune-like architectures, and we show biochemically that eukaryotic homologs preserve the ATP nucleosidase activity. Our findings suggest that ATP and dATP degradation is a cell-autonomous innate immune strategy conserved across the tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois Rousset
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
| | - Erez Yirmiya
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Shahar Nesher
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Alexander Brandis
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Tevie Mehlman
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Maxim Itkin
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Sergey Malitsky
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Adi Millman
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Sarah Melamed
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Rotem Sorek
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
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78
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Leavitt JC, Woodbury BM, Gilcrease EB, Bridges CM, Teschke CM, Casjens SR. Bacteriophage P22 SieA mediated superinfection exclusion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.15.553423. [PMID: 37645741 PMCID: PMC10461980 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.15.553423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Many temperate phages encode prophage-expressed functions that interfere with superinfection of the host bacterium by external phages. Salmonella phage P22 has four such systems that are expressed from the prophage in a lysogen that are encoded by the c2 (repressor), gtrABC, sieA, and sieB genes. Here we report that the P22-encoded SieA protein is the only phage protein required for exclusion by the SieA system, and that it is an inner membrane protein that blocks DNA injection by P22 and its relatives, but has no effect on infection by other tailed phage types. The P22 virion injects its DNA through the host cell membranes and periplasm via a conduit assembled from three "ejection proteins" after their release from the virion. Phage P22 mutants were isolated that overcome the SieA block, and they have amino acid changes in the C-terminal regions of the gene 16 and 20 encoded ejection proteins. Three different single amino acid changes in these proteins are required to obtain nearly full resistance to SieA. Hybrid P22 phages that have phage HK620 ejection protein genes are also partially resistant to SieA. There are three sequence types of extant phage-encoded SieA proteins that are less than 30% identical to one another, yet comparison of two of these types found no differences in target specificity. Our data are consistent with a model in which the inner membrane protein SieA interferes with the assembly or function of the periplasmic gp20 and membrane-bound gp16 DNA delivery conduit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C. Leavitt
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
- Current address: Green Raccoon Scientific, Gunlock UT 84733 USA
| | - Brianna M. Woodbury
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Current address: York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Eddie B. Gilcrease
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology Department, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
- Current address: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
| | - Charles M. Bridges
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Carolyn M. Teschke
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
| | - Sherwood R. Casjens
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology Department, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
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79
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Dong Y, Huang Y, Fan H, Song L, An X, Xu S, Li M, Tong Y. Characterization, complete genome sequencing, and CRISPR/Cas9 system-based decontamination of a novel Escherichia coli phage TR1 from fermentation substrates. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1230775. [PMID: 37637117 PMCID: PMC10450929 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1230775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Phage contamination has become a major concern for industrial bacteria, such as Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), used in fermentation processes. Herein, we report a CRISPR/Cas9 defense system-based strategy to precisely prey and degrade phage DNA to decontaminate target phages. First, we isolated a novel phage from fermentation substrates with BL21(DE3) as the host, named TR1. It showed a typical podovirus morphology with a head diameter of 51.46 ± 2.04 nm and a tail length of 9.31 ± 2.77 nm. The burst size of phage TR1 was 151 PFU/cell, suggesting its strong fecundity in the fermentation system. Additionally, whole-genome sequencing revealed that phage TR1 has a DNA genome of 44,099 bp in length with a 43.8% GC content, encoding a total of 68 open reading frames. Comparative genomics and phylogenetic analysis designated this phage to be a new species of the genus Christensenvirus. To counteract phage TR1, we employed the CRISPR/Cas9 system-based strategy and constructed two phage-resistant E. coli strains, BL21-C and BL21-T, based on conserved genes. Both EOP assays and growth curves indicated strong phage resistance of the recombinant strains, without affecting cell growth. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a resilient strategy to respond to ever-changing phages and ongoing phage-host arm race in industrial fermentation environments by the personalized design of spacers in the recombinant CRISPR/Cas system-containing plasmid. More importantly, our research sparks the use of phage defense mechanism to prevent phage contamination in extensive biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Dong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yunfei Huang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Huahao Fan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Lihua Song
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoping An
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Xu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Mengzhe Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
- Qinhuangdao Bohai Biological Research Institute, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China
| | - Yigang Tong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
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80
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Cheng R, Huang F, Lu X, Yan Y, Yu B, Wang X, Zhu B. Prokaryotic Gabija complex senses and executes nucleotide depletion and DNA cleavage for antiviral defense. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:1331-1344.e5. [PMID: 37480847 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
The Gabija complex is a prokaryotic antiviral system consisting of the GajA and GajB proteins. GajA was identified as a DNA nicking endonuclease but the functions of GajB and the complex remain unknown. Here, we show that synergy between GajA-mediated DNA cleavage and nucleotide hydrolysis by GajB initiates efficient abortive infection defense against virulent bacteriophages. The antiviral activity of GajA requires GajB, which senses DNA termini produced by GajA to hydrolyze (d)A/(d)GTP, depleting essential nucleotides. This ATPase activity of Gabija complex is only activated upon DNA binding. GajA binds to GajB to form stable complexes in vivo and in vitro. However, a functional Gabija complex requires a molecular ratio between GajB and GajA below 1:1, indicating stoichiometric regulation of the DNA/nucleotide processing complex. Thus, the Gabija system exhibits distinct and efficient antiviral defense through sequential sensing and activation of nucleotide depletion and DNA cleavage, causing a cascade suicide effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China.
| | - Fengtao Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China; Shenzhen Huazhong University of Science and Technology Research Institute, Shenzhen 518063, China
| | - Xueling Lu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Bingbing Yu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Xionglue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Bin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China; Shenzhen Huazhong University of Science and Technology Research Institute, Shenzhen 518063, China.
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81
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Rousset F, Sorek R. The evolutionary success of regulated cell death in bacterial immunity. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 74:102312. [PMID: 37030143 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria employ a complex arsenal of immune mechanisms to defend themselves against phages. Recent studies demonstrate that these immune mechanisms frequently involve regulated cell death in response to phage infection. By sacrificing infected cells, this strategy prevents the spread of phages within the surrounding population. In this review, we discuss the principles of regulated cell death in bacterial defense, and show that over 70% of sequenced prokaryotes employ this strategy as part of their defensive arsenals. We highlight the modularity of defense systems involving regulated cell death, explaining how shuffling between phage-sensing and cell-killing protein domains dominates their evolution. Some of these defense systems are the evolutionary ancestors of key components of eukaryotic immunity, highlighting their importance in shaping the evolutionary trajectory of immune systems across the tree of life.
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82
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Mayo-Muñoz D, Pinilla-Redondo R, Birkholz N, Fineran PC. A host of armor: Prokaryotic immune strategies against mobile genetic elements. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112672. [PMID: 37347666 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Prokaryotic adaptation is strongly influenced by the horizontal acquisition of beneficial traits via mobile genetic elements (MGEs), such as viruses/bacteriophages and plasmids. However, MGEs can also impose a fitness cost due to their often parasitic nature and differing evolutionary trajectories. In response, prokaryotes have evolved diverse immune mechanisms against MGEs. Recently, our understanding of the abundance and diversity of prokaryotic immune systems has greatly expanded. These defense systems can degrade the invading genetic material, inhibit genome replication, or trigger abortive infection, leading to population protection. In this review, we highlight these strategies, focusing on the most recent discoveries. The study of prokaryotic defenses not only sheds light on microbial evolution but also uncovers novel enzymatic activities with promising biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mayo-Muñoz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Genetics Otago, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Rafael Pinilla-Redondo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nils Birkholz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Genetics Otago, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Peter C Fineran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Genetics Otago, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
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83
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Ali Y, Inusa I, Sanghvi G, Mandaliya V, Bishoyi AK. The current status of phage therapy and its advancement towards establishing standard antimicrobials for combating multi drug-resistant bacterial pathogens. Microb Pathog 2023:106199. [PMID: 37336428 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Phage therapy; a revived antimicrobial weapon, has great therapeutic advantages with the main ones being its ability to eradicate multidrug-resistant pathogens as well as selective toxicity, which ensures that beneficial microbiota is not harmed, unlike antibiotics. These therapeutic properties make phage therapy a novel approach for combating resistant pathogens. Since millions of people across the globe succumb to multidrug-resistant infections, the implementation of phage therapy as a standard antimicrobial could transform global medicine as it offers greater therapeutic advantages than conventional antibiotics. Although phage therapy has incomplete clinical data, such as a lack of standard dosage and the ideal mode of administration, the conducted clinical studies report its safety and efficacy in some case studies, and therefore, this could lessen the concerns of its skeptics. Since its discovery, the development of phage therapeutics has been in a smooth progression. Concerns about phage resistance in populations of pathogenic bacteria are raised when bacteria are exposed to phages. Bacteria can use restriction-modification, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) defense, or mutations in the phage receptors to prevent phage invasion. Phage resistance, however, is often costly for the bacteria and may lead to a reduction in its virulence. The ongoing competition between bacteria and phage, on the other hand, ensures the emergence of phage strains that have evolved to infect resistant bacteria. A phage can quickly adapt by altering one or more aspects of its mode of infection, evading a resistance mechanism through genetic modifications, or directly thwarting the CRISPR-Cas defense. Using phage-bacterium coevolution as a technique could be crucial in the development of phage therapy as well. Through its recent advancement, gene-editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas allow the bioengineering of phages to produce phage cocktails that have broad spectrum activities, which could maximize the treatment's efficacy. This review presents the current state of phage therapy and its progression toward establishing standard medicine for combating antibiotic resistance. Recent clinical trials of phage therapy, some important case studies, and other ongoing clinical studies of phage therapy are all presented in this review. Furthermore, the recent advancement in the development of phage therapeutics, its application in various sectors, and concerns regarding its implementation are also highlighted here. Phage therapy has great potential and could help the fight against drug-resistant bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yussuf Ali
- Department of Microbiology, Marwadi University, Gujarat, India
| | - Ibrahim Inusa
- Department of Information Technology, Marwadi University, Gujarat, India
| | - Gaurav Sanghvi
- Department of Microbiology, Marwadi University, Gujarat, India
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Abstract
Investigation of fungal biology has been frequently motivated by the fact that many fungal species are important plant and animal pathogens. Such efforts have contributed significantly toward our understanding of fungal pathogenic lifestyles (virulence factors and strategies) and the interplay with host immune systems. In parallel, work on fungal allorecognition systems leading to the characterization of fungal regulated cell death determinants and pathways, has been instrumental for the emergent concept of fungal immunity. The uncovered evolutionary trans-kingdom parallels between fungal regulated cell death pathways and innate immune systems incite us to reflect further on the concept of a fungal immune system. Here, I briefly review key findings that have shaped the fungal immunity paradigm, providing a perspective on what I consider its most glaring knowledge gaps. Undertaking to fill such gaps would establish firmly the fungal immune system inside the broader field of comparative immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asen Daskalov
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- ImmunoConcEpT, CNRS UMR 5164, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Corresponding author
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85
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Lisitskaya L, Kropocheva E, Agapov A, Prostova M, Panteleev V, Yudin D, Ryazansky S, Kuzmenko A, Aravin A, Esyunina D, Kulbachinskiy A. Bacterial Argonaute nucleases reveal different modes of DNA targeting in vitro and in vivo. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:5106-5124. [PMID: 37094066 PMCID: PMC10250240 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Prokaryotic Argonaute proteins (pAgos) are homologs of eukaryotic Argonautes (eAgos) and are also thought to play a role in cell defense against invaders. However, pAgos are much more diverse than eAgos and little is known about their functional activities and target specificities in vivo. Here, we describe five pAgos from mesophilic bacteria that act as programmable DNA endonucleases and analyze their ability to target chromosomal and invader DNA. In vitro, the analyzed proteins use small guide DNAs for precise cleavage of single-stranded DNA at a wide range of temperatures. Upon their expression in Escherichia coli, all five pAgos are loaded with small DNAs preferentially produced from plasmids and chromosomal regions of replication termination. One of the tested pAgos, EmaAgo from Exiguobacterium marinum, can induce DNA interference between homologous sequences resulting in targeted processing of multicopy plasmid and genomic elements. EmaAgo also protects bacteria from bacteriophage infection, by loading phage-derived guide DNAs and decreasing phage DNA content and phage titers. Thus, the ability of pAgos to target multicopy elements may be crucial for their protective function. The wide spectrum of pAgo activities suggests that they may have diverse functions in vivo and paves the way for their use in biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidiya Lisitskaya
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow119334, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow123182, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Kropocheva
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow119334, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow123182, Russia
| | - Aleksei Agapov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow123182, Russia
| | - Maria Prostova
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow119334, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow123182, Russia
| | - Vladimir Panteleev
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow119334, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow123182, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny141700, Russia
| | - Denis Yudin
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow123182, Russia
| | - Sergei Ryazansky
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow123182, Russia
| | - Anton Kuzmenko
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow123182, Russia
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Alexei A Aravin
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Daria Esyunina
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow119334, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow123182, Russia
| | - Andrey Kulbachinskiy
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow119334, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow123182, Russia
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86
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Gao Z, Feng Y. Bacteriophage strategies for overcoming host antiviral immunity. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1211793. [PMID: 37362940 PMCID: PMC10286901 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1211793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Phages and their bacterial hosts together constitute a vast and diverse ecosystem. Facing the infection of phages, prokaryotes have evolved a wide range of antiviral mechanisms, and phages in turn have adopted multiple tactics to circumvent or subvert these mechanisms to survive. An in-depth investigation into the interaction between phages and bacteria not only provides new insight into the ancient coevolutionary conflict between them but also produces precision biotechnological tools based on anti-phage systems. Moreover, a more complete understanding of their interaction is also critical for the phage-based antibacterial measures. Compared to the bacterial antiviral mechanisms, studies into counter-defense strategies adopted by phages have been a little slow, but have also achieved important advances in recent years. In this review, we highlight the numerous intracellular immune systems of bacteria as well as the countermeasures employed by phages, with an emphasis on the bacteriophage strategies in response to host antiviral immunity.
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87
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Macdonald E, Wright R, Connolly JPR, Strahl H, Brockhurst M, van Houte S, Blower TR, Palmer T, Mariano G. The novel anti-phage system Shield co-opts an RmuC domain to mediate phage defense across Pseudomonas species. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010784. [PMID: 37276233 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Competitive bacteria-bacteriophage interactions have resulted in the evolution of a plethora of bacterial defense systems preventing phage propagation. In recent years, computational and bioinformatic approaches have underpinned the discovery of numerous novel bacterial defense systems. Anti-phage systems are frequently encoded together in genomic loci termed defense islands. Here we report the identification and characterisation of a novel anti-phage system, that we have termed Shield, which forms part of the Pseudomonas defensive arsenal. The Shield system comprises the core component ShdA, a membrane-bound protein harboring an RmuC domain. Heterologous production of ShdA alone is sufficient to mediate bacterial immunity against several phages. We demonstrate that Shield and ShdA confer population-level immunity and that they can also decrease transformation efficiency. We further show that ShdA homologues can degrade DNA in vitro and, when expressed in a heterologous host, can alter the organisation of the host chromosomal DNA. Use of comparative genomic approaches identified how Shield can be divided into four subtypes, three of which contain additional components that in some cases can negatively affect the activity of ShdA and/or provide additional lines of phage defense. Collectively, our results identify a new player within the Pseudomonas bacterial immunity arsenal that displays a novel mechanism of protection, and reveals a role for RmuC domains in phage defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Macdonald
- Microbes in Health and Disease Theme, Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Rosanna Wright
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - James P R Connolly
- Microbes in Health and Disease Theme, Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Henrik Strahl
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Stineke van Houte
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Tim R Blower
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Tracy Palmer
- Microbes in Health and Disease Theme, Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Giuseppina Mariano
- Microbes in Health and Disease Theme, Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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88
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Boyle TA, Hatoum-Aslan A. Recurring and emerging themes in prokaryotic innate immunity. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 73:102324. [PMID: 37163858 PMCID: PMC10360293 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
A resurgence of interest in the pathways that bacteria use to protect against their viruses (i.e. phages) has led to the discovery of dozens of new antiphage defenses. Given the sheer abundance and diversity of phages - the ever-evolving targets of immunity - it is not surprising that these newly described defenses are also remarkably diverse. However, as their mechanisms slowly come into focus, some common strategies and themes are also beginning to emerge. This review highlights recurring and emerging themes in the mechanisms of innate immunity in bacteria and archaea, with an emphasis on recently described systems that have undergone more thorough mechanistic characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tori A Boyle
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Microbiology, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Asma Hatoum-Aslan
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Microbiology, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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89
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Wein T, Johnson AG, Millman A, Lange K, Yirmiya E, Hadary R, Garb J, Steinruecke F, Hill AB, Kranzusch PJ, Sorek R. CARD-like domains mediate anti-phage defense in bacterial gasdermin systems. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.28.542683. [PMID: 37398489 PMCID: PMC10312443 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.28.542683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Caspase recruitment domains (CARDs) and pyrin domains are important facilitators of inflammasome activity and pyroptosis. Upon pathogen recognition by NLR proteins, CARDs recruit and activate caspases, which, in turn, activate gasdermin pore forming proteins to and induce pyroptotic cell death. Here we show that CARD-like domains are present in defense systems that protect bacteria against phage. The bacterial CARD is essential for protease-mediated activation of certain bacterial gasdermins, which promote cell death once phage infection is recognized. We further show that multiple anti-phage defense systems utilize CARD-like domains to activate a variety of cell death effectors. We find that these systems are triggered by a conserved immune evasion protein that phages use to overcome the bacterial defense system RexAB, demonstrating that phage proteins inhibiting one defense system can activate another. We also detect a phage protein with a predicted CARD-like structure that can inhibit the CARD-containing bacterial gasdermin system. Our results suggest that CARD domains represent an ancient component of innate immune systems conserved from bacteria to humans, and that CARD-dependent activation of gasdermins is conserved in organisms across the tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanita Wein
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Alex G. Johnson
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Ma, USA
- Deparment of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adi Millman
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Katharina Lange
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Erez Yirmiya
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Romi Hadary
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Jeremy Garb
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Felix Steinruecke
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Aidan B. Hill
- Deparment of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Philip J. Kranzusch
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Ma, USA
- Deparment of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rotem Sorek
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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90
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Kibby EM, Conte AN, Burroughs AM, Nagy TA, Vargas JA, Whalen LA, Aravind L, Whiteley AT. Bacterial NLR-related proteins protect against phage. Cell 2023; 186:2410-2424.e18. [PMID: 37160116 PMCID: PMC10294775 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria use a wide range of immune pathways to counter phage infection. A subset of these genes shares homology with components of eukaryotic immune systems, suggesting that eukaryotes horizontally acquired certain innate immune genes from bacteria. Here, we show that proteins containing a NACHT module, the central feature of the animal nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat containing gene family (NLRs), are found in bacteria and defend against phages. NACHT proteins are widespread in bacteria, provide immunity against both DNA and RNA phages, and display the characteristic C-terminal sensor, central NACHT, and N-terminal effector modules. Some bacterial NACHT proteins have domain architectures similar to the human NLRs that are critical components of inflammasomes. Human disease-associated NLR mutations that cause stimulus-independent activation of the inflammasome also activate bacterial NACHT proteins, supporting a shared signaling mechanism. This work establishes that NACHT module-containing proteins are ancient mediators of innate immunity across the tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Kibby
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Amy N Conte
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - A Maxwell Burroughs
- Computational Biology Branch, National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Toni A Nagy
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Jose A Vargas
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Lindsay A Whalen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - L Aravind
- Computational Biology Branch, National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Aaron T Whiteley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
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91
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Ling KM, Stick SM, Kicic A. Pulmonary bacteriophage and cystic fibrosis airway mucus: friends or foes? Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1088494. [PMID: 37265479 PMCID: PMC10230084 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1088494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
For those born with cystic fibrosis (CF), hyper-concentrated mucus with a dysfunctional structure significantly impacts CF airways, providing a perfect environment for bacterial colonization and subsequent chronic infection. Early treatment with antibiotics limits the prevalence of bacterial pathogens but permanently alters the CF airway microenvironment, resulting in antibiotic resistance and other long-term consequences. With little investment into new traditional antibiotics, safe and effective alternative therapeutic options are urgently needed. One gathering significant traction is bacteriophage (phage) therapy. However, little is known about which phages are effective for respiratory infections, the dynamics involved between phage(s) and the host airway, and associated by-products, including mucus. Work utilizing gut cell models suggest that phages adhere to mucus components, reducing microbial colonization and providing non-host-derived immune protection. Thus, phages retained in the CF mucus layer result from the positive selection that enables them to remain in the mucus layer. Phages bind weakly to mucus components, slowing down the diffusion motion and increasing their chance of encountering bacterial species for subsequent infection. Adherence of phage to mucus could also facilitate phage enrichment and persistence within the microenvironment, resulting in a potent phage phenotype or vice versa. However, how the CF microenvironment responds to phage and impacts phage functionality remains unknown. This review discusses CF associated lung diseases, the impact of CF mucus, and chronic bacterial infection. It then discusses the therapeutic potential of phages, their dynamic relationship with mucus and whether this may enhance or hinder airway bacterial infections in CF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kak-Ming Ling
- Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Occupation, Environment and Safety, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Stephen Michael Stick
- Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Division of Paediatrics, Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of Western Australia and Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Anthony Kicic
- Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- Occupation, Environment and Safety, School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
- Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of Western Australia and Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA, Australia
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92
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Patel PH, Maxwell KL. Prophages provide a rich source of antiphage defense systems. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 73:102321. [PMID: 37121062 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Temperate phages are pervasive in nature, existing within bacterial cells in a form known as prophages. In this state, survival of the phage is intricately tied to the survival of the bacterial host. As a result, prophages often encode genes that increase bacterial fitness. One important way to increase survival is to provide defense against competing phages. Recent work reviewed here reveals that prophages provide a diverse and robust reservoir of antiphage defense systems that likely play a major role in bacterial-phage dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pramalkumar H Patel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, MaRS West Tower, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Karen L Maxwell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, MaRS West Tower, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada.
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93
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Ho P, Chen Y, Biswas S, Canfield E, Abdolvahabi A, Feldman DE. Bacteriophage antidefense genes that neutralize TIR and STING immune responses. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112305. [PMID: 36952342 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Programmed cell suicide of infected bacteria, known as abortive infection (Abi), serves as an immune defense strategy to prevent the propagation of bacteriophage viruses. Many Abi systems utilize bespoke cyclic nucleotide immune messengers generated upon infection to mobilize cognate death effectors. Here, we identify a family of bacteriophage nucleotidyltransferases (NTases) that synthesize competitor cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) ligands and inhibit TIR NADase effectors activated via a linked STING CDN sensor domain (TIR-STING). Through a functional screen of NTase-adjacent phage genes, we uncover candidate inhibitors of cell suicide induced by heterologous expression of tonically active TIR-STING. Among these, we demonstrate that a virus MazG-like nucleotide pyrophosphohydrolase, Atd1, depletes the starvation alarmone (p)ppGpp, revealing a potential role for the alarmone-activated host toxin MazF as an executioner of TIR-driven Abi. Phage NTases and counterdefenses like Atd1 preserve host viability to ensure virus propagation and represent tools to modulate TIR and STING immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiyin Ho
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Yibu Chen
- Bioinformatics Service, Department of Health Sciences Libraries, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Subarna Biswas
- Department of Surgery, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Ethan Canfield
- University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Alireza Abdolvahabi
- University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Douglas E Feldman
- Department of Pathology, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
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94
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Granato ET, Smith WPJ, Foster KR. Collective protection against the type VI secretion system in bacteria. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023:10.1038/s41396-023-01401-4. [PMID: 37095301 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01401-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria commonly face attacks from other strains using the type VI secretion system (T6SS), which acts like a molecular speargun to stab and intoxicate competitors. Here we show how bacteria can work together to collectively defend themselves against these attacks. This project began with an outreach activity: while developing an online computer game of bacterial warfare, we noticed that one strategist ("Slimy") that made extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) was able to resist attacks from another strategist that employed the T6SS ("Stabby"). This observation motivated us to model this scenario more formally, using dedicated agent-based simulations. The model predicts that EPS production can serve as a collective defence mechanism, which protects both producing cells and neighbouring cells that do not make EPS. We then tested our model with a synthetic community that contains a T6SS-wielding attacker (Acinetobacter baylyi), and two T6SS-sensitive target strains (Escherichia coli) that either secrete EPS, or not. As predicted by our modelling, we find that the production of EPS leads to collective protection against T6SS attacks, where EPS producers protect each other and nearby non-producers. We identify two processes that explain this protection: EPS sharing between cells and a second general mechanism whereby groups of resistant cells shield susceptible cells, which we call "flank protection". Our work shows how EPS-producing bacteria can work together to defend themselves from the type VI secretion system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa T Granato
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - William P J Smith
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Division of Genomics, Infection and Evolution, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Kevin R Foster
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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95
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Smith WPJ, Wucher BR, Nadell CD, Foster KR. Bacterial defences: mechanisms, evolution and antimicrobial resistance. Nat Rev Microbiol 2023:10.1038/s41579-023-00877-3. [PMID: 37095190 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00877-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Throughout their evolutionary history, bacteria have faced diverse threats from other microorganisms, including competing bacteria, bacteriophages and predators. In response to these threats, they have evolved sophisticated defence mechanisms that today also protect bacteria against antibiotics and other therapies. In this Review, we explore the protective strategies of bacteria, including the mechanisms, evolution and clinical implications of these ancient defences. We also review the countermeasures that attackers have evolved to overcome bacterial defences. We argue that understanding how bacteria defend themselves in nature is important for the development of new therapies and for minimizing resistance evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- William P J Smith
- Division of Genomics, Infection and Evolution, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Benjamin R Wucher
- Department of Biological sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Carey D Nadell
- Department of Biological sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Kevin R Foster
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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96
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Hengge R, Pruteanu M, Stülke J, Tschowri N, Turgay K. Recent advances and perspectives in nucleotide second messenger signaling in bacteria. MICROLIFE 2023; 4:uqad015. [PMID: 37223732 PMCID: PMC10118264 DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqad015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Nucleotide second messengers act as intracellular 'secondary' signals that represent environmental or cellular cues, i.e. the 'primary' signals. As such, they are linking sensory input with regulatory output in all living cells. The amazing physiological versatility, the mechanistic diversity of second messenger synthesis, degradation, and action as well as the high level of integration of second messenger pathways and networks in prokaryotes has only recently become apparent. In these networks, specific second messengers play conserved general roles. Thus, (p)ppGpp coordinates growth and survival in response to nutrient availability and various stresses, while c-di-GMP is the nucleotide signaling molecule to orchestrate bacterial adhesion and multicellularity. c-di-AMP links osmotic balance and metabolism and that it does so even in Archaea may suggest a very early evolutionary origin of second messenger signaling. Many of the enzymes that make or break second messengers show complex sensory domain architectures, which allow multisignal integration. The multiplicity of c-di-GMP-related enzymes in many species has led to the discovery that bacterial cells are even able to use the same freely diffusible second messenger in local signaling pathways that can act in parallel without cross-talking. On the other hand, signaling pathways operating with different nucleotides can intersect in elaborate signaling networks. Apart from the small number of common signaling nucleotides that bacteria use for controlling their cellular "business," diverse nucleotides were recently found to play very specific roles in phage defense. Furthermore, these systems represent the phylogenetic ancestors of cyclic nucleotide-activated immune signaling in eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regine Hengge
- Corresponding author. Institut für Biologie/Mikrobiologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13 – Haus 22, 10115 Berlin, Germany. Tel: +49-30-2093-49686; Fax: +49-30-2093-49682; E-mail:
| | | | - Jörg Stülke
- Department of General Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Natalia Tschowri
- Institute of Microbiology, Leibniz-Universität Hannover, 30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Kürşad Turgay
- Institute of Microbiology, Leibniz-Universität Hannover, 30419 Hannover, Germany
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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97
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Wang Y, Xuan G, Lin H, Fei Z, Wang J. Phage resistance of Salmonella enterica obtained by transposon Tn5-mediated SefR gene silent mutation. J Basic Microbiol 2023; 63:530-541. [PMID: 37032321 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202200532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Salmonella enterica contamination is a primary cause of global food poisoning. Using phages as bactericidal alternatives to antibiotics could confront the issue of drug resistance. However, the problem of phage resistance, especially mutant strains with multiple phage resistance, is a critical barrier to the practical application of phages. In this study, a library of EZ-Tn5 transposable mutants of susceptible host S. enterica B3-6 was constructed. After the infestation pressure of a broad-spectrum phage TP1, a mutant strain with resistance to eight phages was obtained. Analysis of the genome resequencing results revealed that the SefR gene was disrupted in the mutant strain. The mutant strain displayed a reduced adsorption rate of 42% and a significant decrease in swimming and swarming motility, as well as a significantly reduced expression of the flagellar-related FliL and FliO genes to 17% and 36%, respectively. An uninterrupted form of the SefR gene was cloned into vector pET-21a (+) and used for complementation of the mutant strain. The complemented mutant exhibited similar adsorption and motility as the wild-type control. These results suggest that the disrupted flagellar-mediated SefR gene causes an adsorption inhibition, which is responsible for the phage-resistant phenotype of the S. enterica transposition mutant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinfeng Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Guanhua Xuan
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Hong Lin
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Zhenhong Fei
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Jingxue Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
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98
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Yuan X, Huang Z, Zhu Z, Zhang J, Wu Q, Xue L, Wang J, Ding Y. Recent advances in phage defense systems and potential overcoming strategies. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 65:108152. [PMID: 37037289 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are effective in the prevention and control of bacteria, and many phage products have been permitted and applied in the field. Because bacteriophages are expected to replace other antimicrobial agents like antibiotics, the antibacterial effect of bacteriophage has attracted widespread attention. Recently, the diversified defense systems discovered in the target host have become potential threats to the continued effective application of phages. Therefore, a systematic summary and in-depth illustration of the interaction between phages and bacteria is conducive to the development of this biological control approach. In this review, we introduce different defense systems in bacteria against phages and emphasize newly discovered defense mechanisms in recent years. Additionally, we draw attention to the striking resemblance between defense system genes and antibiotic resistance genes, which raises concerns about the potential transfer of phage defense systems within bacterial populations and its future impact on phage efficacy. Thus, attention should be given to the effects of phage defense genes in practical applications. This article is not exhaustive, but strategies to overcome phage defense systems are also discussed to further promote more efficient use of phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China; Department of Food Science & Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhichao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China; Department of Food Science & Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhenjun Zhu
- Department of Food Science & Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jumei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Qingping Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Liang Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Juan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China; College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510432, China.
| | - Yu Ding
- Department of Food Science & Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
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99
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Hochhauser D, Millman A, Sorek R. The defense island repertoire of the Escherichia coli pan-genome. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010694. [PMID: 37023146 PMCID: PMC10121019 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
It has become clear in recent years that anti-phage defense systems cluster non-randomly within bacterial genomes in so-called "defense islands". Despite serving as a valuable tool for the discovery of novel defense systems, the nature and distribution of defense islands themselves remain poorly understood. In this study, we comprehensively mapped the defense system repertoire of >1,300 strains of Escherichia coli, the most widely studied organism for phage-bacteria interactions. We found that defense systems are usually carried on mobile genetic elements including prophages, integrative conjugative elements and transposons, which preferentially integrate at several dozens of dedicated hotspots in the E. coli genome. Each mobile genetic element type has a preferred integration position but can carry a diverse variety of defensive cargo. On average, an E. coli genome has 4.7 hotspots occupied by defense system-containing mobile elements, with some strains possessing up to eight defensively occupied hotspots. Defense systems frequently co-localize with other systems on the same mobile genetic element, in agreement with the observed defense island phenomenon. Our data show that the overwhelming majority of the E. coli pan-immune system is carried on mobile genetic elements, explaining why the immune repertoire varies substantially between different strains of the same species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Hochhauser
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Adi Millman
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Rotem Sorek
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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100
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Stokar-Avihail A, Fedorenko T, Hör J, Garb J, Leavitt A, Millman A, Shulman G, Wojtania N, Melamed S, Amitai G, Sorek R. Discovery of phage determinants that confer sensitivity to bacterial immune systems. Cell 2023; 186:1863-1876.e16. [PMID: 37030292 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
Over the past few years, numerous anti-phage defense systems have been discovered in bacteria. Although the mechanism of defense for some of these systems is understood, a major unanswered question is how these systems sense phage infection. To systematically address this question, we isolated 177 phage mutants that escape 15 different defense systems. In many cases, these escaper phages were mutated in the gene sensed by the defense system, enabling us to map the phage determinants that confer sensitivity to bacterial immunity. Our data identify specificity determinants of diverse retron systems and reveal phage-encoded triggers for multiple abortive infection systems. We find general themes in phage sensing and demonstrate that mechanistically diverse systems have converged to sense either the core replication machinery of the phage, phage structural components, or host takeover mechanisms. Combining our data with previous findings, we formulate key principles on how bacterial immune systems sense phage invaders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avigail Stokar-Avihail
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Taya Fedorenko
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Jens Hör
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Jeremy Garb
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Azita Leavitt
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Adi Millman
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Gabriela Shulman
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Nicole Wojtania
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Sarah Melamed
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Gil Amitai
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Rotem Sorek
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
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