Complete genomic sequence of bacteriophage felix o1

Salmonella phages and prophages: genomics, taxonomy, and applied aspects

Since this book was originally published in 2007 there has been a significant increase in the number of Salmonella bacteriophages, particularly lytic virus, and Salmonella strains which have been fully sequenced. In addition, new insights into phage taxonomy have resulted in new phage genera, some of which have been recognized by the International Committee of Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). The properties of each of these genera are discussed, along with the role of phage as agents of genetic exchange, as therapeutic agents, and their involvement in phage typing.

Rapid and accurate detection of bacteriophage activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7 by propidium monoazide real-time PCR

Conventional methods to determine the efficacy of bacteriophage (phage) for biocontrol of E. coli require several days, due to the need to culture bacteria. Furthermore, cell surface-attached phage particles may lyse bacterial cells during experiments, leading to an overestimation of phage activity. DNA-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is a fast, sensitive, and highly specific means of enumerating pathogens. However, qPCR may underestimate phage activity due to its inability to distinguish viable from nonviable cells. In this study, we evaluated the suitability of propidium monoazide (PMA), a microbial membrane-impermeable dye that inhibits amplification of extracellular DNA and DNA within dead or membrane-compromised cells as a means of using qPCR to identify only intact E. coli cells that survive phage exposure. Escherichia coli O157:H7 strain R508N and 4 phages (T5-like, T1-like, T4-like, and O1-like) were studied. Results compared PMA-qPCR and direct plating and confirmed that PMA could successfully inhibit amplification of DNA from compromised/damaged cells E. coli O157:H7. Compared to PMA-qPCR, direct plating overestimated (P < 0.01) phage efficacy as cell surface-attached phage particles lysed E. coli O157:H7 during the plating process. Treatment of samples with PMA in combination with qPCR can therefore be considered beneficial when assessing the efficacy of bacteriophage for biocontrol of E. coli O157:H7.

Salmonella phages isolated from dairy farms in Thailand show wider host range than a comparable set of phages isolated from U.S. dairy farms

Salmonella is a zoonotic pathogen with globally distributed serovars as well as serovars predominantly found in certain regions; for example, serovar Weltevreden is rarely isolated in the U.S., but is common in Thailand. Relative to our understanding of Salmonella diversity, our understanding of the global diversity of Salmonella phages is limited. We hypothesized that the serovar diversity in a given environment and farming system will affect the Salmonella phage diversity associated with animal hosts. We thus isolated and characterized Salmonella phages from 15 small-scale dairy farms in Thailand and compared the host ranges of the 62 Salmonella phage isolates obtained with host range diversity for 129 phage isolates obtained from dairy farms in the U.S. The 62 phage isolates from Thailand represented genome sizes ranging from 40 to 200 kb and showed lysis of 6-25 of the 26 host strains tested (mean number of strain lysed=19). By comparison, phage isolates previously obtained in a survey of 15 U.S. dairy farms showed a narrow host range (lysis of 1-17; mean number of strains lysed=4); principal coordinate analysis also confirmed U.S. and Thai phages had distinct host lysis profiles. Our data indicate that dairy farms that differ in management practices and are located on different continents can yield phage isolates that differ in their host ranges, providing an avenue for isolation of phages with desirable host range characteristics for commercial applications. Farming systems characterized by coexistence of different animals may facilitate presence of Salmonella phages with wide host ranges.

The novel Shewanella putrefaciens-infecting bacteriophage Spp001: genome sequence and lytic enzymes

Shewanella putrefaciens has been identified as a specific spoilage organism commonly found in chilled fresh fish, which contributes to the spoilage of fish products. Limiting S. putrefaciens growth can extend the shelf-life of chilled fish. Endolysins, which are lytic enzymes produced by bacteriophages, have been considered an alternative to control bacterial growth, and have been useful in various applications, including food preservation. We report here, for the first time, the complete genome sequence of a novel phage Spp001, which lyses S. putrefaciens Sp225. The Spp001 genome comprises a 54,789-bp DNA molecule with 67 open reading frames and an average total G + C content of 49.42 %. In silico analysis revealed that the Spp001 open reading frames encode various putative functional proteins, including an endolysin (ORF 62); however, no sequence for genes encoding the holin polypeptides, which work in concert with endolysins, was identified. To examine further the lytic activity of Spp001, we analyzed the lytic enzyme-containing fraction from phages released at the end of the phage lytic cycle in S. putrefaciens, using diffusion and turbidimetric assays. The results show that the partially purified extract contained endolysin, as indicated by a high hydrolytic activity towards bacterial peptidoglycan decrease in the OD590 value by 0.160 in 15 min. The results will allow further investigation of the purification of natural Spp001 endolysin, the extension of Spp001 host range, and the applications of the phage-encoded enzymes.

Genomic characterization provides new insight into Salmonella phage diversity

Background

Salmonella is a widely distributed foodborne pathogen that causes tens of millions of salmonellosis cases globally every year. While the genomic diversity of Salmonella is increasingly well studied, our knowledge of Salmonella phage genomic diversity is still rather limited, despite the contributions of both lysogenic and lytic phages to Salmonella virulence, diversity and ecology (e.g., through horizontal gene transfer and Salmonella lysis). To gain a better understanding of phage diversity in a specific ecological niche, we sequenced 22 Salmonella phages isolated from a number of dairy farms from New York State (United States) and analyzed them using a comparative genomics approach.

Results

Classification of the 22 phages according to the presence/absence of orthologous genes allowed for classification into 8 well supported clusters. In addition to two phage clusters that represent novel virulent Salmonella phages, we also identified four phage clusters that each contained previously characterized phages from multiple continents. Our analyses also identified two clusters of phages that carry putative virulence (e.g., adhesins) and antimicrobial resistance (tellurite and bicyclomycin) genes as well as virulent and temperate transducing phages. Insights into phage evolution from our analyses include (i) identification of DNA metabolism genes that may facilitate nucleotide synthesis in phages with a G+C % distinct from Salmonella, and (ii) evidence of Salmonella phage tailspike and fiber diversity due to both single nucleotide polymorphisms and major re-arrangements, which may affect the host specificity of Salmonella phages.

Conclusions

Genomics-based characterization of 22 Salmonella phages isolated from dairy farms allowed for identification of a number of novel Salmonella phages. While the comparative genomics analyses of these phages provide a number of new insights in the evolution and diversity of Salmonella phages, they only represent a first glimpse into the diversity of Salmonella phages that is likely to be discovered when phages from different environments are characterized.

Salmonella bacteriophage diversity reflects host diversity on dairy farms

Salmonella is an animal and human pathogen of worldwide concern. Surveillance programs indicate that the incidence of Salmonella serovars fluctuates over time. While bacteriophages are likely to play a role in driving microbial diversity, our understanding of the ecology and diversity of Salmonella phages is limited. Here we report the isolation of Salmonella phages from manure samples from 13 dairy farms with a history of Salmonella presence. Salmonella phages were isolated from 10 of the 13 farms; overall 108 phage isolates were obtained on serovar Newport, Typhimurium, Dublin, Kentucky, Anatum, Mbandaka, and Cerro hosts. Host range characterization found that 51% of phage isolates had a narrow host range, while 49% showed a broad host range. The phage isolates represented 65 lysis profiles; genome size profiling of 94 phage isolates allowed for classification of phage isolates into 11 groups with subsequent restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis showing considerable variation within a given group. Our data not only show an abundance of diverse Salmonella phage isolates in dairy farms, but also show that phage isolates that lyse the most common serovars causing salmonellosis in cattle are frequently obtained, suggesting that phages may play an important role in the ecology of Salmonella on dairy farms.

Safety analysis of a Russian phage cocktail: from metagenomic analysis to oral application in healthy human subjects

Phage therapy has a long tradition in Eastern Europe, where preparations are comprised of complex phage cocktails whose compositions have not been described. We investigated the composition of a phage cocktail from the Russian pharmaceutical company Microgen targeting Escherichia coli/Proteus infections. Electron microscopy identified six phage types, with numerically T7-like phages dominating over T4-like phages. A metagenomic approach using taxonomical classification, reference mapping and de novo assembly identified 18 distinct phage types, including 7 genera of Podoviridae, 2 established and 2 proposed genera of Myoviridae, and 2 genera of Siphoviridae. De novo assembly yielded 7 contigs greater than 30 kb, including a 147-kb Myovirus genome and a 42-kb genome of a potentially new phage. Bioinformatic analysis did not reveal undesired genes and a small human volunteer trial did not associate adverse effects with oral phage exposure.

The susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains from cystic fibrosis patients to bacteriophages

Phage therapy may become a complement to antibiotics in the treatment of chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. To design efficient therapeutic cocktails, the genetic diversity of the species and the spectrum of susceptibility to bacteriophages must be investigated. Bacterial strains showing high levels of phage resistance need to be identified in order to decipher the underlying mechanisms. Here we have selected genetically diverse P. aeruginosa strains from cystic fibrosis patients and tested their susceptibility to a large collection of phages. Based on plaque morphology and restriction profiles, six different phages were purified from "pyophage", a commercial cocktail directed against five different bacterial species, including P. aeruginosa. Characterization of these phages by electron microscopy and sequencing of genome fragments showed that they belong to 4 different genera. Among 47 P. aeruginosa strains, 13 were not lysed by any of the isolated phages individually or by pyophage. We isolated two new phages that could lyse some of these strains, and their genomes were sequenced. The presence/absence of a CRISPR-Cas system (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and Crisper associated genes) was investigated to evaluate the role of the system in phage resistance. Altogether, the results show that some P. aeruginosa strains cannot support the growth of any of the tested phages belonging to 5 different genera, and suggest that the CRISPR-Cas system is not a major defence mechanism against these lytic phages.

wksl3, a New biocontrol agent for Salmonella enterica serovars enteritidis and typhimurium in foods: characterization, application, sequence analysis, and oral acute toxicity study

Of the Salmonella enterica serovars, S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium are responsible for most of the Salmonella outbreaks implicated in the consumption of contaminated foods in the Republic of Korea. Because of the widespread occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella in foods and food processing environments, bacteriophages have recently surfaced as an alternative biocontrol tool. In this study, we isolated a virulent bacteriophage (wksl3) that could specifically infect S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, and several additional serovars. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that phage wksl3 belongs to the family Siphoviridae. Complete genome sequence analysis and bioinformatic analysis revealed that the DNA of phage wksl3 is composed of 42,766 bp with 64 open reading frames. Since it does not encode any phage lysogeny factors, toxins, pathogen-related genes, or food-borne allergens, phage wksl3 may be considered a virulent phage with no side effects. Analysis of genetic similarities between phage wksl3 and four of its relatives (SS3e, vB_SenS-Ent1, SE2, and SETP3) allowed wksl3 to be categorized as a SETP3-like phage. A single-dose test of oral toxicity with BALB/c mice resulted in no abnormal clinical observations. Moreover, phage application to chicken skin at 8°C resulted in an about 2.5-log reduction in the number of Salmonella bacteria during the test period. The strong, stable lytic activity, the significant reduction of the number of S. Enteritidis bacteria after application to food, and the lack of clinical symptoms of this phage suggest that wksl3 may be a useful agent for the protection of foods against S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium contamination.

Long tail fibres of the novel broad-host-range T-even bacteriophage S16 specifically recognize Salmonella OmpC

We report isolation and characterization of the novel T4-like Salmonella bacteriophage vB_SenM-S16. S16 features a T-even morphology and a highly modified 160 kbp dsDNA genome with 36.9 mol % G+C, containing 269 putative coding sequences and three tRNA genes. S16 is a virulent phage, and exhibits a maximally broad host range within the genus Salmonella, but does not infect other bacteria. Synthesis of functional S16 full-length long tail fibre (LTF) in Escherichia coli was possible by coexpression of gp37 and gp38. Surface plasmon resonance analysis revealed nanomolar equilibrium affinity of the LTF to its receptor on Salmonella cells. We show that OmpC serves as primary binding ligand, and that S16 adsorption can be transferred to E. coli by substitution of ompC with the Salmonella homologue. S16 also infects 'rough' Salmonella strains which are defective in lipopolysaccharide synthesis and/or its carbohydrate substitution, indicating that this interaction does not require an intact LPS structure. Altogether, its virulent nature, broad host range and apparent lack of host DNA transduction render S16 highly suitable for biocontrol of Salmonella in foods and animal production. The S16 LTF represents a highly specific affinity reagent useful for cell decoration and labelling, as well as bacterial immobilization and separation.

A multivalent adsorption apparatus explains the broad host range of phage phi92: a comprehensive genomic and structural analysis

Bacteriophage phi92 is a large, lytic myovirus isolated in 1983 from pathogenic Escherichia coli strains that carry a polysialic acid capsule. Here we report the genome organization of phi92, the cryoelectron microscopy reconstruction of its virion, and the reinvestigation of its host specificity. The genome consists of a linear, double-stranded 148,612-bp DNA sequence containing 248 potential open reading frames and 11 putative tRNA genes. Orthologs were found for 130 of the predicted proteins. Most of the virion proteins showed significant sequence similarities to proteins of myoviruses rv5 and PVP-SE1, indicating that phi92 is a new member of the novel genus of rv5-like phages. Reinvestigation of phi92 host specificity showed that the host range is not limited to polysialic acid-encapsulated Escherichia coli but includes most laboratory strains of Escherichia coli and many Salmonella strains. Structure analysis of the phi92 virion demonstrated the presence of four different types of tail fibers and/or tailspikes, which enable the phage to use attachment sites on encapsulated and nonencapsulated bacteria. With this report, we provide the first detailed description of a multivalent, multispecies phage armed with a host cell adsorption apparatus resembling a nanosized Swiss army knife. The genome, structure, and, in particular, the organization of the baseplate of phi92 demonstrate how a bacteriophage can evolve into a multi-pathogen-killing agent.

The genome and proteome of a Campylobacter coli bacteriophage vB_CcoM-IBB_35 reveal unusual features

Background

Campylobacter is the leading cause of foodborne diseases worldwide. Bacteriophages (phages) are naturally occurring predators of bacteria, ubiquitous in the environment, with high host specificity and thus considered an appealing option to control bacterial pathogens. Nevertheless for an effective use of phages as antimicrobial agents, it is important to understand phage biology which renders crucial the analysis of phage genomes and proteomes. The lack of sequence data from Campylobacter phages adds further importance to these studies.

Methods

vB_CcoM-IBB_35 is a broad lytic spectrum Myoviridae Campylobacter phage with high potential for therapeutic use. The genome of this phage was obtained by pyrosequencing and the sequence data was further analyzed. The proteomic analysis was performed by SDS-PAGE and Mass spectrometry.

Results and conclusions

The DNA sequence data of vB_CcoM-IBB_35 consists of five contigs for a total of 172,065 bp with an average GC content of 27%. Attempts to close the gaps between contigs were unsuccessful since the DNA preparations appear to contain substances that inhibited Taq and ϕ29 polymerases. From the 210 identified ORFs, around 60% represent proteins that were not functionally assigned. Homology exists with members of the Teequatrovirinae namely for T4 proteins involved in morphogenesis, nucleotide metabolism, transcription, DNA replication and recombination. Tandem mass spectrometric analysis revealed 38 structural proteins as part of the mature phage particle.

Conclusions

Genes encoding proteins involved in the carbohydrate metabolism along with several incidences of gene duplications, split genes with inteins and introns have been rarely found in other phage genomes yet are found in this phage. We identified the genes encoding for tail fibres and for the lytic cassette, this later, expressing enzymes for bacterial capsular polysaccharides (CPS) degradation, which has not been reported before for Campylobacter phages.

Biocontrol of Salmonella Typhimurium in RTE foods with the virulent bacteriophage FO1-E2

Foodborne Salmonella infections are a major public health concern worldwide. Bacteriophages offer highly specific and effective biocontrol of such pathogens. We evaluated the broad host range, virulent phage FO1-E2 for reduction of Salmonella Typhimurium in different RTE foods. Samples were spiked with 1×10³ Salmonella cells and treated with 3×10⁸ pfu/g phage, and incubated for 6 days at 8 °C or 15 °C. At 8 °C, no viable cells remained following FO1-E2 application, corresponding to a more than 3 log₁₀ unit reduction. At 15 °C, application of phage lowered S. Typhimurium counts by 5 log units on turkey deli meat and in chocolate milk, and by 3 logs on hot dogs and in seafood. In egg yolk, an effect was observed only after 2 days, but not after 6 days. Phage particles retained their infectivity, although they were readily immobilized by the food matrix, resulting in loss of their ability to diffuse and infect target cells. At the end of the incubation period, phage-resistant Salmonella strains appeared which, however, were not able to compensate for the initial killing effect. Altogether, our data show that virulent phages such as FO1-E2 offer an effective biocontrol measure for Salmonella in foods.

Novel virulent and broad-host-range Erwinia amylovora bacteriophages reveal a high degree of mosaicism and a relationship to Enterobacteriaceae phages

A diverse set of 24 novel phages infecting the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora was isolated from fruit production environments in Switzerland. Based on initial screening, four phages (L1, M7, S6, and Y2) with broad host ranges were selected for detailed characterization and genome sequencing. Phage L1 is a member of the Podoviridae, with a 39.3-kbp genome featuring invariable genome ends with direct terminal repeats. Phage S6, another podovirus, was also found to possess direct terminal repeats but has a larger genome (74.7 kbp), and the virus particle exhibits a complex tail fiber structure. Phages M7 and Y2 both belong to the Myoviridae family and feature long, contractile tails and genomes of 84.7 kbp (M7) and 56.6 kbp (Y2), respectively, with direct terminal repeats. The architecture of all four phage genomes is typical for tailed phages, i.e., organized into function-specific gene clusters. All four phages completely lack genes or functions associated with lysogeny control, which correlates well with their broad host ranges and indicates strictly lytic (virulent) lifestyles without the possibility for host lysogenization. Comparative genomics revealed that M7 is similar to E. amylovora virus ΦEa21-4, whereas L1, S6, and Y2 are unrelated to any other E. amylovora phage. Instead, they feature similarities to enterobacterial viruses T7, N4, and ΦEcoM-GJ1. In a series of laboratory experiments, we provide proof of concept that specific two-phage cocktails offer the potential for biocontrol of the pathogen.

Genomic and proteomic characterization of the broad-host-range Salmonella phage PVP-SE1: creation of a new phage genus

(Bacterio)phage PVP-SE1, isolated from a German wastewater plant, presents a high potential value as a biocontrol agent and as a diagnostic tool, even compared to the well-studied typing phage Felix 01, due to its broad lytic spectrum against different Salmonella strains. Sequence analysis of its genome (145,964 bp) shows it to be terminally redundant and circularly permuted. Its G+C content, 45.6 mol%, is lower than that of its hosts (50 to 54 mol%). We found a total of 244 open reading frames (ORFs), representing 91.6% of the coding capacity of the genome. Approximately 46% of encoded proteins are unique to this phage, and 22.1% of the proteins could be functionally assigned. This myovirus encodes a large number of tRNAs (n=24), reflecting its lytic capacity and evolution through different hosts. Tandem mass spectrometric analysis using electron spray ionization revealed 25 structural proteins as part of the mature phage particle. The genome sequence was found to share homology with 140 proteins of the Escherichia coli bacteriophage rV5. Both phages are unrelated to any other known virus, which suggests that an "rV5-like virus" genus should be created within the Myoviridae to contain these two phages.

Complete genome sequences of three Erwinia amylovora phages isolated in north america and a bacteriophage induced from an Erwinia tasmaniensis strain

Fire blight, a plant disease of economic importance caused by Erwinia amylovora, may be controlled by the application of bacteriophages. Here, we provide the complete genome sequences and the annotation of three E. amylovora-specific phages isolated in North America and genomic information about a bacteriophage induced by mitomycin C treatment of an Erwinia tasmaniensis strain that is antagonistic for E. amylovora. The American phages resemble two already-described viral genomes, whereas the E. tasmaniensis phage displays a singular genomic sequence in BLAST searches.