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Huang D, Xia R, Chen C, Liao J, Chen L, Wang D, Alvarez PJJ, Yu P. Adaptive strategies and ecological roles of phages in habitats under physicochemical stress. Trends Microbiol 2024; 32:902-916. [PMID: 38433027 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.02.002] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) play a vital role in ecosystem functions by influencing the composition, genetic exchange, metabolism, and environmental adaptation of microbial communities. With recent advances in sequencing technologies and bioinformatics, our understanding of the ecology and evolution of phages in stressful environments has substantially expanded. Here, we review the impact of physicochemical environmental stress on the physiological state and community dynamics of phages, the adaptive strategies that phages employ to cope with environmental stress, and the ecological effects of phage-host interactions in stressful environments. Specifically, we highlight the contributions of phages to the adaptive evolution and functioning of microbiomes and suggest that phages and their hosts can maintain a mutualistic relationship in response to environmental stress. In addition, we discuss the ecological consequences caused by phages in stressful environments, encompassing biogeochemical cycling. Overall, this review advances an understanding of phage ecology in stressful environments, which could inform phage-based strategies to improve microbiome performance and ecosystem resilience and resistance in natural and engineering systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Huang
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Rong Xia
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Chengyi Chen
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jingqiu Liao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Linxing Chen
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Dongsheng Wang
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Pedro J J Alvarez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Pingfeng Yu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University, Jiashan, 314100, China.
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2
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Xiong L, Yu H, Zeng K, Li Y, Wei Y, Li H, Ji X. Whole genome analysis of Pseudomonas mandelii SW-3 and the insights into low-temperature adaptation. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2024; 69:775-787. [PMID: 38051419 DOI: 10.1007/s12223-023-01117-0] [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: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Pseudomonas mandelii SW-3, isolated from the Napahai plateau wetland, can survive in cold environments. The mechanisms underlying the survival of bacteria in low temperatures and high altitudes are not yet fully understood. In this study, the whole genome of SW-3 was sequenced to identify the genomic features that may contribute to survival in cold environments. The results showed that the genome size of strain SW-3 was 6,538,059 bp with a GC content of 59%. A total of 67 tRNAs, a 34,110 bp prophage sequence, and a large number of metabolic genes were found. Based on 16S rRNA gene phylogeny and average nucleotide identity analysis among P. mandelii, SW-3 was identified as a strain belonging to P. mandelii. In addition, we clarified the mechanisms by which SW-3 survived in a cold environment, providing a basis for further investigation of host-phage interaction. P. mandelii SW-3 showed stress resistance mechanisms, including glycogen and trehalose metabolic pathways, and antisense transcriptional silencing. Furthermore, cold shock proteins and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase may play pivotal roles in facilitating adaptation to cold environmental conditions. The genome-wide analysis provided us with a deeper understanding of the cold-adapted bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Xiong
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Hang Yu
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Kun Zeng
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Yanmei Li
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Yunlin Wei
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Haiyan Li
- Medical School, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiuling Ji
- Medical School, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, Yunnan, China.
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3
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Nowell RW, Rodriguez F, Hecox-Lea BJ, Mark Welch DB, Arkhipova IR, Barraclough TG, Wilson CG. Bdelloid rotifers deploy horizontally acquired biosynthetic genes against a fungal pathogen. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5787. [PMID: 39025839 PMCID: PMC11258130 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49919-1] [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: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Coevolutionary antagonism generates relentless selection that can favour genetic exchange, including transfer of antibiotic synthesis and resistance genes among bacteria, and sexual recombination of disease resistance alleles in eukaryotes. We report an unusual link between biological conflict and DNA transfer in bdelloid rotifers, microscopic animals whose genomes show elevated levels of horizontal gene transfer from non-metazoan taxa. When rotifers were challenged with a fungal pathogen, horizontally acquired genes were over twice as likely to be upregulated as other genes - a stronger enrichment than observed for abiotic stressors. Among hundreds of upregulated genes, the most markedly overrepresented were clusters resembling bacterial polyketide and nonribosomal peptide synthetases that produce antibiotics. Upregulation of these clusters in a pathogen-resistant rotifer species was nearly ten times stronger than in a susceptible species. By acquiring, domesticating, and expressing non-metazoan biosynthetic pathways, bdelloids may have evolved to resist natural enemies using antimicrobial mechanisms absent from other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reuben W Nowell
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London; Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh; Ashworth Laboratories, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Fernando Rodriguez
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Bette J Hecox-Lea
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - David B Mark Welch
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Irina R Arkhipova
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Timothy G Barraclough
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London; Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Christopher G Wilson
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK.
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London; Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK.
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4
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Gonçalves-Oliveira J, Pattenden T, Nachum-Biala Y, de Sousa KCM, Wahl L, Harrus S. Exploring the diversity and evolutionary strategies of prophages in Hyphomicrobiales, comparing animal-associated with non-animal-associated bacteria. BMC Microbiol 2024; 24:159. [PMID: 38724926 PMCID: PMC11080155 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03315-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The Hyphomicrobiales bacterial order (previously Rhizobiales) exhibits a wide range of lifestyle characteristics, including free-living, plant-association, nitrogen-fixing, and association with animals (Bartonella and Brucella). This study explores the diversity and evolutionary strategies of bacteriophages within the Hyphomicrobiales order, comparing animal-associated (AAB) with non-animal-associated bacteria (NAAB). We curated 560 high-quality complete genomes of 58 genera from this order and used the PHASTER server for prophage annotation and classification. For 19 genera with representative genomes, we curated 96 genomes and used the Defense-Finder server to summarize the type of anti-phage systems (APS) found in this order. We analyzed the genetic repertoire and length distributions of prophages, estimating evolutionary rates and comparing intact, questionable, and incomplete prophages in both groups. Analyses of best-fit parameters and bootstrap sensitivity were used to understand the evolutionary processes driving prophage gene content. A total of 1860 prophages distributed in Hyphomicrobiales were found, 695 in AAB and 1165 in the NAAB genera. The results revealed a similar number of prophages per genome in AAB and NAAB and a similar length distribution, suggesting shared mechanisms of genetic acquisition of prophage genes. Changes in the frequency of specific gene classes were observed between incomplete and intact prophages, indicating preferential loss or enrichment in both groups. The analysis of best-fit parameters and bootstrap sensitivity tests indicated a higher selection coefficient, induction rate, and turnover in NAAB genomes. We found 68 types of APS in Hyphomicrobiales; restriction modification (RM) and abortive infection (Abi) were the most frequent APS found for all Hyphomicrobiales, and within the AAB group. This classification of APS showed that NAAB genomes have a greater diversity of defense systems compared to AAB, which could be related to the higher rates of prophage induction and turnover in the latter group. Our study provides insights into the distributions of both prophages and APS in Hyphomicrobiales genomes, demonstrating that NAAB carry more defense systems against phages, while AAB show increased prophage stability and an increased number of incomplete prophages. These results suggest a greater role for domesticated prophages within animal-associated bacteria in Hyphomicrobiales.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tyler Pattenden
- School of Management, Economics and Mathematics, King's University College, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Yaarit Nachum-Biala
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | | | - Lindi Wahl
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Shimon Harrus
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
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Kobakhidze S, Koulouris S, Kakabadze N, Kotetishvili M. Genetic recombination-mediated evolutionary interactions between phages of potential industrial importance and prophages of their hosts within or across the domains of Escherichia, Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Staphylococcus. BMC Microbiol 2024; 24:155. [PMID: 38704526 PMCID: PMC11069274 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03312-6] [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: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The in-depth understanding of the role of lateral genetic transfer (LGT) in phage-prophage interactions is essential to rationalizing phage applications for human and animal therapy, as well as for food and environmental safety. This in silico study aimed to detect LGT between phages of potential industrial importance and their hosts. METHODS A large array of genetic recombination detection algorithms, implemented in SplitsTree and RDP4, was applied to detect LGT between various Escherichia, Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, and Vibrio phages and their hosts. PHASTER and RAST were employed respectively to identify prophages across the host genome and to annotate LGT-affected genes with unknown functions. PhageAI was used to gain deeper insights into the life cycle history of recombined phages. RESULTS The split decomposition inferences (bootstrap values: 91.3-100; fit: 91.433-100), coupled with the Phi (0.0-2.836E-12) and RDP4 (P being well below 0.05) statistics, provided strong evidence for LGT between certain Escherichia, Listeria, Salmonella, and Campylobacter virulent phages and prophages of their hosts. The LGT events entailed mainly the phage genes encoding for hypothetical proteins, while some of these genetic loci appeared to have been affected even by intergeneric recombination in specific E. coli and S. enterica virulent phages when interacting with their host prophages. Moreover, it is shown that certain L. monocytogenes virulent phages could serve at least as the donors of the gene loci, involved in encoding for the basal promoter specificity factor, for L. monocytogenes. In contrast, the large genetic clusters were determined to have been simultaneously exchanged by many S. aureus prophages and some Staphylococcus temperate phages proposed earlier as potential therapeutic candidates (in their native or modified state). The above genetic clusters were found to encompass multiple genes encoding for various proteins, such as e.g., phage tail proteins, the capsid and scaffold proteins, holins, and transcriptional terminator proteins. CONCLUSIONS It is suggested that phage-prophage interactions, mediated by LGT (including intergeneric recombination), can have a far-reaching impact on the co-evolutionary trajectories of industrial phages and their hosts especially when excessively present across microbially rich environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Kobakhidze
- Hygiene and Medical Ecology, G. Natadze Scientific-Research Institute of Sanitary, 78 D. Uznadze St. 0102, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Faculty of Medicine, Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, 1 Ilia Chavchavadze Ave. 0179, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Stylianos Koulouris
- Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG-SANTE), European Commission, 1049, Bruxelles/Brussel, Belgium
| | - Nata Kakabadze
- Hygiene and Medical Ecology, G. Natadze Scientific-Research Institute of Sanitary, 78 D. Uznadze St. 0102, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Mamuka Kotetishvili
- Hygiene and Medical Ecology, G. Natadze Scientific-Research Institute of Sanitary, 78 D. Uznadze St. 0102, Tbilisi, Georgia.
- Scientific Research Institute, School of Science and Technology, the University of Georgia, 77a M. Kostava St., 0171, Tbilisi, Georgia.
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Bailey ZM, Igler C, Wendling CC. Prophage maintenance is determined by environment-dependent selective sweeps rather than mutational availability. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1739-1749.e7. [PMID: 38599209 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.025] [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: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Prophages, viral sequences integrated into bacterial genomes, can be beneficial and costly. Despite the risk of prophage activation and subsequent bacterial death, active prophages are present in most bacterial genomes. However, our understanding of the selective forces that maintain prophages in bacterial populations is limited. Combining experimental evolution with stochastic modeling, we show that prophage maintenance and loss are primarily determined by environmental conditions that alter the net fitness effect of a prophage on its bacterial host. When prophages are too costly, they are rapidly lost through environment-specific sequences of selective sweeps. Conflicting selection pressures that select against the prophage but for a prophage-encoded accessory gene can maintain prophages. The dynamics of prophage maintenance additionally depend on the sociality of this accessory gene. Prophage-encoded genes that exclusively benefit the lysogen maintain prophages at higher frequencies compared with genes that benefit the entire population. That is because the latter can protect phage-free "cheaters," reducing the benefit of maintaining the prophage. Our simulations suggest that environmental variation plays a larger role than mutation rates in determining prophage maintenance. These findings highlight the complexity of selection pressures that act on mobile genetic elements and challenge our understanding of the role of environmental factors relative to random chance events in shaping the evolutionary trajectory of bacterial populations. By shedding light on the key factors that shape microbial populations in the face of environmental changes, our study significantly advances our understanding of the complex dynamics of microbial evolution and diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary M Bailey
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Claudia Igler
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland; Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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7
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Gucwa K, Wons E, Wisniewska A, Jakalski M, Dubiak Z, Kozlowski LP, Mruk I. Lethal perturbation of an Escherichia coli regulatory network is triggered by a restriction-modification system's regulator and can be mitigated by excision of the cryptic prophage Rac. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:2942-2960. [PMID: 38153127 PMCID: PMC11014345 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1234] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial gene regulatory networks orchestrate responses to environmental challenges. Horizontal gene transfer can bring in genes with regulatory potential, such as new transcription factors (TFs), and this can disrupt existing networks. Serious regulatory perturbations may even result in cell death. Here, we show the impact on Escherichia coli of importing a promiscuous TF that has adventitious transcriptional effects within the cryptic Rac prophage. A cascade of regulatory network perturbations occurred on a global level. The TF, a C regulatory protein, normally controls a Type II restriction-modification system, but in E. coli K-12 interferes with expression of the RacR repressor gene, resulting in de-repression of the normally-silent Rac ydaT gene. YdaT is a prophage-encoded TF with pleiotropic effects on E. coli physiology. In turn, YdaT alters expression of a variety of bacterial regulons normally controlled by the RcsA TF, resulting in deficient lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and cell division. At the same time, insufficient RacR repressor results in Rac DNA excision, halting Rac gene expression due to loss of the replication-defective Rac prophage. Overall, Rac induction appears to counteract the lethal toxicity of YdaT. We show here that E. coli rewires its regulatory network, so as to minimize the adverse regulatory effects of the imported C TF. This complex set of interactions may reflect the ability of bacteria to protect themselves by having robust mechanisms to maintain their regulatory networks, and/or suggest that regulatory C proteins from mobile operons are under selection to manipulate their host's regulatory networks for their own benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Gucwa
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
| | - Ewa Wons
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Wisniewska
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
| | - Marcin Jakalski
- 3P-Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdansk, Debinki 7, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Dubiak
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
| | - Lukasz Pawel Kozlowski
- Institute of Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Iwona Mruk
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk 80-308, Poland
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Nordstrom HR, Griffith MP, Rangachar Srinivasa V, Wallace NR, Li A, Cooper VS, Shields RK, Van Tyne D. Harnessing the Diversity of Burkholderia spp. Prophages for Therapeutic Potential. Cells 2024; 13:428. [PMID: 38474392 PMCID: PMC10931425 DOI: 10.3390/cells13050428] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia spp. are often resistant to antibiotics, and infections with these organisms are difficult to treat. A potential alternative treatment for Burkholderia spp. infections is bacteriophage (phage) therapy; however, it can be difficult to locate phages that target these bacteria. Prophages incorporated into the bacterial genome have been identified within Burkholderia spp. and may represent a source of useful phages for therapy. Here, we investigate whether prophages within Burkholderia spp. clinical isolates can kill conspecific and heterospecific isolates. Thirty-two Burkholderia spp. isolates were induced for prophage release, and harvested phages were tested for lytic activity against the same 32 isolates. Temperate phages were passaged and their host ranges were determined, resulting in four unique phages of prophage origin that showed different ranges of lytic activity. We also analyzed the prophage content of 35 Burkholderia spp. clinical isolate genomes and identified several prophages present in the genomes of multiple isolates of the same species. Finally, we observed that Burkholdera cenocepacia isolates were more phage-susceptible than Burkholderia multivorans isolates. Overall, our findings suggest that prophages present within Burkholderia spp. genomes are a potentially useful starting point for the isolation and development of novel phages for use in phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley R. Nordstrom
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Marissa P. Griffith
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | | | - Nathan R. Wallace
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Anna Li
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Vaughn S. Cooper
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Ryan K. Shields
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Daria Van Tyne
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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9
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Zhao P, Zhao W, Zhai X, He Y, Shu W, Qiao G. Biological characterization and genomic analysis of a novel methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus phage, SauPS-28. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0029523. [PMID: 38193720 PMCID: PMC10846126 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00295-23] [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: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus, a representative gram-positive bacterium, is a common infectious pathogen widely present in the natural environment. The increasing application of antibiotics is witnessing an increment in the number of clinically resistant strains (such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus [MRSA]), which has posed a great challenge to antimicrobial therapy. In this study, a novel MRSA phage, SauPS-28, was isolated from the lake water of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. This phage has an incubation period of approximately 30 min, a lysis period of approximately 40 min, and a burst size of approximately 25 PFU/cell. The isolated phage exhibited good biological stability at a pH range of 6.0-9.0 and temperature range of 4°C-37°C. In addition, the identification of an elongated tail using transmission electron microscopy confirmed that SauPS-28 belongs to the long-tailed phage family. Whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed that SauPS-28 has a 43,286-bp-long genome with 31.03% G + C content. Moreover, SauPS-28 exhibited 95.69% sequence identity with ECel-2020k, while the query coverage was only 66%, which is a newly discovered phage. Whole-genome functional annotation results revealed that SauPS-28 had 68 open reading frames (ORFs). Of these, 30 ORFs are unknown proteins. The results suggest that SauPS-28 could be a lysogenic phage strain. This study thus provides preliminary data to conduct further in-depth analysis of the mechanism of phage-host interaction and provides a reference value for phage therapy.IMPORTANCEIn recent years, drug-resistant bacterial infections have become increasingly serious. As a kind of virus with the ability to infect and lyse drug-resistant bacteria, phage is expected to be a new therapeutic method. In this study, we isolated and purified a new methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage SauPS-28, studied a series of biological characteristics of the bacteriophage, analyzed the genome and structural proteome data of the bacteriophage, and provided reference data for further study of the interaction mechanism between bacteriophage and host bacteria and promoted new antibacterial strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peisong Zhao
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medicine, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, Hebei, China
| | - Wenli Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Zhai
- Office of Health Insurance, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yulin He
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medicine, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Wei Shu
- College of Intelligent Medicine and Biotechnology, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposomics and Entire Lifecycle Heath, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Guanhua Qiao
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medicine, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Biology, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
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10
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Örmälä-Tiznado AM, Allander L, Maatallah M, Kabir MH, Brisse S, Sandegren L, Patpatia S, Coorens M, Giske CG. Molecular characteristics, fitness, and virulence of high-risk and non-high-risk clones of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0403622. [PMID: 38205958 PMCID: PMC10845972 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04036-22] [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: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae inflict a notable burden on healthcare worldwide. Of specific concern are strains producing carbapenem-hydrolyzing enzymes, as the therapeutic options for these strains are still very limited. Specific sequence types of K. pneumoniae have been noted for their epidemic occurrence globally, but the mechanisms behind the success of specific clones remain unclear. Herein, we have characterized 20 high-risk clones (HiRCs) and 10 non-HiRCs of XDR K. pneumoniae, exploring factors connected to the epidemiological success of some clones. Isolates were subjected to core genome multilocus sequence typing analysis to determine the clonal relationships of the isolates and subsequently characterized with regard to features known to be linked to overall bacterial fitness and virulence. The genomes were analyzed in silico for capsule types, O antigens, virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance genes, prophages, and CRISPR-Cas loci. In vitro growth experiments were conducted to retrieve proxies for absolute and relative fitness for 11 HiRC and 9 non-HiRC isolates selected based on the clonal groups they belonged to, and infections in a Galleria mellonella insect model were used to evaluate the virulence of the isolates in vivo. This study did not find evidence that virulence factors, prophages, CRISPR-Cas loci, or fitness measured in vitro alone would contribute to the global epidemiological success of specific clones of carbapenemase-producing XDR K. pneumoniae. However, this study did find the HiRC group to be more virulent than the non-HiRC group when measured in vivo in a model with G. mellonella. This suggests that the virulence and epidemiological success of certain clones of K. pneumoniae cannot be explained by individual traits investigated in this study and thus warrant further experiments in the future.IMPORTANCEHerein, we explored potential explanations for the successfulness of some epidemic or high-risk clones of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. We found differences in mortality in a larva model but found no clear genomic differences in known virulence markers. Most of the research on virulence in K. pneumoniae has been focused on hypervirulent strains, but here, we try to understand differences within the group of highly resistant strains. The results from the larva virulence model could be used to design experiments in higher animals. Moreover, the data could provide further support to a differentiated infection control approach against extensively drug-resistant strains, based on their classification as high-risk clones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anni-Maria Örmälä-Tiznado
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lisa Allander
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Makaoui Maatallah
- Laboratoire d’Analyse, Traitement et Valorisation des Polluants de l’Environnement et des Produits (LATVPEP: LR01ES16), Faculté de Pharmacie de Monastir, Université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Muhammad Humaun Kabir
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sylvain Brisse
- Biodiversity and Epidemiology of Bacterial Pathogens, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Linus Sandegren
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Sheetal Patpatia
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maarten Coorens
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christian G. Giske
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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11
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Nordstrom HR, Griffith MP, Srinivasa VR, Wallace NR, Li A, Cooper VS, Shields RK, Van Tyne D. Harnessing the diversity of Burkholderia spp. prophages for therapeutic potential. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.24.577087. [PMID: 38328162 PMCID: PMC10849711 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.24.577087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Burkholderia spp. are often resistant to antibiotics, and infections with these organisms are difficult to treat. A potential alternative treatment for Burkholderia spp. infections is bacteriophage (phage) therapy; however, it can be difficult to locate phages that target these bacteria. Prophages incorporated into the bacterial genome have been identified within Burkholderia spp. and may represent a source of useful phages for therapy. Here we investigate whether prophages within Burkholderia spp. clinical isolates can kill conspecific and heterospecific isolates. Thirty-two Burkholderia spp. isolates were induced for prophage release, and harvested prophages were tested for lytic activity against the same 32 isolates. Lytic phages were passaged and their host ranges were determined, resulting in four unique phages of prophage origin that showed different ranges of lytic activity. We also analyzed the prophage content of 35 Burkholderia spp. clinical isolate genomes, and identified several prophages present in the genomes of multiple isolates of the same species. Finally, we observed that B. cenocepacia isolates were more phage-susceptible than Burkholderia multivorans isolates. Overall, our findings suggest that prophages present within Burkholderia spp. genomes are a potentially useful starting point for the isolation and development of novel phages for use in phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley R. Nordstrom
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Marissa P. Griffith
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | | | - Nathan R. Wallace
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Anna Li
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Vaughn S. Cooper
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Ryan K. Shields
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Daria Van Tyne
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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12
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Risely A, Newbury A, Stalder T, Simmons BI, Top EM, Buckling A, Sanders D. Host- plasmid network structure in wastewater is linked to antimicrobial resistance genes. Nat Commun 2024; 15:555. [PMID: 38228585 PMCID: PMC10791616 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44827-w] [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: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
As mobile genetic elements, plasmids are central for our understanding of antimicrobial resistance spread in microbial communities. Plasmids can have varying fitness effects on their host bacteria, which will markedly impact their role as antimicrobial resistance vectors. Using a plasmid population model, we first show that beneficial plasmids interact with a higher number of hosts than costly plasmids when embedded in a community with multiple hosts and plasmids. We then analyse the network of a natural host-plasmid wastewater community from a Hi-C metagenomics dataset. As predicted by the model, we find that antimicrobial resistance encoding plasmids, which are likely to have positive fitness effects on their hosts in wastewater, interact with more bacterial taxa than non-antimicrobial resistance plasmids and are disproportionally important for connecting the entire network compared to non- antimicrobial resistance plasmids. This highlights the role of antimicrobials in restructuring host-plasmid networks by increasing the benefits of antimicrobial resistance carrying plasmids, which can have consequences for the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes through microbial networks. Furthermore, that antimicrobial resistance encoding plasmids are associated with a broader range of hosts implies that they will be more robust to turnover of bacterial strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Risely
- School of Science, Engineering, and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT, UK
| | - Arthur Newbury
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Thibault Stalder
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Benno I Simmons
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Eva M Top
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Angus Buckling
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Dirk Sanders
- Centre for Ecology & Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.
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13
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Joffe N, Kuhlisch C, Schleyer G, Ahlers NS, Shemi A, Vardi A. Cell-to-cell heterogeneity drives host-virus coexistence in a bloom-forming alga. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae038. [PMID: 38452203 PMCID: PMC10980834 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae038] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Algal blooms drive global biogeochemical cycles of key nutrients and serve as hotspots for biological interactions in the ocean. The massive blooms of the cosmopolitan coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi are often infected by the lytic E. huxleyi virus, which is a major mortality agent triggering bloom demise. This multi-annual "boom and bust" pattern of E. huxleyi blooms suggests that coexistence is essential for these host-virus dynamics. To investigate host-virus coexistence, we developed a new model system from an E. huxleyi culture that recovered from viral infection. The recovered population coexists with the virus, as host cells continue to divide in parallel to viral production. By applying single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) to quantify the fraction of infected cells, and assessing infection-specific lipid biomarkers, we identified a small subpopulation of cells that were infected and produced new virions, whereas most of the host population could resist infection. To further assess population heterogeneity, we generated clonal strain collections using single-cell sorting and subsequently phenotyped their susceptibility to E. huxleyi virus infection. This unraveled substantial cell-to-cell heterogeneity across a continuum of susceptibility to resistance, highlighting that infection outcome may vary depending on the individual cell. These results add a new dimension to our understanding of the complexity of host-virus interactions that are commonly assessed in bulk and described by binary definitions of resistance or susceptibility. We propose that phenotypic heterogeneity drives the host-virus coexistence and demonstrate how the coexistence with a lytic virus provides an ecological advantage for the host by killing competing strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nir Joffe
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Constanze Kuhlisch
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Guy Schleyer
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Nadia S Ahlers
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Adva Shemi
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Assaf Vardi
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
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14
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Chu Yuan Kee MJ, Chen J. Phage Transduction of Staphylococcus aureus. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2738:263-275. [PMID: 37966605 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3549-0_17] [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
Bacteriophage transduction is the major mechanism of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) among many bacteria. In Staphylococcus aureus, the phage-mediated acquisition of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that encode virulence and antibiotic resistance genes largely contribute to its evolutionary adaptation and genetic plasticity. In molecular biology, generalized transduction is routinely used as a technique to manipulate and construct bacterial strains. Here, we describe optimized protocols for generalized transduction, applicable for the transfer of plasmid or chromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from donor to recipient S. aureus strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa-Jane Chu Yuan Kee
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - John Chen
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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15
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Zhuang Z, Cheng YY, Deng J, Cai Z, Zhong L, Qu JX, Wang K, Yang L. Genomic insights into the phage-defense systems of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia clinical isolates. Microbiol Res 2024; 278:127528. [PMID: 37918082 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a rapidly evolving multidrug-resistant opportunistic pathogen that can cause serious infections in immunocompromised patients. Although phage therapy is one of promising strategies for dealing with MDR bacteria, the main challenges of phage therapeutics include accumulation of phage resistant mutations and acquisition of the phage defense systems. To systematically evaluate the impact of (pro)phages in shaping genetic and evolutionary diversity of S. maltophilia, we collected 166 S. maltophilia isolates from three hospitals in southern China to analyze its pangenome, virulence factors, prophage regions, and anit-viral immune systems. Pangenome analysis indicated that there are 1328 saturated core genes and 26961 unsaturated accessory genes in the pangenome, suggesting existence of highly variable parts of S. maltophilia genome. The presence of genes in relation to T3SS and T6SS mechanisms suggests the great potential to secrete toxins by the S. maltophilia population, which is contrary to the conventional notion of low-virulence of S. maltophilia. Additionally, we characterized the pan-immune system maps of these clinical isolates against phage infections and revealed the co-harboring of CBASS and anti-CBASS in some strains, suggesting a never-ending arms race and the co-evolutionary dynamic between bacteria and phages. Furthermore, our study predicted 310 prophage regions in S. maltophilia with high genetic diversity. Six viral defense systems were found to be located at specific position of the S. maltophilia prophage genomes, indicating potential evolution of certain site/region similar to bacterial 'defense islands' in prophage. Our study provides novel insights into the S. maltophilia pangenome in relation to phage-defense mechanisms, which extends our understanding of bacterial-phage interactions and might guide the application of phage therapy in combating S. maltophilia infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zilin Zhuang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Ying-Ying Cheng
- Shenzhen Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Second Clinical Medical College (Shenzhen People's Hospital), Jinan University, Shenzhen, PR China; BGI Forensic, Shenzhen 518083, PR China; The First Affiliated Hospital (Shenzhen People's Hospital), Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Jie Deng
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China; Key University Laboratory of Metabolism and Health of Guangdong, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Zhao Cai
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China; Key University Laboratory of Metabolism and Health of Guangdong, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Lin Zhong
- Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518112, PR China
| | - Jiu-Xin Qu
- Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518112, PR China
| | - Ke Wang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, PR China.
| | - Liang Yang
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China; Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518112, PR China; Key University Laboratory of Metabolism and Health of Guangdong, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China.
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16
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Normington C, Chilton CH, Buckley AM. Clostridioides difficile infections; new treatments and future perspectives. Curr Opin Gastroenterol 2024; 40:7-13. [PMID: 37942659 PMCID: PMC10715702 DOI: 10.1097/mog.0000000000000989] [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] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW As a significant cause of global morbidity and mortality, Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) are listed by the Centres for Disease Control and prevention as one of the top 5 urgent threats in the USA. CDI occurs from gut microbiome dysbiosis, typically through antibiotic-mediated disruption; however, antibiotics are the treatment of choice, which can result in recurrent infections. Here, we highlight new treatments available and provide a perspective on different classes of future treatments. RECENT FINDINGS Due to the reduced risk of disease recurrence, the microbiome-sparing antibiotic Fidaxomicin has been recommended as the first-line treatment for C. difficile infection. Based on the success of faecal microbiota transplantations (FMT) in treating CDI recurrence, defined microbiome biotherapeutics offer a safer and more tightly controlled alterative as an adjunct to antibiotic therapy. Given the association between antibiotic-mediated dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota and the recurrence of CDI, future prospective therapies aim to reduce the dependence on antibiotics for the treatment of CDI. SUMMARY With current first-in-line antibiotic therapy options associated with high levels of recurrent CDI, the availability of new generation targeted therapeutics can really impact treatment success. There are still unknowns about the long-term implications of these new CDI therapeutics, but efforts to expand the CDI treatment toolbox can offer multiple solutions for clinicians to treat this multifaceted infectious disease to reduce patient suffering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charmaine Normington
- Healthcare Associated Infections Research Group, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Leeds
- Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust, Leeds General Infirmary
| | - Caroline H. Chilton
- Healthcare Associated Infections Research Group, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Leeds
- Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust, Leeds General Infirmary
| | - Anthony M. Buckley
- Microbiome and Nutritional Sciences Group, School of Food Science & Nutrition, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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17
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Mahmud MR, Tamanna SK, Akter S, Mazumder L, Akter S, Hasan MR, Acharjee M, Esti IZ, Islam MS, Shihab MMR, Nahian M, Gulshan R, Naser S, Pirttilä AM. Role of bacteriophages in shaping gut microbial community. Gut Microbes 2024; 16:2390720. [PMID: 39167701 PMCID: PMC11340752 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2390720] [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: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Phages are the most diversified and dominant members of the gut virobiota. They play a crucial role in shaping the structure and function of the gut microbial community and consequently the health of humans and animals. Phages are found mainly in the mucus, from where they can translocate to the intestinal organs and act as a modulator of gut microbiota. Understanding the vital role of phages in regulating the composition of intestinal microbiota and influencing human and animal health is an emerging area of research. The relevance of phages in the gut ecosystem is supported by substantial evidence, but the importance of phages in shaping the gut microbiota remains unclear. Although information regarding general phage ecology and development has accumulated, detailed knowledge on phage-gut microbe and phage-human interactions is lacking, and the information on the effects of phage therapy in humans remains ambiguous. In this review, we systematically assess the existing data on the structure and ecology of phages in the human and animal gut environments, their development, possible interaction, and subsequent impact on the gut ecosystem dynamics. We discuss the potential mechanisms of prophage activation and the subsequent modulation of gut bacteria. We also review the link between phages and the immune system to collect evidence on the effect of phages on shaping the gut microbial composition. Our review will improve understanding on the influence of phages in regulating the gut microbiota and the immune system and facilitate the development of phage-based therapies for maintaining a healthy and balanced gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Rayhan Mahmud
- Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Sharmin Akter
- Department of Microbiology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Lincon Mazumder
- Department of Microbiology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Sumona Akter
- Department of Microbiology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Mrityunjoy Acharjee
- Department of Microbiology, Stamford University Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Israt Zahan Esti
- Department of Microbiology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Faculty of Technology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Md. Saidul Islam
- Department of Microbiology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Md. Nahian
- Department of Microbiology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Rubaiya Gulshan
- Department of Microbiology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sadia Naser
- Department of Microbiology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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18
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Loney RE, Delesalle VA, Chaudry BE, Czerpak M, Guffey AA, Goubet-McCall L, McCarty M, Strine MS, Tanke NT, Vill AC, Krukonis GP. A Novel Subcluster of Closely Related Bacillus Phages with Distinct Tail Fiber/Lysin Gene Combinations. Viruses 2023; 15:2267. [PMID: 38005943 PMCID: PMC10674732 DOI: 10.3390/v15112267] [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: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are the most numerous entities on Earth, but we have only scratched the surface of describing phage diversity. We isolated seven Bacillus subtilis phages from desert soil in the southwest United States and then sequenced and characterized their genomes. Comparative analyses revealed high nucleotide and amino acid similarity between these seven phages, which constitute a novel subcluster. Interestingly, the tail fiber and lysin genes of these phages seem to come from different origins and carry out slightly different functions. These genes were likely acquired by this subcluster of phages via horizontal gene transfer. In conjunction with host range assays, our data suggest that these phages are adapting to hosts with different cell walls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E. Loney
- University Program in Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Véronique A. Delesalle
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, 300 N Washington St., Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA; (M.C.); (M.M.)
| | | | - Megan Czerpak
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, 300 N Washington St., Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA; (M.C.); (M.M.)
| | - Alexandra A. Guffey
- Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC. 200 Tournament Dr., Horsham, PA 19044, USA;
| | - Leo Goubet-McCall
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, 201 Huck Life Sciences Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA;
| | - Michael McCarty
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, 300 N Washington St., Gettysburg, PA 17325, USA; (M.C.); (M.M.)
| | - Madison S. Strine
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St., New Haven, CT 06510, USA;
| | - Natalie T. Tanke
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;
| | - Albert C. Vill
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA;
| | - Greg P. Krukonis
- Department of Biology, Angelo State University, Cavness Science Building 101, ASU Station #10890, San Angelo, TX 76909, USA;
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19
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Sudhakari PA, Ramisetty BCM. An Eco-evolutionary Model on Surviving Lysogeny Through Grounding and Accumulation of Prophages. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:3068-3081. [PMID: 37843655 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02301-y] [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: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Temperate phages integrate into the bacterial genomes propagating along with the bacterial genomes. Multiple phage elements, representing diverse prophages, are present in most bacterial genomes. The evolutionary events and the ecological dynamics underlying the accumulation of prophage elements in bacterial genomes have yet to be understood. Here, we show that the local wastewater had 7% of lysogens (hosting mitomycin C-inducible prophages), and they showed resistance to superinfection by their corresponding lysates. Genomic analysis of four lysogens and four non-lysogens revealed the presence of multiple prophages (belonging to Myoviridae and Siphoviridae) in both lysogens and non-lysogens. For large-scale comparison, 2180 Escherichia coli genomes isolated from various sources across the globe and 523 genomes specifically isolated from diverse wastewaters were analyzed. A total of 15,279 prophages were predicted among 2180 E. coli genomes and 2802 prophages among 523 global wastewater isolates, with a mean of ~ 5 prophages per genome. These observations indicate that most putative prophages are relics of past bacteria-phage conflicts; they are "grounded" prophages that cannot excise from the bacterial genome. Prophage distribution analysis based on the sequence homology suggested the random distribution of E. coli prophages within and between E. coli clades. The independent occurrence pattern of these prophages indicates extensive horizontal transfers across the genomes. We modeled the eco-evolutionary dynamics to reconstruct the events that could have resulted in the prophage accumulation accounting for infection, superinfection immunity, and grounding. In bacteria-phage conflicts, the bacteria win by grounding the prophage, which could confer superinfection immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavithra Anantharaman Sudhakari
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Evolution, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed University, 312@ASK1, Thanjavur, India
| | - Bhaskar Chandra Mohan Ramisetty
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Evolution, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed University, 312@ASK1, Thanjavur, India.
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20
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Zhang Y, Kitazumi A, Liao YT, de Los Reyes BG, Wu VCH. Metagenomic investigation reveals bacteriophage-mediated horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in microbial communities of an organic agricultural ecosystem. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0022623. [PMID: 37754684 PMCID: PMC10581182 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00226-23] [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: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance has become a serious health concern worldwide. The potential impact of viruses, bacteriophages in particular, on spreading antibiotic resistance genes is still controversial due to the complexity of bacteriophage-bacterial interactions within diverse environments. In this study, we determined the microbiome profiles and the potential antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) transfer between bacterial and viral populations in different agricultural samples using a high-resolution analysis of the metagenomes. The results of this study provide compelling genetic evidence for ARG transfer through bacteriophage-bacteria interactions, revealing the inherent risks associated with bacteriophage-mediated ARG transfer across the agricultural microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Zhang
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center , Albany, California, USA
| | - Ai Kitazumi
- Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University , Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Yen-Te Liao
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center , Albany, California, USA
| | | | - Vivian C H Wu
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center , Albany, California, USA
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21
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Yi Y, Liu S, Hao Y, Sun Q, Lei X, Wang Y, Wang J, Zhang M, Tang S, Tang Q, Zhang Y, Liu X, Wang Y, Xiao X, Jian H. A systematic analysis of marine lysogens and proviruses. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6013. [PMID: 37758717 PMCID: PMC10533544 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41699-4] [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: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses are ubiquitous in the oceans, exhibiting high abundance and diversity. Here, we systematically analyze existing genomic sequences of marine prokaryotes to compile a Marine Prokaryotic Genome Dataset (MPGD, consisting of over 12,000 bacterial and archaeal genomes) and a Marine Temperate Viral Genome Dataset (MTVGD). At least 40% of the MPGD genomes contain one or more proviral sequences, indicating that they are lysogens. The MTVGD includes over 12,900 viral contigs or putative proviruses, clustered into 10,897 viral genera. We show that lysogens and proviruses are abundant in marine ecosystems, particularly in the deep sea, and marine lysogens differ from non-lysogens in multiple genomic features and growth properties. We reveal several virus-host interaction networks of potential ecological relevance, and identify proviruses that appear to be able to infect (or to be transferred between) different bacterial classes and phyla. Auxiliary metabolic genes in the MTVGD are enriched in functions related to carbohydrate metabolism. Finally, we experimentally demonstrate the impact of a prophage on the transcriptome of a representative marine Shewanella bacterium. Our work contributes to a better understanding of the ecology of marine prokaryotes and their viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shunzhang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yali Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sanya, China
| | - Qingyang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinjuan Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sanya, China
| | - Yecheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiahua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mujie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sanya, China
| | - Shan Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sanya, China
| | - Qingxue Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xipeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sanya, China
| | - Yinzhao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sanya, China
| | - Xiang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sanya, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, China
| | - Huahua Jian
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sanya, China.
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22
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Gu BL, She Y, Pei GK, Du Y, Yang R, Ma LX, Zhao Q, Gao SG. Systematic analysis of prophages carried by Porphyromonas gingivalis. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023; 113:105489. [PMID: 37572952 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105489] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
To systematically investigate the prophages carrying in Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) strains, analyze potential antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence genes in these prophages. We collected 90 whole genome sequences of P. gingivalis from NCBI and utilized the Prophage Hunter online software to predict prophages; Comprehensive antibiotic research database (CARD) and virulence factors database (VFDB) were adopted to analyze the ARGs and virulence factors (VFs) carried by the prophages. Sixty-nine prophages were identified among 24/90 P. gingivalis strains, including 17 active prophages (18.9%) and 52 ambiguous prophages (57.8%). The proportion of prophages carried by each P. gingivalis genome ranged from 0.5% to 6.7%. A total of 188 antibiotic resistance genes belonging to 25 phenotypes and 46 different families with six mechanisms of antibiotic resistance were identified in the 17 active prophages. Three active prophages encoded 4 virulence genes belonging to type III and type VI secretion systems. The potential hosts of these virulence genes included Escherichia coli, Shigella sonnei, Salmonella typhi, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. In conclusion, 26.7% P. gingivalis strains carry prophages, while the proportion of prophage genes in the P. gingivalis genome is relatively low. In addition, approximately 39.7% of the P. gingivalis prophage genes have ARGs identified, mainly against streptogramin, peptides, and aminoglycosides. Only a few prophages carry virulence genes. Prophages may play an important role in the acquisition, dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes, and pathogenicity evolution in P. gingivalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- B L Gu
- Henan Key Laboratory of Microbiome and Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital (College of Clinical Medicine) of Henan University of Science and Technology, Jianxi, Luoyang, Henan 471003, China
| | - Y She
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - G K Pei
- Henan Key Laboratory of Microbiome and Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital (College of Clinical Medicine) of Henan University of Science and Technology, Jianxi, Luoyang, Henan 471003, China
| | - Y Du
- Henan Key Laboratory of Microbiome and Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital (College of Clinical Medicine) of Henan University of Science and Technology, Jianxi, Luoyang, Henan 471003, China
| | - R Yang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Microbiome and Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital (College of Clinical Medicine) of Henan University of Science and Technology, Jianxi, Luoyang, Henan 471003, China
| | - L X Ma
- Henan Key Laboratory of Microbiome and Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital (College of Clinical Medicine) of Henan University of Science and Technology, Jianxi, Luoyang, Henan 471003, China
| | - Q Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.
| | - S G Gao
- Henan Key Laboratory of Microbiome and Esophageal Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics, Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital (College of Clinical Medicine) of Henan University of Science and Technology, Jianxi, Luoyang, Henan 471003, China.
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23
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Ragunathan PT, Ng Kwan Lim E, Ma X, Massé E, Vanderpool CK. Mechanisms of Regulation of Cryptic Prophage-Encoded Gene Products in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0012923. [PMID: 37439671 PMCID: PMC10448788 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00129-23] [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: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The dicBF operon of Qin cryptic prophage in Escherichia coli K-12 encodes the small RNA (sRNA) DicF and small protein DicB, which regulate host cell division and are toxic when overexpressed. While new functions of DicB and DicF have been identified in recent years, the mechanisms controlling the expression of the dicBF operon have remained unclear. Transcription from dicBp, the major promoter of the dicBF operon, is repressed by DicA. In this study, we discovered that transcription of the dicBF operon and processing of the polycistronic mRNA is regulated by multiple mechanisms. DicF sRNA accumulates during stationary phase and is processed from the polycistronic dicBF mRNA by the action of both RNase III and RNase E. DicA-mediated transcriptional repression of dicBp can be relieved by an antirepressor protein, Rem, encoded on the Qin prophage. Ectopic production of Rem results in cell filamentation due to strong induction of the dicBF operon, and filamentation is mediated by DicF and DicB. Spontaneous derepression of dicBp occurs in a subpopulation of cells independent of the antirepressor. This phenomenon is reminiscent of the bistable switch of λ phage with DicA and DicC performing functions similar to those of CI and Cro, respectively. Additional experiments demonstrate stress-dependent induction of the dicBF operon. Collectively, our results illustrate that toxic genes carried on cryptic prophages are subject to layered mechanisms of control, some that are derived from the ancestral phage and some that are likely later adaptations. IMPORTANCE Cryptic or defective prophages have lost genes necessary to excise from the bacterial chromosome and produce phage progeny. In recent years, studies have found that cryptic prophage gene products influence diverse aspects of bacterial host cell physiology. However, to obtain a complete understanding of the relationship between cryptic prophages and the host bacterium, identification of the environmental, host, or prophage-encoded factors that induce the expression of cryptic prophage genes is crucial. In this study, we examined the regulation of a cryptic prophage operon in Escherichia coli encoding a small RNA and a small protein that are involved in inhibiting bacterial cell division, altering host metabolism, and protecting the host bacterium from phage infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preethi T. Ragunathan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Evelyne Ng Kwan Lim
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Xiangqian Ma
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Eric Massé
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Carin K. Vanderpool
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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24
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Sun S, Zhang X. Genetic characteristics and integration specificity of Salmonella enterica temperate phages. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1199843. [PMID: 37593543 PMCID: PMC10428622 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1199843] [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: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Temperate phages can engage in the horizontal transfer of functional genes to their bacterial hosts. Thus, their genetic material becomes an intimate part of bacterial genomes and plays essential roles in bacterial mutation and evolution. Specifically, temperate phages can naturally transmit genes by integrating their genomes into the bacterial host genomes via integrases. Our previous study showed that Salmonella enterica contains the largest number of temperate phages among all publicly available bacterial species. S. enterica is an important pathogen that can cause serious systemic infections and even fatalities. Methods Initially, we extracted all S. enterica temperate phages from the extensively developed temperate phage database established in our previous study. Subsequently, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the genetic characteristics and integration specificity exhibited by these S. enterica temperate phages. Results Here we identified 8,777 S. enterica temperate phages, all of which have integrases in their genomes. We found 491 non-redundant S. enterica temperate phage integrases (integrase entries). S. enterica temperate phage integrases were classified into three types: intA, intS, and phiRv2. Correlation analysis showed that the sequence lengths of S. enterica integrase and core regions of attB and attP were strongly correlated. Further phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic classification indicated that both the S. enterica temperate phage genomes and the integrase gene sequences were of high diversities. Discussion Our work provides insight into the essential integration specificity and genetic diversity of S. enterica temperate phages. This study paves the way for a better understanding of the interactions between phages and S. enterica. By analyzing a large number of S. enterica temperate phages and their integrases, we provide valuable insights into the genetic diversity and prevalence of these elements. This knowledge has important implications for developing targeted therapeutic interventions, such as phage therapy, to combat S. enterica infections. By harnessing the lytic capabilities of temperate phages, they can be engineered or utilized in phage cocktails to specifically target and eradicate S. enterica strains, offering an alternative or complementary approach to traditional antibiotic treatments. Our study has implications for public health and holds potential significance in combating clinical infections caused by S. enterica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
- Department of Life Sciences and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Chaoyang, Beijing, China
| | - Xianglilan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
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25
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Silpe JE, Duddy OP, Johnson GE, Beggs GA, Hussain FA, Forsberg KJ, Bassler BL. Small protein modules dictate prophage fates during polylysogeny. Nature 2023; 620:625-633. [PMID: 37495698 PMCID: PMC10432266 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06376-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: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Most bacteria in the biosphere are predicted to be polylysogens harbouring multiple prophages1-5. In studied systems, prophage induction from lysogeny to lysis is near-universally driven by DNA-damaging agents6. Thus, how co-residing prophages compete for cell resources if they respond to an identical trigger is unknown. Here we discover regulatory modules that control prophage induction independently of the DNA-damage cue. The modules bear little resemblance at the sequence level but share a regulatory logic by having a transcription factor that activates the expression of a neighbouring gene that encodes a small protein. The small protein inactivates the master repressor of lysis, which leads to induction. Polylysogens that harbour two prophages exposed to DNA damage release mixed populations of phages. Single-cell analyses reveal that this blend is a consequence of discrete subsets of cells producing one, the other or both phages. By contrast, induction through the DNA-damage-independent module results in cells producing only the phage sensitive to that specific cue. Thus, in the polylysogens tested, the stimulus used to induce lysis determines phage productivity. Considering the lack of potent DNA-damaging agents in natural habitats, additional phage-encoded sensory pathways to lysis likely have fundamental roles in phage-host biology and inter-prophage competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin E Silpe
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Olivia P Duddy
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Grace E Johnson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Grace A Beggs
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Fatima A Hussain
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kevin J Forsberg
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Bonnie L Bassler
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
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26
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Mardiana M, Teh SH, Tsai YC, Yang HH, Lin LC, Lin NT. Characterization of a novel and active temperate phage vB_AbaM_ABMM1 with antibacterial activity against Acinetobacter baumannii infection. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11347. [PMID: 37443351 PMCID: PMC10345192 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38453-7] [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: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen that significantly causes hospital-acquired infections. Due to its multidrug resistance, treating infections caused by this pathogen is challenging. Recently, phages have gained attention as a potential alternative to antibiotics in treating bacterial infections. While lytic phages are preferred in therapy, the use of temperate phages for this purpose has received less attention. This study characterized a novel temperate phage vB_AbaM_ABMM1 (ABMM1) with antibacterial activity toward A. baumannii. ABMM1 adsorbs quickly, has short latent periods, and is relatively stable at various temperatures and neutral pH. ABMM1 has an icosahedral head and a contractile tail. It has a 75,731 kb circular permuted dsDNA genome containing 86 gene products with 37.3% G + C content and a mosaic arrangement typical of temperate phages. Genomic analysis confirmed that ABMM1 does not have antibiotic-resistance genes or virulence-related factors. The packaging strategy was predicted in silico, suggesting that ABMM1 represents a headful phage. Only truncated ABMM1 prophage was detected and has similarity in the genome of several A. baumannii strains. Despite its ability to integrate into the host chromosome, the high MOI of ABMM1 (MOI 10) effectively killed the host bacterial cells and reduced the fatality rate of bacterial infection in the zebrafish model. These findings indicate that ABMM1 can be an alternative treatment for A. baumannii infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meity Mardiana
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien, 97004, Taiwan
| | - Soon-Hian Teh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, No. 707, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien, 97004, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Chan Tsai
- Department of Life Sciences, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien, 97004, Taiwan
| | - Hsueh-Hui Yang
- Department of Medical Research, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, No. 707, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien, 97004, Taiwan
| | - Ling-Chun Lin
- Master Program in Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien, 97004, Taiwan.
| | - Nien-Tsung Lin
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien, 97004, Taiwan.
- Master Program in Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien, 97004, Taiwan.
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27
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Veglia AJ, Bistolas KSI, Voolstra CR, Hume BCC, Ruscheweyh HJ, Planes S, Allemand D, Boissin E, Wincker P, Poulain J, Moulin C, Bourdin G, Iwankow G, Romac S, Agostini S, Banaigs B, Boss E, Bowler C, de Vargas C, Douville E, Flores M, Forcioli D, Furla P, Galand PE, Gilson E, Lombard F, Pesant S, Reynaud S, Sunagawa S, Thomas OP, Troublé R, Zoccola D, Correa AMS, Vega Thurber RL. Endogenous viral elements reveal associations between a non-retroviral RNA virus and symbiotic dinoflagellate genomes. Commun Biol 2023; 6:566. [PMID: 37264063 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04917-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Endogenous viral elements (EVEs) offer insight into the evolutionary histories and hosts of contemporary viruses. This study leveraged DNA metagenomics and genomics to detect and infer the host of a non-retroviral dinoflagellate-infecting +ssRNA virus (dinoRNAV) common in coral reefs. As part of the Tara Pacific Expedition, this study surveyed 269 newly sequenced cnidarians and their resident symbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodiniaceae), associated metabarcodes, and publicly available metagenomes, revealing 178 dinoRNAV EVEs, predominantly among hydrocoral-dinoflagellate metagenomes. Putative associations between Symbiodiniaceae and dinoRNAV EVEs were corroborated by the characterization of dinoRNAV-like sequences in 17 of 18 scaffold-scale and one chromosome-scale dinoflagellate genome assembly, flanked by characteristically cellular sequences and in proximity to retroelements, suggesting potential mechanisms of integration. EVEs were not detected in dinoflagellate-free (aposymbiotic) cnidarian genome assemblies, including stony corals, hydrocorals, jellyfish, or seawater. The pervasive nature of dinoRNAV EVEs within dinoflagellate genomes (especially Symbiodinium), as well as their inconsistent within-genome distribution and fragmented nature, suggest ancestral or recurrent integration of this virus with variable conservation. Broadly, these findings illustrate how +ssRNA viruses may obscure their genomes as members of nested symbioses, with implications for host evolution, exaptation, and immunity in the context of reef health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J Veglia
- BioSciences Department, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | - Hans-Joachim Ruscheweyh
- Department of Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, ETH Zürich, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Serge Planes
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, Cedex, France
| | - Denis Allemand
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine Ier, Monaco, MC-98000, Principality of Monaco
| | - Emilie Boissin
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, Cedex, France
| | - Patrick Wincker
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/ Tara Oceans-GOSEE, 3 rue Michel-Ange, 75016, Paris, France
| | - Julie Poulain
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
- Research Federation for the study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/ Tara Oceans-GOSEE, 3 rue Michel-Ange, 75016, Paris, France
| | - Clémentine Moulin
- Fondation Tara Océan, Base Tara, 8 rue de Prague, 75012, Paris, France
| | | | - Guillaume Iwankow
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, Cedex, France
| | - Sarah Romac
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Station Biologique de Roscoff, AD2M, UMR 7144, ECOMAP, Roscoff, France
| | - Sylvain Agostini
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 5-10-1, Shimoda, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Bernard Banaigs
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, Cedex, France
| | - Emmanuel Boss
- School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | - Chris Bowler
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Colomban de Vargas
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Station Biologique de Roscoff, AD2M, UMR 7144, ECOMAP, Roscoff, France
| | - Eric Douville
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Michel Flores
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 76100, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Didier Forcioli
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, IRCAN, Medical School, Nice, France
- Laboratoire International Associé Université Côte d'Azur-Centre Scientifique de Monaco, LIA ROPSE, Monaco, France
| | - Paola Furla
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, IRCAN, Medical School, Nice, France
- Laboratoire International Associé Université Côte d'Azur-Centre Scientifique de Monaco, LIA ROPSE, Monaco, France
| | - Pierre E Galand
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques (LECOB), Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls, 66650, Banyuls sur mer, France
| | - Eric Gilson
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, IRCAN, Medical School, Nice, France
- Department of Medical Genetics, CHU of Nice, Nice, France
| | - Fabien Lombard
- Sorbonne Université, Institut de la Mer de Villefranche sur mer, Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, F-06230, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
| | - Stéphane Pesant
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Stéphanie Reynaud
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine Ier, Monaco, MC-98000, Principality of Monaco
| | - Shinichi Sunagawa
- Department of Biology, Institute of Microbiology and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, ETH Zürich, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Olivier P Thomas
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Ryan Institute, University of Galway, University Road H91 TK33, Galway, Ireland
| | - Romain Troublé
- Fondation Tara Océan, Base Tara, 8 rue de Prague, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Didier Zoccola
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, 8 Quai Antoine Ier, Monaco, MC-98000, Principality of Monaco
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28
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Kong J, Xuan G, Lin H, Wang J. Characterization of a novel phage vB_Pae_HB2107-3I that infects Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mol Genet Genomics 2023:10.1007/s00438-023-02037-x. [PMID: 37247008 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-023-02037-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are potential antibiotic substitutes for the treatment of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Here, we report the genome sequences of a double-stranded DNA podovirus vB_Pae_HB2107-3I against clinical multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Phage vB_Pae_HB2107-3I remained stable over a wide range of temperatures (37-60 °C) and pH values (pH 4-12). At MOI of 0.01, the latent period of vB_Pae_HB2107-3I was 10 min, and the final titer reached about 8.1 × 109 PFU/mL. The vB_Pae_HB2107-3I genome is 45,929 bp, with an average G + C content of 57%. A total of 72 open reading frames (ORFs) were predicted, of which 22 ORFs have a predicted function. Genome analyses confirmed the lysogenic nature of this phage. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that phage vB_Pae_HB2107-3I was a novel member of Caudovirales infecting P. aeruginosa. The characterization of vB_Pae_HB2107-3I enrich the research on Pseudomonas phages and provide a promising biocontrol agent against P. aeruginosa infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiuna Kong
- Food Safety Laboratory, College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Guanhua Xuan
- Food Safety Laboratory, College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Hong Lin
- Food Safety Laboratory, College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China
| | - Jingxue Wang
- Food Safety Laboratory, College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
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29
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Petrovic Fabijan A, Iredell J, Danis-Wlodarczyk K, Kebriaei R, Abedon ST. Translating phage therapy into the clinic: Recent accomplishments but continuing challenges. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002119. [PMID: 37220114 PMCID: PMC10204993 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Phage therapy is a medical form of biological control of bacterial infections, one that uses naturally occurring viruses, called bacteriophages or phages, as antibacterial agents. Pioneered over 100 years ago, phage therapy nonetheless is currently experiencing a resurgence in interest, with growing numbers of clinical case studies being published. This renewed enthusiasm is due in large part to phage therapy holding promise for providing safe and effective cures for bacterial infections that traditional antibiotics acting alone have been unable to clear. This Essay introduces basic phage biology, provides an outline of the long history of phage therapy, highlights some advantages of using phages as antibacterial agents, and provides an overview of recent phage therapy clinical successes. Although phage therapy has clear clinical potential, it faces biological, regulatory, and economic challenges to its further implementation and more mainstream acceptance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Petrovic Fabijan
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jonathan Iredell
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Westmead Hospital, Western Sydney Local Health District, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katarzyna Danis-Wlodarczyk
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Razieh Kebriaei
- P3 Research Laboratory, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Stephen T. Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, Ohio, United States of America
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30
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Liu R, Li Z, Han G, Cun S, Hou D, Yu Z, Xue K, Liu X. Microbial density-dependent viral dynamics and low activity of temperate phages in the activated sludge process. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 232:119709. [PMID: 36764107 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.119709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The ecological behavior of bacteriophages (phages), the most abundant biological entity in wastewater treatment systems, is poorly understood, especially that of temperate phages. Here, the temporal dynamics of lytic and temperate phages in a laboratory-scale activated sludge reactor with a sludge bulking issue was investigated using coupled sludge metagenomic and viromic analyses. The lysogenic fragments (prophages) identified were widely distributed in the reconstructed metagenome-assembled genomes (61.7%, n = 227). However, only 12.3% of the identified prophages experienced lysogenic-lytic switching, and the abundance contribution of prophages to free virus communities was only 0.02-0.3%, indicating low activity of temperate phages. Although the sludge community changed dramatically during reactor operation, no massive prophage induction events were detected. Statistical analyses showed strong correlations between sludge concentration and free virus and temperate phage communities, suggesting microbial density-dependent virus dynamics in the sludge microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruyin Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China; RCEES-IMCAS-UCAS Joint-Lab of Microbial Technology for Environmental Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Binzhou Institute of Technology, Weiqiao-UCAS Science and Technology Park, Binzhou City, Shandong Province, China.
| | - Zong Li
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China; RCEES-IMCAS-UCAS Joint-Lab of Microbial Technology for Environmental Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ganghua Han
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China; RCEES-IMCAS-UCAS Joint-Lab of Microbial Technology for Environmental Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shujuan Cun
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China; RCEES-IMCAS-UCAS Joint-Lab of Microbial Technology for Environmental Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Deyin Hou
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhisheng Yu
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China; RCEES-IMCAS-UCAS Joint-Lab of Microbial Technology for Environmental Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Xue
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China; Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinchun Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China; Yanshan Earth Critical Zone National Research Station, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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31
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Qin J, Ji B, Ma Y, Liu X, Wang T, Liu G, Li B, Wang G, Gao P. Diversity and potential function of pig gut DNA viruses. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14020. [PMID: 36915549 PMCID: PMC10006684 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses are ubiquitous in the gut of animals and play an important role in the ecology of the gut microbiome. The potential effects of these substances on the growth and development of the body are not fully known. Little is known about the effects of breeding environment on pig gut virome. Here, there are 3584 viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs) longer than 5 kb identified by virus-enriched metagenome sequencing from 25 pig fecal samples. Only a small minority of vOTUs (11.16%) can be classified at the family level, and ∼50% of the genes could be annotated, supporting the concept of pig gut as reservoirs of substantial undescribed viral genetic diversity. The composition of pig gut virome in the six regions may be related to geography. There are only 20 viral clusters (VCs) shared among pig gut virome in six regions of Shanxi Province. These viruses rarely carry antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). At the same time, they possess abundant auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) potentially involved in carbon, sulfur metabolism and cofactor biosynthesis, etc. This study has revealed the unique characteristics and potential function of pig gut DNA virome and established a foundation for the recognition of the viral roles in gut environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjun Qin
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China
| | - Bingzhen Ji
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China
| | - Yijia Ma
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Beijing Agro-Biotechnology Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Tian Wang
- Beijing Agro-Biotechnology Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Guiming Liu
- Beijing Agro-Biotechnology Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Bugao Li
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China
| | - Guoliang Wang
- Beijing Agro-Biotechnology Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Pengfei Gao
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China
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32
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Pilosof S. Conceptualizing microbe-plasmid communities as complex adaptive systems. Trends Microbiol 2023:S0966-842X(23)00025-2. [PMID: 36822952 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.01.007] [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: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Plasmids shape microbial communities' diversity, structure, and function. Nevertheless, we lack a mechanistic understanding of how community structure and dynamics emerge from local microbe-plasmid interactions and coevolution. Addressing this gap is challenging because multiple processes operate simultaneously at multiple levels of organization. For example, immunity operates between a plasmid and a cell, but incompatibility mechanisms regulate coexistence between plasmids. Conceptualizing microbe-plasmid communities as complex adaptive systems is a promising approach to overcoming these challenges. I illustrate how agent-based evolutionary modeling, extended by network analysis, can be used to quantify the relative importance of local processes governing community dynamics. These theoretical developments can advance our understanding of plasmid ecology and evolution, especially when combined with empirical data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai Pilosof
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er-Sheva, Israel.
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33
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Gummalla VS, Zhang Y, Liao YT, Wu VCH. The Role of Temperate Phages in Bacterial Pathogenicity. Microorganisms 2023; 11:541. [PMID: 36985115 PMCID: PMC10052878 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11030541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and archaea and are classified as virulent or temperate phages based on their life cycles. A temperate phage, also known as a lysogenic phage, integrates its genomes into host bacterial chromosomes as a prophage. Previous studies have indicated that temperate phages are beneficial to their susceptible bacterial hosts by introducing additional genes to bacterial chromosomes, creating a mutually beneficial relationship. This article reviewed three primary ways temperate phages contribute to the bacterial pathogenicity of foodborne pathogens, including phage-mediated virulence gene transfer, antibiotic resistance gene mobilization, and biofilm formation. This study provides insights into mechanisms of phage-bacterium interactions in the context of foodborne pathogens and provokes new considerations for further research to avoid the potential of phage-mediated harmful gene transfer in agricultural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Vivian C. H. Wu
- Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center, Albany, CA 94710, USA
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34
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Tung CW, Alvarado-Martínez Z, Tabashsum Z, Aditya A, Biswas D. A Highly Effective Bacteriophage-1252 to Control Multiple Serovars of Salmonella enterica. Foods 2023; 12:foods12040797. [PMID: 36832872 PMCID: PMC9955900 DOI: 10.3390/foods12040797] [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: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enterica (S. enterica) is the most common foodborne pathogen worldwide, leading to massive economic loss and a significant burden on the healthcare system. The primary source of S. enterica remains contaminated or undercooked poultry products. Considering the number of foodborne illnesses with multiple antibiotic resistant S. enterica, new controlling approaches are necessary. Bacteriophage (phage) therapies have emerged as a promising alternative to controlling bacterial pathogens. However, the limitation on the lysis ability of most phages is their species-specificity to the bacterium. S. enterica has various serovars, and several major serovars are involved in gastrointestinal diseases in the USA. In this study, Salmonella bacteriophage-1252 (phage-1252) was isolated and found to have the highest lytic activity against multiple serovars of S. enterica, including Typhimurium, Enteritidis, Newport, Heidelberg, Kentucky, and Gallinarum. Whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed phage-1252 is a novel phage strain that belongs to the genus Duplodnaviria in the Myoviridae family, and consists of a 244,421 bp dsDNA, with a G + C content of 48.51%. Its plaque diameters are approximately 2.5 mm to 0.5 mm on the agar plate. It inhibited Salmonella Enteritidis growth after 6 h. The growth curve showed that the latent and rise periods were approximately 40 min and 30 min, respectively. The burst size was estimated to be 56 PFU/cell. It can stabilize and maintain original activity between 4 °C and 55 °C for 1 h. These results indicate that phage-1252 is a promising candidate for controlling multiple S. enterica serovars in food production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan-Wei Tung
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Zabdiel Alvarado-Martínez
- Biological Sciences Program-Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Zajeba Tabashsum
- Biological Sciences Program-Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Arpita Aditya
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Debabrata Biswas
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Biological Sciences Program-Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Correspondence:
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35
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Floccari VA, Dragoš A. Host control by SPβ phage regulatory switch as potential manipulation strategy. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 71:102260. [PMID: 36580707 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between temperate phages and their bacterial hosts has always been one of the most controversial in nature. As genetic parasites, phages need their hosts to propagate, while the host may take advantage of the genetic arsenal carried in the phage genome. This intriguing host-parasite interplay with an evident mutualistic implication could be challenged by recent discoveries of alternative phage lifestyles and regulatory systems that seem to support a manipulative strategy pursued by the phage. Through two fascinating novel mechanisms concerning the active lysogeny and a phage-encoded quorum sensing system, referred as 'Arbitrium', employed by SPβ-like phages of Bacilli, we propose the parasite manipulation as ecological relationship between certain temperate phages and bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina A Floccari
- Department of Microbiology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Anna Dragoš
- Department of Microbiology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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36
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Bajiya N, Dhall A, Aggarwal S, Raghava GPS. Advances in the field of phage-based therapy with special emphasis on computational resources. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:6961791. [PMID: 36575815 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current era, one of the major challenges is to manage the treatment of drug/antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Phage therapy, a century-old technique, may serve as an alternative to antibiotics in treating bacterial infections caused by drug-resistant strains of bacteria. In this review, a systematic attempt has been made to summarize phage-based therapy in depth. This review has been divided into the following two sections: general information and computer-aided phage therapy (CAPT). In the case of general information, we cover the history of phage therapy, the mechanism of action, the status of phage-based products (approved and clinical trials) and the challenges. This review emphasizes CAPT, where we have covered primary phage-associated resources, phage prediction methods and pipelines. This review covers a wide range of databases and resources, including viral genomes and proteins, phage receptors, host genomes of phages, phage-host interactions and lytic proteins. In the post-genomic era, identifying the most suitable phage for lysing a drug-resistant strain of bacterium is crucial for developing alternate treatments for drug-resistant bacteria and this remains a challenging problem. Thus, we compile all phage-associated prediction methods that include the prediction of phages for a bacterial strain, the host for a phage and the identification of interacting phage-host pairs. Most of these methods have been developed using machine learning and deep learning techniques. This review also discussed recent advances in the field of CAPT, where we briefly describe computational tools available for predicting phage virions, the life cycle of phages and prophage identification. Finally, we describe phage-based therapy's advantages, challenges and opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Bajiya
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla Phase 3, New Delhi, 110020, India
| | - Anjali Dhall
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla Phase 3, New Delhi, 110020, India
| | - Suchet Aggarwal
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla Phase 3, New Delhi, 110020, India
| | - Gajendra P S Raghava
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla Phase 3, New Delhi, 110020, India
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37
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Marchi J, Zborowsky S, Debarbieux L, Weitz JS. The dynamic interplay of bacteriophage, bacteria and the mammalian host during phage therapy. iScience 2023; 26:106004. [PMID: 36818291 PMCID: PMC9932479 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
For decades, biomedically centered studies of bacteria have focused on mechanistic drivers of disease in their mammalian hosts. Likewise, molecular studies of bacteriophage have centered on understanding mechanisms by which bacteriophage exploit the intracellular environment of their bacterial hosts. These binary interactions - bacteriophage infect bacteria and bacteria infect eukaryotic hosts - have remained largely separate lines of inquiry. However, recent evidence demonstrates how tripartite interactions between bacteriophage, bacteria and the eukaryotic host shape the dynamics and fate of each component. In this perspective, we provide an overview of different ways in which bacteriophage ecology modulates bacterial infections along a spectrum of positive to negative impacts on a mammalian host. We also examine how coevolutionary processes over longer timescales may change the valence of these interactions. We argue that anticipating both ecological and evolutionary dynamics is key to understand and control tripartite interactions and ultimately to the success or failure of phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Marchi
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Sophia Zborowsky
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Bacteriophage Bacterium Host, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Laurent Debarbieux
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Bacteriophage Bacterium Host, 75015 Paris, France
- Corresponding author
| | - Joshua S. Weitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- School of Biological Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Institut de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, 75005 Paris, France
- Corresponding author
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38
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Xuan G, Kong J, Wang Y, Lin H, Wang J. Characterization of the newly isolated Pseudomonas phage vB_Pae_LC3I3. Virus Res 2023; 323:198978. [PMID: 36288775 PMCID: PMC10194125 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Here, we report the genome sequence of a double-stranded DNA siphovirus, vB_Pae_LC3I3 infective for P. aeruginosa PA14. Phage vB_Pae_LC3I3 was identified as a linear double-stranded DNA phage of 49,926 bp with 59% G+C content. The vB_Pae_LC3I3 genome contains 78 open reading frames, and the function of 22 ORFs can be predicted. Genome analysis confirmed the lysogenic nature of this phage, which encodes the typical lysogen-related integrase and CI/Cro regulator. One-step growth curve revealed that the latent period of phage vB_Pae_LC3I3 lasted for 30 min. And vB_Pae_LC3I3 showed good temperature stability and pH stability. Based on electron microscopy, phylogenetic, and comparative genomic analyses, this novel Pseudomonas temperate phage represents a novel unassigned siphoviruses cluster. The study of phage vB_Pae_LC3I3 will provide basic information for further research on treatment of P. aeruginosa infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanhua Xuan
- Food Safety Laboratory, College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jiuna Kong
- Food Safety Laboratory, College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yinfeng Wang
- Food Safety Laboratory, College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Hong Lin
- Food Safety Laboratory, College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jingxue Wang
- Food Safety Laboratory, College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China..
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39
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Klonowska A, Ardley J, Moulin L, Zandberg J, Patrel D, Gollagher M, Marinova D, Reddy TBK, Varghese N, Huntemann M, Woyke T, Seshadri R, Ivanova N, Kyrpides N, Reeve W. Discovery of a novel filamentous prophage in the genome of the Mimosa pudica microsymbiont Cupriavidus taiwanensis STM 6018. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1082107. [PMID: 36925474 PMCID: PMC10011098 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1082107] [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: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Integrated virus genomes (prophages) are commonly found in sequenced bacterial genomes but have rarely been described in detail for rhizobial genomes. Cupriavidus taiwanensis STM 6018 is a rhizobial Betaproteobacteria strain that was isolated in 2006 from a root nodule of a Mimosa pudica host in French Guiana, South America. Here we describe features of the genome of STM 6018, focusing on the characterization of two different types of prophages that have been identified in its genome. The draft genome of STM 6018 is 6,553,639 bp, and consists of 80 scaffolds, containing 5,864 protein-coding genes and 61 RNA genes. STM 6018 contains all the nodulation and nitrogen fixation gene clusters common to symbiotic Cupriavidus species; sharing >99.97% bp identity homology to the nod/nif/noeM gene clusters from C. taiwanensis LMG19424T and "Cupriavidus neocalidonicus" STM 6070. The STM 6018 genome contains the genomes of two prophages: one complete Mu-like capsular phage and one filamentous phage, which integrates into a putative dif site. This is the first characterization of a filamentous phage found within the genome of a rhizobial strain. Further examination of sequenced rhizobial genomes identified filamentous prophage sequences in several Beta-rhizobial strains but not in any Alphaproteobacterial rhizobia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Klonowska
- Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut AgroPHIM Plant Health Institute, Montpellier, France
| | - Julie Ardley
- Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, Food Futures Institute, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Lionel Moulin
- Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut AgroPHIM Plant Health Institute, Montpellier, France
| | - Jaco Zandberg
- Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, Food Futures Institute, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Delphine Patrel
- Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut AgroPHIM Plant Health Institute, Montpellier, France
| | - Margaret Gollagher
- Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Dora Marinova
- Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - T B K Reddy
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Neha Varghese
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Marcel Huntemann
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Tanja Woyke
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Rekha Seshadri
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Natalia Ivanova
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Nikos Kyrpides
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Wayne Reeve
- Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, Food Futures Institute, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
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Abstract
CRISPR-Cas is a widespread adaptive immune system in bacteria and archaea that protects against viral infection by targeting specific invading nucleic acid sequences. Whereas some CRISPR-Cas systems sense and cleave viral DNA, type III and type VI CRISPR-Cas systems sense RNA that results from viral transcription and perhaps invasion by RNA viruses. The sequence-specific detection of viral RNA evokes a cell-wide response that typically involves global damage to halt the infection. How can one make sense of an immune strategy that encompasses broad, collateral effects rather than specific, targeted destruction? In this Review, we summarize the current understanding of RNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas systems. We detail the composition and properties of type III and type VI systems, outline the cellular defence processes that are instigated upon viral RNA sensing and describe the biological rationale behind the broad RNA-activated immune responses as an effective strategy to combat viral infection.
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Kupczok A, Bailey ZM, Refardt D, Wendling CC. Co-transfer of functionally interdependent genes contributes to genome mosaicism in lambdoid phages. Microb Genom 2022; 8:mgen000915. [PMID: 36748576 PMCID: PMC9836094 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000915] [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] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Lambdoid (or Lambda-like) phages are a group of related temperate phages that can infect Escherichia coli and other gut bacteria. A key characteristic of these phages is their mosaic genome structure, which served as the basis for the 'modular genome hypothesis'. Accordingly, lambdoid phages evolve by transferring genomic regions, each of which constitutes a functional unit. Nevertheless, it is unknown which genes are preferentially transferred together and what drives such co-transfer events. Here we aim to characterize genome modularity by studying co-transfer of genes among 95 distantly related lambdoid (pro-)phages. Based on gene content, we observed that the genomes cluster into 12 groups, which are characterized by a highly similar gene content within the groups and highly divergent gene content across groups. Highly similar proteins can occur in genomes of different groups, indicating that they have been transferred. About 26 % of homologous protein clusters in the four known operons (i.e. the early left, early right, immunity and late operon) engage in gene transfer, which affects all operons to a similar extent. We identified pairs of genes that are frequently co-transferred and observed that these pairs tend to be near one another on the genome. We find that frequently co-transferred genes are involved in related functions and highlight interesting examples involving structural proteins, the cI repressor and Cro regulator, proteins interacting with DNA, and membrane-interacting proteins. We conclude that epistatic effects, where the functioning of one protein depends on the presence of another, play an important role in the evolution of the modular structure of these genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Kupczok
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands,*Correspondence: Anne Kupczok,
| | - Zachary M. Bailey
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Universitätstrasse 16, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Dominik Refardt
- Institute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zürich University of Applied Sciences, Campus Grüental, Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Carolin C. Wendling
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Universitätstrasse 16, Zürich, Switzerland
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Yoshida-Takashima Y, Takaki Y, Yoshida M, Zhang Y, Nunoura T, Takai K. Genomic insights into phage-host interaction in the deep-sea chemolithoautotrophic Campylobacterota, Nitratiruptor. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:108. [PMID: 37938718 PMCID: PMC9723563 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00194-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
The genus Nitratiruptor represents one of the most numerically abundant chemolithoautotrophic Campylobacterota populations in the mixing zones of habitats between hydrothermal fluids and ambient seawater in deep-sea hydrothermal environments. We isolated and characterized four novel temperate phages (NrS-2, NrS-3, NrS-4, and NrS-5) having a siphoviral morphology, infecting Nitratiruptor strains from the Hatoma Knoll hydrothermal field in the southern-Okinawa Trough, Japan, and conducted comparative genomic analyses among Nitratiruptor strains and their phages. The Nitratiruptor temperate phages shared many potential core genes (e.g., integrase, Cro, two structural proteins, lysozyme, and MazG) with each other despite their diverse morphological and genetic features. Some homologs of coding sequences (CDSs) of the temperate phages were dispersed throughout the non-prophage regions of the Nitratiruptor genomes. In addition, several regions of the phage genome sequences matched to spacer sequences within clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) in Nitratiruptor genomes. Moreover, a restriction-modification system found in a temperate phage affected an epigenetic feature of its host. These results strongly suggested a coevolution of temperate phages and their host genomes via the acquisition of temperate phages, the CRISPR systems, the nucleotide substitution, and the epigenetic regulation during multiple phage infections in the deep-sea environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukari Yoshida-Takashima
- Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan.
| | - Yoshihiro Takaki
- Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Yoshida
- Deep-Sea Bioresource Research Group, Research Center for Bioscience and Nanoscience (CeBN), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yi Zhang
- Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takuro Nunoura
- Deep-Sea Bioresource Research Group, Research Center for Bioscience and Nanoscience (CeBN), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ken Takai
- Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
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43
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Greenrod STE, Stoycheva M, Elphinstone J, Friman VP. Global diversity and distribution of prophages are lineage-specific within the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:689. [PMID: 36199029 PMCID: PMC9535894 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08909-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC) strains are destructive plant pathogenic bacteria and the causative agents of bacterial wilt disease, infecting over 200 plant species worldwide. In addition to chromosomal genes, their virulence is mediated by mobile genetic elements including integrated DNA of bacteriophages, i.e., prophages, which may carry fitness-associated auxiliary genes or modulate host gene expression. Although experimental studies have characterised several prophages that shape RSSC virulence, the global diversity, distribution, and wider functional gene content of RSSC prophages are unknown. In this study, prophages were identified in a diverse collection of 192 RSSC draft genome assemblies originating from six continents. Results Prophages were identified bioinformatically and their diversity investigated using genetic distance measures, gene content, GC, and total length. Prophage distributions were characterised using metadata on RSSC strain geographic origin and lineage classification (phylotypes), and their functional gene content was assessed by identifying putative prophage-encoded auxiliary genes. In total, 313 intact prophages were identified, forming ten genetically distinct clusters. These included six prophage clusters with similarity to the Inoviridae, Myoviridae, and Siphoviridae phage families, and four uncharacterised clusters, possibly representing novel, previously undescribed phages. The prophages had broad geographical distributions, being present across multiple continents. However, they were generally host phylogenetic lineage-specific, and overall, prophage diversity was proportional to the genetic diversity of their hosts. The prophages contained many auxiliary genes involved in metabolism and virulence of both phage and bacteria. Conclusions Our results show that while RSSC prophages are highly diverse globally, they make lineage-specific contributions to the RSSC accessory genome, which could have resulted from shared coevolutionary history. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08909-7.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John Elphinstone
- Fera Science Ltd, National Agri-Food Innovation Campus, Sand Hutton, York, UK
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44
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Grouzdev D, Gaisin V, Lunina O, Krutkina M, Krasnova E, Voronov D, Baslerov R, Sigalevich P, Savvichev A, Gorlenko V. Microbial communities of stratified aquatic ecosystems of Kandalaksha Bay (White Sea) shed light on the evolutionary history of green and brown morphotypes of Chlorobiota. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:6693937. [PMID: 36073352 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac103] [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: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Anoxygenic photoautotrophic metabolism of green sulfur bacteria of the family Chlorobiaceae played a significant role in establishing the Earth's biosphere. Two known major ecological forms of these phototrophs differ in their pigment composition and, therefore, in color: the green and brown forms. The latter form often occurs in low-light environments and is specialized to harvest blue light, which can penetrate to the greatest depth in the water column. In the present work, metagenomic sequencing was used to investigate the natural population of brown Chl. phaeovibrioides ZM in a marine stratified Zeleny Mys lagoon in the Kandalaksha Bay (the White Sea) to supplement the previously obtained genomes of brown Chlorobiaceae. The genomes of brown and green Chlorobiaceae were investigated using comparative genome analysis and phylogenetic and reconciliation analysis to reconstruct the evolution of these ecological forms. Our results support the suggestion that the last common ancestor of Chlorobiaceae belonged to the brown form, i.e. it was adapted to the conditions of low illumination. However, despite the vertical inheritance of these characteristics, among modern Chlorobiaceae populations, the genes responsible for synthesizing the pigments of the brown form are subject to active horizontal transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Grouzdev
- SciBear OU, 10115 Tallinn, Estonia.,School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, 11794, Stony Brook, USA
| | - Vasil Gaisin
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, Moscow, Russia.,Current affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biology & Biophysics, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Olga Lunina
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Elena Krasnova
- Pertsov White Sea Biological Station, 184042, Republic Karelia, Russia
| | - Dmitry Voronov
- Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 127051, Moscow, Russia
| | - Roman Baslerov
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, Moscow, Russia
| | - Pavel Sigalevich
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander Savvichev
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir Gorlenko
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, Moscow, Russia
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45
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Chaïb A, Philippe C, Jaomanjaka F, Barchi Y, Oviedo-Hernandez F, Claisse O, Le Marrec C. Phage-host interactions as a driver of population dynamics during wine fermentation: Betting on underdogs. Int J Food Microbiol 2022; 383:109936. [PMID: 36179497 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109936] [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: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Winemaking is a complex process in which numerous microorganisms, mainly yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB), play important roles. After alcoholic fermentation (AF), most wines undergo malolactic fermentation (MLF) to improve their organoleptic properties and microbiological stability. Oenococcus oeni is mainly responsible for this crucial process where L-malic acid (MA) in wine converts to softer L-lactic acid. The bacterium is better adapted to the limiting conditions imposed by the wine matrix and performs MLF under regular winemaking conditions, especially in wines with a pH below 3.5. Traditionally, this process has been conducted by the natural microbiota present within the winery. However, the start, duration and qualitative impact of spontaneous MLF are unpredictable, which prompts winemakers to use pure starter cultures of selected bacteria to promote a more reliable, simple, fast and efficient fermentation. Yet, their use does not always ensure a problem-free fermentation. Spontaneous initiation of the process may prove very difficult or does not occur at all. Such difficulties arise from a combination of factors found in some wines upon the completion of AF (high ethanol concentration, low temperature and pH, low nutrient concentrations, presence of free and bound SO2). Alongside these well documented facts, research has also provided evidence that negative interactions between O. oeni and other biological entities such as yeasts may also impact MLF. Another insufficiently described, but highly significant factor inhibiting bacterial growth is connected to the presence of bacteriophages of O. oeni which are frequently associated to musts and wines. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge about the phage life cycles and possible impacts on the trajectory of the microbiota during winemaking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amel Chaïb
- UMR 1366 OENOLOGIE, Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Cécile Philippe
- UMR 1366 OENOLOGIE, Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Féty Jaomanjaka
- UMR 1366 OENOLOGIE, Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Yasma Barchi
- UMR 1366 OENOLOGIE, Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Florencia Oviedo-Hernandez
- UMR 1366 OENOLOGIE, Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Olivier Claisse
- UMR 1366 OENOLOGIE, Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Claire Le Marrec
- UMR 1366 OENOLOGIE, Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, Villenave d'Ornon, France.
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46
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Santiago-Rodriguez TM, Hollister EB. Unraveling the viral dark matter through viral metagenomics. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1005107. [PMID: 36189246 PMCID: PMC9523745 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1005107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses are part of the microbiome and have essential roles in immunology, evolution, biogeochemical cycles, health, and disease progression. Viruses influence a wide variety of systems and processes, and the continued discovery of novel viruses is anticipated to reveal new mechanisms influencing the biology of diverse environments. While the identity and roles of viruses continue to be discovered and understood through viral metagenomics, most of the sequences in virome datasets cannot be attributed to known viruses or may be only distantly related to species already described in public sequence databases, at best. Such viruses are known as the viral dark matter. Ongoing discoveries from the viral dark matter have provided insights into novel viruses from a variety of environments, as well as their potential in immunological processes, virus evolution, health, disease, therapeutics, and surveillance. Increased understanding of the viral dark matter will continue with a combination of cultivation, microscopy, sequencing, and bioinformatic efforts, which are discussed in the present review.
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47
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Tian F, Li J, Li L, Li F, Tong Y. Molecular dissection of the first Staphylococcus cohnii temperate phage IME1354_01. Virus Res 2022; 318:198812. [DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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48
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Rossi A, Morlino MS, Gaspari M, Basile A, Kougias P, Treu L, Campanaro S. Analysis of the anaerobic digestion metagenome under environmental stresses stimulating prophage induction. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:125. [PMID: 35965344 PMCID: PMC9377139 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01316-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The viral community has the potential to influence the structure of the microbiome and thus the yield of the anaerobic digestion process. However, the virome composition in anaerobic digestion is still under-investigated. A viral induction experiment was conducted on separate batches undergoing a series of DNA-damaging stresses, in order to coerce temperate viruses to enter the lytic cycle. RESULTS The sequencing of the metagenome revealed a viral community almost entirely composed of tailed bacteriophages of the order Caudovirales. Following a binning procedure 1,092 viral and 120 prokaryotic genomes were reconstructed, 64 of which included an integrated prophage in their sequence. Clustering of coverage profiles revealed the presence of species, both viral and microbial, sharing similar reactions to shocks. A group of viral genomes, which increase under organic overload and decrease under basic pH, uniquely encode the yopX gene, which is involved in the induction of temperate prophages. Moreover, the in-silico functional analysis revealed an enrichment of sialidases in viral genomes. These genes are associated with tail proteins and, as such, are hypothesised to be involved in the interaction with the host. Archaea registered the most pronounced changes in relation to shocks and featured behaviours not shared with other species. Subsequently, data from 123 different samples of the global anaerobic digestion database was used to determine coverage profiles of host and viral genomes on a broader scale. CONCLUSIONS Viruses are key components in anaerobic digestion environments, shaping the microbial guilds which drive the methanogenesis process. In turn, environmental conditions are pivotal in shaping the viral community and the rate of induction of temperate viruses. This study provides an initial insight into the complexity of the anaerobic digestion virome and its relation with the microbial community and the diverse environmental parameters. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Rossi
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, via U. Bassi 58/b, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Silvia Morlino
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, via U. Bassi 58/b, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Gaspari
- Department of Hydraulics, Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Arianna Basile
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, via U. Bassi 58/b, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Panagiotis Kougias
- Soil and Water Resources Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organisation Demeter, Thermi, 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Laura Treu
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, via U. Bassi 58/b, 35131, Padova, Italy.
| | - Stefano Campanaro
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, via U. Bassi 58/b, 35131, Padova, Italy
- CRIBI biotechnology center, University of Padua, via U. Bassi 58/b, 35131, Padova, Italy
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49
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Ribeiro HG, Nilsson A, Melo LDR, Oliveira A. Analysis of intact prophages in genomes of Paenibacillus larvae: An important pathogen for bees. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:903861. [PMID: 35923395 PMCID: PMC9341999 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.903861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Paenibacillus larvae is the etiological agent of American Foulbrood (AFB), a highly contagious and worldwide spread bacterial disease that affects honeybee brood. In this study, all complete P. larvae genomes available on the NCBI database were analyzed in order to detect presence of prophages using the PHASTER software. A total of 55 intact prophages were identified in 11 P. larvae genomes (5.0 ± 2.3 per genome) and were further investigated for the presence of genes encoding relevant traits related to P. larvae. A closer look at the prophage genomes revealed the presence of several putative genes such as metabolic and antimicrobial resistance genes, toxins or bacteriocins, potentially influencing host performance. Some of the coding DNA sequences (CDS) were present in all ERIC-genotypes, while others were only found in a specific genotype. While CDS encoding toxins and antitoxins such as HicB and MazE were found in prophages of all bacterial genotypes, others, from the same category, were provided by prophages particularly to ERIC I (enhancin-like toxin), ERIC II (antitoxin SocA) and ERIC V strains (subunit of Panton-Valentine leukocidin system (PVL) LukF-PV). This is the first in-depth analysis of P. larvae prophages. It provides better knowledge on their impact in the evolution of virulence and fitness of P. larvae, by discovering new features assigned by the viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique G. Ribeiro
- LIBRO – Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- LABBELS – Associate Laboratory on Biotechnology and Bioengineering, and Electromechanical Systems, Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Anna Nilsson
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Luís D. R. Melo
- LIBRO – Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- LABBELS – Associate Laboratory on Biotechnology and Bioengineering, and Electromechanical Systems, Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Luís D. R. Melo,
| | - Ana Oliveira
- LIBRO – Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- LABBELS – Associate Laboratory on Biotechnology and Bioengineering, and Electromechanical Systems, Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Ana Oliveira,
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50
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Zhang X, Wang R, Xie X, Hu Y, Wang J, Sun Q, Feng X, Lin W, Tong S, Yan W, Wen H, Wang M, Zhai S, Sun C, Wang F, Niu Q, Kropinski A, Cui Y, Jiang X, Peng S, Li S, Tong Y. Mining bacterial NGS data vastly expands the complete genomes of temperate phages. NAR Genom Bioinform 2022; 4:lqac057. [PMID: 35937545 PMCID: PMC9346568 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqac057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Temperate phages (active prophages induced from bacteria) help control pathogenicity, modulate community structure, and maintain gut homeostasis. Complete phage genome sequences are indispensable for understanding phage biology. Traditional plaque techniques are inapplicable to temperate phages due to their lysogenicity, curbing their identification and characterization. Existing bioinformatics tools for prophage prediction usually fail to detect accurate and complete temperate phage genomes. This study proposes a novel computational temperate phage detection method (TemPhD) mining both the integrated active prophages and their spontaneously induced forms (temperate phages) from next-generation sequencing raw data. Applying the method to the available dataset resulted in 192 326 complete temperate phage genomes with different host species, expanding the existing number of complete temperate phage genomes by more than 100-fold. The wet-lab experiments demonstrated that TemPhD can accurately determine the complete genome sequences of the temperate phages, with exact flanking sites, outperforming other state-of-the-art prophage prediction methods. Our analysis indicates that temperate phages are likely to function in the microbial evolution by (i) cross-infecting different bacterial host species; (ii) transferring antibiotic resistance and virulence genes and (iii) interacting with hosts through restriction-modification and CRISPR/anti-CRISPR systems. This work provides a comprehensively complete temperate phage genome database and relevant information, which can serve as a valuable resource for phage research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianglilan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology , Beijing 100071, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruohan Wang
- Department of Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong 999077, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangcheng Xie
- College of Computer, National University of Defense Technology , Changsha 410073, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunjia Hu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering (BAIC-SM), College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University , Shanghai 200444, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianping Wang
- Department of Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong 999077, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Sun
- The 964th Hospital , Changchun 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Xikang Feng
- School of Software, Northwestern Polytechnical University , Xi’an 710072, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Lin
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering (BAIC-SM), College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanwei Tong
- Bioinformatics Graduate Program, University of British Columbia , Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University , Burnaby , BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Wei Yan
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD 20894, USA
| | - Huiqi Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology , Beijing 100071, People's Republic of China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering (BAIC-SM), College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengyao Wang
- Department of Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong 999077, People's Republic of China
| | - Shixiang Zhai
- Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Yantai 264003, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
- Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Qingdao 266071, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Sun
- School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, Hunan University , Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangyi Wang
- Department of Statistics, the Ohio State University , Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Qi Niu
- School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, Hunan University , Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Andrew M Kropinski
- Departments of Food Science, and Pathobiology, University of Guelph , Guelph , ON N1G 2W1 , Canada
| | - Yujun Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology , Beijing 100071, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofang Jiang
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD 20894, USA
| | - Shaoliang Peng
- School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, Hunan University , Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuaicheng Li
- Department of Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong 999077, People's Republic of China
| | - Yigang Tong
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering (BAIC-SM), College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology , Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
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