1
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Mets T, Kurata T, Ernits K, Johansson MJO, Craig SZ, Evora GM, Buttress JA, Odai R, Wallant KC, Nakamoto JA, Shyrokova L, Egorov AA, Doering CR, Brodiazhenko T, Laub MT, Tenson T, Strahl H, Martens C, Harms A, Garcia-Pino A, Atkinson GC, Hauryliuk V. Mechanism of phage sensing and restriction by toxin-antitoxin-chaperone systems. Cell Host Microbe 2024; 32:1059-1073.e8. [PMID: 38821063 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.05.003] [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: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxins (TAs) are prokaryotic two-gene systems composed of a toxin neutralized by an antitoxin. Toxin-antitoxin-chaperone (TAC) systems additionally include a SecB-like chaperone that stabilizes the antitoxin by recognizing its chaperone addiction (ChAD) element. TACs mediate antiphage defense, but the mechanisms of viral sensing and restriction are unexplored. We identify two Escherichia coli antiphage TAC systems containing host inhibition of growth (HigBA) and CmdTA TA modules, HigBAC and CmdTAC. HigBAC is triggered through recognition of the gpV major tail protein of phage λ. Chaperone HigC recognizes gpV and ChAD via analogous aromatic molecular patterns, with gpV outcompeting ChAD to trigger toxicity. For CmdTAC, the CmdT ADP-ribosyltransferase toxin modifies mRNA to halt protein synthesis and limit phage propagation. Finally, we establish the modularity of TACs by creating a hybrid broad-spectrum antiphage system combining the CmdTA TA warhead with a HigC chaperone phage sensor. Collectively, these findings reveal the potential of TAC systems in broad-spectrum antiphage defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toomas Mets
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden; University of Tartu, Institute of Technology, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Tatsuaki Kurata
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Karin Ernits
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Marcus J O Johansson
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Sophie Z Craig
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology (CM2), Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus La Plaine, Building BC, Room 1C4203, Boulevard du Triomphe, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gabriel Medina Evora
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden; Cellular and Molecular Microbiology (CM2), Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus La Plaine, Building BC, Room 1C4203, Boulevard du Triomphe, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jessica A Buttress
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK
| | - Roni Odai
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Kyo Coppieters't Wallant
- Centre for Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Building BC, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Jose A Nakamoto
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Lena Shyrokova
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Artyom A Egorov
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | | | | | - Michael T Laub
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tanel Tenson
- University of Tartu, Institute of Technology, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Henrik Strahl
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK
| | - Chloe Martens
- Centre for Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, Building BC, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Alexander Harms
- ETH Zurich, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Abel Garcia-Pino
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology (CM2), Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Campus La Plaine, Building BC, Room 1C4203, Boulevard du Triomphe, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Gemma C Atkinson
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden; Virus Centre, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Vasili Hauryliuk
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden; University of Tartu, Institute of Technology, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; Virus Centre, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Science for Life Laboratory, Lund, Sweden.
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2
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Hör J, Wolf SG, Sorek R. Bacteria conjugate ubiquitin-like proteins to interfere with phage assembly. Nature 2024; 631:850-856. [PMID: 39020165 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07616-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Several immune pathways in humans conjugate ubiquitin-like proteins to virus and host molecules as a means of antiviral defence1-5. Here we studied an antiphage defence system in bacteria, comprising a ubiquitin-like protein, ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes E1 and E2, and a deubiquitinase. We show that during phage infection, this system specifically conjugates the ubiquitin-like protein to the phage central tail fibre, a protein at the tip of the tail that is essential for tail assembly as well as for recognition of the target host receptor. Following infection, cells encoding this defence system release a mixture of partially assembled, tailless phage particles and fully assembled phages in which the central tail fibre is obstructed by the covalently attached ubiquitin-like protein. These phages show severely impaired infectivity, explaining how the defence system protects the bacterial population from the spread of phage infection. Our findings demonstrate that conjugation of ubiquitin-like proteins is an antiviral strategy conserved across the tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Hör
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sharon G Wolf
- Department of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Rotem Sorek
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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3
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Yu RC, Yang F, Zhang HY, Hou P, Du K, Zhu J, Cui N, Xu X, Chen Y, Li Q, Zhou CZ. Structure of the intact tail machine of Anabaena myophage A-1(L). Nat Commun 2024; 15:2654. [PMID: 38531972 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47006-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The Myoviridae cyanophage A-1(L) specifically infects the model cyanobacteria Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Following our recent report on the capsid structure of A-1(L), here we present the high-resolution cryo-EM structure of its intact tail machine including the neck, tail and attached fibers. Besides the dodecameric portal, the neck contains a canonical hexamer connected to a unique pentadecamer that anchors five extended bead-chain-like neck fibers. The 1045-Å-long contractile tail is composed of a helical bundle of tape measure proteins surrounded by a layer of tube proteins and a layer of sheath proteins, ended with a five-component baseplate. The six long and six short tail fibers are folded back pairwise, each with one end anchoring to the baseplate and the distal end pointing to the capsid. Structural analysis combined with biochemical assays further enable us to identify the dual hydrolytic activities of the baseplate hub, in addition to two host receptor binding domains in the tail fibers. Moreover, the structure of the intact A-1(L) also helps us to reannotate its genome. These findings will facilitate the application of A-1(L) as a chassis cyanophage in synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Cheng Yu
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Feng Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Research Center for Intelligent Computing Platforms, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hong-Yan Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Pu Hou
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Kang Du
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jie Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ning Cui
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xudong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuxing Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Qiong Li
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
| | - Cong-Zhao Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
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4
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Lei ZC, Wang X, Yang L, Qu H, Sun Y, Yang Y, Li W, Zhang WB, Cao XY, Fan C, Li G, Wu J, Tian ZQ. What can molecular assembly learn from catalysed assembly in living organisms? Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:1892-1914. [PMID: 38230701 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00634d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Molecular assembly is the process of organizing individual molecules into larger structures and complex systems. The self-assembly approach is predominantly utilized in creating artificial molecular assemblies, and was believed to be the primary mode of molecular assembly in living organisms as well. However, it has been shown that the assembly of many biological complexes is "catalysed" by other molecules, rather than relying solely on self-assembly. In this review, we summarize these catalysed-assembly (catassembly) phenomena in living organisms and systematically analyse their mechanisms. We then expand on these phenomena and discuss related concepts, including catalysed-disassembly and catalysed-reassembly. Catassembly proves to be an efficient and highly selective strategy for synergistically controlling and manipulating various noncovalent interactions, especially in hierarchical molecular assemblies. Overreliance on self-assembly may, to some extent, hinder the advancement of artificial molecular assembly with powerful features. Furthermore, inspired by the biological catassembly phenomena, we propose guidelines for designing artificial catassembly systems and developing characterization and theoretical methods, and review pioneering works along this new direction. Overall, this approach may broaden and deepen our understanding of molecular assembly, enabling the construction and control of intelligent assembly systems with advanced functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Chao Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Xinchang Wang
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Liulin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Hang Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Yibin Sun
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry & Physics of Ministry of Education, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Yang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Wei Li
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Bin Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry & Physics of Ministry of Education, Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Yu Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
| | - Chunhai Fan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science, Center for Transformative Molecules and National Center for Translational Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Guohong Li
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Jiarui Wu
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, P. R. China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Health Science of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Science, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, P. R. China
| | - Zhong-Qun Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China.
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5
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Wang C, Duan J, Gu Z, Ge X, Zeng J, Wang J. Architecture of the bacteriophage lambda tail. Structure 2024; 32:35-46.e3. [PMID: 37918400 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophage lambda has a double-stranded DNA genome and a long, flexible, non-contractile tail encoded by a contiguous block of 11 genes downstream of the head genes. The tail allows host recognition and delivery of viral DNA from the head shell to the cytoplasm of the infected cell. Here, we present a high-resolution structure of the tail complex of bacteriophage lambda determined by cryoelectron microscopy. Most component proteins of the lambda tail were determined at the atomic scale. The structure sheds light on the molecular organization of the extensively studied tail of bacteriophage lambda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Jinsong Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Zhiwei Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Xiaofei Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Jianwei Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China.
| | - Jiawei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China.
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6
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Mahony J, Goulet A, van Sinderen D, Cambillau C. Partial Atomic Model of the Tailed Lactococcal Phage TP901-1 as Predicted by AlphaFold2: Revelations and Limitations. Viruses 2023; 15:2440. [PMID: 38140681 PMCID: PMC10747895 DOI: 10.3390/v15122440] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria are engaged in a constant battle against preying viruses, called bacteriophages (or phages). These remarkable nano-machines pack and store their genomes in a capsid and inject it into the cytoplasm of their bacterial prey following specific adhesion to the host cell surface. Tailed phages possessing dsDNA genomes are the most abundant phages in the bacterial virosphere, particularly those with long, non-contractile tails. All tailed phages possess a nano-device at their tail tip that specifically recognizes and adheres to a suitable host cell surface receptor, being proteinaceous and/or saccharidic. Adhesion devices of tailed phages infecting Gram-positive bacteria are highly diverse and, for the majority, remain poorly understood. Their long, flexible, multi-domain-encompassing tail limits experimental approaches to determine their complete structure. We have previously shown that the recently developed protein structure prediction program AlphaFold2 can overcome this limitation by predicting the structures of phage adhesion devices with confidence. Here, we extend this approach and employ AlphaFold2 to determine the structure of a complete phage, the lactococcal P335 phage TP901-1. Herein we report the structures of its capsid and neck, its extended tail, and the complete adhesion device, the baseplate, which was previously partially determined using X-ray crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Mahony
- School of Microbiology & APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, T12 K8AF Cork, Ireland;
| | - Adeline Goulet
- Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Systèmes Macromoléculaires (LISM), Institut de Microbiologie, Bioénergies et Biotechnologie (IMM), Aix-Marseille Université—CNRS, UMR 7255, 13009 Marseille, France;
| | - Douwe van Sinderen
- School of Microbiology & APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, T12 K8AF Cork, Ireland;
| | - Christian Cambillau
- School of Microbiology & APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, T12 K8AF Cork, Ireland;
- Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Systèmes Macromoléculaires (LISM), Institut de Microbiologie, Bioénergies et Biotechnologie (IMM), Aix-Marseille Université—CNRS, UMR 7255, 13009 Marseille, France;
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7
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Xiao H, Tan L, Tan Z, Zhang Y, Chen W, Li X, Song J, Cheng L, Liu H. Structure of the siphophage neck-Tail complex suggests that conserved tail tip proteins facilitate receptor binding and tail assembly. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002441. [PMID: 38096144 PMCID: PMC10721106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Siphophages have a long, flexible, and noncontractile tail that connects to the capsid through a neck. The phage tail is essential for host cell recognition and virus-host cell interactions; moreover, it serves as a channel for genome delivery during infection. However, the in situ high-resolution structure of the neck-tail complex of siphophages remains unknown. Here, we present the structure of the siphophage lambda "wild type," the most widely used, laboratory-adapted fiberless mutant. The neck-tail complex comprises a channel formed by stacked 12-fold and hexameric rings and a 3-fold symmetrical tip. The interactions among DNA and a total of 246 tail protein molecules forming the tail and neck have been characterized. Structural comparisons of the tail tips, the most diversified region across the lambda and other long-tailed phages or tail-like machines, suggest that their tail tip contains conserved domains, which facilitate tail assembly, receptor binding, cell adsorption, and DNA retaining/releasing. These domains are distributed in different tail tip proteins in different phages or tail-like machines. The side tail fibers are not required for the phage particle to orient itself vertically to the surface of the host cell during attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Xiao
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Le Tan
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhixue Tan
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Yewei Zhang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Wenyuan Chen
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaowu Li
- School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Engineering, Yongzhou, China
| | - Jingdong Song
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Lingpeng Cheng
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Hongrong Liu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
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8
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Dong Y, Huang Y, Fan H, Song L, An X, Xu S, Li M, Tong Y. Characterization, complete genome sequencing, and CRISPR/Cas9 system-based decontamination of a novel Escherichia coli phage TR1 from fermentation substrates. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1230775. [PMID: 37637117 PMCID: PMC10450929 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1230775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Phage contamination has become a major concern for industrial bacteria, such as Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), used in fermentation processes. Herein, we report a CRISPR/Cas9 defense system-based strategy to precisely prey and degrade phage DNA to decontaminate target phages. First, we isolated a novel phage from fermentation substrates with BL21(DE3) as the host, named TR1. It showed a typical podovirus morphology with a head diameter of 51.46 ± 2.04 nm and a tail length of 9.31 ± 2.77 nm. The burst size of phage TR1 was 151 PFU/cell, suggesting its strong fecundity in the fermentation system. Additionally, whole-genome sequencing revealed that phage TR1 has a DNA genome of 44,099 bp in length with a 43.8% GC content, encoding a total of 68 open reading frames. Comparative genomics and phylogenetic analysis designated this phage to be a new species of the genus Christensenvirus. To counteract phage TR1, we employed the CRISPR/Cas9 system-based strategy and constructed two phage-resistant E. coli strains, BL21-C and BL21-T, based on conserved genes. Both EOP assays and growth curves indicated strong phage resistance of the recombinant strains, without affecting cell growth. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a resilient strategy to respond to ever-changing phages and ongoing phage-host arm race in industrial fermentation environments by the personalized design of spacers in the recombinant CRISPR/Cas system-containing plasmid. More importantly, our research sparks the use of phage defense mechanism to prevent phage contamination in extensive biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Dong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yunfei Huang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Huahao Fan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Lihua Song
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoping An
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Xu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Mengzhe Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
- Qinhuangdao Bohai Biological Research Institute, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China
| | - Yigang Tong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
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9
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Saha S, Ojobor CD, Li ASC, Mackinnon E, North OI, Bondy-Denomy J, Lam JS, Ensminger AW, Maxwell KL, Davidson AR. F-Type Pyocins Are Diverse Noncontractile Phage Tail-Like Weapons for Killing Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0002923. [PMID: 37260386 PMCID: PMC10294684 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00029-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Most Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains produce bacteriocins derived from contractile or noncontractile phage tails known as R- and F-type pyocins, respectively. These bacteriocins possess strain-specific bactericidal activity against P. aeruginosa and likely increase evolutionary fitness through intraspecies competition. R-type pyocins have been studied extensively and show promise as alternatives to antibiotics. Although they have similar therapeutic potential, experimental studies on F-type pyocins are limited. Here, we provide a bioinformatic and experimental investigation of F-type pyocins. We introduce a systematic naming scheme for genes found in R- and F-type pyocin operons and identify 15 genes invariably found in strains producing F-type pyocins. Five proteins encoded at the 3' end of the F-type pyocin cluster are divergent in sequence and likely determine bactericidal specificity. We use sequence similarities among these proteins to define eleven distinct F-type pyocin groups, five of which had not been previously described. The five genes encoding the variable proteins associate in two modules that have clearly reassorted independently during the evolution of these operons. These proteins are considerably more diverse than the specificity-determining tail fibers of R-type pyocins, suggesting that F-type pyocins may have emerged earlier. Experimental studies on six F-type pyocin groups show that each displays a distinct spectrum of bactericidal activity. This activity is strongly influenced by the lipopolysaccharide O-antigen type, but other factors also play a role. F-type pyocins appear to kill as efficiently as R-type pyocins. These studies set the stage for the development of F-type pyocins as antibacterial therapeutics. IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes antibiotic-resistant infections with high mortality rates, particularly in immunocompromised individuals and cystic fibrosis patients. Due to the increasing frequency of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa infections, there is great need for the development of alternative therapeutics. In this study, we investigate one such potential therapeutic: F-type pyocins, which are bacteriocins naturally produced by P. aeruginosa that resemble noncontractile phage tails. We show that they are potent killers of P. aeruginosa and identify their probable bactericidal specificity determinants, which opens up the possibility of engineering them to precisely target strains of pathogenic bacteria. The resemblance of F-type pyocins to well-characterized phage tails will greatly facilitate their development into effective antibacterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senjuti Saha
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Child Health Research Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Chidozie D. Ojobor
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Annie Si Cong Li
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erik Mackinnon
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Olesia I. North
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph Bondy-Denomy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California—San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joseph S. Lam
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alexander W. Ensminger
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karen L. Maxwell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alan R. Davidson
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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10
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Agnello E, Pajak J, Liu X, Kelch BA. Conformational dynamics control assembly of an extremely long bacteriophage tail tube. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:103021. [PMID: 36791911 PMCID: PMC10034513 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.103021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Tail tube assembly is an essential step in the lifecycle of long-tailed bacteriophages. Limited structural and biophysical information has impeded an understanding of assembly and stability of their long, flexible tail tubes. The hyperthermophilic phage P74-26 is particularly intriguing as it has the longest tail of any known virus (nearly 1 μm) and is the most thermostable known phage. Here, we use structures of the P74-26 tail tube along with an in vitro system for studying tube assembly kinetics to propose the first molecular model for the tail tube assembly of long-tailed phages. Our high-resolution cryo-EM structure provides insight into how the P74-26 phage assembles through flexible loops that fit into neighboring rings through tight "ball-and-socket"-like interactions. Guided by this structure, and in combination with mutational, light scattering, and molecular dynamics simulations data, we propose a model for the assembly of conserved tube-like structures across phage and other entities possessing tail tube-like proteins. We propose that formation of a full ring promotes the adoption of a tube elongation-competent conformation among the flexible loops and their corresponding sockets, which is further stabilized by an adjacent ring. Tail assembly is controlled by the cooperative interaction of dynamic intraring and interring contacts. Given the structural conservation among tail tube proteins and tail-like structures, our model can explain the mechanism of high-fidelity assembly of long, stable tubes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Agnello
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joshua Pajak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester Massachusetts, USA
| | - Xingchen Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brian A Kelch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester Massachusetts, USA.
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11
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Fine structure and assembly pattern of a minimal myophage Pam3. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2213727120. [PMID: 36656854 PMCID: PMC9942802 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213727120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The myophage possesses a contractile tail that penetrates its host cell envelope. Except for investigations on the bacteriophage T4 with a rather complicated structure, the assembly pattern and tail contraction mechanism of myophage remain largely unknown. Here, we present the fine structure of a freshwater Myoviridae cyanophage Pam3, which has an icosahedral capsid of ~680 Å in diameter, connected via a three-section neck to an 840-Å-long contractile tail, ending with a three-module baseplate composed of only six protein components. This simplified baseplate consists of a central hub-spike surrounded by six wedge heterotriplexes, to which twelve tail fibers are covalently attached via disulfide bonds in alternating upward and downward configurations. In vitro reduction assays revealed a putative redox-dependent mechanism of baseplate assembly and tail sheath contraction. These findings establish a minimal myophage that might become a user-friendly chassis phage in synthetic biology.
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12
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Characterization and genome analysis of Escherichia phage fBC-Eco01, isolated from wastewater in Tunisia. Arch Virol 2023; 168:44. [PMID: 36609878 PMCID: PMC9825357 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-022-05680-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The rise of antibiotic resistance in bacterial strains has led to vigorous exploration for alternative treatments. To this end, phage therapy has been revisited, and it is gaining increasing attention, as it may represent an efficient alternative for treating multiresistant pathogenic bacteria. Phage therapy is considered safe, and phages do not infect eukaryotic cells. There have been many studies investigating phage-host bacteria interactions and the ability of phages to target specific hosts. Escherichia coli is the causative agent of a multitude of infections, ranging from urinary tract infections to sepsis, with growing antibiotic resistance. In this study, we characterized the Escherichia phage fBC-Eco01, which was isolated from a water sample collected at Oued, Tunis. Electron microscopy showed that fBC-Eco01 phage particles have siphovirus morphology, with an icosahedral head of 61 ± 3 nm in diameter and a non-contractile tail of 94 ± 2 nm in length and 12 ± 0.9 nm in width. The genome of fBC-Eco01 is a linear double-stranded DNA of 43.466 bp with a GC content of 50.4%. Comparison to databases allowed annotation of the functions to 39 of the 78 predicted gene products. A single-step growth curve revealed that fBC-Eco01 has a latent period of 30 minutes and a burst size of 175 plaque-forming units (PFU) per infected cell. Genomic analysis indicated that fBC-Eco01 is a member of the subfamily Guernseyvirinae. It is most closely related to a group of phages of the genus Kagunavirus that infect Enterobacter, Raoultella, and Escherichia strains.
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13
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Yi H, Fu C, Diao K, Li Z, Cui X, Xiao W. Characterization and genomic analysis of a novel halovirus infecting Chromohalobacter beijerinckii. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1041471. [PMID: 36569053 PMCID: PMC9769972 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1041471] [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: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages function as a regulator of host communities and metabolism. Many phages have been isolated and sequenced in environments such as the ocean, but very little is known about hypersaline environments. Phages infecting members of the genus Chromohalobacter remain poorly understood, and no Chromohalobacter phage genome has been reported. In this study, a halovirus infecting Chromohalobacter sp. F3, YPCBV-1, was isolated from Yipinglang salt mine. YPCBV-1 could only infect host strain F3 with burst size of 6.3 PFU/cell. It could produce progeny in 5%-20% (w/v) NaCl with an optimal concentration of 10% (w/v), but the optimal adsorption NaCl concentration was 5%-8% (w/v). YPCBV-1 is sensitive to pure water and depends on NaCl or KCl solutions to survive. YPCBV-1 stability increased with increasing salinity but decreased in NaCl saturated solutions, and it has a broader salinity adaptation than the host. YPCBV-1 has a double-stranded DNA of 36,002 bp with a G + C content of 67.09% and contains a total of 55 predicted ORFs and no tRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis and genomic network analysis suggested that YPCBV-1 is a novel Mu-like phage under the class Caudoviricetes. Auxiliary metabolic gene, SUMF1/EgtB/PvdO family non-heme iron enzyme, with possible roles in antioxidant was found in YPCBV-1. Moreover, DGR-associated genes were predicted in YPCBV-1 genome, which potentially produce hypervariable phage tail fiber. These findings shed light on the halovirus-host interaction in hypersaline environments.
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14
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N-Terminus Plays a Critical Role for Stabilizing the Filamentous Assembly and the Antifungal Activity of Bg_9562. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0160722. [PMID: 36005835 PMCID: PMC9603447 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01607-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Bg_9562, a prophage tail-like protein was earlier shown to be required for bacterial mycophagy by Burkholderia gladioli strain NGJ1. The purified protein exhibited broad-spectrum antifungal activity; however, the structural and mechanistic details vis-à-vis its activity remained elusive. In this study, we have structurally characterized the protein Bg_9562 using negatively stained transmission electron microscopy, molecular modeling and mutagenesis. We find that Bg_9562 shows structural similarity to Gp13, a tail assembly chaperone. The transmission electron microscopy revealed that, Bg_9562 forms long flexible tubular structures. Molecular modeling of the filament like structure divulges that the inter subunit contacts are meditated largely through hydrophobic interactions. Using mutagenesis, we demonstrate that the N-terminal residues of the protein when deleted results in reduced activity and destabilization of filament formation. Overall, structure-function analysis opens up avenues for further utilization of the protein as a potent antifungal molecule. IMPORTANCE Burkholderia gladioli strain NGJ1, isolated from healthy rice seedling, was earlier demonstrated to have mycophagous properties on a broad range of fungi, including Rhizoctonia solani, a causal agent of deadly sheath blight disease of rice. The purified Bg_9562 protein exerts broad-spectrum antifungal activity. The protein also inhibits the growth of laboratory strain of Candida, an opportunistic human pathogen. In this study, we structurally characterize Bg_9562 using a combination of negative staining transmission electron microscopy, molecular modeling, mutagenesis, and functional antifungal assay. We show that the protein assembles into long filament like structures stabilized by N-terminus residues and this region is important for its activity. Our study has implications in utilizing Bg_9562 or its derivatives as antifungal molecule(s) which will provide environmentally friendly control of fungal diseases of plants and animals.
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15
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Casjens SR, Davidson AR, Grose JH. The small genome, virulent, non-contractile tailed bacteriophages that infect Enterobacteriales hosts. Virology 2022; 573:151-166. [DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2022.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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16
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Tall tails: cryo-electron microscopy of phage tail DNA ejection conduits. Biochem Soc Trans 2022; 50:459-22W. [PMID: 35129586 PMCID: PMC9022992 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The majority of phages, viruses that infect prokaryotes, inject their genomic material into their host through a tubular assembly known as a tail. Despite the genomic diversity of tailed phages, only three morphological archetypes have been described: contractile tails of Myoviridae-like phages; short non-contractile tails of Podoviridae-like phages; and long and flexible non-contractile tails of Siphoviridae-like phages. While early cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) work elucidated the organisation of the syringe-like injection mechanism of contractile tails, the intrinsic flexibility of the long non-contractile tails prevented high-resolution structural determination. In 2020, four cryo-EM structures of Siphoviridae-like tail tubes were solved and revealed common themes and divergences. The central tube is structurally conserved and homologous to the hexameric rings of the tail tube protein (TTP) also found in contractile tails, bacterial pyocins, and type VI secretion systems. The interior surface of the tube presents analogous motifs of negatively charged amino acids proposed to facilitate ratcheting of the DNA during genome ejection. The lack of a conformational change upon genome ejection implicates the tape measure protein in triggering genome release. A distinctive feature of Siphoviridae-like tails is their flexibility. This results from loose inter-ring connections that can asymmetrically stretch on one side to allow bending and flexing of the tube without breaking. The outer surface of the tube differs greatly and may be smooth or rugged due to additional Ig-like domains in TTP. Some of these variable domains may contribute to adsorption of the phage to prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell surfaces affecting tropism and virulence.
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17
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Major tail proteins of bacteriophages of the order Caudovirales. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101472. [PMID: 34890646 PMCID: PMC8718954 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Technological advances in cryo-EM in recent years have given rise to detailed atomic structures of bacteriophage tail tubes-a class of filamentous protein assemblies that could previously only be studied on the atomic scale in either their monomeric form or when packed within a crystal lattice. These hollow elongated protein structures, present in most bacteriophages of the order Caudovirales, connect the DNA-containing capsid with a receptor function at the distal end of the tail and consist of helical and polymerized major tail proteins. However, the resolution of cryo-EM data for these systems differs enormously between different tail tube types, partly inhibiting the building of high-fidelity models and barring a combination with further structural biology methods. Here, we review the structural biology efforts within this field and highlight the role of integrative structural biology approaches that have proved successful for some of these systems. Finally, we summarize the structural elements of major tail proteins and conceptualize how different amounts of tail tube flexibility confer heterogeneity within cryo-EM maps and, thus, limit high-resolution reconstructions.
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18
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Vladimirov M, Gautam V, Davidson AR. Identification of the tail assembly chaperone genes of T4-Like phages suggests a mechanism other than translational frameshifting for biogenesis of their encoded proteins. Virology 2021; 566:9-15. [PMID: 34826709 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2021.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Tape measure (TM) proteins are essential for the formation of long-tailed phages. TM protein assembly into tails requires the action of tail assembly chaperones (TACs). TACs (e.g. gpG and gpT of E. coli phage lambda) are usually produced in a short (TAC-N) and long form (TAC-NC) with the latter comprised of TAC-N with an additional C-terminal domain (TAC-C). TAC-NC is generally synthesized through a ribosomal frameshifting mechanism. TAC encoding genes have never been identified in the intensively studied Escherichia coli phage T4, or any related phages. Here, we have bioinformatically identified putative TAC encoding genes in diverse T4-like phage genomes. The frameshifting mechanism for producing TAC-NC appears to be conserved in several T4-like phage groups. However, the group including phage T4 itself likely employs a different strategy whereby TAC-N and TAC-NC are encoded by separate genes (26 and 51 in phage T4).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vladimirov
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vasu Gautam
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alan R Davidson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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19
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Abstract
The purpose of this review is to explore self-organizing mechanisms that pattern microtubules (MTs) and spatially organize animal cell cytoplasm, inspired by recent experiments in frog egg extract. We start by reviewing conceptual distinctions between self-organizing and templating mechanisms for subcellular organization. We then discuss self-organizing mechanisms that generate radial MT arrays and cell centers in the absence of centrosomes. These include autocatalytic MT nucleation, transport of minus ends, and nucleation from organelles such as melanosomes and Golgi vesicles that are also dynein cargoes. We then discuss mechanisms that partition the cytoplasm in syncytia, in which multiple nuclei share a common cytoplasm, starting with cytokinesis, when all metazoan cells are transiently syncytial. The cytoplasm of frog eggs is partitioned prior to cytokinesis by two self-organizing modules, protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1)-kinesin family member 4A (KIF4A) and chromosome passenger complex (CPC)-KIF20A. Similar modules may partition longer-lasting syncytia, such as early Drosophila embryos. We end by discussing shared mechanisms and principles for the MT-based self-organization of cellular units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Mitchison
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA; ,
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
| | - Christine M Field
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA; ,
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
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20
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Seul A, Brasilès S, Petitpas I, Lurz R, Campanacci V, Cambillau C, Weise F, Zairi M, Tavares P, Auzat I. Biogenesis of a Bacteriophage Long Non-Contractile Tail. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167112. [PMID: 34153288 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Siphoviruses are main killers of bacteria. They use a long non-contractile tail to recognize the host cell and to deliver the genome from the viral capsid to the bacterial cytoplasm. Here, we define the molecular organization of the Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage SPP1 ~ 6.8 MDa tail and uncover its biogenesis mechanisms. A complex between gp21 and the tail distal protein (Dit) gp19.1 is assembled first to build the tail cap (gp19.1-gp21Nter) connected by a flexible hinge to the tail fiber (gp21Cter). The tip of the gp21Cter fiber is loosely associated to gp22. The cap provides a platform where tail tube proteins (TTPs) initiate polymerization around the tape measure protein gp18 (TMP), a reaction dependent on the non-structural tail assembly chaperones gp17.5 and gp17.5* (TACs). Gp17.5 is essential for stability of gp18 in the cell. Helical polymerization stops at a precise tube length followed by binding of proteins gp16.1 (TCP) and gp17 (THJP) to build the tail interface for attachment to the capsid portal system. This finding uncovers the function of the extensively conserved gp16.1-homologs in assembly of long tails. All SPP1 tail components, apart from gp22, share homology to conserved proteins whose coding genes' synteny is broadly maintained in siphoviruses. They conceivably represent the minimal essential protein set necessary to build functional long tails. Proteins homologous to SPP1 tail building blocks feature a variety of add-on modules that diversify extensively the tail core structure, expanding its capability to bind host cells and to deliver the viral genome to the bacterial cytoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anait Seul
- Unité de Virologie Moléculaire et Structurale, Centre de Recherche de Gif, CNRS UPR 3296 and IFR115, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Sandrine Brasilès
- Unité de Virologie Moléculaire et Structurale, Centre de Recherche de Gif, CNRS UPR 3296 and IFR115, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Isabelle Petitpas
- Unité de Virologie Moléculaire et Structurale, Centre de Recherche de Gif, CNRS UPR 3296 and IFR115, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Rudi Lurz
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Valérie Campanacci
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 6098 CNRS and Universités d'Aix-Marseille I & II, Campus de Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Christian Cambillau
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, UMR 6098 CNRS and Universités d'Aix-Marseille I & II, Campus de Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Frank Weise
- Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mohamed Zairi
- Unité de Virologie Moléculaire et Structurale, Centre de Recherche de Gif, CNRS UPR 3296 and IFR115, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Paulo Tavares
- Unité de Virologie Moléculaire et Structurale, Centre de Recherche de Gif, CNRS UPR 3296 and IFR115, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Isabelle Auzat
- Unité de Virologie Moléculaire et Structurale, Centre de Recherche de Gif, CNRS UPR 3296 and IFR115, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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21
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Complete Genome Sequence of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Siphophage Salva. Microbiol Resour Announc 2021; 10:10/10/e00083-21. [PMID: 33707323 PMCID: PMC7953286 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00083-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a Gram-negative pathogen causing severe and often refractory illnesses such as pneumonia and bacteremia. We present the genome of phage Salva, a novel S. maltophilia phage that is not closely related to any phages currently deposited in GenBank. The genome is 60,789 bp, containing 102 putative protein-coding genes. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a Gram-negative pathogen causing severe and often refractory illnesses such as pneumonia and bacteremia. We present the genome of phage Salva, a novel S. maltophilia phage that is not closely related to any phages currently deposited in GenBank. The genome is 60,789 bp, containing 102 putative protein-coding genes.
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22
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The Novel Halovirus Hardycor1, and the Presence of Active (Induced) Proviruses in Four Haloarchaea. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12020149. [PMID: 33498646 PMCID: PMC7911831 DOI: 10.3390/genes12020149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The virus Hardycor1 was isolated in 1998 and infects the haloarchaeon Halorubrum coriense. DNA from a frozen stock (HC1) was sequenced and the viral genome found to be 45,142 bp of dsDNA, probably having redundant, circularly permuted termini. The genome showed little similarity (BLASTn) to known viruses. Only twenty-two of the 53 (41%) predicted proteins were significantly similar to sequences in the NCBI nr protein database (E-value ≤ 10-15). Six caudovirus-like proteins were encoded, including large subunit terminase (TerL), major capsid protein (Mcp) and tape measure protein (Tmp). Hardycor1 was predicted to be a siphovirus (VIRFAM). No close relationship to other viruses was found using phylogenetic tree reconstructions based on TerL and Mcp. Unexpectedly, the sequenced virus stock HC1 also revealed two induced proviruses of the host: a siphovirus (Humcor1) and a pleolipovirus (Humcor2). A re-examination of other similarly sequenced, archival virus stocks revealed induced proviruses of Haloferax volcanii, Haloferax gibbonsii and Haloarcula hispanica, three of which were pleolipoviruses. One provirus (Halfvol2) of Hfx. volcanii showed little similarity (BLASTn) to known viruses and probably represents a novel virus group. The attP sequences of many pleolipoproviruses were found to be embedded in a newly detected coding sequence, split in the provirus state, that spans between genes for integrase and a downstream CxxC-motif protein. This gene might play an important role in regulation of the temperate state.
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23
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Structure, function and assembly of the long, flexible tail of siphophages. Curr Opin Virol 2020; 45:34-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2020.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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24
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Hardy JM, Dunstan RA, Grinter R, Belousoff MJ, Wang J, Pickard D, Venugopal H, Dougan G, Lithgow T, Coulibaly F. The architecture and stabilisation of flagellotropic tailed bacteriophages. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3748. [PMID: 32719311 PMCID: PMC7385642 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17505-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Flagellotropic bacteriophages engage flagella to reach the bacterial surface as an effective means to increase the capture radius for predation. Structural details of these viruses are of great interest given the substantial drag forces and torques they face when moving down the spinning flagellum. We show that the main capsid and auxiliary proteins form two nested chainmails that ensure the integrity of the bacteriophage head. Core stabilising structures are conserved in herpesviruses suggesting their ancestral origin. The structure of the tail also reveals a robust yet pliable assembly. Hexameric rings of the tail-tube protein are braced by the N-terminus and a β-hairpin loop, and interconnected along the tail by the splayed β-hairpins. By contrast, we show that the β-hairpin has an inhibitory role in the tail-tube precursor, preventing uncontrolled self-assembly. Dyads of acidic residues inside the tail-tube present regularly-spaced motifs well suited to DNA translocation into bacteria through the tail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Hardy
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Rhys A Dunstan
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Rhys Grinter
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Matthew J Belousoff
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Jiawei Wang
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Derek Pickard
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hariprasad Venugopal
- Ramaciotti Centre for Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Gordon Dougan
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Trevor Lithgow
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Fasséli Coulibaly
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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Zeman M, Bárdy P, Vrbovská V, Roudnický P, Zdráhal Z, Růžičková V, Doškař J, Pantůček R. New Genus Fibralongavirus in Siphoviridae Phages of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. Viruses 2019; 11:E1143. [PMID: 31835553 PMCID: PMC6950010 DOI: 10.3390/v11121143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages of the significant veterinary pathogen Staphylococcus pseudintermedius are rarely described morphologically and genomically in detail, and mostly include phages of the Siphoviridae family. There is currently no taxonomical classification for phages of this bacterial species. Here we describe a new phage designated vB_SpsS_QT1, which is related to phage 2638A originally described as a Staphylococcus aureus phage. Propagating strain S. aureus 2854 of the latter was reclassified by rpoB gene sequencing as S. pseudintermedius 2854 in this work. Both phages have a narrow but different host range determined on 54 strains. Morphologically, both of them belong to the family Siphoviridae, share the B1 morphotype, and differ from other staphylococcal phage genera by a single long fibre at the terminus of the tail. The complete genome of phage vB_SpsS_QT1 was sequenced with the IonTorrent platform and expertly annotated. Its linear genome with cohesive ends is 43,029 bp long and encodes 60 predicted genes with the typical modular structure of staphylococcal siphophages. A global alignment found the genomes of vB_SpsS_QT1 and 2638A to share 84% nucleotide identity, but they have no significant similarity of nucleotide sequences with other phage genomes available in public databases. Based on the morphological, phylogenetic, and genomic analyses, a novel genus Fibralongavirus in the family Siphoviridae is described with phage species vB_SpsS_QT1 and 2638A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Zeman
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavol Bárdy
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Vrbovská
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Roudnický
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zbyněk Zdráhal
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vladislava Růžičková
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Doškař
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Pantůček
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
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26
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Campbell PL, Duda RL, Nassur J, Conway JF, Huet A. Mobile Loops and Electrostatic Interactions Maintain the Flexible Tail Tube of Bacteriophage Lambda. J Mol Biol 2019; 432:384-395. [PMID: 31711962 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 10/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The long flexible tail tube of bacteriophage lambda connects its capsid to the tail tip. On infection, a DNA ejection signal is passed from the tip, along the tube to the capsid that triggers passage of the DNA down the tube and into the host bacterium. The tail tube is built from repeating units of the major tail protein, gpV, which has two distinctive domains. Its N-terminal domain has the same fold as proteins that form the rigid inner tubes of contractile tail phages, such as T4, and its C-terminal domain adopt an Ig-like fold of unknown function. We determined structures of the lambda tail tube in free tails and in virions before and after DNA ejection using cryoelectron microscopy. Modeling of the density maps reveals how electrostatic interactions and a mobile loop participate in assembly and also impart flexibility to the tube while maintaining its integrity. We also demonstrate how a common protein fold produces rigid tubes in some phages but flexible tubes in others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia L Campbell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Structural Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Robert L Duda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Jamie Nassur
- Department of Structural Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - James F Conway
- Department of Structural Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
| | - Alexis Huet
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Structural Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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27
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DNA Packaging and Genomics of the Salmonella 9NA-Like Phages. J Virol 2019; 93:JVI.00848-19. [PMID: 31462565 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00848-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We present the genome sequences of Salmonella enterica tailed phages Sasha, Sergei, and Solent. These phages, along with Salmonella phages 9NA, FSL_SP-062, and FSL_SP-069 and the more distantly related Proteus phage PmiS-Isfahan, have similarly sized genomes of between 52 and 57 kbp in length that are largely syntenic. Their genomes also show substantial genome mosaicism relative to one another, which is common within tailed phage clusters. Their gene content ranges from 80 to 99 predicted genes, of which 40 are common to all seven and form the core genome, which includes all identifiable virion assembly and DNA replication genes. The total number of gene types (pangenome) in the seven phages is 176, and 59 of these are unique to individual phages. Their core genomes are much more closely related to one another than to the genome of any other known phage, and they comprise a well-defined cluster within the family Siphoviridae To begin to characterize this group of phages in more experimental detail, we identified the genes that encode the major virion proteins and examined the DNA packaging of the prototypic member, phage 9NA. We show that it uses a pac site-directed headful packaging mechanism that results in virion chromosomes that are circularly permuted and about 13% terminally redundant. We also show that its packaging series initiates with double-stranded DNA cleavages that are scattered across a 170-bp region and that its headful measuring device has a precision of ±1.8%.IMPORTANCE The 9NA-like phages are clearly highly related to each other but are not closely related to any other known phage type. This work describes the genomes of three new 9NA-like phages and the results of experimental analysis of the proteome of the 9NA virion and DNA packaging into the 9NA phage head. There is increasing interest in the biology of phages because of their potential for use as antibacterial agents and for their ecological roles in bacterial communities. 9NA-like phages that infect two bacterial genera have been identified to date, and related phages infecting additional Gram-negative bacterial hosts are likely to be found in the future. This work provides a foundation for the study of these phages, which will facilitate their study and potential use.
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Complete Genome Sequence of Salmonella enterica Siphophage Shelanagig. Microbiol Resour Announc 2019; 8:8/39/e01033-19. [PMID: 31558641 PMCID: PMC6763656 DOI: 10.1128/mra.01033-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enterica is a Gram-negative human pathogen widely known to cause food poisoning. Here, the genome of S. enterica phage Shelanagig is described. Its 42,541-bp genome codes for 68 proteins, for which 33 were assigned a predicted function. Shelanagig shares high similarity at the protein level with other Salmonella phages. Salmonella enterica is a Gram-negative human pathogen widely known to cause food poisoning. Here, the genome of S. enterica phage Shelanagig is described. Its 42,541-bp genome codes for 68 proteins, for which 33 were assigned a predicted function. Shelanagig shares high similarity at the protein level with other Salmonella phages.
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29
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Abstract
Here, we introduce the genome of Sebago, a 43,878-bp siphophage that infects Staphylococcus aureus. Sebago carries 70 proteins and is most closely related to StauST398, a Phietavirus. Here, we introduce the genome of Sebago, a 43,878-bp siphophage that infects Staphylococcus aureus. Sebago carries 70 proteins and is most closely related to StauST398, a Phietavirus.
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30
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Complete Genome Sequence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens Myophage Milano. Microbiol Resour Announc 2019; 8:8/25/e00587-19. [PMID: 31221656 PMCID: PMC6588377 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00587-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58 is a tumor-causing pathogen targeting plants and is ubiquitously found in soil. Here, the complete genome sequence of Milano, a myophage infecting A. tumefaciens C58, is presented. Milano encodes 127 proteins, of which 45 can be assigned a predicted function, and it is most similar to the flagellotropic Agrobacterium phage 7-7-1. Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58 is a tumor-causing pathogen targeting plants and is ubiquitously found in soil. Here, the complete genome sequence of Milano, a myophage infecting A. tumefaciens C58, is presented. Milano encodes 127 proteins, of which 45 can be assigned a predicted function, and it is most similar to the flagellotropic Agrobacterium phage 7-7-1.
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31
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The Revisited Genome of Bacillus subtilis Bacteriophage SPP1. Viruses 2018; 10:v10120705. [PMID: 30544981 PMCID: PMC6316719 DOI: 10.3390/v10120705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage SPP1 is a lytic siphovirus first described 50 years ago [1]. Its complete DNA sequence was reported in 1997 [2]. Here we present an updated annotation of the 44,016 bp SPP1 genome and its correlation to different steps of the viral multiplication process. Five early polycistronic transcriptional units encode phage DNA replication proteins and lysis functions together with less characterized, mostly non-essential, functions. Late transcription drives synthesis of proteins necessary for SPP1 viral particles assembly and for cell lysis, together with a short set of proteins of unknown function. The extensive genetic, biochemical and structural biology studies on the molecular mechanisms of SPP1 DNA replication and phage particle assembly rendered it a model system for tailed phages research. We propose SPP1 as the reference species for a new SPP1-like viruses genus of the Siphoviridae family.
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32
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Genomic characterization of three novel Basilisk-like phages infecting Bacillus anthracis. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:685. [PMID: 30227847 PMCID: PMC6145125 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5056-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In the present study, we sequenced the complete genomes of three novel bacteriophages v_B-Bak1, v_B-Bak6, v_B-Bak10 previously isolated from historical anthrax burial sites in the South Caucasus country of Georgia. We report here major trends in the molecular evolution of these phages, which we designate as “Basilisk-Like-Phages” (BLPs), and illustrate patterns in their evolution, genomic plasticity and core genome architecture. Results Comparative whole genome sequence analysis revealed a close evolutionary relationship between our phages and two unclassified Bacillus cereus group phages, phage Basilisk, a broad host range phage (Grose JH et al., J Vir. 2014;88(20):11846-11860) and phage PBC4, a highly host-restricted phage and close relative of Basilisk (Na H. et al. FEMS Microbiol. letters. 2016;363(12)). Genome comparisons of phages v_B-Bak1, v_B-Bak6, and v_B-Bak10 revealed significant similarity in sequence, gene content, and synteny with both Basilisk and PBC4. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the three phages belong to the Siphoviridae family. In contrast to the broad host range of phage Basilisk and the single-strain specificity of PBC4, our three phages displayed host specificity for Bacillus anthracis. Bacillus species including Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus anthracoides, and Bacillus megaterium were refractory to infection. Conclusions Data reported here provide further insight into the shared genomic architecture, host range specificity, and molecular evolution of these rare B. cereus group phages. To date, the three phages represent the only known close relatives of the Basilisk and PBC4 phages and their shared genetic attributes and unique host specificity for B. anthracis provides additional insight into candidate host range determinants. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-5056-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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33
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Abstract
Roger W. Hendrix was at the forefront of bacteriophage biology for nearly 50 years and was central to our understanding of both viral capsid assembly and phage genomic diversity and evolution. Roger's warm and gentle demeanor belied a razor-sharp mind and warmed him to numerous highly productive collaborations that amplified his scientific impact. Roger was always completely open with scientific ideas while at the same time quietly agitating with a stream of new ways of thinking about problems and nudging our communities to search for innovative solutions: a gentle but highly effective provocateur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherwood R Casjens
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Graham F Hatfull
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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34
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Catalano CE. Bacteriophage lambda: The path from biology to theranostic agent. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E. Catalano
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical ScienceUniversity of ColoradoAuroraColorado
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35
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The Tape Measure Protein Is Involved in the Heat Stability of Lactococcus lactis Phages. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.02082-17. [PMID: 29150509 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02082-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Virulent lactococcal phages are still a major risk for milk fermentation processes as they may lead to slowdowns and low-quality fermented dairy products, particularly cheeses. Some of the phage control strategies used by the industry rely on heat treatments. Recently, a few Lactococcus lactis phages were found to be highly thermo-resistant. To identify the genetic determinant(s) responsible for the thermal resistance of lactococcal phages, we used the virulent phage CB14 (of the Lactococcus lactis 936 [now Sk1virus] phage group) to select for phage mutants with increased heat stability. By treating phage CB14 to successive low and high temperatures, we were able to select two CB14 derivatives with increased heat stability. Sequencing of their genome revealed the same nucleotide sequences as the wild-type phage CB14, except for a same-sized deletion (120 bp) in the gene coding for the tape measure protein (TMP) of each phage mutant, but at a different position. The TMP protein sequences of these mutant phages were compared with their homologues in other wild-type L. lactis phages with a wide diversity in heat stability. Comparative analysis showed that the same nucleotide deletion appears to have also occurred in the gene coding for the TMP of highly thermo-resistant lactococcal phages P1532 and P680. We propose that the TMP is, in part, responsible for the heat stability of the highly predominant lactococcal phages of the Sk1virus group.IMPORTANCE Virulent lactococcal phages still represent a major risk for milk fermentation as they may lead to slowdowns and low-quality fermented dairy products. Heat treatment is one of the most commonly used methods to control these virulent phages in cheese by-products. Recently, a few Lactococcus lactis phages, members of the Sk1virus group, have emerged with high thermal stability. To our knowledge, the genetic determinant(s) responsible for this thermal resistance in lactococcal phages is unknown. A better understanding of the thermal stability of these emerging virulent lactococcal phages is needed to improve industrial control strategies. In this work, we report the identification of a phage structural protein that is involved in the heat stability of a virulent Sk1virus phage. Identifying such a genetic determinant for heat stability is a first step in understanding the emergence of this group of thermostable phages.
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36
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Abstract
In this review we discuss the history and the current state of ideas related to the mechanism of size regulation of the thick (myosin) and thin (actin) filaments in vertebrate striated muscles. Various hypotheses have been considered during of more than half century of research, recently mostly involving titin and nebulin acting as templates or 'molecular rulers', terminating exact assembly. These two giant, single-polypeptide, filamentous proteins are bound in situ along the thick and thin filaments, respectively, with an almost perfect match in the respective lengths and structural periodicities. However, evidence still questions the possibility that the proteins function as templates, or scaffolds, on which the thin and thick filaments could be assembled. In addition, the progress in muscle research during the last decades highlighted a number of other factors that could potentially be involved in the mechanism of length regulation: molecular chaperones that may guide folding and assembly of actin and myosin; capping proteins that can influence the rates of assembly-disassembly of the myofilaments; Ca2+ transients that can activate or deactivate protein interactions, etc. The entire mechanism of sarcomere assembly appears complex and highly dynamic. This mechanism is also capable of producing filaments of about the correct size without titin and nebulin. What then is the role of these proteins? Evidence points to titin and nebulin stabilizing structures of the respective filaments. This stabilizing effect, based on linear proteins of a fixed size, implies that titin and nebulin are indeed molecular rulers of the filaments. Although the proteins may not function as templates in the assembly of the filaments, they measure and stabilize exactly the same size of the functionally important for the muscles segments in each of the respective filaments.
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37
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Mahony J, Alqarni M, Stockdale S, Spinelli S, Feyereisen M, Cambillau C, Sinderen DV. Functional and structural dissection of the tape measure protein of lactococcal phage TP901-1. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36667. [PMID: 27824135 PMCID: PMC5099701 DOI: 10.1038/srep36667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The tail tape measure protein (TMP) of tailed bacteriophages (also called phages) dictates the tail length and facilitates DNA transit to the cell cytoplasm during infection. Here, a thorough mutational analysis of the TMP from lactococcal phage TP901-1 (TMPTP901-1) was undertaken. We generated 56 mutants aimed at defining TMPTP901-1 domains that are essential for tail assembly and successful infection. Through analysis of the derived mutants, we determined that TP901-1 infectivity requires the N-terminal 154 aa residues, the C-terminal 60 residues and the first predicted hydrophobic region of TMPTP901-1 as a minimum. Furthermore, the role of TMPTP901-1 in tail length determination was visualized by electron microscopic imaging of TMP-deletion mutants. The inverse linear correlation between the extent of TMPTP901-1-encoding gene deletions and tail length of the corresponding virion provides an estimate of TMPTP901-1 regions interacting with the connector or involved in initiator complex formation. This study represents the most thorough characterisation of a TMP from a Gram-positive host-infecting phage and provides essential advances to understanding its role in virion assembly, morphology and infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Mahony
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Mona Alqarni
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Stephen Stockdale
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Silvia Spinelli
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Aix-Marseille Université, Campus de Luminy, Marseille, France.,Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Campus de Luminy, Marseille, France
| | | | - Christian Cambillau
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Aix-Marseille Université, Campus de Luminy, Marseille, France.,Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Campus de Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Douwe van Sinderen
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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38
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Atkins JF, Loughran G, Bhatt PR, Firth AE, Baranov PV. Ribosomal frameshifting and transcriptional slippage: From genetic steganography and cryptography to adventitious use. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:7007-78. [PMID: 27436286 PMCID: PMC5009743 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic decoding is not ‘frozen’ as was earlier thought, but dynamic. One facet of this is frameshifting that often results in synthesis of a C-terminal region encoded by a new frame. Ribosomal frameshifting is utilized for the synthesis of additional products, for regulatory purposes and for translational ‘correction’ of problem or ‘savior’ indels. Utilization for synthesis of additional products occurs prominently in the decoding of mobile chromosomal element and viral genomes. One class of regulatory frameshifting of stable chromosomal genes governs cellular polyamine levels from yeasts to humans. In many cases of productively utilized frameshifting, the proportion of ribosomes that frameshift at a shift-prone site is enhanced by specific nascent peptide or mRNA context features. Such mRNA signals, which can be 5′ or 3′ of the shift site or both, can act by pairing with ribosomal RNA or as stem loops or pseudoknots even with one component being 4 kb 3′ from the shift site. Transcriptional realignment at slippage-prone sequences also generates productively utilized products encoded trans-frame with respect to the genomic sequence. This too can be enhanced by nucleic acid structure. Together with dynamic codon redefinition, frameshifting is one of the forms of recoding that enriches gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- John F Atkins
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Gary Loughran
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Pramod R Bhatt
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Andrew E Firth
- Division of Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Pavel V Baranov
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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39
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Abstract
The cell represents a highly organized state of living matter in which numerous geometrical parameters are under dynamic regulation in order to match the form of a cell with its function. Cells appear capable of regulating not only the total quantity of their internal organelles, but also the size and number of those organelles. The regulation of three parameters, size, number, and total quantity, can in principle be accomplished by regulating the production or growth of organelles, their degradation or disassembly, and their partitioning among daughter cells during division. Any or all of these steps could in principle be under regulation. But if organelle assembly or disassembly is regulated by number or size, how would the cell know how many copies of an organelle it has, or how big they are?
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Affiliation(s)
- Wallace F Marshall
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143;
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40
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Christie GE, Calendar R. Bacteriophage P2. BACTERIOPHAGE 2016; 6:e1145782. [PMID: 27144088 DOI: 10.1080/21597081.2016.1145782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
P2 is the original member of a highly successful family of temperate phages that are frequently found in the genomes of gram-negative bacteria. This article focuses on the organization of the P2 genome and reviews current knowledge about the function of each open reading frame.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail E Christie
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine , Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Richard Calendar
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA
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Korol N, Van den Bossche A, Romaniuk L, Noben JP, Lavigne R, Tovkach F. Experimental evidence for proteins constituting virion components and particle morphogenesis of bacteriophage ZF40. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2016; 363:fnw042. [PMID: 26887841 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnw042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage ZF40 is the only currently available, temperate Myoviridae phage infecting the potato pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. Despite its unusual tail morphology, its major tail sheath and tube proteins remained uncharacterized after the initial genome annotation. Using ESI tandem mass-spectrometry, 24 structural proteins of the ZF40 virion were identified, with a sequence coverage ranging between 15.8% and 87.8%. The putative function of 16 proteins could be elucidated based on secondary structure analysis and conservative domain searches. The experimental annotation of 35% of the encoded gene products within the structural region of the genome represents a complete view of the virion structure, which can serve as the basis for future structural analysis as a model phage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Korol
- Department of Bacteriophage Molecular Genetics, D. K. Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology, NAS of Ukraine, D03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - An Van den Bossche
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium Division of Bacterial Diseases, Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Liudmyla Romaniuk
- Department of Bacteriophage Molecular Genetics, D. K. Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology, NAS of Ukraine, D03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Jean-Paul Noben
- Biomedical Research Institute and Transnationale Universiteit Limburg, School of Life Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fedor Tovkach
- Department of Bacteriophage Molecular Genetics, D. K. Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology, NAS of Ukraine, D03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
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Mahony J, Stockdale SR, Collins B, Spinelli S, Douillard FP, Cambillau C, van Sinderen D. Lactococcus lactis phage TP901-1 as a model for Siphoviridae virion assembly. BACTERIOPHAGE 2016; 6:e1123795. [PMID: 27144086 DOI: 10.1080/21597081.2015.1123795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Phages infecting Lactococcus lactis pose a serious threat to the dairy fermentation sector. Consequently, they are among the most thoroughly characterized Gram positive-infecting phages. The majority of lactococcal phages belong to the tailed family of phages named the Siphoviridae. The coliphage lambda and the Bacillus subtilis phage SPP1 have been the predominant comparators for emerging siphophages both genomically and structurally and both phages recognize a membrane protein receptor. In contrast, the lactococcal P335 group phage TP901-1 attaches to cell wall surface polysaccharides. It is a typical "lambdoid" siphophage possessing a long non-contractile tail and a genomic architecture reminiscent of lambda and SPP1 despite low or undetectable sequence homology in many of its encoded products, especially those involved in host recognition. A functional analysis of the structural components of TP901-1 was undertaken based on the characterization of a series of mutants in the region encoding the capsid and tail morphogenetic elements. Through this analysis, it was possible to deduce that, despite the lack of sequence homology, the overall genomic architecture of Siphoviridae phages typified by functional synteny is conserved. Furthermore, a model of the TP901-1 assembly pathway was developed with potential implications for many tailed phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Mahony
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork , Cork, Ireland
| | - Stephen R Stockdale
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Barry Collins
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork , Cork, Ireland
| | - Silvia Spinelli
- Aix-Marseille Université, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Campus de Luminy , Marseille Cedex, France
| | | | - Christian Cambillau
- Aix-Marseille Université, Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Campus de Luminy, Marseille Cedex, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, AFMB, Campus de Luminy, Marseille Cedex, France
| | - Douwe van Sinderen
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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43
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Chaijarasphong T, Nichols RJ, Kortright KE, Nixon CF, Teng PK, Oltrogge LM, Savage DF. Programmed Ribosomal Frameshifting Mediates Expression of the α-Carboxysome. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:153-164. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2015.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Structure and Assembly of TP901-1 Virion Unveiled by Mutagenesis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0131676. [PMID: 26147978 PMCID: PMC4493119 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages of the Siphoviridae family represent the most abundant viral morphology in the biosphere, yet many molecular aspects of their virion structure, assembly and associated functions remain to be unveiled. In this study, we present a comprehensive mutational and molecular analysis of the temperate Lactococcus lactis-infecting phage TP901-1. Fourteen mutations located within the structural module of TP901-1 were created; twelve mutations were designed to prevent full length translation of putative proteins by non-sense mutations, while two additional mutations caused aberrant protein production. Electron microscopy and Western blot analysis of mutant virion preparations, as well as in vitro assembly of phage mutant combinations, revealed the essential nature of many of the corresponding gene products and provided information on their biological function(s). Based on the information obtained, we propose a functional and assembly model of the TP901-1 Siphoviridae virion.
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45
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Casjens SR, Hendrix RW. Bacteriophage lambda: Early pioneer and still relevant. Virology 2015; 479-480:310-30. [PMID: 25742714 PMCID: PMC4424060 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2015.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Molecular genetic research on bacteriophage lambda carried out during its golden age from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s was critically important in the attainment of our current understanding of the sophisticated and complex mechanisms by which the expression of genes is controlled, of DNA virus assembly and of the molecular nature of lysogeny. The development of molecular cloning techniques, ironically instigated largely by phage lambda researchers, allowed many phage workers to switch their efforts to other biological systems. Nonetheless, since that time the ongoing study of lambda and its relatives has continued to give important new insights. In this review we give some relevant early history and describe recent developments in understanding the molecular biology of lambda's life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherwood R Casjens
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology Department, University of Utah School of Medicine, Emma Eccles Jones Medical Research Building, 15 North Medical Drive East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Biology Department, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
| | - Roger W Hendrix
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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46
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A proposed new bacteriophage subfamily: “Jerseyvirinae”. Arch Virol 2015; 160:1021-33. [DOI: 10.1007/s00705-015-2344-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Abstract
Citrobacter freundii is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for many urinary tract infections acquired in hospitals and is thus a concern for public health. C. freundii phage Stevie might prove beneficial as a treatment against these infections. The complete genome of Stevie and its key features are described here.
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48
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Ali Y, Koberg S, Heßner S, Sun X, Rabe B, Back A, Neve H, Heller KJ. Temperate Streptococcus thermophilus phages expressing superinfection exclusion proteins of the Ltp type. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:98. [PMID: 24659988 PMCID: PMC3952083 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2013] [Accepted: 02/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipoprotein Ltp encoded by temperate Streptococcus thermophilus phage TP-J34 is the prototype of the wide-spread family of host cell surface-exposed lipoproteins involved in superinfection exclusion (sie). When screening for other S. thermophilus phages expressing this type of lipoprotein, three temperate phages—TP-EW, TP-DSM20617, and TP-778—were isolated. In this communication we present the total nucleotide sequences of TP-J34 and TP-778L. For TP-EW, a phage almost identical to TP-J34, besides the ltp gene only the two regions of deviation from TP-J34 DNA were analyzed: the gene encoding the tail protein causing an assembly defect in TP-J34 and the gene encoding the lysin, which in TP-EW contains an intron. For TP-DSM20617 only the sequence of the lysogeny module containing the ltp gene was determined. The region showed high homology to the same region of TP-778. For TP-778 we could show that absence of the attR region resulted in aberrant excision of phage DNA. The amino acid sequence of mature LtpTP-EW was shown to be identical to that of mature LtpTP-J34, whereas the amino acid sequence of mature LtpTP-778 was shown to differ from mature LtpTP-J34 in eight amino acid positions. LtpTP-DSM20617 was shown to differ from LtpTP-778 in just one amino acid position. In contrast to LtpTP-J34, LtpTP-778 did not affect infection of lactococcal phage P008 instead increased activity against phage P001 was noticed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahya Ali
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut (Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food) Kiel, Germany ; Medical Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ; Department of Biotechnology, Agricultural Research Center, Animal Health Research Institute Cairo, Egypt
| | - Sabrina Koberg
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut (Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food) Kiel, Germany
| | - Stefanie Heßner
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut (Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food) Kiel, Germany
| | - Xingmin Sun
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut (Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food) Kiel, Germany
| | - Björn Rabe
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut (Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food) Kiel, Germany
| | - Angela Back
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut (Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food) Kiel, Germany
| | - Horst Neve
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut (Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food) Kiel, Germany
| | - Knut J Heller
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut (Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food) Kiel, Germany
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Characterization of novel virulent broad-host-range phages of Xylella fastidiosa and Xanthomonas. J Bacteriol 2013; 196:459-71. [PMID: 24214944 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01080-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The xylem-limited bacterium Xylella fastidiosa is the causal agent of several plant diseases, most notably Pierce's disease of grape and citrus variegated chlorosis. We report the isolation and characterization of the first virulent phages for X. fastidiosa, siphophages Sano and Salvo and podophages Prado and Paz, with a host range that includes Xanthomonas spp. Phages propagated on homologous hosts had observed adsorption rate constants of ~4 × 10(-12) ml cell(-1) min(-1) for X. fastidiosa strain Temecula 1 and ~5 × 10(-10) to 7 × 10(-10) ml cell(-1) min(-1) for Xanthomonas strain EC-12. Sano and Salvo exhibit >80% nucleotide identity to each other in aligned regions and are syntenic to phage BcepNazgul. We propose that phage BcepNazgul is the founding member of a novel phage type, to which Sano and Salvo belong. The lysis genes of the Nazgul-like phage type include a gene that encodes an outer membrane lipoprotein endolysin and also spanin gene families that provide insight into the evolution of the lysis pathway for phages of Gram-negative hosts. Prado and Paz, although exhibiting no significant DNA homology to each other, are new members of the phiKMV-like phage type, based on the position of the single-subunit RNA polymerase gene. The four phages are type IV pilus dependent for infection of both X. fastidiosa and Xanthomonas. The phages may be useful as agents for an effective and environmentally responsible strategy for the control of diseases caused by X. fastidiosa.
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50
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Xu J, Hendrix RW, Duda RL. A balanced ratio of proteins from gene G and frameshift-extended gene GT is required for phage lambda tail assembly. J Mol Biol 2013; 425:3476-87. [PMID: 23851014 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2013.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2013] [Revised: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 07/02/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In bacteriophage λ, the overlapping open reading frames G and T are expressed by a programmed translational frameshift similar to that of the gag-pol genes of many retroviruses to produce the proteins gpG and gpGT. An analogous frameshift is widely conserved among other dsDNA tailed phages in their corresponding "G" and "GT" tail genes even in the absence of detectable sequence homology. The longer protein gpGT is known to be essential for tail assembly, but the requirement for the shorter gpG remained unclear because mutations in gene G affect both proteins. A plasmid system that can direct the efficient synthesis of tails was created and used to show that gpG and gpGT are both essential for correct tail assembly. Phage complementation assays under conditions where levels of plasmid-expressed gpG or gpGT could be altered independently revealed that the correct molar ratio of these two related proteins, normally determined by the efficiency of the frameshift, is also crucial for efficient assembly of functional tails. Finally, the physical connection between the G and T domains of gpGT, a consequence of the frameshift mechanism of protein expression, appears to be important for efficient tail assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Xu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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