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Sørensen AN, Woudstra C, Kalmar D, Poppeliers J, Lavigne R, Sørensen MCH, Brøndsted L. The branched receptor-binding complex of Ackermannviridae phages promotes adaptive host recognition. iScience 2024; 27:110813. [PMID: 39310758 PMCID: PMC11414711 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages can encode multiple receptor-binding proteins, allowing them to recognize diverse receptors for infecting different strains. Ackermannviridae phages recognize various polysaccharides as receptors by encoding multiple tail spike proteins (TSPs), forming a branched complex. We aimed to mimic the evolution of the TSP complex by studying the acquisition of TSPs without disrupting the complex's functionality. Using kuttervirus S117 as a backbone, we demonstrated that acquiring tsp genes from Kuttervirus and Agtrevirus phages within the Ackermannviridae family led to altered host recognition. A fifth TSP was designed to interact with the branched complex and expand host recognition even further. Interestingly, the acquisition of tsp5 resulted in a recombination event between tsp4 and tsp5 or deletion of tsp3 and truncation of tsp4 genes. Our study provides insight into the development of the branched TSP complex, enabling Ackermannviridae phages to adapt to different hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Nørgaard Sørensen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Cedric Woudstra
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Dorottya Kalmar
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Jorien Poppeliers
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21 Box 2462, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21 Box 2462, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | | | - Lone Brøndsted
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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2
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Valentová L, Füzik T, Nováček J, Hlavenková Z, Pospíšil J, Plevka P. Structure and replication of Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage JBD30. EMBO J 2024:10.1038/s44318-024-00195-1. [PMID: 39143239 DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00195-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entities on Earth, but our understanding of many aspects of their lifecycles is still incomplete. Here, we have structurally analysed the infection cycle of the siphophage Casadabanvirus JBD30. Using its baseplate, JBD30 attaches to Pseudomonas aeruginosa via the bacterial type IV pilus, whose subsequent retraction brings the phage to the bacterial cell surface. Cryo-electron microscopy structures of the baseplate-pilus complex show that the tripod of baseplate receptor-binding proteins attaches to the outer bacterial membrane. The tripod and baseplate then open to release three copies of the tape-measure protein, an event that is followed by DNA ejection. JBD30 major capsid proteins assemble into procapsids, which expand by 7% in diameter upon filling with phage dsDNA. The DNA-filled heads are finally joined with 180-nm-long tails, which bend easily because flexible loops mediate contacts between the successive discs of major tail proteins. It is likely that the structural features and replication mechanisms described here are conserved among siphophages that utilize the type IV pili for initial cell attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Valentová
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tibor Füzik
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Nováček
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Hlavenková
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Pospíšil
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Plevka
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
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3
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Gambino M, Kushwaha SK, Wu Y, van Haastrecht P, Klein-Sousa V, Lutz VT, Bejaoui S, Jensen CMC, Bojer MS, Song W, Xiao M, Taylor NMI, Nobrega FL, Brøndsted L. Diversity and phage sensitivity to phages of porcine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0080724. [PMID: 38940562 PMCID: PMC11267873 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00807-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a diverse and poorly characterized E. coli pathotype that causes diarrhea in humans and animals. Phages have been proposed for the veterinary biocontrol of ETEC, but effective solutions require understanding of porcine ETEC diversity that affects phage infection. Here, we sequenced and analyzed the genomes of the PHAGEBio ETEC collection, gathering 79 diverse ETEC strains isolated from European pigs with post-weaning diarrhea (PWD). We identified the virulence factors characterizing the pathotype and several antibiotic resistance genes on plasmids, while phage resistance genes and other virulence factors were mostly chromosome encoded. We experienced that ETEC strains were highly resistant to Enterobacteriaceae phage infection. It was only by enrichment of numerous diverse samples with different media and conditions, using the 41 ETEC strains of our collection as hosts, that we could isolate two lytic phages that could infect a large part of our diverse ETEC collection: vB_EcoP_ETEP21B and vB_EcoS_ETEP102. Based on genome and host range analyses, we discussed the infection strategies of the two phages and identified components of lipopolysaccharides ( LPS) as receptors for the two phages. Our detailed computational structural analysis highlights several loops and pockets in the tail fibers that may allow recognition and binding of ETEC strains, also in the presence of O-antigens. Despite the importance of receptor recognition, the diversity of the ETEC strains remains a significant challenge for isolating ETEC phages and developing sustainable phage-based products to address ETEC-induced PWD.IMPORTANCEEnterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC)-induced post-weaning diarrhea is a severe disease in piglets that leads to weight loss and potentially death, with high economic and animal welfare costs worldwide. Phage-based approaches have been proposed, but available data are insufficient to ensure efficacy. Genome analysis of an extensive collection of ETEC strains revealed that phage defense mechanisms were mostly chromosome encoded, suggesting a lower chance of spread and selection by phage exposure. The difficulty in isolating lytic phages and the molecular and structural analyses of two ETEC phages point toward a multifactorial resistance of ETEC to phage infection and the importance of extensive phage screenings specifically against clinically relevant strains. The PHAGEBio ETEC collection and these two phages are valuable tools for the scientific community to expand our knowledge on the most studied, but still enigmatic, bacterial species-E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Gambino
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Institute of Conservation, The Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Simran Krishnakant Kushwaha
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental & Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India
| | - Yi Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan, India
| | - Pauline van Haastrecht
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental & Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Victor Klein-Sousa
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Veronika T. Lutz
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Semeh Bejaoui
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | - Martin S. Bojer
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | | | - Nicholas M. I. Taylor
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Franklin L. Nobrega
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental & Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Lone Brøndsted
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
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4
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Evseev PV, Sukhova AS, Tkachenko NA, Skryabin YP, Popova AV. Lytic Capsule-Specific Acinetobacter Bacteriophages Encoding Polysaccharide-Degrading Enzymes. Viruses 2024; 16:771. [PMID: 38793652 PMCID: PMC11126041 DOI: 10.3390/v16050771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The genus Acinetobacter comprises both environmental and clinically relevant species associated with hospital-acquired infections. Among them, Acinetobacter baumannii is a critical priority bacterial pathogen, for which the research and development of new strategies for antimicrobial treatment are urgently needed. Acinetobacter spp. produce a variety of structurally diverse capsular polysaccharides (CPSs), which surround the bacterial cells with a thick protective layer. These surface structures are primary receptors for capsule-specific bacteriophages, that is, phages carrying tailspikes with CPS-depolymerizing/modifying activities. Phage tailspike proteins (TSPs) exhibit hydrolase, lyase, or esterase activities toward the corresponding CPSs of a certain structure. In this study, the data on all lytic capsule-specific phages infecting Acinetobacter spp. with genomes deposited in the NCBI GenBank database by January 2024 were summarized. Among the 149 identified TSPs encoded in the genomes of 143 phages, the capsular specificity (K specificity) of 46 proteins has been experimentally determined or predicted previously. The specificity of 63 TSPs toward CPSs, produced by various Acinetobacter K types, was predicted in this study using a bioinformatic analysis. A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis confirmed the prediction and revealed the possibility of the genetic exchange of gene regions corresponding to the CPS-recognizing/degrading parts of different TSPs between morphologically and taxonomically distant groups of capsule-specific Acinetobacter phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter V. Evseev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia;
- State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, City District Serpukhov, Moscow Region, 142279 Obolensk, Russia; (A.S.S.); (Y.P.S.)
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasia S. Sukhova
- State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, City District Serpukhov, Moscow Region, 142279 Obolensk, Russia; (A.S.S.); (Y.P.S.)
| | - Nikolay A. Tkachenko
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Yuriy P. Skryabin
- State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, City District Serpukhov, Moscow Region, 142279 Obolensk, Russia; (A.S.S.); (Y.P.S.)
| | - Anastasia V. Popova
- State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, City District Serpukhov, Moscow Region, 142279 Obolensk, Russia; (A.S.S.); (Y.P.S.)
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Harris EB, Ewool KKK, Bowden LC, Fierro J, Johnson D, Meinzer M, Tayler S, Grose JH. Genomic and Proteomic Analysis of Six Vi01-like Phages Reveals Wide Host Range and Multiple Tail Spike Proteins. Viruses 2024; 16:289. [PMID: 38400064 PMCID: PMC10892097 DOI: 10.3390/v16020289] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Enterobacteriaceae is a large family of Gram-negative bacteria composed of many pathogens, including Salmonella and Shigella. Here, we characterize six bacteriophages that infect Enterobacteriaceae, which were isolated from wastewater plants in the Wasatch front (Utah, United States). These phages are highly similar to the Kuttervirus vB_SenM_Vi01 (Vi01), which was isolated using wastewater from Kiel, Germany. The phages vary little in genome size and are between 157 kb and 164 kb, which is consistent with the sizes of other phages in the Vi01-like phage family. These six phages were characterized through genomic and proteomic comparison, mass spectrometry, and both laboratory and clinical host range studies. While their proteomes are largely unstudied, mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the production of five hypothetical proteins, several of which unveiled a potential operon that suggests a ferritin-mediated entry system on the Vi01-like phage family tail. However, no dependence on this pathway was observed for the single host tested herein. While unable to infect every genus of Enterobacteriaceae tested, these phages are extraordinarily broad ranged, with several demonstrating the ability to infect Salmonella enterica and Citrobacter freundii strains with generally high efficiency, as well as several clinical Salmonella enterica isolates, most likely due to their multiple tail fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Julianne H. Grose
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84604, USA; (E.B.H.); (K.K.K.E.)
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6
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Ouyang R, Ongenae V, Muok A, Claessen D, Briegel A. Phage fibers and spikes: a nanoscale Swiss army knife for host infection. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 77:102429. [PMID: 38277900 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102429] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are being rediscovered as potent agents for medical and industrial applications. However, finding a suitable phage relies on numerous factors, including host specificity, burst size, and infection cycle. The host range of a phage is, besides phage defense systems, initially determined by the recognition and attachment of receptor-binding proteins (RBPs) to the target receptors of susceptible bacteria. RBPs include tail (or occasionally head) fibers and tailspikes. Owing to the potential flexibility and heterogeneity of these structures, they are often overlooked during structural studies. Recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy studies and computational approaches have begun to unravel their structural and fundamental mechanisms during phage infection. In this review, we discuss the current state of research on different phage tail and head fibers, spike models, and molecular mechanisms. These details may facilitate the manipulation of phage-host specificity, which in turn will have important implications for science and society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruochen Ouyang
- Department of Microbial Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, the Netherlands; MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xianning West Road 28, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Véronique Ongenae
- Department of Microbial Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, the Netherlands; Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Alise Muok
- Department of Microbial Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Dennis Claessen
- Department of Microbial Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, the Netherlands; Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ariane Briegel
- Department of Microbial Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, the Netherlands; Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
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Sonani RR, Palmer LK, Esteves NC, Horton AA, Sebastian AL, Kelly RJ, Wang F, Kreutzberger MAB, Russell WK, Leiman PG, Scharf BE, Egelman EH. An extensive disulfide bond network prevents tail contraction in Agrobacterium tumefaciens phage Milano. Nat Commun 2024; 15:756. [PMID: 38272938 PMCID: PMC10811340 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44959-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
A contractile sheath and rigid tube assembly is a widespread apparatus used by bacteriophages, tailocins, and the bacterial type VI secretion system to penetrate cell membranes. In this mechanism, contraction of an external sheath powers the motion of an inner tube through the membrane. The structure, energetics, and mechanism of the machinery imply rigidity and straightness. The contractile tail of Agrobacterium tumefaciens bacteriophage Milano is flexible and bent to varying degrees, which sets it apart from other contractile tail-like systems. Here, we report structures of the Milano tail including the sheath-tube complex, baseplate, and putative receptor-binding proteins. The flexible-to-rigid transformation of the Milano tail upon contraction can be explained by unique electrostatic properties of the tail tube and sheath. All components of the Milano tail, including sheath subunits, are crosslinked by disulfides, some of which must be reduced for contraction to occur. The putative receptor-binding complex of Milano contains a tailspike, a tail fiber, and at least two small proteins that form a garland around the distal ends of the tailspikes and tail fibers. Despite being flagellotropic, Milano lacks thread-like tail filaments that can wrap around the flagellum, and is thus likely to employ a different binding mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi R Sonani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Lee K Palmer
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Nathaniel C Esteves
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Abigail A Horton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Amanda L Sebastian
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Rebecca J Kelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Fengbin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA
| | - Mark A B Kreutzberger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - William K Russell
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Petr G Leiman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.
| | - Birgit E Scharf
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
| | - Edward H Egelman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA.
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8
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Yang Y, Dufault-Thompson K, Yan W, Cai T, Xie L, Jiang X. Large-scale genomic survey with deep learning-based method reveals strain-level phage specificity determinants. Gigascience 2024; 13:giae017. [PMID: 38649301 PMCID: PMC11034027 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giae017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phage therapy, reemerging as a promising approach to counter antimicrobial-resistant infections, relies on a comprehensive understanding of the specificity of individual phages. Yet the significant diversity within phage populations presents a considerable challenge. Currently, there is a notable lack of tools designed for large-scale characterization of phage receptor-binding proteins, which are crucial in determining the phage host range. RESULTS In this study, we present SpikeHunter, a deep learning method based on the ESM-2 protein language model. With SpikeHunter, we identified 231,965 diverse phage-encoded tailspike proteins, a crucial determinant of phage specificity that targets bacterial polysaccharide receptors, across 787,566 bacterial genomes from 5 virulent, antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Notably, 86.60% (143,200) of these proteins exhibited strong associations with specific bacterial polysaccharides. We discovered that phages with identical tailspike proteins can infect different bacterial species with similar polysaccharide receptors, underscoring the pivotal role of tailspike proteins in determining host range. The specificity is mainly attributed to the protein's C-terminal domain, which strictly correlates with host specificity during domain swapping in tailspike proteins. Importantly, our dataset-driven predictions of phage-host specificity closely match the phage-host pairs observed in real-world phage therapy cases we studied. CONCLUSIONS Our research provides a rich resource, including both the method and a database derived from a large-scale genomics survey. This substantially enhances understanding of phage specificity determinants at the strain level and offers a valuable framework for guiding phage selection in therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyan Yang
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | | | - Wei Yan
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Tian Cai
- Ph.D. Program in Computer Science, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Lei Xie
- Ph.D. Program in Computer Science, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Hunter College, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Xiaofang Jiang
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
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9
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Sørensen AN, Kalmár D, Lutz VT, Klein-Sousa V, Taylor NMI, Sørensen MC, Brøndsted L. Agtrevirus phage AV101 recognizes four different O-antigens infecting diverse E. coli. MICROLIFE 2023; 5:uqad047. [PMID: 38234449 PMCID: PMC10791037 DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqad047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriophages in the Agtrevirus genus are known for expressing multiple tail spike proteins (TSPs), but little is known about their genetic diversity and host recognition apart from their ability to infect diverse Enterobacteriaceae species. Here, we aim to determine the genetic differences that may account for the diverse host ranges of Agrevirus phages. We performed comparative genomics of 14 Agtrevirus and identified only a few genetic differences including genes involved in nucleotide metabolism. Most notably was the diversity of the tsp gene cluster, specifically in the receptor-binding domains that were unique among most of the phages. We further characterized agtrevirus AV101 infecting nine diverse Extended Spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) Escherichia coli and demonstrated that this phage encoded four unique TSPs among Agtrevirus. Purified TSPs formed translucent zones and inhibited AV101 infection of specific hosts, demonstrating that TSP1, TSP2, TSP3, and TSP4 recognize O8, O82, O153, and O159 O-antigens of E. coli, respectively. BLASTp analysis showed that the receptor-binding domain of TSP1, TSP2, TSP3, and TSP4 are similar to TSPs encoded by E. coli prophages and distant related virulent phages. Thus, Agtrevirus may have gained their receptor-binding domains by recombining with prophages or virulent phages. Overall, combining bioinformatic and biological data expands the understanding of TSP host recognition of Agtrevirus and give new insight into the origin and acquisition of receptor-binding domains of Ackermannviridae phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Nørgaard Sørensen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Dorottya Kalmár
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Veronika Theresa Lutz
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Victor Klein-Sousa
- Structural Biology of Molecular Machines Group, Protein Structure & Function Program, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nicholas M I Taylor
- Structural Biology of Molecular Machines Group, Protein Structure & Function Program, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martine C Sørensen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Lone Brøndsted
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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10
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Cleary KE, Pelagalli C, Cassford M, Berry N, Aguas E, Kim B, deCarvalho T, Jacobs-Sera D, Caruso SM, Cornely K. Genome sequence of Streptomyces BM cluster phage Frankenweenie. Microbiol Resour Announc 2023; 12:e0059223. [PMID: 37830805 PMCID: PMC10652959 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00592-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Frankenweenie is a newly isolated bacteriophage that infects Streptomyces scabiei RL-34. Frankenweenie was discovered in Gaithersburg, MD, and has 366 genes comprising a 200,048-bp genome. Frankenweenie is grouped in cluster BM and is predicted to possess a unique tailspike protein that potentially widens its host range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E. Cleary
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Charles Pelagalli
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Marly Cassford
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Nathan Berry
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Elizabeth Aguas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Brandon Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tagide deCarvalho
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Deborah Jacobs-Sera
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Steven M. Caruso
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kathleen Cornely
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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11
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Maciejewska B, Squeglia F, Latka A, Privitera M, Olejniczak S, Switala P, Ruggiero A, Marasco D, Kramarska E, Drulis-Kawa Z, Berisio R. Klebsiella phage KP34gp57 capsular depolymerase structure and function: from a serendipitous finding to the design of active mini-enzymes against K. pneumoniae. mBio 2023; 14:e0132923. [PMID: 37707438 PMCID: PMC10653864 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01329-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE In this work, we determined the structure of Klebsiella phage KP34p57 capsular depolymerase and dissected the role of individual domains in trimerization and functional activity. The crystal structure serendipitously revealed that the enzyme can exist in a monomeric state once deprived of its C-terminal domain. Based on the crystal structure and site-directed mutagenesis, we localized the key catalytic residues in an intra-subunit deep groove. Consistently, we show that C-terminally trimmed KP34p57 variants are monomeric, stable, and fully active. The elaboration of monomeric, fully active phage depolymerases is innovative in the field, as no previous example exists. Indeed, mini phage depolymerases can be combined in chimeric enzymes to extend their activity ranges, allowing their use against multiple serotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Maciejewska
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Flavia Squeglia
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Napoli, Italy
| | - Agnieszka Latka
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Mario Privitera
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Napoli, Italy
| | - Sebastian Olejniczak
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Paulina Switala
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | | | - Daniela Marasco
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Eliza Kramarska
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Napoli, Italy
| | - Zuzanna Drulis-Kawa
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Rita Berisio
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Napoli, Italy
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12
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Gonzalez-Serrano R, Rosselli R, Roda-Garcia JJ, Martin-Cuadrado AB, Rodriguez-Valera F, Dunne M. Distantly related Alteromonas bacteriophages share tail fibers exhibiting properties of transient chaperone caps. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6517. [PMID: 37845226 PMCID: PMC10579305 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42114-8] [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: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The host recognition modules encoding the injection machinery and receptor binding proteins (RBPs) of bacteriophages are predisposed to mutation and recombination to maintain infectivity towards co-evolving bacterial hosts. In this study, we reveal how Alteromonas mediterranea schitovirus A5 shares its host recognition module, including tail fiber and cognate chaperone, with phages from distantly related families including Alteromonas myovirus V22. While the V22 chaperone is essential for producing active tail fibers, here we demonstrate production of functional A5 tail fibers regardless of chaperone co-expression. AlphaFold-generated models of tail fiber and chaperone pairs from phages A5, V22, and other Alteromonas phages reveal how amino acid insertions within both A5-like proteins results in a knob domain duplication in the tail fiber and a chaperone β-hairpin "tentacle" extension. These structural modifications are linked to differences in chaperone dependency between the A5 and V22 tail fibers. Structural similarity between the chaperones and intramolecular chaperone domains of other phage RBPs suggests an additional function of these chaperones as transient fiber "caps". Finally, our identification of homologous host recognition modules from morphologically distinct phages implies that horizontal gene transfer and recombination events between unrelated phages may be a more common process than previously thought among Caudoviricetes phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Gonzalez-Serrano
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Universidad Miguel Hernández, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CBMSO-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Riccardo Rosselli
- Research & Development Department, LABAQUA S.A. Las Atalayas, Alicante, Spain
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Juan J Roda-Garcia
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Universidad Miguel Hernández, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | | | | | - Matthew Dunne
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
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13
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Cai R, Ren Z, Zhao R, Lu Y, Wang X, Guo Z, Song J, Xiang W, Du R, Zhang X, Han W, Ru H, Gu J. Structural biology and functional features of phage-derived depolymerase Depo32 on Klebsiella pneumoniae with K2 serotype capsular polysaccharides. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0530422. [PMID: 37750730 PMCID: PMC10581125 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.05304-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae with capsular polysaccharides (CPSs) causes severe nosocomial- and community-acquired infections. Phage-derived depolymerases can degrade CPSs from K. pneumoniae to attenuate bacterial virulence, but their antimicrobial mechanisms and clinical potential are not well understood. In the present study, Klebsiella phage GH-K3-derived depolymerase Depo32 (encoded by gene gp32) was identified to exhibit high efficiency in specifically degrading the CPSs of K2 serotype K. pneumoniae. The cryo-electron microscopy structure of trimeric Depo32 at a resolution up to 2.32 Å revealed potential catalytic centers in the cleft of each of the two adjacent subunits. K. pneumoniae subjected to Depo32 became more sensitive to phagocytosis by RAW264.7 cells and activated the cells by the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. In addition, intranasal inoculation with Depo32 (a single dose of 200 µg, 20 µg daily for 3 days, or in combination with gentamicin) rescued all C57BL/6J mice infected with a lethal dose of K. pneumoniae K7 without interference from its neutralizing antibody. In summary, this work elaborates on the mechanism by which Depo32 targets the degradation of K2 serotype CPSs and its potential as an antivirulence agent. IMPORTANCE Depolymerases specific to more than 20 serotypes of Klebsiella spp. have been identified, but most studies only evaluated the single-dose treatment of depolymerases with relatively simple clinical evaluation indices and did not reveal the anti-infection mechanism of these depolymerases in depth. On the basis of determining the biological characteristics, the structure of Depo32 was analyzed by cryo-electron microscopy, and the potential active center was further identified. In addition, the effects of Depo32 on macrophage phagocytosis, signaling pathway activation, and serum killing were revealed, and the efficacy of the depolymerase (single treatment, multiple treatments, or in combination with gentamicin) against acute pneumonia caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae was evaluated. Moreover, the roles of the active sites of Depo32 were also elucidated in the in vitro and in vivo studies. Therefore, through structural biology, cell biology, and in vivo experiments, this study demonstrated the mechanism by which Depo32 targets K2 serotype K. pneumoniae infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruopeng Cai
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Zhuolu Ren
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Rihong Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Yan Lu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xinwu Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural Science and Technology University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Zhimin Guo
- Infectious Diseases and Pathogen Biology Center, Clinical Laboratory Department, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Jinming Song
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Wentao Xiang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Rui Du
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- College of Chinese Medicine Materials, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaokang Zhang
- Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Inter disciplinary Center for Brain Information, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenyu Han
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Heng Ru
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jingmin Gu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
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14
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Xu J, Li J, Yan Y, Han P, Tong Y, Li X. SW16-7, a Novel Ackermannviridae Bacteriophage with Highly Effective Lytic Activity Targets Salmonella enterica Serovar Weltevreden. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2090. [PMID: 37630650 PMCID: PMC10458263 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11082090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enterica serovar Weltevreden is a foodborne pathogen commonly transmitted through fresh vegetables and seafood. In this study, a lytic phage, SW16-7, was isolated from medical sewage, demonstrating high infectivity against S. Weltevreden, S. London, S. Meleagridis, and S. Give of Group O:3. In vitro inhibition assays revealed its effective antibacterial effect for up to 12 h. Moreover, analysis using the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) and the Virulence Factor Database (VFDB) showed that SW16-7's genome does not contain any virulence factors or antibiotic resistance genes, indicating its potential as a promising biocontrol agent against S. Weltevreden. Additionally, a TSP gene cluster was identified in SW16-7's genome, with TSP1 and TSP2 showing a high similarity to lysogenic phages ε15 and ε34, respectively, in the C-terminal region. The whole-genome phylogenetic analysis classified SW16-7 within the Ackermannviridae family and indicated a close relationship with Agtrevirus, which is consistent with the ANI results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialiang Xu
- China Food Flavor and Nutrition Health Innovation Center, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China; (J.X.); (J.L.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Jia Li
- China Food Flavor and Nutrition Health Innovation Center, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China; (J.X.); (J.L.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Yi Yan
- China Food Flavor and Nutrition Health Innovation Center, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China; (J.X.); (J.L.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Pengjun Han
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China; (P.H.); (Y.T.)
| | - Yigang Tong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China; (P.H.); (Y.T.)
| | - Xu Li
- China Food Flavor and Nutrition Health Innovation Center, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China; (J.X.); (J.L.); (Y.Y.)
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15
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Pas C, Latka A, Fieseler L, Briers Y. Phage tailspike modularity and horizontal gene transfer reveals specificity towards E. coli O-antigen serogroups. Virol J 2023; 20:174. [PMID: 37550759 PMCID: PMC10408124 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-023-02138-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The interaction between bacteriophages and their hosts is intricate and highly specific. Receptor-binding proteins (RBPs) of phages such as tail fibers and tailspikes initiate the infection process. These RBPs bind to diverse outer membrane structures, including the O-antigen, which is a serogroup-specific sugar-based component of the outer lipopolysaccharide layer of Gram-negative bacteria. Among the most virulent Escherichia coli strains is the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) pathotype dominated by a subset of O-antigen serogroups. METHODS Extensive phylogenetic and structural analyses were used to identify and validate specificity correlations between phage RBP subtypes and STEC O-antigen serogroups, relying on the principle of horizontal gene transfer as main driver for RBP evolution. RESULTS We identified O-antigen specific RBP subtypes for seven out of nine most prevalent STEC serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O104, O111, O145 and O157) and seven additional E. coli serogroups (O2, O8, O16, O18, 4s/O22, O77 and O78). Eight phage genera (Gamaleya-, Justusliebig-, Kaguna-, Kayfuna-, Kutter-, Lederberg-, Nouzilly- and Uetakeviruses) emerged for their high proportion of serogroup-specific RBPs. Additionally, we reveal sequence motifs in the RBP region, potentially serving as recombination hotspots between lytic phages. CONCLUSION The results contribute to a better understanding of mosaicism of phage RBPs, but also demonstrate a method to identify and validate new RBP subtypes for current and future emerging serogroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Célia Pas
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Agnieszka Latka
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Lars Fieseler
- Centre for Food Safety and Quality Management, ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Einsiedlerstrasse 31, 8820, Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Yves Briers
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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16
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Dunstan RA, Bamert RS, Tan KS, Imbulgoda U, Barlow CK, Taiaroa G, Pickard DJ, Schittenhelm RB, Dougan G, Short FL, Lithgow T. Epitopes in the capsular polysaccharide and the porin OmpK36 receptors are required for bacteriophage infection of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112551. [PMID: 37224021 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112551] [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: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
To kill bacteria, bacteriophages (phages) must first bind to a receptor, triggering the release of the phage DNA into the bacterial cell. Many bacteria secrete polysaccharides that had been thought to shield bacterial cells from phage attack. We use a comprehensive genetic screen to distinguish that the capsule is not a shield but is instead a primary receptor enabling phage predation. Screening of a transposon library to select phage-resistant Klebsiella shows that the first receptor-binding event docks to saccharide epitopes in the capsule. We discover a second step of receptor binding, dictated by specific epitopes in an outer membrane protein. This additional and necessary event precedes phage DNA release to establish a productive infection. That such discrete epitopes dictate two essential binding events for phages has profound implications for understanding the evolution of phage resistance and what dictates host range, two issues critically important to translating knowledge of phage biology into phage therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhys A Dunstan
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Rebecca S Bamert
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Kher Shing Tan
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Uvini Imbulgoda
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Christopher K Barlow
- Monash Proteomics & Metabolomics Platform, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - George Taiaroa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Derek J Pickard
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ralf B Schittenhelm
- Monash Proteomics & Metabolomics Platform, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Gordon Dougan
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Francesca L Short
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Trevor Lithgow
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; Infection Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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17
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Yang Y, Dufault-Thompson K, Yan W, Cai T, Xie L, Jiang X. Deciphering Phage-Host Specificity Based on the Association of Phage Depolymerases and Bacterial Surface Glycan with Deep Learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.16.545366. [PMID: 37503040 PMCID: PMC10370184 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.16.545366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Phage tailspike proteins are depolymerases that target diverse bacterial surface glycans with high specificity, determining the host-specificity of numerous phages. To address the challenge of identifying tailspike proteins due to their sequence diversity, we developed SpikeHunter, an approach based on the ESM-2 protein language model. Using SpikeHunter, we successfully identified 231,965 tailspike proteins from a dataset comprising 8,434,494 prophages found within 165,365 genomes of five common pathogens. Among these proteins, 143,035 tailspike proteins displayed strong associations with serotypes. Moreover, we observed highly similar tailspike proteins in species that share closely related serotypes. We found extensive domain swapping in all five species, with the C-terminal domain being significantly associated with host serotype highlighting its role in host range determination. Our study presents a comprehensive cross-species analysis of tailspike protein to serotype associations, providing insights applicable to phage therapy and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyan Yang
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Wei Yan
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Tian Cai
- Ph.D. Program in Computer Science, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Lei Xie
- Ph.D. Program in Computer Science, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Hunter College, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA *
| | - Xiaofang Jiang
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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18
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Noreika A, Rutkiene R, Dumalakienė I, Vilienė R, Laurynėnas A, Povilonienė S, Skapas M, Meškys R, Kaliniene L. Insights into the Alcyoneusvirus Adsorption Complex. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119320. [PMID: 37298271 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The structures of the Caudovirales phage tails are key factors in determining the host specificity of these viruses. However, because of the enormous structural diversity, the molecular anatomy of the host recognition apparatus has been elucidated in only a number of phages. Klebsiella viruses vB_KleM_RaK2 (RaK2) and phiK64-1, which form a new genus Alcyoneusvirus according to the ICTV, have perhaps one of the most structurally sophisticated adsorption complexes of all tailed viruses described to date. Here, to gain insight into the early steps of the alcyoneusvirus infection process, the adsorption apparatus of bacteriophage RaK2 is studied in silico and in vitro. We experimentally demonstrate that ten proteins, gp098 and gp526-gp534, previously designated as putative structural/tail fiber proteins (TFPs), are present in the adsorption complex of RaK2. We show that two of these proteins, gp098 and gp531, are essential for attaching to Klebsiella pneumoniae KV-3 cells: gp531 is an active depolymerase that recognizes and degrades the capsule of this particular host, while gp098 is a secondary receptor-binding protein that requires the coordinated action of gp531. Finally, we demonstrate that RaK2 long tail fibers consist of nine TFPs, seven of which are depolymerases, and propose a model for their assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Algirdas Noreika
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Rasa Rutkiene
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Irena Dumalakienė
- Department of Immunology, State Research Institute Center for Innovative Medicine, Santariškių St. 5, LT-08410 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Rita Vilienė
- Department of Immunology, State Research Institute Center for Innovative Medicine, Santariškių St. 5, LT-08410 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Audrius Laurynėnas
- Department of Bioanalysis, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Simona Povilonienė
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Martynas Skapas
- Department of Characterisation of Materials Structure, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Saulėtekio Av. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Rolandas Meškys
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Laura Kaliniene
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
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19
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Miller JM, Knyazhanskaya ES, Buth SA, Prokhorov NS, Leiman PG. Function of the bacteriophage P2 baseplate central spike Apex domain in the infection process. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.25.529910. [PMID: 36865152 PMCID: PMC9980179 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.25.529910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
The contractile tail of bacteriophage P2 functions to drive the tail tube across the outer membrane of its host bacterium, a prerequisite event for subsequent translocation of phage genomic DNA into the host cell. The tube is equipped with a spike-shaped protein (product of P2 gene V , gpV or Spike) that contains a membrane-attacking Apex domain carrying a centrally positioned Fe ion. The ion is enclosed in a histidine cage that is formed by three symmetry-related copies of a conserved HxH (histidine, any residue, histidine) sequence motif. Here, we used solution biophysics and X-ray crystallography to characterize the structure and properties of Spike mutants in which the Apex domain was either deleted or its histidine cage was either destroyed or replaced with a hydrophobic core. We found that the Apex domain is not required for the folding of full-length gpV or its middle intertwined β-helical domain. Furthermore, despite its high conservation, the Apex domain is dispensable for infection in laboratory conditions. Collectively, our results show that the diameter of the Spike but not the nature of its Apex domain determines the efficiency of infection, which further strengthens the earlier hypothesis of a drill bit-like function of the Spike in host envelope disruption.
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20
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Klumpp J, Dunne M, Loessner MJ. A perfect fit: Bacteriophage receptor-binding proteins for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 71:102240. [PMID: 36446275 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entity on earth, acting as the predators and evolutionary drivers of bacteria. Owing to their inherent ability to specifically infect and kill bacteria, phages and their encoded endolysins and receptor-binding proteins (RBPs) have enormous potential for development into precision antimicrobials for treatment of bacterial infections and microbial disbalances; or as biocontrol agents to tackle bacterial contaminations during various biotechnological processes. The extraordinary binding specificity of phages and RBPs can be exploited in various areas of bacterial diagnostics and monitoring, from food production to health care. We review and describe the distinctive features of phage RBPs, explain why they are attractive candidates for use as therapeutics and in diagnostics, discuss recent applications using RBPs, and finally provide our perspective on how synthetic technology and artificial intelligence-driven approaches will revolutionize how we use these tools in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen Klumpp
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthew Dunne
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin J Loessner
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
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21
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Tailoring the Host Range of Ackermannviridae Bacteriophages through Chimeric Tailspike Proteins. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020286. [PMID: 36851500 PMCID: PMC9965104 DOI: 10.3390/v15020286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Host range is a major determinant in the industrial utility of a bacteriophage. A model host range permits broad recognition across serovars of a target bacterium while avoiding cross-reactivity with commensal microbiota. Searching for a naturally occurring bacteriophage with ideal host ranges is challenging, time-consuming, and restrictive. To address this, SPTD1.NL, a previously published luciferase reporter bacteriophage for Salmonella, was used to investigate manipulation of host range through receptor-binding protein engineering. Similar to related members of the Ackermannviridae bacteriophage family, SPTD1.NL possessed a receptor-binding protein gene cluster encoding four tailspike proteins, TSP1-4. Investigation of the native gene cluster through chimeric proteins identified TSP3 as the tailspike protein responsible for Salmonella detection. Further analysis of chimeric phages revealed that TSP2 contributed off-target Citrobacter recognition, whereas TSP1 and TSP4 were not essential for activity against any known host. To improve the host range of SPTD1.NL, TSP1 and TSP2 were sequentially replaced with chimeric receptor-binding proteins targeting Salmonella. This engineered construct, called RBP-SPTD1-3, was a superior diagnostic reporter, sensitively detecting additional Salmonella serovars while also demonstrating improved specificity. For industrial applications, bacteriophages of the Ackermannviridae family are thus uniquely versatile and may be engineered with multiple chimeric receptor-binding proteins to achieve a custom-tailored host range.
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22
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Ouyang R, Costa AR, Cassidy CK, Otwinowska A, Williams VCJ, Latka A, Stansfeld PJ, Drulis-Kawa Z, Briers Y, Pelt DM, Brouns SJJ, Briegel A. High-resolution reconstruction of a Jumbo-bacteriophage infecting capsulated bacteria using hyperbranched tail fibers. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7241. [PMID: 36433970 PMCID: PMC9700779 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34972-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Klebsiella jumbo myophage ϕKp24 displays an unusually complex arrangement of tail fibers interacting with a host cell. In this study, we combine cryo-electron microscopy methods, protein structure prediction methods, molecular simulations, microbiological and machine learning approaches to explore the capsid, tail, and tail fibers of ϕKp24. We determine the structure of the capsid and tail at 4.1 Å and 3.0 Å resolution. We observe the tail fibers are branched and rearranged dramatically upon cell surface attachment. This complex configuration involves fourteen putative tail fibers with depolymerase activity that provide ϕKp24 with the ability to infect a broad panel of capsular polysaccharide (CPS) types of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Our study provides structural and functional insight into how ϕKp24 adapts to the variable surfaces of capsulated bacterial pathogens, which is useful for the development of phage therapy approaches against pan-drug resistant K. pneumoniae strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruochen Ouyang
- grid.43169.390000 0001 0599 1243MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xianning West Road 28, Xi’an, 710049 China ,grid.5132.50000 0001 2312 1970Department of Microbial Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ana Rita Costa
- grid.5292.c0000 0001 2097 4740Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands ,grid.5292.c0000 0001 2097 4740Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - C. Keith Cassidy
- grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Aleksandra Otwinowska
- grid.8505.80000 0001 1010 5103Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63-77, 51-148 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Vera C. J. Williams
- grid.5132.50000 0001 2312 1970Department of Microbial Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Agnieszka Latka
- grid.8505.80000 0001 1010 5103Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63-77, 51-148 Wroclaw, Poland ,grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Phill J. Stansfeld
- grid.7372.10000 0000 8809 1613School of Life Sciences & Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL UK
| | - Zuzanna Drulis-Kawa
- grid.8505.80000 0001 1010 5103Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63-77, 51-148 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Yves Briers
- grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Daniël M. Pelt
- grid.5132.50000 0001 2312 1970Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science, Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 1, 2333CA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Stan J. J. Brouns
- grid.5292.c0000 0001 2097 4740Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands ,grid.5292.c0000 0001 2097 4740Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Ariane Briegel
- grid.5132.50000 0001 2312 1970Department of Microbial Sciences, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
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Pectobacterium versatile Bacteriophage Possum: A Complex Polysaccharide-Deacetylating Tail Fiber as a Tool for Host Recognition in Pectobacterial Schitoviridae. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911043. [PMID: 36232343 PMCID: PMC9569702 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel, closely related phages Possum and Horatius infect Pectobacterium versatile, a phytopathogen causing soft rot in potatoes and other essential plants. Their properties and genomic composition define them as N4-like bacteriophages of the genus Cbunavirus, a part of a recently formed family Schitoviridae. It is proposed that the adsorption apparatus of these phages consists of tail fibers connected to the virion through an adapter protein. Tail fibers possess an enzymatic domain. Phage Possum uses it to deacetylate O-polysaccharide on the surface of the host strain to provide viral attachment. Such an infection mechanism is supposed to be common for all Cbunavirus phages and this feature should be considered when designing cocktails for phage control of soft rot.
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Zhu W, Ding Y, Huang C, Wang J, Wang J, Wang X. Genomic characterization of a novel bacteriophage STP55 revealed its prominent capacity in disrupting the dual-species biofilm formed by Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157: H7 strains. Arch Microbiol 2022; 204:597. [PMID: 36056994 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-022-03208-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Salmonella and Escherichia coli are important foodborne pathogens, forming bacterial biofilms that contribute to their virulence, antimicrobial resistance, and survival on surfaces. Broad lytic phages are promising alternatives to conventional technologies for pathogen biocontrol and reducing biofilms. Herein, we isolated and characterized a novel polyvalent phage STP55 that not only lyse some serotypes of Salmonella, but also some E. coli strains. It had a wide range of pH (4-12) and thermal (30-60 °C) tolerances. The latent time was determined to be 10 min in the one-step growth experiment. Morphological observations by transmission electron microscopy and phylogenetic analysis using terminase gene classified STP55 to family Ackermannviridae in the order Caudovirales, with a complex tail structure. The genome was found to comprise 157,708 bp double-stranded DNA, with 44.57% GC content, 207 predicted ORFs and with no genes associated with antibiotic resistance, toxins, lysogeny, and virulence factors. Particularly, phage STP55 was able to inhibit single- and dual-species biofilms formation by S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028 and E. coli O157: H7, with a reduction percentage of 51.0%, 47.8% and 52.8%, respectively. Moreover, more than 65.0%, 72.9% and 46.2% of an established, single- and dual-species biofilms by S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028 and E. coli O157: H7 were removed after 8 h exposure to the phage STP55, respectively. The elimination effect of STP55 on dual-species biofilm formed on lettuce was further observed by SEM. Overall, our results demonstrated that STP55 is a promising antimicrobial against Salmonella and E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.,College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Yifeng Ding
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Chenxi Huang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Ji Wang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.,College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China. .,College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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25
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Abstract
The first critical step in a virus’s infection cycle is attachment to its host. This interaction is precise enough to ensure the virus will be able to productively infect the cell, but some flexibility can be beneficial to enable coevolution and host range switching or expansion. Bacteriophage Sf6 utilizes a two-step process to recognize and attach to its host Shigella flexneri. Sf6 first recognizes the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of S. flexneri and then binds outer membrane protein (Omp) A or OmpC. This phage infects serotype Y strains but can also form small, turbid plaques on serotype 2a2; turbid plaques appear translucent rather than transparent, indicating greater survival of bacteria. Reduced plating efficiency further suggested inefficient infection. To examine the interactions between Sf6 and this alternate host, phages were experimentally evolved using mixed populations of S. flexneri serotypes Y and 2a2. The recovered mutants could infect serotype 2a2 with greater efficiency than the ancestral Sf6, forming clear plaques on both serotypes. All mutations mapped to two distinct regions of the receptor-binding tailspike protein: (i) adjacent to the LPS binding site near the N terminus; and (ii) at the distal, C-terminal tip of the protein. Although we anticipated interactions between the Sf6 tailspike and 2a2 O-antigen to be weak, LPS of this serotype appears to inhibit infection through strong binding of particles, effectively removing them from the environment. The mutations of the evolved strains reduce the inhibitory effect by either reducing electrostatic interactions with the O-antigen or increasing reliance on the Omp secondary receptors. IMPORTANCE Viruses depend on host cells to propagate themselves. In mixed populations and communities of host cells, finding these susceptible host cells may have to be balanced with avoiding nonhost cells. Alternatively, being able to infect new cell types can increase the fitness of the virus. Many bacterial viruses use a two-step process to identify their hosts, binding first to an LPS receptor and then to a host protein. For Shigella virus Sf6, the tailspike protein was previously known to bind the LPS receptor. Genetic data from this work imply the tailspike also binds to the protein receptor. By experimentally evolving Sf6, we also show that point mutations in this protein can dramatically affect the binding of one or both receptors. This may provide Sf6 flexibility in identifying host cells and the ability to rapidly alter its host range under selective pressure.
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26
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Kong X, Wang H, Guo G, Li P, Tong P, Liu M, Ma X, Dong C, Li Y, Zhang H, Zhang W. Duck sewage source coliphage P762 can lyse STEC and APEC. Virus Genes 2022; 58:436-447. [PMID: 35705841 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-022-01915-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Multiple pathogenic types or serotypes restrict treatment for colibacillosis. In addition, rising antibiotic resistance has heightened public awareness to prevent and control pathogenic Escherichia coli. The bacteriophage is a viable technique to treat colibacillosis as an alternative to antibiotics. P762, a coliphage isolated from duck farm sewage, was demonstrated to cloud lyse Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia Coli serotypes O157 and non-O157 (17/39), Avian pathogenic E. coli covered serotype O78, O83, and O9 (5/19), and other pathogenic Escherichia coli (5/17). Additional fundamental biological characteristics analysis revealed that P762 is stable at pH 3 ~ 11 and temperature between 4 °C and 60 °C, and its optimum multiplicity of infection (MOI) is 0.1. The one-step curve of P762 exhibited three bursts of growth stage: two rapid and one slow stage. Furthermore, the first rapid burst size is 80 CFU/PFU, the burst size of the slow stage is 10 CFU/PFU, and the second rapid burst size is about 990 CFU/PFU. In addition, P762 can form a "halo" on a double agar plate, implying that the phage secretes depolymerase. With 95.14% identity and 90% query coverage, genome sequence analysis revealed that P762 is most closely related to Escherichia phage DY1, which belongs to the genus Kayfunavirus. After screening using RAST and VFDB, no virulence factors were discovered in P762. In vitro antibacterial tests revealed that P762 has high bactericidal activity in lettuce leaves contaminated with STEC. In conclusion, phage P762 might be employed in the future to prevent and control pathogenic Escherichia coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuewei Kong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Genglin Guo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Pei Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Panpan Tong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shihezi Agricultural University, Xinjiang, China
| | - Maojun Liu
- Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Xun Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Xinjiang, China
| | - Chen Dong
- Jiangsu Province CDC: Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China
| | - Yubao Li
- Agricultural Science and Engineering School, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
| | - Haiyan Zhang
- Department of Food and Biology Engineering, Wuhu Institute of Technology, Wuhu, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
- Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China.
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
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27
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Application of bacteriophages EP75 and EP335 efficiently reduces viable cell counts of Escherichia coli O157 on beef and vegetables. Food Microbiol 2022; 104:103978. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2022.103978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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28
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Abdelkader K, Gutiérrez D, Latka A, Boeckaerts D, Drulis-Kawa Z, Criel B, Gerstmans H, Safaan A, Khairalla AS, Gaber Y, Dishisha T, Briers Y. The Specific Capsule Depolymerase of Phage PMK34 Sensitizes Acinetobacter baumannii to Serum Killing. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11050677. [PMID: 35625321 PMCID: PMC9137491 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11050677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The rising antimicrobial resistance is particularly alarming for Acinetobacter baumannii, calling for the discovery and evaluation of alternatives to treat A. baumannii infections. Some bacteriophages produce a structural protein that depolymerizes capsular exopolysaccharide. Such purified depolymerases are considered as novel antivirulence compounds. We identified and characterized a depolymerase (DpoMK34) from Acinetobacter phage vB_AbaP_PMK34 active against the clinical isolate A. baumannii MK34. In silico analysis reveals a modular protein displaying a conserved N-terminal domain for anchoring to the phage tail, and variable central and C-terminal domains for enzymatic activity and specificity. AlphaFold-Multimer predicts a trimeric protein adopting an elongated structure due to a long α-helix, an enzymatic β-helix domain and a hypervariable 4 amino acid hotspot in the most ultimate loop of the C-terminal domain. In contrast to the tail fiber of phage T3, this hypervariable hotspot appears unrelated with the primary receptor. The functional characterization of DpoMK34 revealed a mesophilic enzyme active up to 50 °C across a wide pH range (4 to 11) and specific for the capsule of A. baumannii MK34. Enzymatic degradation of the A. baumannii MK34 capsule causes a significant drop in phage adsorption from 95% to 9% after 5 min. Although lacking intrinsic antibacterial activity, DpoMK34 renders A. baumannii MK34 fully susceptible to serum killing in a serum concentration dependent manner. Unlike phage PMK34, DpoMK34 does not easily select for resistant mutants either against PMK34 or itself. In sum, DpoMK34 is a potential antivirulence compound that can be included in a depolymerase cocktail to control difficult to treat A. baumannii infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Abdelkader
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000 Gent, Belgium; (K.A.); (D.G.); (A.L.); (D.B.); (B.C.); (H.G.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62511, Egypt; (A.S.K.); (Y.G.); (T.D.)
| | - Diana Gutiérrez
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000 Gent, Belgium; (K.A.); (D.G.); (A.L.); (D.B.); (B.C.); (H.G.)
| | - Agnieszka Latka
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000 Gent, Belgium; (K.A.); (D.G.); (A.L.); (D.B.); (B.C.); (H.G.)
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland;
| | - Dimitri Boeckaerts
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000 Gent, Belgium; (K.A.); (D.G.); (A.L.); (D.B.); (B.C.); (H.G.)
- Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Zuzanna Drulis-Kawa
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland;
| | - Bjorn Criel
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000 Gent, Belgium; (K.A.); (D.G.); (A.L.); (D.B.); (B.C.); (H.G.)
- Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Hans Gerstmans
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000 Gent, Belgium; (K.A.); (D.G.); (A.L.); (D.B.); (B.C.); (H.G.)
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 42, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Amal Safaan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Koum 51132, Egypt;
| | - Ahmed S. Khairalla
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62511, Egypt; (A.S.K.); (Y.G.); (T.D.)
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Yasser Gaber
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62511, Egypt; (A.S.K.); (Y.G.); (T.D.)
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mutah University, Karak 61710, Jordan
| | - Tarek Dishisha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62511, Egypt; (A.S.K.); (Y.G.); (T.D.)
| | - Yves Briers
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000 Gent, Belgium; (K.A.); (D.G.); (A.L.); (D.B.); (B.C.); (H.G.)
- Correspondence:
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Structure of Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteriophage CBA120 tailspike protein 4 baseplate anchor and tailspike assembly domains (TSP4-N). Sci Rep 2022; 12:2061. [PMID: 35136138 PMCID: PMC8825819 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06073-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Four tailspike proteins (TSP1-4) of Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteriophage CBA120 enable infection of multiple hosts. They form a branched complex that attaches to the tail baseplate. Each TSP recognizes a different lipopolysaccharide on the membrane of a different bacterial host. The 335 N-terminal residues of TSP4 promote the assembly of the TSP complex and anchor it to the tail baseplate. The crystal structure of TSP4-N335 reveals a trimeric protein comprising four domains. The baseplate anchor domain (AD) contains an intertwined triple-stranded β-helix. The ensuing XD1, XD2 and XD3 β-sheet containing domains mediate the binding of TSP1-3 to TSP4. Each of the XD domains adopts the same fold as the respective XD domains of bacteriophage T4 gp10 baseplate protein, known to engage in protein–protein interactions via its XD2 and XD3 domains. The structural similarity suggests that XD2 and XD3 of TSP4 also function in protein–protein interactions. Analytical ultracentrifugation analyses of TSP4-N335 and of domain deletion proteins showed how TSP4-N335 promotes the formation of the TSP quaternary complex. TSP1 and TSP2 bind directly to TSP4 whereas TSP3 binding requires a pre-formed TSP4-N335:TSP2 complex. A 3-dimensional model of the bacteriophage CBA120 TSP complex has been developed based on the structural and ultracentrifuge information.
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30
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Zhu J, Ananthaswamy N, Jain S, Batra H, Tang WC, Rao VB. CRISPR Engineering of Bacteriophage T4 to Design Vaccines Against SARS-CoV-2 and Emerging Pathogens. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2410:209-228. [PMID: 34914049 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1884-4_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic brought to the fore the urgent need for vaccine design and delivery platforms that can be rapidly deployed for manufacture and distribution. Though the mRNA and adenoviral vector platforms have been enormously successful to control SARS-CoV-2 viral infections, it is unclear if this could be replicated against more complex pathogens or the emerging variants. Recently, we described a "universal" platform that can incorporate multiple vaccine targets into the same nanoparticle scaffold by CRISPR engineering of bacteriophage T4. A T4-COVID vaccine designed with this technology elicited broad immunogenicity and complete protection against virus challenge in a mouse model. Here, we describe the detailed methodology to generate recombinant bacteriophage T4 backbones using CRISPR that can also be broadly applicable to other bacteriophages that abundantly pervade the Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingen Zhu
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Neeti Ananthaswamy
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Swati Jain
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Himanshu Batra
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Wei-Chun Tang
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Venigalla B Rao
- Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA.
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31
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Kryshtafovych A, Moult J, Albrecht R, Chang GA, Chao K, Fraser A, Greenfield J, Hartmann MD, Herzberg O, Josts I, Leiman PG, Linden SB, Lupas AN, Nelson DC, Rees SD, Shang X, Sokolova ML, Tidow H. Computational models in the service of X-ray and cryo-electron microscopy structure determination. Proteins 2021; 89:1633-1646. [PMID: 34449113 PMCID: PMC8616789 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Critical assessment of structure prediction (CASP) conducts community experiments to determine the state of the art in computing protein structure from amino acid sequence. The process relies on the experimental community providing information about not yet public or about to be solved structures, for use as targets. For some targets, the experimental structure is not solved in time for use in CASP. Calculated structure accuracy improved dramatically in this round, implying that models should now be much more useful for resolving many sorts of experimental difficulties. To test this, selected models for seven unsolved targets were provided to the experimental groups. These models were from the AlphaFold2 group, who overall submitted the most accurate predictions in CASP14. Four targets were solved with the aid of the models, and, additionally, the structure of an already solved target was improved. An a posteriori analysis showed that, in some cases, models from other groups would also be effective. This paper provides accounts of the successful application of models to structure determination, including molecular replacement for X-ray crystallography, backbone tracing and sequence positioning in a cryo-electron microscopy structure, and correction of local features. The results suggest that, in future, there will be greatly increased synergy between computational and experimental approaches to structure determination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John Moult
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Department of Cell Biology and Molecular genetics, University of Maryland, 9600 Gudelsky Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Reinhard Albrecht
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Geoffrey A. Chang
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Kinlin Chao
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Alec Fraser
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics (SCSB), The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Julia Greenfield
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Marcus D. Hartmann
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Osnat Herzberg
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Inokentijs Josts
- The Hamburg Advanced Research Center for Bioorganic Chemistry (HARBOR) & Department of Chemistry, Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Petr G. Leiman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics (SCSB), The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Sara B. Linden
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Andrei N. Lupas
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Daniel C. Nelson
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Steven D. Rees
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Xiaoran Shang
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Maria L. Sokolova
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 121205, Russia
| | - Henning Tidow
- The Hamburg Advanced Research Center for Bioorganic Chemistry (HARBOR) & Department of Chemistry, Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
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Zhang JT, Yang F, Du K, Li WF, Chen Y, Jiang YL, Li Q, Zhou CZ. Structure and assembly pattern of a freshwater short-tailed cyanophage Pam1. Structure 2021; 30:240-251.e4. [PMID: 34727518 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2021.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite previous structural analyses of bacteriophages, quite little is known about the structures and assembly patterns of cyanophages. Using cryo-EM combined with crystallography, we solve the near-atomic-resolution structure of a freshwater short-tailed cyanophage, Pam1, which comprises a 400-Å-long tail and an icosahedral capsid of 650 Å in diameter. The outer capsid surface is reinforced by trimeric cement proteins with a β-sandwich fold, which structurally resemble the distal motif of Pam1's tailspike, suggesting its potential role in host recognition. At the portal vertex, the dodecameric portal and connected adaptor, followed by a hexameric needle head, form a DNA ejection channel, which is sealed by a trimeric needle. Moreover, we identify a right-handed rifling pattern that might help DNA to revolve along the wall of the ejection channel. Our study reveals the precise assembly pattern of a cyanophage and lays the foundation to support its practical biotechnological and environmental applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Tao Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Feng Yang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Kang Du
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Wei-Fang Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Yuxing Chen
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Yong-Liang Jiang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
| | - Qiong Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
| | - Cong-Zhao Zhou
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
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Domingues R, Barbosa A, Santos SB, Pires DP, Save J, Resch G, Azeredo J, Oliveira H. Unpuzzling Friunavirus-Host Interactions One Piece at a Time: Phage Recognizes Acinetobacter pittii via a New K38 Capsule Depolymerase. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10111304. [PMID: 34827242 PMCID: PMC8614642 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10111304] [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: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter pittii is a species that belong to the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii complex, increasingly recognized as major nosocomial bacterial pathogens, often associated with multiple drug-resistances. The capsule surrounding the bacteria represents a main virulence factor, helping cells avoid phage predation and host immunity. Accordingly, a better understanding of the phage infection mechanisms is required to efficiently develop phage therapy against Acinetobacter of different capsular types. Here, we report the isolation of the novel A. pittii-infecting Fri1-like phage vB_Api_3043-K38 (3043-K38) of the Podoviridae morphotype, from sewage samples. Its 41,580 bp linear double-stranded DNA genome harbours 53 open reading frames and 302 bp of terminal repeats. We show that all studied Acinetobacter Fri1-like viruses have highly similar genomes, which differentiate only at the genes coding for tailspike, likely to adapt to different host receptors. The isolated phage 3043-K38 specifically recognizes an untapped Acinetobacter K38 capsule type via a novel tailspike with K38 depolymerase activity. The recombinant K38 depolymerase region of the tailspike (center-end region) forms a thermostable trimer, and quickly degrades capsules. When the K38 depolymerase is applied to the cells, it makes them resistant to phage predation. Interestingly, while K38 depolymerase treatments do not synergize with antibiotics, it makes bacterial cells highly susceptible to the host serum complement. In summary, we characterized a novel phage-encoded K38 depolymerase, which not only advances our understanding of phage-host interactions, but could also be further explored as a new antibacterial agent against drug-resistant Acinetobacter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Domingues
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (R.D.); (A.B.); (S.B.S.); (D.P.P.)
| | - Ana Barbosa
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (R.D.); (A.B.); (S.B.S.); (D.P.P.)
| | - Sílvio B. Santos
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (R.D.); (A.B.); (S.B.S.); (D.P.P.)
| | - Diana Priscila Pires
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (R.D.); (A.B.); (S.B.S.); (D.P.P.)
| | - Jonathan Save
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland;
- Centre for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lausanne University Hospital, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland;
| | - Grégory Resch
- Centre for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lausanne University Hospital, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland;
| | - Joana Azeredo
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (R.D.); (A.B.); (S.B.S.); (D.P.P.)
- Correspondence: (J.A.); (H.O.)
| | - Hugo Oliveira
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (R.D.); (A.B.); (S.B.S.); (D.P.P.)
- Correspondence: (J.A.); (H.O.)
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Rice CJ, Kelly SA, O’Brien SC, Melaugh EM, Ganacias JCB, Chai ZH, Gilmore BF, Skvortsov T. Novel Phage-Derived Depolymerase with Activity against Proteus mirabilis Biofilms. Microorganisms 2021; 9:2172. [PMID: 34683494 PMCID: PMC8539402 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9102172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The adherence of Proteus mirabilis to the surface of urinary catheters leads to colonization and eventual blockage of the catheter lumen by unique crystalline biofilms produced by these opportunistic pathogens, making P. mirabilis one of the leading causes of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. The Proteus biofilms reduce efficiency of antibiotic-based treatment, which in turn increases the risk of antibiotic resistance development. Bacteriophages and their enzymes have recently become investigated as alternative treatment options. In this study, a novel Proteus bacteriophage (vB_PmiS_PM-CJR) was isolated from an environmental sample and fully characterized. The phage displayed depolymerase activity and the subsequent genome analysis revealed the presence of a pectate lyase domain in its tail spike protein. The protein was heterologously expressed and purified; the ability of the purified tail spike to degrade Proteus biofilms was tested. We showed that the application of the tail spike protein was able to reduce the adherence of bacterial biofilm to plastic pegs in a MBEC (minimum biofilm eradication concentration) assay and improve the survival of Galleria mellonella larvae infected with Proteus mirabilis. Our study is the first to successfully isolate and characterize a biofilm depolymerase from a Proteus phage, demonstrating the potential of this group of enzymes in treatment of Proteus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Timofey Skvortsov
- School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK; (C.J.R.); (S.A.K.); (S.C.O.); (E.M.M.); (J.C.B.G.); (Z.H.C.); (B.F.G.)
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Goulet A, Cambillau C. Structure and Topology Prediction of Phage Adhesion Devices Using AlphaFold2: The Case of Two Oenococcus oeni Phages. Microorganisms 2021; 9:2151. [PMID: 34683471 PMCID: PMC8540738 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9102151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are important microorganisms in food fermentation. In the food industry, bacteriophages (phages or bacterial viruses) may cause the disruption of LAB-dependent processes with product inconsistencies and economic losses. LAB phages use diverse adhesion devices to infect their host, yet the overall picture of host-binding mechanisms remains incomplete. Here, we aimed to determine the structure and topology of the adhesion devices of two lytic siphophages, OE33PA and Vinitor162, infecting the wine bacteria Oenococcus oeni. These phages possess adhesion devices with a distinct composition and morphology and likely use different infection mechanisms. We primarily used AlphaFold2, an algorithm that can predict protein structure with unprecedented accuracy, to obtain a 3D model of the adhesion devices' components. Using our prior knowledge of the architecture of the LAB phage host-binding machineries, we also reconstituted the topology of OE33PA and Vinitor162 adhesion devices. While OE33PA exhibits original structures in the assembly of its bulky adhesion device, Vinitor162 harbors several carbohydrate-binding modules throughout its long and extended adhesion device. Overall, these results highlight the ability of AlphaFold2 to predict protein structures and illustrate its great potential in the study of phage structures and host-binding mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeline Goulet
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Campus de Luminy, Case 932, CEDEX 09, 13288 Marseille, France;
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Aix-Marseille Université, Campus de Luminy, Case 932, CEDEX 09, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Christian Cambillau
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Campus de Luminy, Case 932, CEDEX 09, 13288 Marseille, France;
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Aix-Marseille Université, Campus de Luminy, Case 932, CEDEX 09, 13288 Marseille, France
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Sørensen AN, Woudstra C, Sørensen MCH, Brøndsted L. Subtypes of tail spike proteins predicts the host range of Ackermannviridae phages. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:4854-4867. [PMID: 34527194 PMCID: PMC8432352 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.08.030] [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: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Phages belonging to the Ackermannviridae family encode up to four tail spike proteins (TSPs), each recognizing a specific receptor of their bacterial hosts. Here, we determined the TSPs diversity of 99 Ackermannviridae phages by performing a comprehensive in silico analysis. Based on sequence diversity, we assigned all TSPs into distinctive subtypes of TSP1, TSP2, TSP3 and TSP4, and found each TSP subtype to be specifically associated with the genera (Kuttervirus, Agtrevirus, Limestonevirus, Taipeivirus) of the Ackermannviridae family. Further analysis showed that the N-terminal XD1 and XD2 domains in TSP2 and TSP4, hinging the four TSPs together, are preserved. In contrast, the C-terminal receptor binding modules were only conserved within TSP subtypes, except for some Kuttervirus TSP1s and TSP3s that were similar to specific TSP4s. A conserved motif in TSP1, TSP3 and TSP4 of Kuttervirus phages may allow recombination between receptor binding modules, thus altering host recognition. The receptors for numerous uncharacterized phages expressing TSPs in the same subtypes were predicted using previous host range data. To validate our predictions, we experimentally determined the host recognition of three of the four TSPs expressed by kuttervirus S117. We confirmed that S117 TSP1 and TSP2 bind to their predicted host receptors, and identified the receptor for TSP3, which is shared by 51 other Kuttervirus phages. Kuttervirus phages were thus shown encode a vast genetic diversity of potentially exchangeable TSPs influencing host recognition. Overall, our study demonstrates that comprehensive in silico and host range analysis of TSPs can predict host recognition of Ackermannviridae phages.
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Key Words
- ANI, Average nucleotide identity
- Ackermannviridae family
- Bacteriophage
- CPS, Capsular polysaccharide
- EOP, Efficiency of plating
- Escherichia coli O:157
- Host range
- LB, Luria-Bertani
- LPS, Lipopolysaccharide
- NCBI, National Center for Biotechnology Information
- O-antigen
- ORF, Open reading frame
- PFU, Plaque formation unit
- RBP, Receptor binding protein
- Receptor-binding proteins
- Salmonella
- TSP, Tail spike protein
- Tail spike proteins
- VriC, Virulence-associated protein
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Nørgaard Sørensen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Cedric Woudstra
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Martine C Holst Sørensen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Lone Brøndsted
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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Dunstan RA, Bamert RS, Belousoff MJ, Short FL, Barlow CK, Pickard DJ, Wilksch JJ, Schittenhelm RB, Strugnell RA, Dougan G, Lithgow T. Mechanistic Insights into the Capsule-Targeting Depolymerase from a Klebsiella pneumoniae Bacteriophage. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0102321. [PMID: 34431721 PMCID: PMC8552709 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01023-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The production of capsular polysaccharides by Klebsiella pneumoniae protects the bacterial cell from harmful environmental factors such as antimicrobial compounds and infection by bacteriophages (phages). To bypass this protective barrier, some phages encode polysaccharide-degrading enzymes referred to as depolymerases to provide access to cell surface receptors. Here, we characterized the phage RAD2, which infects K. pneumoniae strains that produce the widespread, hypervirulence-associated K2-type capsular polysaccharide. Using transposon-directed insertion sequencing, we have shown that the production of capsule is an absolute requirement for efficient RAD2 infection by serving as a first-stage receptor. We have identified the depolymerase responsible for recognition and degradation of the capsule, determined that the depolymerase forms globular appendages on the phage virion tail tip, and present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the RAD2 capsule depolymerase at 2.7-Å resolution. A putative active site for the enzyme was identified, comprising clustered negatively charged residues that could facilitate the hydrolysis of target polysaccharides. Enzymatic assays coupled with mass spectrometric analyses of digested oligosaccharide products provided further mechanistic insight into the hydrolase activity of the enzyme, which, when incubated with K. pneumoniae, removes the capsule and sensitizes the cells to serum-induced killing. Overall, these findings expand our understanding of how phages target the Klebsiella capsule for infection, providing a framework for the use of depolymerases as antivirulence agents against this medically important pathogen. IMPORTANCE Klebsiella pneumoniae is a medically important pathogen that produces a thick protective capsule that is essential for pathogenicity. Phages are natural predators of bacteria, and many encode diverse "capsule depolymerases" which specifically degrade the capsule of their hosts, an exploitable trait for potential therapies. We have determined the first structure of a depolymerase that targets the clinically relevant K2 capsule and have identified its putative active site, providing hints to its mechanism of action. We also show that Klebsiella cells treated with a recombinant form of the depolymerase are stripped of capsule, inhibiting their ability to grow in the presence of serum, demonstrating the anti-infective potential of these robust and readily producible enzymes against encapsulated bacterial pathogens such as K. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhys A. Dunstan
- Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Rebecca S. Bamert
- Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Matthew J. Belousoff
- Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Drug Discovery Biology Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Francesca L. Short
- Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher K. Barlow
- Monash Proteomics & Metabolomics Facility, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Derek J. Pickard
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan J. Wilksch
- Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Ralf B. Schittenhelm
- Monash Proteomics & Metabolomics Facility, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Richard A. Strugnell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Gordon Dougan
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor Lithgow
- Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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38
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Miroshnikov KA, Evseev PV, Lukianova AA, Ignatov AN. Tailed Lytic Bacteriophages of Soft Rot Pectobacteriaceae. Microorganisms 2021; 9:1819. [PMID: 34576713 PMCID: PMC8472413 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9091819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of the ecological and evolutionary traits of Soft Rot Pectobacteriaceae (SRP) comprising genera Pectobacterium and Dickeya often involves bacterial viruses (bacteriophages). Bacteriophages are considered to be a prospective tool for the ecologically safe and highly specific protection of plants and harvests from bacterial diseases. Information concerning bacteriophages has been growing rapidly in recent years, and this has included new genomics-based principles of taxonomic distribution. In this review, we summarise the data on phages infecting Pectobacterium and Dickeya that are available in publications and genomic databases. The analysis highlights not only major genomic properties that assign phages to taxonomic families and genera, but also the features that make them potentially suitable for phage control applications. Specifically, there is a discussion of the molecular mechanisms of receptor recognition by the phages and problems concerning the evolution of phage-resistant mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin A Miroshnikov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya Str., 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Russian State Agrarian University, Timiryazevskaya Str., 49, 127434 Moscow, Russia
| | - Peter V Evseev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya Str., 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna A Lukianova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya Str., 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Russian State Agrarian University, Timiryazevskaya Str., 49, 127434 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1, bldg. 12, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander N Ignatov
- Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Russian State Agrarian University, Timiryazevskaya Str., 49, 127434 Moscow, Russia
- Agrobiotechnology Department, Agrarian and Technological Institute, RUDN University, Miklukho-Maklaya Str., 6, 117198 Moscow, Russia
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39
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Bacteriophage SRD2021 Recognizing Capsular Polysaccharide Shows Therapeutic Potential in Serotype K47 Klebsiella pneumoniae Infections. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10080894. [PMID: 34438943 PMCID: PMC8388747 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10080894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen posing an urgent threat to global public health, and the capsule is necessary for K. pneumoniae infection and virulence. Phage-derived capsule depolymerases have shown great potential as antivirulence agents in treating carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) infections. However, the therapeutic potential of phages encoding depolymerases against CRKP remains poorly understood. In this study, we identified a long-tailed phage SRD2021 specific for mucoid CRKP with capsular K47 serotype, which is the predominant infectious K-type in Asia. Genome sequencing revealed that ΦSRD2021 belonged to the Drulisvirus genus and exhibited a capsular depolymerase domain in its tail fiber protein. A transposon-insertion library of host bacteria was constructed to identify the receptor for ΦSRD2021. We found that most phage-resistant mutants converted to a nonmucoid phenotype, including the mutant in wza gene essential for capsular polysaccharides export. Further knockout and complementation experiments confirmed that the Δwza mutant avoided adsorption by ΦSRD2021, indicating that the K47 capsular polysaccharide is the necessary receptor for phage infection. ΦSRD2021 lysed the bacteria mature biofilms and showed a therapeutic effect on the prevention and treatment of CRKP infection in the Galleria mellonella model. Furthermore, ΦSRD2021 also reduced the colonized CRKP in mouse intestines significantly. By recognizing the host capsule as a receptor, our results showed that ΦSRD2021 may be used as a potential antibacterial agent for K47 serotype K. pneumoniae infections.
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40
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Identification of Receptor Binding Proteins in Flagellotropic Agrobacterium Phage 7-7-1. Viruses 2021; 13:v13071267. [PMID: 34209785 PMCID: PMC8310070 DOI: 10.3390/v13071267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid discovery of new and diverse bacteriophages has driven the innovation of approaches aimed at detailing interactions with their bacterial hosts. Previous studies on receptor binding proteins (RBPs) mainly relied on their identification in silico and are based on similarities to well-characterized systems. Thus, novel phage RBPs unlike those currently annotated in genomic and proteomic databases remain largely undiscovered. In this study, we employed a screen to identify RBPs in flagellotropic Agrobacterium phage 7-7-1. Flagellotropic phages utilize bacterial flagella as receptors. The screen identified three candidate RBPs, Gp4, Gp102, and Gp44. Homology modelling predicted that Gp4 is a trimeric, tail associated protein with a central β-barrel, while the structure and function of Gp102 and Gp44 are less obvious. Studies with purified Gp41-247 confirmed its ability to bind and interact with host cells, highlighting the robustness of the RBP screen. We also discovered that Gp41-247 inhibits the growth of host cells in a motility and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) dependent fashion. Hence, our results suggest interactions between Gp41-247, rotating flagellar filaments and host glycans to inhibit host cell growth, which presents an impactful and intriguing focus for future studies.
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41
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Witte S, Zinsli LV, Gonzalez-Serrano R, Matter CI, Loessner MJ, van Mierlo JT, Dunne M. Structural and functional characterization of the receptor binding proteins of Escherichia coli O157 phages EP75 and EP335. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:3416-3426. [PMID: 34194667 PMCID: PMC8217332 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are widely used as biocontrol agents in food and as antibacterial agents for treatment of food production plant surfaces. An important feature of such phages is broad infectivity towards a given pathogenic species. Phages attach to the surfaces of bacterial cells using receptor binding proteins (RBPs), namely tail fibers or tailspikes (TSPs). The binding range of RBPs is the primary determinant of phage host range and infectivity, and therefore dictates a phage's suitability as an antibacterial agent. Phages EP75 and EP335 broadly infect strains of E. coli serotype O157. To better understand host recognition by both phages, here we focused on characterizing the structures and functions of their RBPs. We identified two distinct tail fibers in the genome of the podovirus EP335: gp12 and gp13. Using fluorescence microscopy, we reveal how gp13 recognizes strains of E. coli serotypes O157 and O26. Phage EP75 belongs to the Kuttervirus genus within the Ackermannviridae family and features a four TSP complex (TSPs 1-4) that is universal among such phages. We demonstrate enzymatic activity of TSP1 (gp167) and TSP2 (gp168) toward the O18A and O157 O-antigens of E. coli, respectively, as well as TSP3 activity (gp169.1) against O4, O7, and O9 Salmonella O-antigens. TSPs of EP75 present high similarity to TSPs from E. coli phages CBA120 (TSP2) and HK620 (TSP1) and Salmonella myovirus Det7 (TSP3), which helps explain the cross-genus infectivity observed for EP75.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander Witte
- Micreos Food Safety B.V., Wageningen, Nieuwe Kanaal 7P, 6709PA, The Netherlands
| | - Léa V. Zinsli
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Cassandra I. Matter
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Martin J. Loessner
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Joël T. van Mierlo
- Micreos Food Safety B.V., Wageningen, Nieuwe Kanaal 7P, 6709PA, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew Dunne
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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Sørensen MCH, Vitt A, Neve H, Soverini M, Ahern SJ, Klumpp J, Brøndsted L. Campylobacter phages use hypermutable polyG tracts to create phenotypic diversity and evade bacterial resistance. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109214. [PMID: 34107245 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Phase variation is a common mechanism for creating phenotypic heterogeneity of surface structures in bacteria important for niche adaptation. In Campylobacter, phase variation occurs by random variation in hypermutable homonucleotide 7-11 G (polyG) tracts. To elucidate how phages adapt to phase-variable hosts, we study Fletchervirus phages infecting Campylobacter dependent on a phase-variable receptor. Our data demonstrate that Fletcherviruses mimic their host and encode hypermutable polyG tracts, leading to phase-variable expression of two of four receptor-binding proteins. This creates phenotypically diverse phage populations, including a sub-population that infects the bacterial host when the phase-variable receptor is not expressed. Such population dynamics of both phage and host promote co-existence in a shared niche. Strikingly, we identify polyG tracts in more than 100 phage genera, infecting more than 70 bacterial species. Future experimental work may confirm phase variation as a widespread strategy for creating phenotypically diverse phage populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martine C Holst Sørensen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark.
| | - Amira Vitt
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Horst Neve
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max-Rubner Institut, 24103 Kiel, Germany
| | - Matteo Soverini
- COPSAC, Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, 2820 Gentofte, Denmark
| | - Stephen James Ahern
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Jochen Klumpp
- Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lone Brøndsted
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg, Denmark
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Component Parts of Bacteriophage Virions Accurately Defined by a Machine-Learning Approach Built on Evolutionary Features. mSystems 2021; 6:e0024221. [PMID: 34042467 PMCID: PMC8269216 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00242-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to evolve as a major threat to human health, and new strategies are required for the treatment of AMR infections. Bacteriophages (phages) that kill bacterial pathogens are being identified for use in phage therapies, with the intention to apply these bactericidal viruses directly into the infection sites in bespoke phage cocktails. Despite the great unsampled phage diversity for this purpose, an issue hampering the roll out of phage therapy is the poor quality annotation of many of the phage genomes, particularly for those from infrequently sampled environmental sources. We developed a computational tool called STEP3 to use the “evolutionary features” that can be recognized in genome sequences of diverse phages. These features, when integrated into an ensemble framework, achieved a stable and robust prediction performance when benchmarked against other prediction tools using phages from diverse sources. Validation of the prediction accuracy of STEP3 was conducted with high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis of two novel phages, isolated from a watercourse in the Southern Hemisphere. STEP3 provides a robust computational approach to distinguish specific and universal features in phages to improve the quality of phage cocktails and is available for use at http://step3.erc.monash.edu/. IMPORTANCE In response to the global problem of antimicrobial resistance, there are moves to use bacteriophages (phages) as therapeutic agents. Selecting which phages will be effective therapeutics relies on interpreting features contributing to shelf-life and applicability to diagnosed infections. However, the protein components of the phage virions that dictate these properties vary so much in sequence that best estimates suggest failure to recognize up to 90% of them. We have utilized this diversity in evolutionary features as an advantage, to apply machine learning for prediction accuracy for diverse components in phage virions. We benchmark this new tool showing the accurate recognition and evaluation of phage component parts using genome sequence data of phages from undersampled environments, where the richest diversity of phage still lies.
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Novel Acinetobacter baumannii Myovirus TaPaz Encoding Two Tailspike Depolymerases: Characterization and Host-Recognition Strategy. Viruses 2021; 13:v13060978. [PMID: 34070371 PMCID: PMC8228797 DOI: 10.3390/v13060978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii, one of the most significant nosocomial pathogens, is capable of producing structurally diverse capsular polysaccharides (CPSs) which are the primary receptors for A. baumannii bacteriophages encoding polysaccharide-degrading enzymes. To date, bacterial viruses specifically infecting A. baumannii strains belonging to more than ten various capsular types (K types) were isolated and characterized. In the present study, we investigate the biological properties, genomic organization, and virus-bacterial host interaction strategy of novel myovirus TaPaz isolated on the bacterial lawn of A. baumannii strain with a K47 capsular polysaccharide structure. The phage linear double-stranded DNA genome of 93,703 bp contains 178 open reading frames. Genes encoding two different tailspike depolymerases (TSDs) were identified in the phage genome. Recombinant TSDs were purified and tested against the collection of A. baumannii strains belonging to 56 different K types. One of the TSDs was demonstrated to be a specific glycosidase that cleaves the K47 CPS by the hydrolytic mechanism.
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45
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Dunne M, Prokhorov NS, Loessner MJ, Leiman PG. Reprogramming bacteriophage host range: design principles and strategies for engineering receptor binding proteins. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 68:272-281. [PMID: 33744824 PMCID: PMC10163921 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) use specialized tail machinery to deliver proteins and genetic material into a bacterial cell during infection. Attached at the distal ends of their tails are receptor binding proteins (RBPs) that recognize specific molecules exposed on host bacteria surfaces. Since the therapeutic capacity of naturally occurring phages is often limited by narrow host ranges, there is significant interest in expanding their host range via directed evolution or structure-guided engineering of their RBPs. Here, we describe the design principles of different RBP engineering platforms and draw attention to the mechanisms linking RBP binding and the correct spatial and temporal attachment of the phage to the bacterial surface. A deeper understanding of these mechanisms will directly benefit future engineering of more effective phage-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Dunne
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Nikolai S Prokhorov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Martin J Loessner
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petr G Leiman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX, USA
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46
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Irmscher T, Roske Y, Gayk I, Dunsing V, Chiantia S, Heinemann U, Barbirz S. Pantoea stewartii WceF is a glycan biofilm-modifying enzyme with a bacteriophage tailspike-like fold. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100286. [PMID: 33450228 PMCID: PMC7949094 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic microorganisms often reside in glycan-based biofilms. Concentration and chain length distribution of these mostly anionic exopolysaccharides (EPS) determine the overall biophysical properties of a biofilm and result in a highly viscous environment. Bacterial communities regulate this biofilm state via intracellular small-molecule signaling to initiate EPS synthesis. Reorganization or degradation of this glycan matrix, however, requires the action of extracellular glycosidases. So far, these were mainly described for bacteriophages that must degrade biofilms for gaining access to host bacteria. The plant pathogen Pantoea stewartii (P. stewartii) encodes the protein WceF within its EPS synthesis cluster. WceF has homologs in various biofilm forming plant pathogens of the Erwinia family. In this work, we show that WceF is a glycosidase active on stewartan, the main P. stewartii EPS biofilm component. WceF has remarkable structural similarity with bacteriophage tailspike proteins (TSPs). Crystal structure analysis showed a native trimer of right-handed parallel β-helices. Despite its similar fold, WceF lacks the high stability found in bacteriophage TSPs. WceF is a stewartan hydrolase and produces oligosaccharides, corresponding to single stewartan repeat units. However, compared with a stewartan-specific glycan hydrolase of bacteriophage origin, WceF showed lectin-like autoagglutination with stewartan, resulting in notably slower EPS cleavage velocities. This emphasizes that the bacterial enzyme WceF has a role in P. stewartii biofilm glycan matrix reorganization clearly different from that of a bacteriophage exopolysaccharide depolymerase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Irmscher
- Physikalische Biochemie, Universität Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany; Department Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Yvette Roske
- Crystallography, Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Igor Gayk
- Physikalische Biochemie, Universität Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Valentin Dunsing
- Physikalische Zellbiochemie, Universität Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Udo Heinemann
- Crystallography, Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin, Berlin, Germany; Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany.
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47
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Zhang L, Yan Y, Gan Q, She Z, Zhu K, Wang J, Gao Z, Dong Y, Gong Y. Structural and functional characterization of the deep-sea thermophilic bacteriophage GVE2 tailspike protein. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 164:4415-4422. [PMID: 32926904 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.09.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The genome of the thermophilic bacteriophage GVE2 encodes a putative tailspike protein (GVE2 TSP). Here we report the crystal structure of the truncated GVE2 TSP at 2.0-Å resolution lacking 204 amino acid residues at its N-terminus (ΔnGVE2 TSP), possessing a "vase" outline similar to other TSP's structures. However, ΔnGVE2 TSP displays structural characteristics distinct from other TSPs. Despite lacking 204 amino acid residues, the head domain forms an asymmetric trimer compared to symmetric in other TSPs, suggesting that its long N-terminus may be unique to the long-tailed bacteriophages. Furthermore, the α-helix of the neck is 5-7 amino acids longer than that of other TSPs. The most striking feature is that its binding domain consists of a β-helix with 10 turns, whereas other TSPs have 13 turns, even including the phage Sf6 TSP, which is the closest homologue of GVE2 TSP. The C-terminal structure is also quite different with those of other TSPs. Furthermore, we observed that ΔnGVE2 TSP can slow down growth of its host, demonstrating that this TSP is essential for the phage GVE2 to infect its host. Overall, the structural characteristics suggest that GVE2 TSP may be more primitive than other phage TSPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Likui Zhang
- Guangling College, Yangzhou University, China; Marine Science & Technology Institute, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, China
| | - Yuhua Yan
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, China
| | - Qi Gan
- Marine Science & Technology Institute, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, China
| | - Zhun She
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Keli Zhu
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, China
| | - Jinhui Wang
- College of Plant Protection, Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, China
| | - Zengqiang Gao
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Yuhui Dong
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Yong Gong
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.
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48
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Fan C, Tie D, Sun Y, Jiang J, Huang H, Gong Y, Zhao C. Characterization and Genomic Analysis of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Bacteriophage FEC14, a New Member of Genus Kuttervirus. Curr Microbiol 2020; 78:159-166. [PMID: 33185717 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-020-02283-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an important foodborne pathogen that has become a major worldwide factor affecting the public safety of food. Bacteriophage has gradually attracted attention because of its ability to kill specific pathogens. In this study, a lytic phage of E. coli O157:H7, named FEC14, was isolated from hospital sewage. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that phage FEC14 had an isometric head 80 ± 5 nm in diameter and a contractile tail whose terminal spikes present an umbrella-like structure. Phage FEC14 revealed 158,639 bp double-stranded DNA, with the G+C content of 44.6%, 209 ORFs and four tRNAs. Genome DNA of FEC14 could not be digested by some endonucleases. Many of the features of phage FEC14 are very similar to those of the newly classified genus "Kuttervirus", including morphology, genome size and organization, etc. Phage FEC14 is proposed to be a new isolate of genus "Kuttervirus" within the family Ackermannviridae, moreover, the endonuclease resistance of phage FEC14, has priority over other genera of bacteriophages for its use in biocontrol of foodborne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Fan
- Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Dandan Tie
- Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanbo Sun
- Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Jiang
- Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Honglan Huang
- Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunwei Gong
- Changchun Center for Disease Control and Prevention Department of Microbiology, Changchun, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunyan Zhao
- Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
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49
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Structure and function of bacteriophage CBA120 ORF211 (TSP2), the determinant of phage specificity towards E. coli O157:H7. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15402. [PMID: 32958885 PMCID: PMC7506556 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72373-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The genome of Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteriophage vB_EcoM_CBA120 encodes four distinct tailspike proteins (TSPs). The four TSPs, TSP1-4, attach to the phage baseplate forming a branched structure. We report the 1.9 Å resolution crystal structure of TSP2 (ORF211), the TSP that confers phage specificity towards E. coli O157:H7. The structure shows that the N-terminal 168 residues involved in TSPs complex assembly are disordered in the absence of partner proteins. The ensuing head domain contains only the first of two fold modules seen in other phage vB_EcoM_CBA120 TSPs. The catalytic site resides in a cleft at the interface between adjacent trimer subunits, where Asp506, Glu568, and Asp571 are located in close proximity. Replacement of Asp506 and Asp571 for alanine residues abolishes enzyme activity, thus identifying the acid/base catalytic machinery. However, activity remains intact when Asp506 and Asp571 are mutated into asparagine residues. Analysis of additional site-directed mutants in the background of the D506N:D571N mutant suggests engagement of an alternative catalytic apparatus comprising Glu568 and Tyr623. Finally, we demonstrate the catalytic role of two interacting glutamate residues of TSP1, located in a cleft between two trimer subunits, Glu456 and Glu483, underscoring the diversity of the catalytic apparatus employed by phage vB_EcoM_CBA120 TSPs.
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50
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Gambino M, Nørgaard Sørensen A, Ahern S, Smyrlis G, Gencay YE, Hendrix H, Neve H, Noben JP, Lavigne R, Brøndsted L. Phage S144, A New Polyvalent Phage Infecting Salmonella spp. and Cronobacter sakazakii. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155196. [PMID: 32707941 PMCID: PMC7432712 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Phages are generally considered species- or even strain-specific, yet polyvalent phages are able to infect bacteria from different genera. Here, we characterize the novel polyvalent phage S144, a member of the Loughboroughvirus genus. By screening 211 Enterobacteriaceae strains, we found that phage S144 forms plaques on specific serovars of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica and on Cronobacter sakazakii. Analysis of phage resistant mutants suggests that the O-antigen of lipopolysaccharide is the phage receptor in both bacterial genera. The S144 genome consists of 53,628 bp and encodes 80 open reading frames (ORFs), but no tRNA genes. In total, 32 ORFs coding for structural proteins were confirmed by ESI-MS/MS analysis, whereas 45 gene products were functionally annotated within DNA metabolism, packaging, nucleotide biosynthesis and phage morphogenesis. Transmission electron microscopy showed that phage S144 is a myovirus, with a prolate head and short tail fibers. The putative S144 tail fiber structure is, overall, similar to the tail fiber of phage Mu and the C-terminus shows amino acid similarity to tail fibers of otherwise unrelated phages infecting Cronobacter. Since all phages in the Loughboroughvirus genus encode tail fibers similar to S144, we suggest that phages in this genus infect Cronobacter sakazakii and are polyvalent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Gambino
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (M.G.); (A.N.S.); (S.A.); (G.S.); (Y.E.G.)
| | - Anders Nørgaard Sørensen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (M.G.); (A.N.S.); (S.A.); (G.S.); (Y.E.G.)
| | - Stephen Ahern
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (M.G.); (A.N.S.); (S.A.); (G.S.); (Y.E.G.)
| | - Georgios Smyrlis
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (M.G.); (A.N.S.); (S.A.); (G.S.); (Y.E.G.)
| | - Yilmaz Emre Gencay
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (M.G.); (A.N.S.); (S.A.); (G.S.); (Y.E.G.)
| | - Hanne Hendrix
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; (H.H.); (R.L.)
| | - Horst Neve
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, 24103 Kiel, Germany;
| | - Jean-Paul Noben
- Biomedical Research Institute and Transnational University Limburg, Hasselt University, BE3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium;
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; (H.H.); (R.L.)
| | - Lone Brøndsted
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (M.G.); (A.N.S.); (S.A.); (G.S.); (Y.E.G.)
- Correspondence:
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