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Yu X, Cheng L, Yi X, Li B, Li X, Liu X, Liu Z, Kong X. Gut phageome: challenges in research and impact on human microbiota. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1379382. [PMID: 38585689 PMCID: PMC10995246 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1379382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The human gut microbiome plays a critical role in maintaining our health. Fluctuations in the diversity and structure of the gut microbiota have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several metabolic and inflammatory conditions. Dietary patterns, medication, smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity can all influence the abundance of different types of microbiota in the gut, which in turn can affect the health of individuals. Intestinal phages are an essential component of the gut microbiome, but most studies predominantly focus on the structure and dynamics of gut bacteria while neglecting the role of phages in shaping the gut microbiome. As bacteria-killing viruses, the distribution of bacteriophages in the intestine, their role in influencing the intestinal microbiota, and their mechanisms of action remain elusive. Herein, we present an overview of the current knowledge of gut phages, their lifestyles, identification, and potential impact on the gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Yu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Li Cheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory and Pathology, Hospital of Shanxi People’s Armed Police, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xin Yi
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Bing Li
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xueqin Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The General Hospital of Jincheng Coal Industry Group, Jincheng, China
| | - Xiang Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Zhihong Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xiaomei Kong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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2
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Zhang Y, Sharma S, Tom L, Liao YT, Wu VCH. Gut Phageome-An Insight into the Role and Impact of Gut Microbiome and Their Correlation with Mammal Health and Diseases. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2454. [PMID: 37894111 PMCID: PMC10609124 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses, compose a diverse mammalian gut environment and are highly associated with host health. Bacteriophages, the viruses that infect bacteria, are the primary members of the gastrointestinal virome, known as the phageome. However, our knowledge regarding the gut phageome remains poorly understood. In this review, the critical role of the gut phageome and its correlation with mammalian health were summarized. First, an overall profile of phages across the gastrointestinal tract and their dynamic roles in shaping the surrounding microorganisms was elucidated. Further, the impacts of the gut phageome on gastrointestinal fitness and the bacterial community were highlighted, together with the influence of diets on the gut phageome composition. Additionally, new reports on the role of the gut phageome in the association of mammalian health and diseases were reviewed. Finally, a comprehensive update regarding the advanced phage benchwork and contributions of phage-based therapy to prevent/treat mammalian diseases was provided. This study provides insights into the role and impact of the gut phagenome in gut environments closely related to mammal health and diseases. The findings provoke the potential applications of phage-based diagnosis and therapy in clinical and agricultural fields. Future research is needed to uncover the underlying mechanism of phage-bacterial interactions in gut environments and explore the maintenance of mammalian health via phage-regulated gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Vivian C. H. Wu
- Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center, Albany, CA 94710, USA
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3
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Viral biogeography of the mammalian gut and parenchymal organs. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1301-1311. [PMID: 35918425 PMCID: PMC7614033 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01178-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian virome has been linked to health and disease but our understanding of how it is structured along the longitudinal axis of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and other organs is limited. Here, we report a metagenomic analysis of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic virome occupying luminal and mucosa-associated habitats along the GIT, as well as parenchymal organs (liver, lung and spleen), in two representative mammalian species, the domestic pig and rhesus macaque (six animals per species). Luminal samples from the large intestine of both mammals harboured the highest loads and diversity of bacteriophages (class Caudoviricetes, family Microviridae and others). Mucosal samples contained much lower viral loads but a higher proportion of eukaryotic viruses (families Astroviridae, Caliciviridae, Parvoviridae). Parenchymal organs contained bacteriophages of gut origin, in addition to some eukaryotic viruses. Overall, GIT virome composition was specific to anatomical region and host species. Upper GIT and mucosa-specific viruses were greatly under-represented in distal colon samples (a proxy for faeces). Nonetheless, certain viral and phage species were ubiquitous in all samples from the oral cavity to the distal colon. The dataset and its accompanying methodology may provide an important resource for future work investigating the biogeography of the mammalian gut virome.
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4
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Chitcharoen S, Sivapornnukul P, Payungporn S. Revolutionized virome research using systems microbiology approaches. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2022; 247:1135-1147. [PMID: 35723062 PMCID: PMC9335507 DOI: 10.1177/15353702221102895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, both pathogenic and commensal viruses are continuously being discovered and acknowledged as ubiquitous components of microbial communities. The advancements of systems microbiological approaches have changed the face of virome research. Here, we focus on viral metagenomic approach to study virus community and their interactions with other microbial members as well as their hosts. This review also summarizes challenges, limitations, and benefits of the current virome approaches. Potentially, the studies of virome can be further applied in various biological and clinical fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suwalak Chitcharoen
- Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand,Research Unit of Systems Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Pavaret Sivapornnukul
- Research Unit of Systems Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Sunchai Payungporn
- Research Unit of Systems Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand,Sunchai Payungporn.
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5
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Enteric Viruses Nucleic Acids Distribution along the Digestive Tract of Rhesus Macaques with Idiopathic Chronic Diarrhea. Viruses 2022; 14:v14030638. [PMID: 35337045 PMCID: PMC8951234 DOI: 10.3390/v14030638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic chronic diarrhea (ICD) is a little understood common clinical problem in captive rhesus macaques claiming 33% of medical culls unrelated to research. The eukaryotic virome in digestive tract tissues collected at necropsy from nine animals with ICD was characterized using viral metagenomics. We compared the distribution of viral reads in tissues and mucosal scrapings from the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and the proximal, transverse, and distal colons. In situ hybridization (ISH) using viral probes were performed on fixed tissues. Deep sequencing revealed multiple viruses in the Parvoviridae and Picornaviridae family. Tissues and mucosal scraping from the same locations showed closely related viral reads contents while different gut tissues from the same animal varied widely. ISH showed punctuated staining for both RNA and DNA viruses in the distal colon. Parvovirus staining was also detected in the stomach/duodenum/jejunum in distinct oval-shaped structures. The location of enteric viral nucleic acid differed widely between different viral families and along the length of the digestive tract.
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6
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Chaffringeon L, Lamy-Besnier Q, Debarbieux L, De Sordi L. The intestinal virome: lessons from animal models. Curr Opin Virol 2021; 51:141-148. [PMID: 34700287 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2021.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Mucosal surfaces in contact with the environment host specific microbiota. The intestinal tract harbours the most abundant and diverse bacterial and viral populations interacting with each other as well as with the host. Viruses of the microbiota are important components of this ecosystem, as shown by viral alterations associated with various pathologies. However, practical and ethical constraints limit functional studies of the virome in humans, making animal models invaluable experimental tools to understand its impact on intestinal physiology. In this review, we present the recent advances in the study of virome in animal models. We focus on the strategies used to characterise viral changes in disease models and approaches to modulate the microbiota using viruses. In reviewing the interplay between viruses, bacteria, and the animal host, we highlight the potential and limitations of these models in elucidating the role of the virome in determining human health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Chaffringeon
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Centre de Recherche St Antoine, UMRS_938, Paris, France; Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, F-75015, France; Paris Center for Microbiome Medicine (PaCeMM) FHU, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Quentin Lamy-Besnier
- Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, F-75015, France; Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Luisa De Sordi
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Centre de Recherche St Antoine, UMRS_938, Paris, France; Paris Center for Microbiome Medicine (PaCeMM) FHU, AP-HP, Paris, France.
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7
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Divergent Enteroviruses from Macaques with Chronic Diarrhea. Microbiol Resour Announc 2021; 10:e0069921. [PMID: 34351224 PMCID: PMC8340857 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00699-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the draft genome sequences of five novel members of the family Picornaviridae that were isolated from the stool of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with chronic diarrhea. The strains were named NOLA-1 through NOLA-5 because the macaques were residents of the Tulane National Primate Research Center.
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8
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Townsend EM, Kelly L, Muscatt G, Box JD, Hargraves N, Lilley D, Jameson E. The Human Gut Phageome: Origins and Roles in the Human Gut Microbiome. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:643214. [PMID: 34150671 PMCID: PMC8213399 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.643214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The investigation of the microbial populations of the human body, known as the microbiome, has led to a revolutionary field of science, and understanding of its impacts on human development and health. The majority of microbiome research to date has focussed on bacteria and other kingdoms of life, such as fungi. Trailing behind these is the interrogation of the gut viruses, specifically the phageome. Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacterial hosts, are known to dictate the dynamics and diversity of bacterial populations in a number of ecosystems. However, the phageome of the human gut, while of apparent importance, remains an area of many unknowns. In this paper we discuss the role of bacteriophages within the human gut microbiome. We examine the methods used to study bacteriophage populations, how this evolved over time and what we now understand about the phageome. We review the phageome development in infancy, and factors that may influence phage populations in adult life. The role and action of the phageome is then discussed at both a biological-level, and in the broader context of human health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor M Townsend
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Kelly
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - George Muscatt
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Joshua D Box
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Nicole Hargraves
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Lilley
- Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Jameson
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
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9
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Guerin E, Shkoporov AN, Stockdale SR, Comas JC, Khokhlova EV, Clooney AG, Daly KM, Draper LA, Stephens N, Scholz D, Ross RP, Hill C. Isolation and characterisation of ΦcrAss002, a crAss-like phage from the human gut that infects Bacteroides xylanisolvens. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:89. [PMID: 33845877 PMCID: PMC8042965 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01036-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The gut phageome comprises a complex phage community of thousands of individual strains, with a few highly abundant bacteriophages. CrAss-like phages, which infect bacteria of the order Bacteroidales, are the most abundant bacteriophage family in the human gut and make an important contribution to an individual's core virome. Based on metagenomic data, crAss-like phages form a family, with four sub-families and ten candidate genera. To date, only three representatives isolated in pure culture have been reported: ΦcrAss001 and two closely related phages DAC15 and DAC17; all are members of the less abundant candidate genus VI. The persistence at high levels of both crAss-like phage and their Bacteroidales hosts in the human gut has not been explained mechanistically, and this phage-host relationship can only be properly studied with isolated phage-host pairs from as many genera as possible. RESULTS Faeces from a healthy donor with high levels of crAss-like phage was used to initiate a faecal fermentation in a chemostat, with selected antibiotics chosen to inhibit rapidly growing bacteria and selectively enrich for Gram-negative Bacteroidales. This had the objective of promoting the simultaneous expansion of crAss-like phages on their native hosts. The levels of seven different crAss-like phages expanded during the fermentation, indicating that their hosts were also present in the fermenter. The enriched supernatant was then tested against individual Bacteroidales strains isolated from the same faecal sample. This resulted in the isolation of a previously uncharacterised crAss-like phage of candidate genus IV of the proposed Alphacrassvirinae sub-family, ΦcrAss002, that infects the gut commensal Bacteroides xylanisolvens. ΦcrAss002 does not form plaques or spots on lawns of sensitive cells, nor does it lyse liquid cultures, even at high titres. In keeping with the co-abundance of phage and host in the human gut, ΦcrAss002 and Bacteroides xylanisolvens can also co-exist at high levels when co-cultured in laboratory media. CONCLUSIONS We report the isolation and characterisation of ΦcrAss002, the first representative of the proposed Alphacrassvirinae sub-family of crAss-like phages. ΦcrAss002 cannot form plaques or spots on bacterial lawns but can co-exist with its host, Bacteroides xylanisolvens, at very high levels in liquid culture without impacting on bacterial numbers. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Guerin
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | | | | | | | - Adam G Clooney
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Karen M Daly
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Niamh Stephens
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Dimitri Scholz
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - R Paul Ross
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
| | - Colin Hill
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
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10
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Babenko V, Millard A, Kulikov E, Spasskaya N, Letarova M, Konanov D, Belalov I, Letarov A. The ecogenomics of dsDNA bacteriophages in feces of stabled and feral horses. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:3457-3467. [PMID: 33294140 PMCID: PMC7691681 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.10.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The viromes of the mammalian lower gut were shown to be heavily dominated by bacteriophages; however, only for humans were the composition and intervariability of the bacteriophage communities studied in depth. Here we present an ecogenomics survey of dsDNA bacteriophage diversity in the feces of horses (Equus caballus), comparing two groups of stabled horses, and a further group of feral horses that were isolated on an island. Our results indicate that the dsDNA viromes of the horse feces feature higher richness than in human viromes, with more even distribution of genotypes. No over-represented phage genotypes, such as CrAssphage-related viruses found in humans, were identified. Additionally, many bacteriophage genus-level clusters were found to be present in all three geographically isolated populations. The diversity of the horse intestinal bacteriophages is severely undersampled, and so consequently only a minor fraction of the phage contigs could be linked with the bacteriophage genomes. Our study indicates that bacteriophage ecological parameters in the intestinal ecosystems in horses and humans differ significantly, leading them to shape their corresponding viromes in different ways. Therefore, the diversity and structure of the intestinal virome in different animal species needs to be experimentally studied.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A. Millard
- Dept Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, UK
| | - E.E. Kulikov
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology RC Biotechnology RAS, Moscow, Russia
| | - N.N. Spasskaya
- Zoology Museum, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
| | - M.A. Letarova
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology RC Biotechnology RAS, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - I.S. Belalov
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology RC Biotechnology RAS, Moscow, Russia
| | - A.V. Letarov
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology RC Biotechnology RAS, Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
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11
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Yan A, Butcher J, Mack D, Stintzi A. Virome Sequencing of the Human Intestinal Mucosal-Luminal Interface. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:582187. [PMID: 33194818 PMCID: PMC7642909 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.582187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
While the human gut virome has been increasingly explored in recent years, nearly all studies have been limited to fecal sampling. The mucosal-luminal interface has been established as a viable sample type for profiling the microbial biogeography of the gastrointestinal tract. We have developed a protocol to extract nucleic acids from viruses at the mucosal-luminal interface of the proximal and distal colon. Colonic viromes from pediatric patients with Crohn's disease demonstrated high interpatient diversity and low but significant intrapatient variation between sites. Whole metagenomics was also performed to explore virome-bacteriome interactions and to compare the viral communities observed in virome and whole metagenomic sequencing. A site-specific study of the human gut virome is a necessary step to advance our understanding of virome-bacteriome-host interactions in human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Yan
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - James Butcher
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - David Mack
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centre and CHEO Research Institute, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Alain Stintzi
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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12
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Guerin E, Hill C. Shining Light on Human Gut Bacteriophages. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:481. [PMID: 33014897 PMCID: PMC7511551 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The human gut is a complex environment that contains a multitude of microorganisms that are collectively termed the microbiome. Multiple factors have a role to play in driving the composition of human gut bacterial communities either toward homeostasis or the instability that is associated with many disease states. One of the most important forces are likely to be bacteriophages, bacteria-infecting viruses that constitute by far the largest portion of the human gut virome. Despite this, bacteriophages (phages) are the one of the least studied residents of the gut. This is largely due to the challenges associated with studying these difficult to culture entities. Modern high throughput sequencing technologies have played an important role in improving our understanding of the human gut phageome but much of the generated sequencing data remains uncharacterised. Overcoming this requires database-independent bioinformatic pipelines and even those phages that are successfully characterized only provide limited insight into their associated biological properties, and thus most viral sequences have been characterized as “viral dark matter.” Fundamental to understanding the role of phages in shaping the human gut microbiome, and in turn perhaps influencing human health, is how they interact with their bacterial hosts. An essential aspect is the isolation of novel phage-bacteria host pairs by direct isolation through various screening methods, which can transform in silico phages into a biological reality. However, this is also beset with multiple challenges including culturing difficulties and the use of traditional methods, such as plaquing, which may bias which phage-host pairs that can be successfully isolated. Phage-bacteria interactions may be influenced by many aspects of complex human gut biology which can be difficult to reproduce under laboratory conditions. Here we discuss some of the main findings associated with the human gut phageome to date including composition, our understanding of phage-host interactions, particularly the observed persistence of virulent phages and their hosts, as well as factors that may influence these highly intricate relationships. We also discuss current methodologies and bottlenecks hindering progression in this field and identify potential steps that may be useful in overcoming these hurdles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Guerin
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Colin Hill
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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13
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Whole-Virome Analysis Sheds Light on Viral Dark Matter in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Cell Host Microbe 2019; 26:764-778.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2019.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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14
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Sutton TDS, Hill C. Gut Bacteriophage: Current Understanding and Challenges. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2019; 10:784. [PMID: 31849833 PMCID: PMC6895007 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiome is widely accepted to have a significant impact on human health yet, despite years of research on this complex ecosystem, the contributions of different forces driving microbial population structure remain to be fully elucidated. The viral component of the human gut microbiome is dominated by bacteriophage, which are known to play crucial roles in shaping microbial composition, driving bacterial diversity, and facilitating horizontal gene transfer. Bacteriophage are also one of the most poorly understood components of the human gut microbiome, with the vast majority of viral sequences sharing little to no homology to reference databases. If we are to understand the dynamics of bacteriophage populations, their interaction with the human microbiome and ultimately their influence on human health, we will depend heavily on sequence based approaches and in silico tools. This is complicated by the fact that, as with any research field in its infancy, methods of analyses vary and this can impede our ability to compare the outputs of different studies. Here, we discuss the major findings to date regarding the human virome and reflect on our current understanding of how gut bacteriophage shape the microbiome. We consider whether or not the virome field is built on unstable foundations and if so, how can we provide a solid basis for future experimentation. The virome is a challenging yet crucial piece of the human microbiome puzzle. In order to develop our understanding, we will discuss the need to underpin future studies with robust research methods and suggest some solutions to existing challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Colin Hill
- APC Microbiome Ireland and School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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15
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Garmaeva S, Sinha T, Kurilshikov A, Fu J, Wijmenga C, Zhernakova A. Studying the gut virome in the metagenomic era: challenges and perspectives. BMC Biol 2019; 17:84. [PMID: 31660953 PMCID: PMC6819614 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-019-0704-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human gut harbors a complex ecosystem of microorganisms, including bacteria and viruses. With the rise of next-generation sequencing technologies, we have seen a quantum leap in the study of human-gut-inhabiting bacteria, yet the viruses that infect these bacteria, known as bacteriophages, remain underexplored. In this review, we focus on what is known about the role of bacteriophages in human health and the technical challenges involved in studying the gut virome, of which they are a major component. Lastly, we discuss what can be learned from studies of bacteriophages in other ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanzhima Garmaeva
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Trishla Sinha
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Alexander Kurilshikov
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jingyuan Fu
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Cisca Wijmenga
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Alexandra Zhernakova
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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Sawaswong V, Fahsbender E, Altan E, Kemthong T, Deng X, Malaivijitnond S, Payungporn S, Delwart E. High Diversity and Novel Enteric Viruses in Fecal Viromes of Healthy Wild and Captive Thai Cynomolgus Macaques ( Macaca fascicularis). Viruses 2019; 11:E971. [PMID: 31652508 PMCID: PMC6832579 DOI: 10.3390/v11100971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cynomolgus macaques are common across South East Asian countries including Thailand. The National Primate Research Center of Thailand, Chulalongkorn University (NPRCT-CU) captures wild-borne cynomolgus macaque for research use. Limited information is available on the enteric viruses and possible zoonotic infections into or from cynomolgus macaques. We characterized and compare the fecal virome of two populations; healthy wild-originated captive cynomolgus macaques (n = 43) reared in NPRCT-CU and healthy wild cynomolgus macaques (n = 35). Over 90% of recognized viral sequence reads amplified from feces were from bacterial viruses. Viruses from seven families of mammalian viruses were also detected (Parvoviridae, Anelloviridae, Picornaviridae, Adenoviridae, Papillomaviridae, Herpesviridae, and Caliciviridae). The genomes of a member of a new picornavirus genus we named Mafapivirus, a primate chapparvovirus, and a circular Rep-encoding single-strand (CRESS) DNA virus were also characterized. Higher abundance of CRESS DNA viruses of unknown tropism and invertebrate-tropic ambidensovirus were detected in wild versus captive macaques likely reflecting dietary differences. Short term rearing in captivity did not have a pronounced effect on the diversity of mammalian viruses of wild cynomolgus macaques. This study is the first report of the fecal virome of cynomolgus macaques, non-human primates frequently used in biomedical research and vaccination studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vorthon Sawaswong
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
| | - Elizabeth Fahsbender
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 9413, USA.
| | - Eda Altan
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 9413, USA.
| | - Taratorn Kemthong
- National Primate Research Center-Chulalongkorn University, Saraburi 18110, Thailand.
| | - Xutao Deng
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
| | | | - Sunchai Payungporn
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
- Center of Excellence in Systems Biology, Chulalongkorn University (CUSB), Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
| | - Eric Delwart
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 9413, USA.
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