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Szermer-Olearnik B, Drab M, Mąkosa M, Zembala M, Barbasz J, Dąbrowska K, Boratyński J. Aggregation/dispersion transitions of T4 phage triggered by environmental ion availability. J Nanobiotechnology 2017; 15:32. [PMID: 28438164 PMCID: PMC5404661 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-017-0266-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bacteriophage survives in at least two extremes of ionic environments: bacterial host (high ionic-cytosol) and that of soil (low ionic-environmental water). The impact of ionic composition in the micro- and macro-environments has not so far been addressed in phage biology. Results Here, we discovered a novel mechanism of aggregation/disaggregation transitions by phage virions. When normal sodium levels in phage media (150 mM) were lowered to 10 mM, advanced imaging by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering all revealed formation of viral packages, each containing 20–100 virions. When ionic strength was returned from low to high, the aggregated state of phage reversed to a dispersed state, and the change in ionic strength did not substantially affect infectivity of the phage. By providing the direct evidence, that lowering of the sodium ion below the threshold of 20 mM causes rapid aggregation of phage while returning Na+ concentration to the values above this threshold causes dispersion of phage, we identified a biophysical mechanism of phage aggregation. Conclusions Our results implicate operation of group behavior in phage and suggest a new kind of quorum sensing among its virions that is mediated by ions. Loss of ionic strength may act as a trigger in an evolutionary mechanism to improve the survival of bacteriophage by stimulating aggregation of phage when outside a bacterial host. Reversal of phage aggregation is also a promising breakthrough in biotechnological applications, since we demonstrated here the ability to retain viable virion aggregates on standard micro-filters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bożena Szermer-Olearnik
- Laboratory of Biomedical Chemistry-"Neolek". Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, R. Weigla 12, 53-114, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Marek Drab
- USI, Unit of Nanostructural Bio-Interactions, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, R. Weigla 12, 53-114, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Mateusz Mąkosa
- Laboratory of Biomedical Chemistry-"Neolek". Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, R. Weigla 12, 53-114, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Maria Zembala
- Institute of Biology, Pedagogical University of Cracow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084, Cracow, Poland
| | - Jakub Barbasz
- Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 8, 30-239, Cracow, Poland
| | - Krystyna Dąbrowska
- Bacteriophage Laboratory, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, R. Weigla 12, 53-114, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Janusz Boratyński
- Laboratory of Biomedical Chemistry-"Neolek". Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, R. Weigla 12, 53-114, Wroclaw, Poland. .,Institute of Chemistry, Environmental Protection and Biotechnology, Jan Długosz University, 42-200, Częstochowa, Poland.
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Shen C, Yong GP, Zhang C, Feng Y. Anion-controlled morphologies and photophysical features of organic microcrystals by solid-phase anion exchange reactions. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra24123e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Anions play key roles in controlling the morphologies of organic microcrystals fabricated by simple and green solid-phase anion exchange reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Shen
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Science and Technology of China
- Hefei 230026
- P. R. China
| | - Guo-Ping Yong
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Science and Technology of China
- Hefei 230026
- P. R. China
| | - Cong Zhang
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Science and Technology of China
- Hefei 230026
- P. R. China
| | - Ya Feng
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Science and Technology of China
- Hefei 230026
- P. R. China
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