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Wannasrichan W, Krobthong S, Morgan CJ, Armbruster EG, Gerovac M, Yingchutrakul Y, Wongtrakoongate P, Vogel J, Aonbangkhen C, Nonejuie P, Pogliano J, Chaikeeratisak V. A phage nucleus-associated protein from the jumbophage Churi inhibits bacterial growth through protein translation interference. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.15.599175. [PMID: 38915640 PMCID: PMC11195228 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.15.599175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Antibacterial proteins inhibiting Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been identified in various phages and explored as antibiotic alternatives. Here, we isolated a phiKZ-like phage, Churi, which encodes 364 open reading frames. We examined 15 early-expressed phage proteins for their ability to inhibit bacterial growth, and found that gp335, closely related to phiKZ-gp14, exhibits antibacterial activity. Similar to phiKZ-gp14, recently shown to form a complex with the P. aeruginosa ribosome, we predict experimentally that gp335 interacts with ribosomal proteins, suggesting its involvement in protein translation. GFP-tagged gp335 clusters around the phage nucleus as early as 15 minutes post-infection and remains associated with it throughout the infection, suggesting its role in protein expression in the cell cytoplasm. CRISPR-Cas13-mediated deletion of gp355 reveals that the mutant phage has a prolonged latent period. Altogether, we demonstrate that gp335 is an antibacterial protein of nucleus-forming phages that associates with the ribosomes at the phage nucleus.
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2
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Wang M, Zhang J, Wei J, Jiang L, Jiang L, Sun Y, Zeng Z, Wang Z. Phage-inspired strategies to combat antibacterial resistance. Crit Rev Microbiol 2024; 50:196-211. [PMID: 38400715 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2023.2181056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in clinically priority pathogensis now a major threat to public health worldwide. Phages are bacterial parasites that efficiently infect or kill specific strains and represent the most abundant biological entities on earth, showing great attraction as potential antibacterial therapeutics in combating AMR. This review provides a summary of phage-inspired strategies to combat AMR. We firstly cover the phage diversity, and then explain the biological principles of phage therapy that support the use of phages in the post-antimicrobial era. Furthermore, we state the versatility methods of phage therapy both from direct access as well as collateral access. Among the direct access approaches, we discuss the use of phage cocktail therapy, phage-encoded endolysins and the bioengineering for function improvement of used phages or endolysins. On the other hand, we introduce the collateral access, including the phages antimicrobial immunity combined therapy and phage-based novel antibacterial mimic molecules. Nowadays, more and more talented and enthusiastic scientist, doctors, pharmacists, media, authorities, and industry are promoting the progress of phage therapy, and proposed more phages-inspired strategy to make them more tractable to combat AMR and benefit more people, more animal and diverse environment in "one health" framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mianzhi Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Junxuan Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance of Animal Original Bacteria, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingyi Wei
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Lei Jiang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Li Jiang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yongxue Sun
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance of Animal Original Bacteria, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenling Zeng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance of Animal Original Bacteria, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou, China
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3
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Putzeys L, Wicke L, Boon M, van Noort V, Vogel J, Lavigne R. Refining the transcriptional landscapes for distinct clades of virulent phages infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MICROLIFE 2024; 5:uqae002. [PMID: 38444699 PMCID: PMC10914365 DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae002] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
The introduction of high-throughput sequencing has resulted in a surge of available bacteriophage genomes, unveiling their tremendous genomic diversity. However, our current understanding of the complex transcriptional mechanisms that dictate their gene expression during infection is limited to a handful of model phages. Here, we applied ONT-cappable-seq to reveal the transcriptional architecture of six different clades of virulent phages infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This long-read microbial transcriptomics approach is tailored to globally map transcription start and termination sites, transcription units, and putative RNA-based regulators on dense phage genomes. Specifically, the full-length transcriptomes of LUZ19, LUZ24, 14-1, YuA, PAK_P3, and giant phage phiKZ during early, middle, and late infection were collectively charted. Beyond pinpointing traditional promoter and terminator elements and transcription units, these transcriptional profiles provide insights in transcriptional attenuation and splicing events and allow straightforward validation of Group I intron activity. In addition, ONT-cappable-seq data can guide genome-wide discovery of novel regulatory element candidates, including noncoding RNAs and riboswitches. This work substantially expands the number of annotated phage-encoded transcriptional elements identified to date, shedding light on the intricate and diverse gene expression regulation mechanisms in Pseudomonas phages, which can ultimately be sourced as tools for biotechnological applications in phage and bacterial engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leena Putzeys
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Wicke
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Straße 2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Maarten Boon
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Vera van Noort
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jörg Vogel
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Straße 2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-Based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Josef-Schneider-Straße 2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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Nazli A, Qiu J, Tang Z, He Y. Recent Advances and Techniques for Identifying Novel Antibacterial Targets. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:464-501. [PMID: 36734893 DOI: 10.2174/0929867330666230123143458] [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: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, the development of new antibiotics is urgently required. Target-based drug discovery is the most frequently employed approach for the drug development process. However, traditional drug target identification techniques are costly and time-consuming. As research continues, innovative approaches for antibacterial target identification have been developed which enabled us to discover drug targets more easily and quickly. METHODS In this review, methods for finding drug targets from omics databases have been discussed in detail including principles, procedures, advantages, and potential limitations. The role of phage-driven and bacterial cytological profiling approaches is also discussed. Moreover, current article demonstrates the advancements being made in the establishment of computational tools, machine learning algorithms, and databases for antibacterial target identification. RESULTS Bacterial drug targets successfully identified by employing these aforementioned techniques are described as well. CONCLUSION The goal of this review is to attract the interest of synthetic chemists, biologists, and computational researchers to discuss and improve these methods for easier and quicker development of new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adila Nazli
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, P. R. China
| | - Jingyi Qiu
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266 Fangzheng Avenue, Chongqing, 400714, P. R. China
| | - Ziyi Tang
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266 Fangzheng Avenue, Chongqing, 400714, P. R. China
| | - Yun He
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, P. R. China
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5
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Soonthonsrima T, Htoo HH, Thiennimitr P, Srisuknimit V, Nonejuie P, Chaikeeratisak V. Phage-induced bacterial morphological changes reveal a phage-derived antimicrobial affecting cell wall integrity. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0076423. [PMID: 37843261 PMCID: PMC10648931 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00764-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In a looming post-antibiotic era, antibiotic alternatives have become key players in the combat against pathogens. Although recent advances in genomic research allow scientists to fully explore an organism's genome in the search for novel antibacterial molecules, laborious work is still needed in order to dissect each individual gene product for its antibacterial activity. Here, we exploited phage-induced bacterial morphological changes as anchors to explore and discover a potential phage-derived antimicrobial embedded in the phage genome. We found that, upon vibriophage KVP40 infection, Vibrio parahaemolyticus exhibited morphological changes similar to those observed when treated with mecillinam, a cell wall synthesis inhibitor, suggesting the mechanism of pre-killing that KVP40 exerts inside the bacterial cell upon sieging the host. Genome analysis revealed that, of all the annotated gene products in the KVP40 genome that are involved in cell wall degradation, lytic transglycosylase (LT) is of particular interest for subsequent functional studies. A single-cell morphological analysis revealed that heterologous expression of wild-type KVP40-LT induced similar bacterial morphological changes to those treated with the whole phage or mecillinam, prior to cell burst. On the contrary, neither the morphology nor the viability of the bacteria expressing signal-peptide truncated- or catalytic mutant E80A- KVP40-LT was affected, suggesting the necessity of these domains for the antibacterial activities. Altogether, this research paves the way for the future development of the discovery of phage-derived antimicrobials that is guided through phage-induced morphological changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanapon Soonthonsrima
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomics of Shrimp, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Htut Htut Htoo
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Parameth Thiennimitr
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Research Center of Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Veerasak Srisuknimit
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomics of Shrimp, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Poochit Nonejuie
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Vorrapon Chaikeeratisak
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomics of Shrimp, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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6
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Wannasrichan W, Htoo HH, Suwansaeng R, Pogliano J, Nonejuie P, Chaikeeratisak V. Phage-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa against a novel lytic phage JJ01 exhibits hypersensitivity to colistin and reduces biofilm production. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1004733. [PMID: 36274728 PMCID: PMC9583000 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1004733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major cause of nosocomial infections, has been categorized by World Health Organization as a critical pathogen urgently in need of effective therapies. Bacteriophages or phages, which are viruses that specifically kill bacteria, have been considered as alternative agents for the treatment of bacterial infections. Here, we discovered a lytic phage targeting P. aeruginosa, designated as JJ01, which was classified as a member of the Myoviridae family due to the presence of an icosahedral capsid and a contractile tail under TEM. Phage JJ01 requires at least 10 min for 90% of its particles to be adsorbed to the host cells and has a latent period of 30 min inside the host cell for its replication. JJ01 has a relatively large burst size, which releases approximately 109 particles/cell at the end of its lytic life cycle. The phage can withstand a wide range of pH values (3–10) and temperatures (4–60°C). Genome analysis showed that JJ01 possesses a complete genome of 66,346 base pairs with 55.7% of GC content, phylogenetically belonging to the genus Pbunavirus. Genome annotation further revealed that the genome encodes 92 open reading frames (ORFs) with 38 functionally predictable genes, and it contains neither tRNA nor toxin genes, such as drug-resistant or lysogenic-associated genes. Phage JJ01 is highly effective in suppressing bacterial cell growth for 12 h and eradicating biofilms established by the bacteria. Even though JJ01-resistant bacteria have emerged, the ability of phage resistance comes with the expense of the bacterial fitness cost. Some resistant strains were found to produce less biofilm and grow slower than the wild-type strain. Among the resistant isolates, the resistant strain W10 which notably loses its physiological fitness becomes eight times more susceptible to colistin and has its cell membrane compromised, compared to the wild type. Altogether, our data revealed the potential of phage JJ01 as a candidate for phage therapy against P. aeruginosa and further supports that even though the use of phages would subsequently lead to the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria, an evolutionary trade-off would make them more sensitive to antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wichanan Wannasrichan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Htut Htut Htoo
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Rubsadej Suwansaeng
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Joe Pogliano
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Poochit Nonejuie
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Vorrapon Chaikeeratisak
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- *Correspondence: Vorrapon Chaikeeratisak,
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7
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Igler C. Phenotypic flux: The role of physiology in explaining the conundrum of bacterial persistence amid phage attack. Virus Evol 2022; 8:veac086. [PMID: 36225237 PMCID: PMC9547521 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veac086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages, the viruses of bacteria, have been studied for over a century. They were not only instrumental in laying the foundations of molecular biology, but they are also likely to play crucial roles in shaping our biosphere and may offer a solution to the control of drug-resistant bacterial infections. However, it remains challenging to predict the conditions for bacterial eradication by phage predation, sometimes even under well-defined laboratory conditions, and, most curiously, if the majority of surviving cells are genetically phage-susceptible. Here, I propose that even clonal phage and bacterial populations are generally in a state of continuous 'phenotypic flux', which is caused by transient and nongenetic variation in phage and bacterial physiology. Phenotypic flux can shape phage infection dynamics by reducing the force of infection to an extent that allows for coexistence between phages and susceptible bacteria. Understanding the mechanisms and impact of phenotypic flux may be key to providing a complete picture of phage-bacteria coexistence. I review the empirical evidence for phenotypic variation in phage and bacterial physiology together with the ways they have been modeled and discuss the potential implications of phenotypic flux for ecological and evolutionary dynamics between phages and bacteria, as well as for phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Igler
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
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8
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Li L, Wu Y, Ma D, Zhou Y, Wang L, Han K, Cao Y, Wang X. Isolation and characterization of a novel Escherichia coli phage Kayfunavirus ZH4. Virus Genes 2022; 58:448-457. [PMID: 35716226 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-022-01916-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia coli, a gram-negative bacterium, was generally considered conditional pathogenic bacteria and the proportion of bacteria resistant to commonly used specified antibacterial drugs exceeded 50%. Phage therapeutic application has been revitalized since antibiotic resistance in bacteria was increasing. Compared with antibiotics, phage is the virus specific to bacterial hosts. However, further understanding of phage-host interactions is required. In this study, a novel phage specific to a E. coli strain, named as phage Kayfunavirus ZH4, was isolated and characterized. Transmission electron microscopy showed that phage ZH4 belongs to the family Autographiviridae. The whole-genome analysis showed that the length of phage ZH4 genome was 39,496 bp with 49 coding domain sequence (CDS) and no tRNA was detected. Comparative genome and phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that phage ZH4 was highly similar to phages belonging to the genus Kayfunavirus. Moreover, the highest average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of phage ZH4 with all the known phages was 0.86, suggesting that ZH4 was a relatively novel phage. Temperature and pH stability tests showed that phage ZH4 was stable from 4° to 50 °C and pH range from 3 to 11. Host range of phage ZH4 showed that there were only 2 out of 17 strains lysed by phage ZH4. Taken together, phage ZH4 was considered as a novel phage with the potential for applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 530004, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuxing Wu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 530004, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongxin Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 530004, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuqing Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 530004, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Leping Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 530004, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Kaiou Han
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 530004, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yajie Cao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 530004, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoye Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 530004, Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
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9
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Suggestion for a new bacteriophage genus for the Klebsiella pneumoniae phage vB_KpnS-Carvaje. Curr Genet 2022; 68:393-406. [PMID: 35666274 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-022-01242-2] [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: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
This work describes the newly isolated Klebsiella pneumoniae phage vB_KpnS-Carvaje that presents unique features in relation to other phages reported to date. These findings provide new insights into the diversity and evolutionary pathways of Klebsiella phages. The genome characterization of the Carvaje phage revealed that its genome length is approximately 57 kb with 99 open reading frames (ORFs), 33 of which have assigned functions while 66 are unknown. This phage differs from other sequenced Klebsiella phages, showing the closest resemblance (up to 65.32%) with Salmonella phages belonging to the Nonanavirus and Sashavirus genera. Comparisons at the amino acid level and phylogeny analysis among homologous genomes indicate that the Klebsiella Carvaje phage forms a novel sister taxon within the node of the Nonanaviruses and Sashaviruses cluster. Due to the unique features of the Carvaje phage, we propose the constitution of a new genus within the Caudoviricetes class. Further studies include the exploitation of this phage and its identified proteins for the control of Klebsiella infections and as recognition molecules in diagnostic methods.
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10
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Hendrix H, Zimmermann-Kogadeeva M, Zimmermann M, Sauer U, De Smet J, Muchez L, Lissens M, Staes I, Voet M, Wagemans J, Ceyssens PJ, Noben JP, Aertsen A, Lavigne R. Metabolic reprogramming of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by phage-based quorum sensing modulation. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110372. [PMID: 35172131 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) is a multifunctional quorum sensing molecule of key importance to P. aeruginosa. Here, we report that the lytic Pseudomonas bacterial virus LUZ19 targets this population density-dependent signaling system by expressing quorum sensing targeting protein (Qst) early during infection. We demonstrate that Qst interacts with PqsD, a key host quinolone signal biosynthesis pathway enzyme, resulting in decreased levels of PQS and its precursor 2-heptyl-4(1H)-quinolone. The lack of a functional PqsD enzyme impairs LUZ19 infection but is restored by external supplementation of 2-heptyl-4(1H)-quinolone, suggesting that LUZ19 exploits the PQS system for successful infection. We establish a broad functional interaction network of Qst, which includes enzymes of cofactor biosynthesis pathways (CoaC/ThiD) and a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase pathway (PA1217). Qst therefore represents an exquisite example of intricate reprogramming of the bacterium by a phage, which may be further exploited as tool to combat antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanne Hendrix
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | | | - Michael Zimmermann
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Uwe Sauer
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jeroen De Smet
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Laurens Muchez
- Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Maries Lissens
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Ines Staes
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Marleen Voet
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Wagemans
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Pieter-Jan Ceyssens
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Jean-Paul Noben
- Biomedical Research Institute and Transnational University Limburg, School of Life Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Abram Aertsen
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, KU Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
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11
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Expression of a phage-encoded Gp21 protein protects Pseudomonas aeruginosa against phage infection. J Virol 2022; 96:e0176921. [PMID: 35020473 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01769-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a continuously expanding gap between predicted phage gene sequences and their corresponding functions, which largely hampered the development of phage therapy. Previous studies reported several phage proteins that could interfere with the intracellular processes of the host to obtain efficient infection. But few phage proteins that protect host against phage infection has been identified and characterized in detail. Here, we isolate a phage vB_Pae_QDWS capable of infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, and report its encoded Gp21 protein protects PAO1 against phage infection. Expressing of Gp21 regulate bacterial quorum sensing with an inhibitory effect in low cell density and activation effect in high cell density. By testing the TFPs-mediated twitching motility and transmission electron microscopy analysis, Gp21 was found decreased the pilus synthesis. Further constructing the TFPs synthesis gene pilB mutant and performing adsorption and phage resistance assay, we demonstrated Gp21 protein could block phage infection via decreasing the TFPs-mediated phage adsorption. Gp21 is a novel protein that inhibit phage efficacy against bacteria. The study deepens our understanding of phage-host interactions. Importance The majority of the annotated phage genes are currently deposited as "hypothetical protein" with unknown function. Researches revealed that some phage proteins serve to inhibit or redirect the host intracellular processes for phage infection. Differently, we report a phage encoded protein Gp21 that protect the host against phage infection. The pathways that Gp21 involved in anti-phage defense in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 are interfering with quorum sensing and decreasing the type IV pilus-mediated phage adsorption. Gp21 is a novel protein with a low sequence homology with other reported twitching inhibitory proteins. As a lytic phage derived protein, Gp21 expression protects P. aeruginosa PAO1 from reinfection by phage vB_Pae_QDWS, which may explain the well-known pseudolysogeny caused by virulent phages. Our discoveries provide valuable new insight into the phage-host evolutionary dynamics.
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12
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Unraveling Protein Interactions between the Temperate Virus Bam35 and Its Bacillus Host Using an Integrative Yeast Two Hybrid-High Throughput Sequencing Approach. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222011105. [PMID: 34681765 PMCID: PMC8539640 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus virus Bam35 is the model Betatectivirus and member of the family Tectiviridae, which is composed of tailless, icosahedral, and membrane-containing bacteriophages. Interest in these viruses has greatly increased in recent years as they are thought to be an evolutionary link between diverse groups of prokaryotic and eukaryotic viruses. Additionally, betatectiviruses infect bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group, which are known for their applications in industry and notorious since it contains many pathogens. Here, we present the first protein–protein interactions (PPIs) network for a tectivirus–host system by studying the Bam35–Bacillus thuringiensis model using a novel approach that integrates the traditional yeast two-hybrid system and high-throughput sequencing (Y2H-HTS). We generated and thoroughly analyzed a genomic library of Bam35′s host B. thuringiensis HER1410 and screened interactions with all the viral proteins using different combinations of bait–prey couples. Initial analysis of the raw data enabled the identification of over 4000 candidate interactions, which were sequentially filtered to produce 182 high-confidence interactions that were defined as part of the core virus–host interactome. Overall, host metabolism proteins and peptidases were particularly enriched within the detected interactions, distinguishing this host–phage system from the other reported host–phage PPIs. Our approach also suggested biological roles for several Bam35 proteins of unknown function, including the membrane structural protein P25, which may be a viral hub with a role in host membrane modification during viral particle morphogenesis. This work resulted in a better understanding of the Bam35–B. thuringiensis interaction at the molecular level and holds great potential for the generalization of the Y2H-HTS approach for other virus–host models.
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De Smet J, Wagemans J, Boon M, Ceyssens PJ, Voet M, Noben JP, Andreeva J, Ghilarov D, Severinov K, Lavigne R. The bacteriophage LUZ24 "Igy" peptide inhibits the Pseudomonas DNA gyrase. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109567. [PMID: 34433028 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial DNA gyrase complex (GyrA/GyrB) plays a crucial role during DNA replication and serves as a target for multiple antibiotics, including the fluoroquinolones. Despite it being a valuable antibiotics target, resistance emergence by pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa are proving problematic. Here, we describe Igy, a peptide inhibitor of gyrase, encoded by Pseudomonas bacteriophage LUZ24 and other members of the Bruynoghevirus genus. Igy (5.6 kDa) inhibits in vitro gyrase activity and interacts with the P. aeruginosa GyrB subunit, possibly by DNA mimicry, as indicated by a de novo model of the peptide and mutagenesis. In vivo, overproduction of Igy blocks DNA replication and leads to cell death also in fluoroquinolone-resistant bacterial isolates. These data highlight the potential of discovering phage-inspired leads for antibiotics development, supported by co-evolution, as Igy may serve as a scaffold for small molecule mimicry to target the DNA gyrase complex, without cross-resistance to existing molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen De Smet
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Wagemans
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maarten Boon
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pieter-Jan Ceyssens
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marleen Voet
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jean-Paul Noben
- Biomedical Research Institute and Transnational University Limburg, School of Life Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Julia Andreeva
- Centre for Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 143026 Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry Ghilarov
- Centre for Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 143026 Moscow, Russia
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Centre for Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, 143026 Moscow, Russia; Waksman Institute for Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
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Chung IY, Kim BO, Han JH, Park J, Kang HK, Park Y, Cho YH. A phage protein-derived antipathogenic peptide that targets type IV pilus assembly. Virulence 2021; 12:1377-1387. [PMID: 34008466 PMCID: PMC8143254 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1926411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Phage-inspired antibacterial discovery is a new approach that recruits phages in search for antibacterials with new molecular targets, in that phages are the biological entities well adapted to hijack host bacterial physiology in favor of their own thrive. We previously observed that phage-mediated twitching motility inhibition was effective to control the acute infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and that the motility inhibition was attributed to the delocalization of PilB, the type IV pilus (TFP) assembly ATPase by binding of the 136-amino acid (aa) phage protein, Tip. Here, we created a series of truncated and point-mutant Tip proteins to identify the critical residues in the Tip bioactivity: N-terminal 80-aa residues were dispensable for the Tip activity; we identified that Asp82, Leu84, and Arg85 are crucial in the Tip function. Furthermore, a synthetic 15-aa peptide (P1) that corresponds to Leu73 to Ala87 is shown to suffice for PilB delocalization, twitching inhibition, and virulence attenuation upon exogenous administration. The transgenic flies expressing the 15-aa peptide were resistant to P. aeruginosa infections as well. Taken together, this proof-of-concept study reveals a new antipathogenic peptide hit targeting bacterial motility and provides an insight into antibacterial discovery targeting TFP assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- In-Young Chung
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Korea
| | - Bi-O Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Korea
| | - Ju-Hyun Han
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Korea
| | - Jonggwan Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Hee Kyoung Kang
- Department of Biomedical Science, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Yoonkyung Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea
| | - You-Hee Cho
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Korea
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Proteomic and Transcriptomic Analysis of Microviridae φX174 Infection Reveals Broad Upregulation of Host Escherichia coli Membrane Damage and Heat Shock Responses. mSystems 2021; 6:6/3/e00046-21. [PMID: 33975962 PMCID: PMC8125068 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00046-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A major part of the healthy human gut microbiome is the Microviridae bacteriophage, exemplified by the model φX174 phage, and their E. coli hosts. Although much has been learned from studying φX174 over the last half-century, until this work, the E. coli host response to infection has never been investigated in detail. Measuring host-bacteriophage dynamics is an important approach to understanding bacterial survival functions and responses to infection. The model Microviridae bacteriophage φX174 is endemic to the human gut and has been studied for over 70 years, but the host response to infection has never been investigated in detail. To address this gap in our understanding of this important interaction within our microbiome, we have measured host Escherichia coli C proteomic and transcriptomic response to φX174 infection. We used mass spectrometry and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to identify and quantify all 11 φX174 proteins and over 1,700 E. coli proteins, enabling us to comprehensively map host pathways involved in φX174 infection. Most notably, we see significant host responses centered on membrane damage and remodeling, cellular chaperone and translocon activity, and lipoprotein processing, which we speculate is due to the peptidoglycan-disruptive effects of the φX174 lysis protein E on MraY activity. We also observe the massive upregulation of small heat shock proteins IbpA/B, along with other heat shock pathway chaperones, and speculate on how the specific characteristics of holdase protein activity may be beneficial for viral infections. Together, this study enables us to begin to understand the proteomic and transcriptomic host responses of E. coli to Microviridae infections and contributes insights to the activities of this important model host-phage interaction. IMPORTANCE A major part of the healthy human gut microbiome is the Microviridae bacteriophage, exemplified by the model φX174 phage, and their E. coli hosts. Although much has been learned from studying φX174 over the last half-century, until this work, the E. coli host response to infection has never been investigated in detail. We reveal the proteomic and transcriptomic pathways differentially regulated during the φX174 infection cycle and uncover the details of a coordinated cellular response to membrane damage that results in increased lipoprotein processing and membrane trafficking, likely due to the phage antibiotic-like lysis protein. We also reveal that small heat shock proteins IbpA/B are massively upregulated during infection and that these holdase chaperones are highly conserved across the domains of life, indicating that reliance on them is likely widespread across viruses.
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16
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De Smet J, Wagemans J, Hendrix H, Staes I, Visnapuu A, Horemans B, Aertsen A, Lavigne R. Bacteriophage-mediated interference of the c-di-GMP signalling pathway in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:967-978. [PMID: 33314648 PMCID: PMC8085984 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
C-di-GMP is a key signalling molecule which impacts bacterial motility and biofilm formation and is formed by the condensation of two GTP molecules by a diguanylate cyclase. We here describe the identification and characterization of a family of bacteriophage-encoded peptides that directly impact c-di-GMP signalling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These phage proteins target Pseudomonas diguanylate cyclase YfiN by direct protein interaction (termed YIPs, YfiN Interacting Peptides). YIPs induce an increase of c-di-GMP production in the host cell, resulting in a decrease in motility and an increase in biofilm mass in P. aeruginosa. A dynamic analysis of the biofilm morphology indicates a denser biofilm structure after induction of the phage protein. This intracellular signalling interference strategy by a lytic phage constitutes an unexplored phage-based mechanism of metabolic regulation and could potentially serve as inspiration for the development of molecules that interfere with biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa and other pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen De Smet
- Laboratory of Gene TechnologyDepartment of BiosystemsKU LeuvenHeverlee3001Belgium
- Present address:
Lab4FoodDepartment of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S)KU Leuven Campus GeelGeel2440Belgium
| | - Jeroen Wagemans
- Laboratory of Gene TechnologyDepartment of BiosystemsKU LeuvenHeverlee3001Belgium
| | - Hanne Hendrix
- Laboratory of Gene TechnologyDepartment of BiosystemsKU LeuvenHeverlee3001Belgium
| | - Ines Staes
- Laboratory of Food MicrobiologyDepartment of Microbial and Molecular SystemsKU LeuvenHeverlee3001Belgium
| | - Annegrete Visnapuu
- Laboratory of Gene TechnologyDepartment of BiosystemsKU LeuvenHeverlee3001Belgium
| | - Benjamin Horemans
- Department of Earth and Environmental SciencesKU LeuvenHeverlee3001Belgium
| | - Abram Aertsen
- Laboratory of Food MicrobiologyDepartment of Microbial and Molecular SystemsKU LeuvenHeverlee3001Belgium
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene TechnologyDepartment of BiosystemsKU LeuvenHeverlee3001Belgium
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17
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Screening of Bacteriophage Encoded Toxic Proteins with a Next Generation Sequencing-Based Assay. Viruses 2021; 13:v13050750. [PMID: 33923360 PMCID: PMC8145870 DOI: 10.3390/v13050750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage vB_EcoM_fHy-Eco03 (fHy-Eco03 for short) was isolated from a sewage sample based on its ability to infect an Escherichia coli clinical blood culture isolate. Altogether, 32 genes encoding hypothetical proteins of unknown function (HPUFs) were identified from the genomic sequence of fHy-Eco03. The HPUFs were screened for toxic properties (toxHPUFs) with a novel, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based approach. This approach identifies toxHPUF-encoding genes through comparison of gene-specific read coverages in DNA from pooled ligation mixtures before electroporation and pooled transformants after electroporation. The performance and reliability of the NGS screening assay was compared with a plating efficiency-based method, and both methods identified the fHy-Eco03 gene g05 product as toxic. While the outcomes of the two screenings were highly similar, the NGS screening assay outperformed the plating efficiency assay in both reliability and efficiency. The NGS screening assay can be used as a high throughput method in the search for new phage-inspired antimicrobial molecules.
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18
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Krepl M, Dendooven T, Luisi BF, Sponer J. MD simulations reveal the basis for dynamic assembly of Hfq-RNA complexes. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100656. [PMID: 33857481 PMCID: PMC8121710 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The conserved protein Hfq is a key factor in the RNA-mediated control of gene expression in most known bacteria. The transient intermediates Hfq forms with RNA support intricate and robust regulatory networks. In Pseudomonas, Hfq recognizes repeats of adenine–purine–any nucleotide (ARN) in target mRNAs via its distal binding side, and together with the catabolite repression control (Crc) protein, assembles into a translation–repression complex. Earlier experiments yielded static, ensemble-averaged structures of the complex, but details of its interface dynamics and assembly pathway remained elusive. Using explicit solvent atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, we modeled the extensive dynamics of the Hfq–RNA interface and found implications for the assembly of the complex. We predict that syn/anti flips of the adenine nucleotides in each ARN repeat contribute to a dynamic recognition mechanism between the Hfq distal side and mRNA targets. We identify a previously unknown binding pocket that can accept any nucleotide and propose that it may serve as a ‘status quo’ staging point, providing nonspecific binding affinity, until Crc engages the Hfq–RNA binary complex. The dynamical components of the Hfq–RNA recognition can speed up screening of the pool of the surrounding RNAs, participate in rapid accommodation of the RNA on the protein surface, and facilitate competition among different RNAs. The register of Crc in the ternary assembly could be defined by the recognition of a guanine-specific base–phosphate interaction between the first and last ARN repeats of the bound RNA. This dynamic substrate recognition provides structural rationale for the stepwise assembly of multicomponent ribonucleoprotein complexes nucleated by Hfq–RNA binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Krepl
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Tom Dendooven
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; MRC-LMB, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ben F Luisi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jiri Sponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
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19
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Exploring the synthetic biology potential of bacteriophages for engineering non-model bacteria. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5294. [PMID: 33082347 PMCID: PMC7576135 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19124-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-model bacteria like Pseudomonas putida, Lactococcus lactis and other species have unique and versatile metabolisms, offering unique opportunities for Synthetic Biology (SynBio). However, key genome editing and recombineering tools require optimization and large-scale multiplexing to unlock the full SynBio potential of these bacteria. In addition, the limited availability of a set of characterized, species-specific biological parts hampers the construction of reliable genetic circuitry. Mining of currently available, diverse bacteriophages could complete the SynBio toolbox, as they constitute an unexplored treasure trove for fully adapted metabolic modulators and orthogonally-functioning parts, driven by the longstanding co-evolution between phage and host. Non-model bacteria offer unique and versatile metabolisms for synthetic biology. In this Perspective, the authors explore the limited availability of well-characterised biological parts in these species and argue that bacteriophages represent a diverse trove of orthogonal parts.
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20
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Phage-based target discovery and its exploitation towards novel antibacterial molecules. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 68:1-7. [PMID: 33007632 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The deeply intertwined evolutionary history between bacteriophages and bacteria has endowed phages with highly specific mechanisms to hijack bacterial cell metabolism for their propagation. Here, we present a comprehensive, phage-driven strategy to reveal novel antibacterial targets by the exploitation of phage-bacteria interactions. This strategy will enable the design of small molecules, which mimic the inhibitory phage proteins, and allow the subsequent hit-to-lead development of these antimicrobial compounds. This proposed small molecule approach is distinct from phage therapy and phage enzyme-based antimicrobials and may produce a more sustainable generation of new antibiotics that exploit novel bacterial targets and act in a pathogen-specific manner.
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21
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Ceyssens PJ, De Smet J, Wagemans J, Akulenko N, Klimuk E, Hedge S, Voet M, Hendrix H, Paeshuyse J, Landuyt B, Xu H, Blanchard J, Severinov K, Lavigne R. The Phage-Encoded N-Acetyltransferase Rac Mediates Inactivation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Transcription by Cleavage of the RNA Polymerase Alpha Subunit. Viruses 2020; 12:v12090976. [PMID: 32887488 PMCID: PMC7552054 DOI: 10.3390/v12090976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we describe the biological function of the phage-encoded protein RNA polymerase alpha subunit cleavage protein (Rac), a predicted Gcn5-related acetyltransferase encoded by phiKMV-like viruses. These phages encode a single-subunit RNA polymerase for transcription of their late (structure- and lysis-associated) genes, whereas the bacterial RNA polymerase is used at the earlier stages of infection. Rac mediates the inactivation of bacterial transcription by introducing a specific cleavage in the α subunit of the bacterial RNA polymerase. This cleavage occurs within the flexible linker sequence and disconnects the C-terminal domain, required for transcription initiation from most highly active cellular promoters. To achieve this, Rac likely taps into a novel post-translational modification (PTM) mechanism within the host Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From an evolutionary perspective, this novel phage-encoded regulation mechanism confirms the importance of PTMs in the prokaryotic metabolism and represents a new way by which phages can hijack the bacterial host metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter-Jan Ceyssens
- Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (P.-J.C.); (J.D.S.); (J.W.); (M.V.); (H.H.); (J.P.)
| | - Jeroen De Smet
- Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (P.-J.C.); (J.D.S.); (J.W.); (M.V.); (H.H.); (J.P.)
| | - Jeroen Wagemans
- Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (P.-J.C.); (J.D.S.); (J.W.); (M.V.); (H.H.); (J.P.)
| | - Natalia Akulenko
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (N.A.); (E.K.); (K.S.)
| | - Evgeny Klimuk
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (N.A.); (E.K.); (K.S.)
| | - Subray Hedge
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA; (S.H.); (H.X.); (J.B.)
| | - Marleen Voet
- Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (P.-J.C.); (J.D.S.); (J.W.); (M.V.); (H.H.); (J.P.)
| | - Hanne Hendrix
- Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (P.-J.C.); (J.D.S.); (J.W.); (M.V.); (H.H.); (J.P.)
| | - Jan Paeshuyse
- Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (P.-J.C.); (J.D.S.); (J.W.); (M.V.); (H.H.); (J.P.)
| | - Bart Landuyt
- Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Hua Xu
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA; (S.H.); (H.X.); (J.B.)
| | - John Blanchard
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA; (S.H.); (H.X.); (J.B.)
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (N.A.); (E.K.); (K.S.)
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (P.-J.C.); (J.D.S.); (J.W.); (M.V.); (H.H.); (J.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32-16-379-524
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22
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Buttimer C, Lynch C, Hendrix H, Neve H, Noben JP, Lavigne R, Coffey A. Isolation and Characterization of Pectobacterium Phage vB_PatM_CB7: New Insights into the Genus Certrevirus. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:E352. [PMID: 32575906 PMCID: PMC7344957 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9060352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, Certrevirus is one of two genera of bacteriophage (phage), with phages infecting Pectobacterium atrosepticum, an economically important phytopathogen that causes potato blackleg and soft rot disease. This study provides a detailed description of Pectobacterium phage CB7 (vB_PatM_CB7), which specifically infects P. atrosepticum. Host range, morphology, latent period, burst size and stability at different conditions of temperature and pH were examined. Analysis of its genome (142.8 kbp) shows that the phage forms a new species of Certrevirus, sharing sequence similarity with other members, highlighting conservation within the genus. Conserved elements include a putative early promoter like that of the Escherichia coli sigma70 promoter, which was found to be shared with other genus members. A number of dissimilarities were observed, relating to DNA methylation and nucleotide metabolism. Some members do not have homologues of a cytosine methylase and anaerobic nucleotide reductase subunits NrdD and NrdG, respectively. Furthermore, the genome of CB7 contains one of the largest numbers of homing endonucleases described in a single phage genome in the literature to date, with a total of 23 belonging to the HNH and LAGLIDADG families. Analysis by RT-PCR of the HNH homing endonuclease residing within introns of genes for the large terminase, DNA polymerase, ribonucleotide reductase subunits NrdA and NrdB show that they are splicing competent. Electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) was also performed on the virion of CB7, allowing the identification of 26 structural proteins-20 of which were found to be shared with the type phages of the genera of Vequintavirus and Seunavirus. The results of this study provide greater insights into the phages of the Certrevirus genus as well as the subfamily Vequintavirinae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Buttimer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland; (C.B.); (C.L.)
- APC Microbiome Institute, University College, T12 YT20 Cork, Ireland
| | - Caoimhe Lynch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland; (C.B.); (C.L.)
| | - 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, 24103 Kiel, Germany;
| | - Jean-Paul Noben
- Biomedical Research Institute and Transnational University Limburg, Hasselt University, 3590 Hasselt, Belgium;
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; (H.H.); (R.L.)
| | - Aidan Coffey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland; (C.B.); (C.L.)
- APC Microbiome Institute, University College, T12 YT20 Cork, Ireland
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23
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Spruit CM, Wicklund A, Wan X, Skurnik M, Pajunen MI. Discovery of Three Toxic Proteins of Klebsiella Phage fHe-Kpn01. Viruses 2020; 12:E544. [PMID: 32429141 PMCID: PMC7291057 DOI: 10.3390/v12050544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The lytic phage, fHe-Kpn01 was isolated from sewage water using an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae as a host. The genome is 43,329 bp in size and contains direct terminal repeats of 222 bp. The genome contains 56 predicted genes, of which proteomics analysis detected 29 different proteins in purified phage particles. Comparison of fHe-Kpn01 to other phages, both morphologically and genetically, indicated that the phage belongs to the family Podoviridae and genus Drulisvirus. Because fHe-Kpn01 is strictly lytic and does not carry any known resistance or virulence genes, it is suitable for phage therapy. It has, however, a narrow host range since it infected only three of the 72 tested K. pneumoniae strains, two of which were of capsule type KL62. After annotation of the predicted genes based on the similarity to genes of known function and proteomics results on the virion-associated proteins, 22 gene products remained annotated as hypothetical proteins of unknown function (HPUF). These fHe-Kpn01 HPUFs were screened for their toxicity in Escherichia coli. Three of the HPUFs, encoded by the genes g10, g22, and g38, were confirmed to be toxic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy M. Spruit
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (C.M.S.); (A.W.); (X.W.); (M.S.)
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anu Wicklund
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (C.M.S.); (A.W.); (X.W.); (M.S.)
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, HUSLAB, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Xing Wan
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (C.M.S.); (A.W.); (X.W.); (M.S.)
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mikael Skurnik
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (C.M.S.); (A.W.); (X.W.); (M.S.)
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, HUSLAB, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maria I. Pajunen
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (C.M.S.); (A.W.); (X.W.); (M.S.)
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24
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Bleriot I, Trastoy R, Blasco L, Fernández-Cuenca F, Ambroa A, Fernández-García L, Pacios O, Perez-Nadales E, Torre-Cisneros J, Oteo-Iglesias J, Navarro F, Miró E, Pascual A, Bou G, Martínez-Martínez L, Tomas M. Genomic analysis of 40 prophages located in the genomes of 16 carbapenemase-producing clinical strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Microb Genom 2020; 6:e000369. [PMID: 32375972 PMCID: PMC7371120 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000369] [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: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is the clinically most important species within the genus Klebsiella and, as a result of the continuous emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains, the cause of severe nosocomial infections. The decline in the effectiveness of antibiotic treatments for infections caused by MDR bacteria has generated particular interest in the study of bacteriophages. In this study, we characterized a total of 40 temperate bacteriophages (prophages) with a genome range of 11.454-84.199 kb, predicted from 16 carbapenemase-producing clinical strains of K. pneumoniae belonging to different sequence types, previously identified by multilocus sequence typing. These prophages were grouped into the three families in the order Caudovirales (27 prophages belonging to the family Myoviridae, 10 prophages belonging to the family Siphoviridae and 3 prophages belonging to the family Podoviridae). Genomic comparison of the 40 prophage genomes led to the identification of four prophages isolated from different strains and of genome sizes of around 33.3, 36.1, 39.6 and 42.6 kb. These prophages showed sequence similarities (query cover >90 %, identity >99.9 %) with international Microbe Versus Phage (MVP) (http://mvp.medgenius.info/home) clusters 4762, 4901, 3499 and 4280, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the evolutionary proximity among the members of the four groups of the most frequently identified prophages in the bacterial genomes studied (33.3, 36.1, 39.6 and 42.6 kb), with bootstrap values of 100 %. This allowed the prophages to be classified into three clusters: A, B and C. Interestingly, these temperate bacteriophages did not infect the highest number of strains as indicated by a host-range assay, these results could be explained by the development of superinfection exclusion mechanisms. In addition, bioinformatic analysis of the 40 identified prophages revealed the presence of 2363 proteins. In total, 59.7 % of the proteins identified had a predicted function, mainly involving viral structure, transcription, replication and regulation (lysogenic/lysis). Interestingly, some proteins had putative functions associated with bacterial virulence (toxin expression and efflux pump regulators), phage defence profiles such as toxin-antitoxin modules, an anti-CRISPR/Cas9 protein, TerB protein (from terZABCDE operon) and methyltransferase proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines Bleriot
- Microbiology Department, Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
| | - Rocío Trastoy
- Microbiology Department, Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
| | - Lucia Blasco
- Microbiology Department, Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
| | - Felipe Fernández-Cuenca
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena. Deparment of Microbiology and Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
- Spanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases, REIPI, Seville, Spain
| | - Antón Ambroa
- Microbiology Department, Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
| | - Laura Fernández-García
- Microbiology Department, Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
| | - Olga Pacios
- Microbiology Department, Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
| | - Elena Perez-Nadales
- Spanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases, REIPI, Seville, Spain
- Microbiology Unit, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), University Hospital Reina Sofía, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Julian Torre-Cisneros
- Spanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases, REIPI, Seville, Spain
- Microbiology Unit, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), University Hospital Reina Sofía, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Jesús Oteo-Iglesias
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
- Spanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases, REIPI, Seville, Spain
- Reference and Research Laboratory for Antibiotic Resistance and Health Care Infections, National Centre for Microbiology, Institute of Health Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ferran Navarro
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
- Microbiology Department, Sant Pau Hospital, Autonomous University of Barcelona (Bellaterra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisenda Miró
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
- Microbiology Department, Sant Pau Hospital, Autonomous University of Barcelona (Bellaterra), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alvaro Pascual
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
- Clinical Unit for Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena. Deparment of Microbiology and Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
- Spanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases, REIPI, Seville, Spain
| | - German Bou
- Microbiology Department, Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
- Spanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases, REIPI, Seville, Spain
| | - Luis Martínez-Martínez
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
- Spanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases, REIPI, Seville, Spain
- Microbiology Unit, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), University Hospital Reina Sofía, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain
| | - Maria Tomas
- Microbiology Department, Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC), Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA), Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), Madrid
- Spanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases, REIPI, Seville, Spain
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25
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Boon M, De Zitter E, De Smet J, Wagemans J, Voet M, Pennemann FL, Schalck T, Kuznedelov K, Severinov K, Van Meervelt L, De Maeyer M, Lavigne R. 'Drc', a structurally novel ssDNA-binding transcription regulator of N4-related bacterial viruses. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:445-459. [PMID: 31724707 PMCID: PMC7145618 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz1048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial viruses encode a vast number of ORFan genes that lack similarity to any other known proteins. Here, we present a 2.20 Å crystal structure of N4-related Pseudomonas virus LUZ7 ORFan gp14, and elucidate its function. We demonstrate that gp14, termed here as Drc (ssDNA-binding RNA Polymerase Cofactor), preferentially binds single-stranded DNA, yet contains a structural fold distinct from other ssDNA-binding proteins (SSBs). By comparison with other SSB folds and creation of truncation and amino acid substitution mutants, we provide the first evidence for the binding mechanism of this unique fold. From a biological perspective, Drc interacts with the phage-encoded RNA Polymerase complex (RNAPII), implying a functional role as an SSB required for the transition from early to middle gene transcription during phage infection. Similar to the coliphage N4 gp2 protein, Drc likely binds locally unwound middle promoters and recruits the phage RNA polymerase. However, unlike gp2, Drc does not seem to need an additional cofactor for promoter melting. A comparison among N4-related phage genera highlights the evolutionary diversity of SSB proteins in an otherwise conserved transcription regulation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Boon
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Elke De Zitter
- Department of Chemistry, Biomolecular Architecture, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Jeroen De Smet
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Wagemans
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Marleen Voet
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Friederike L Pennemann
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Thomas Schalck
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | | | | | - Luc Van Meervelt
- Department of Chemistry, Biomolecular Architecture, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Marc De Maeyer
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Biomolecular Modelling and Design, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven 3001, Belgium
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26
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The arms race between bacteria and their phage foes. Nature 2020; 577:327-336. [PMID: 31942051 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1894-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 403] [Impact Index Per Article: 100.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria are under immense evolutionary pressure from their viral invaders-bacteriophages. Bacteria have evolved numerous immune mechanisms, both innate and adaptive, to cope with this pressure. The discovery and exploitation of CRISPR-Cas systems have stimulated a resurgence in the identification and characterization of anti-phage mechanisms. Bacteriophages use an extensive battery of counter-defence strategies to co-exist in the presence of these diverse phage defence mechanisms. Understanding the dynamics of the interactions between these microorganisms has implications for phage-based therapies, microbial ecology and evolution, and the development of new biotechnological tools. Here we review the spectrum of anti-phage systems and highlight their evasion by bacteriophages.
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27
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Mohanraj U, Wan X, Spruit CM, Skurnik M, Pajunen MI. A Toxicity Screening Approach to Identify Bacteriophage-Encoded Anti-Microbial Proteins. Viruses 2019; 11:E1057. [PMID: 31739448 PMCID: PMC6893735 DOI: 10.3390/v11111057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance among many pathogenic bacteria has created a profound need to discover new alternatives to antibiotics. Bacteriophages, the viruses of microbes, express special proteins to overtake the metabolism of the bacterial host they infect, the best known of which are involved in bacterial lysis. However, the functions of majority of bacteriophage encoded gene products are not known, i.e., they represent the hypothetical proteins of unknown function (HPUFs). In the current study we present a phage genomics-based screening approach to identify phage HPUFs with antibacterial activity with a long-term goal to use them as leads to find unknown targets to develop novel antibacterial compounds. The screening assay is based on the inhibition of bacterial growth when a toxic gene is expression-cloned into a plasmid vector. It utilizes an optimized plating assay producing a significant difference in the number of transformants after ligation of the toxic and non-toxic genes into a cloning vector. The screening assay was first tested and optimized using several known toxic and non-toxic genes. Then, it was applied to screen 94 HPUFs of bacteriophage φR1-RT, and identified four HPUFs that were toxic to Escherichia coli. This optimized assay is in principle useful in the search for bactericidal proteins of any phage, and also opens new possibilities to understanding the strategies bacteriophages use to overtake bacterial hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ushanandini Mohanraj
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (U.M.); (X.W.); (C.M.S.); (M.S.)
- Department of Virology, Medicum, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Xing Wan
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (U.M.); (X.W.); (C.M.S.); (M.S.)
- Division Animal and Human Health Engineering, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21 - box 2462, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cindy M. Spruit
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (U.M.); (X.W.); (C.M.S.); (M.S.)
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mikael Skurnik
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (U.M.); (X.W.); (C.M.S.); (M.S.)
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, Helsinki University Hospital, HUSLAB, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maria I. Pajunen
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (U.M.); (X.W.); (C.M.S.); (M.S.)
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28
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Identification and characterization of phage protein and its activity against two strains of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13487. [PMID: 31530875 PMCID: PMC6748951 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50030-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen with a capacity to develop antibiotic resistance, which underlies a larger proportion of hospital-acquired infections and higher morbidity and mortality, compared to other bacterial infections. Effective novel approaches for treatment of infections induced by this pathogen are therefore necessary. Phage therapy represents a promising alternative solution to eradicate antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Here, we investigated phage protein efficacy against multi-drug resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa PAR21 and PAR50 strains isolated from diabetic foot ulcer patients. The results obtained using spot assay, zymography, spectrophotometry and scanning electron microscopy at low voltage (SEM-LV) indicate that the phage protein, PA-PP, exerts activity against P. aeruginosa PAR50 while having no impact on the PAR21 strain. Using LC-MS-MS/MS and comparative analysis of the peptide molecular mass with the protein sequence database, PA-PP was identified as a member of the serine protease family, a result corroborated by its ability to digest casein. We additionally showed a capacity of PA-PP to digest porin protein on the bacterial outer membrane (OM). Moreover, synergistic activity between PA-PP protein and piperacillin led to higher sensitivity of bacterial cells to this antibiotic. Our collective findings suggest that PA-PP targets porin protein on PAR50 OM, thereby increasing its sensitivity to specific antibiotics. The adverse effects observed on bacterial cells using SEM-LV suggest further roles of this protein that remain to be established.
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29
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Sonnleitner E, Wulf A, Campagne S, Pei XY, Wolfinger MT, Forlani G, Prindl K, Abdou L, Resch A, Allain FHT, Luisi BF, Urlaub H, Bläsi U. Interplay between the catabolite repression control protein Crc, Hfq and RNA in Hfq-dependent translational regulation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:1470-1485. [PMID: 29244160 PMCID: PMC5815094 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx1245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In Pseudomonas aeruginosa the RNA chaperone Hfq and the catabolite repression control protein (Crc) act as post-transcriptional regulators during carbon catabolite repression (CCR). In this regard Crc is required for full-fledged Hfq-mediated translational repression of catabolic genes. RNAseq based transcriptome analyses revealed a significant overlap between the Crc and Hfq regulons, which in conjunction with genetic data supported a concerted action of both proteins. Biochemical and biophysical approaches further suggest that Crc and Hfq form an assembly in the presence of RNAs containing A-rich motifs, and that Crc interacts with both, Hfq and RNA. Through these interactions, Crc enhances the stability of Hfq/Crc/RNA complexes, which can explain its facilitating role in Hfq-mediated translational repression. Hence, these studies revealed for the first time insights into how an interacting protein can modulate Hfq function. Moreover, Crc is shown to interfere with binding of a regulatory RNA to Hfq, which bears implications for riboregulation. These results are discussed in terms of a working model, wherein Crc prioritizes the function of Hfq toward utilization of favored carbon sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Sonnleitner
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohrgasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Wulf
- Biophysical Mass Spectrometry Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sébastien Campagne
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Xue-Yuan Pei
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Michael T Wolfinger
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.,Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Giada Forlani
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohrgasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Konstantin Prindl
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohrgasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Laetitia Abdou
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Armin Resch
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohrgasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Frederic H-T Allain
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ben F Luisi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Henning Urlaub
- Biophysical Mass Spectrometry Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.,Bioanalytics, Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Udo Bläsi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohrgasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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30
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Lemay ML, Otto A, Maaß S, Plate K, Becher D, Moineau S. Investigating Lactococcus lactis MG1363 Response to Phage p2 Infection at the Proteome Level. Mol Cell Proteomics 2019; 18:704-714. [PMID: 30679258 PMCID: PMC6442364 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra118.001135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Phages are viruses that specifically infect and eventually kill their bacterial hosts. Bacterial fermentation and biotechnology industries see them as enemies, however, they are also investigated as antibacterial agents for the treatment or prevention of bacterial infections in various sectors. They also play key ecological roles in all ecosystems. Despite decades of research some aspects of phage biology are still poorly understood. In this study, we used label-free quantitative proteomics to reveal the proteotypes of Lactococcus lactis MG1363 during infection by the virulent phage p2, a model for studying the biology of phages infecting Gram-positive bacteria. Our approach resulted in the high-confidence detection and quantification of 59% of the theoretical bacterial proteome, including 226 bacterial proteins detected only during phage infection and 6 proteins unique to uninfected bacteria. We also identified many bacterial proteins of differing abundance during the infection. Using this high-throughput proteomic datasets, we selected specific bacterial genes for inactivation using CRISPR-Cas9 to investigate their involvement in phage replication. One knockout mutant lacking gene llmg_0219 showed resistance to phage p2 because of a deficiency in phage adsorption. Furthermore, we detected and quantified 78% of the theoretical phage proteome and identified many proteins of phage p2 that had not been previously detected. Among others, we uncovered a conserved small phage protein (pORFN1) coded by an unannotated gene. We also applied a targeted approach to achieve greater sensitivity and identify undetected phage proteins that were expected to be present. This allowed us to follow the fate of pORF46, a small phage protein of low abundance. In summary, this work offers a unique view of the virulent phages' takeover of bacterial cells and provides novel information on phage-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Laurence Lemay
- From the ‡Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada;; §Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada;; Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Andreas Otto
- ¶Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Sandra Maaß
- ¶Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Kristina Plate
- ¶Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Dörte Becher
- ¶Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Sylvain Moineau
- From the ‡Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada;; §Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada;; Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
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31
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Kim BO, Kim ES, Yoo YJ, Bae HW, Chung IY, Cho YH. Phage-Derived Antibacterials: Harnessing the Simplicity, Plasticity, and Diversity of Phages. Viruses 2019; 11:v11030268. [PMID: 30889807 PMCID: PMC6466130 DOI: 10.3390/v11030268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the successful use of antibacterials, the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria has become a serious threat to global healthcare. In this era of antibacterial crisis, bacteriophages (phages) are being explored as an antibacterial treatment option since they possess a number of advantages over conventional antibacterials, especially in terms of specificity and biosafety; phages specifically lyse target bacteria while not affecting normal and/or beneficial bacteria and display little or no toxicity in that they are mainly composed of proteins and nucleic acids, which consequently significantly reduces the time and cost involved in antibacterial development. However, these benefits also create potential issues regarding antibacterial spectra and host immunity; the antibacterial spectra being very narrow when compared to those of chemicals, with the phage materials making it possible to trigger host immune responses, which ultimately disarm antibacterial efficacy upon successive treatments. In addition, phages play a major role in horizontal gene transfer between bacterial populations, which poses serious concerns for the potential of disastrous consequences regarding antibiotic resistance. Fortunately, however, recent advancements in synthetic biology tools and the speedy development of phage genome resources have allowed for research on methods to circumvent the potentially disadvantageous aspects of phages. These novel developments empower research which goes far beyond traditional phage therapy approaches, opening up a new chapter for phage applications with new antibacterial platforms. Herein, we not only highlight the most recent synthetic phage engineering and phage product engineering studies, but also discuss a new proof-of-concept for phage-inspired antibacterial design based on the studies undertaken by our group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bi-O Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Gyeonggi-do 13488, Korea.
| | - Eun Sook Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Gyeonggi-do 13488, Korea.
| | - Yeon-Ji Yoo
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Gyeonggi-do 13488, Korea.
| | - Hee-Won Bae
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Gyeonggi-do 13488, Korea.
| | - In-Young Chung
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Gyeonggi-do 13488, Korea.
| | - You-Hee Cho
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Gyeonggi-do 13488, Korea.
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Pei XY, Dendooven T, Sonnleitner E, Chen S, Bläsi U, Luisi BF. Architectural principles for Hfq/Crc-mediated regulation of gene expression. eLife 2019; 8:e43158. [PMID: 30758287 PMCID: PMC6422490 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In diverse bacterial species, the global regulator Hfq contributes to post-transcriptional networks that control expression of numerous genes. Hfq of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa inhibits translation of target transcripts by forming a regulatory complex with the catabolite repression protein Crc. This repressive complex acts as part of an intricate mechanism of preferred nutrient utilisation. We describe high-resolution cryo-EM structures of the assembly of Hfq and Crc bound to the translation initiation site of a target mRNA. The core of the assembly is formed through interactions of two cognate RNAs, two Hfq hexamers and a Crc pair. Additional Crc protomers are recruited to the core to generate higher-order assemblies with demonstrated regulatory activity in vivo. This study reveals how Hfq cooperates with a partner protein to regulate translation, and provides a structural basis for an RNA code that guides global regulators to interact cooperatively and regulate different RNA targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Yuan Pei
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Tom Dendooven
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Elisabeth Sonnleitner
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Max F Perutz Laboratories, Center of Molecular BiologyUniversity of Vienna, Vienna BiocenterViennaAustria
| | - Shaoxia Chen
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Udo Bläsi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Max F Perutz Laboratories, Center of Molecular BiologyUniversity of Vienna, Vienna BiocenterViennaAustria
| | - Ben F Luisi
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
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Abdelkader K, Gerstmans H, Saafan A, Dishisha T, Briers Y. The Preclinical and Clinical Progress of Bacteriophages and Their Lytic Enzymes: The Parts are Easier than the Whole. Viruses 2019; 11:E96. [PMID: 30678377 PMCID: PMC6409994 DOI: 10.3390/v11020096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic potential of phages has been considered since their first identification more than a century ago. The evident concept of using a natural predator to treat bacterial infections has, however, since then been challenged considerably. Initially, the vast success of antibiotics almost eliminated the study of phages for therapy. Upon the renaissance of phage therapy research, the most provocative and unique properties of phages such as high specificity, self-replication and co-evolution prohibited a rapid preclinical and clinical development. On the one hand, the typical trajectory followed by small molecule antibiotics could not be simply translated into the preclinical analysis of phages, exemplified by the need for complex broad spectrum or personalized phage cocktails of high purity and the more complex pharmacokinetics. On the other hand, there was no fitting regulatory framework to deal with flexible and sustainable phage therapy approaches, including the setup and approval of adequate clinical trials. While significant advances are incrementally made to eliminate these hurdles, phage-inspired antibacterials have progressed in the slipstream of phage therapy, benefiting from the lack of hurdles that are typically associated with phage therapy. Most advanced are phage lytic enzymes that kill bacteria through peptidoglycan degradation and osmotic lysis. Both phages and their lytic enzymes are now widely considered as safe and have now progressed to clinical phase II to show clinical efficacy as pharmaceutical. Yet, more initiatives are needed to fill the clinical pipeline to beat the typical attrition rates of clinical evaluation and to come to a true evaluation of phages and phage lytic enzymes in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Abdelkader
- Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwijckweg 1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62511, Egypt.
| | - Hans Gerstmans
- Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwijckweg 1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
- MeBioS-Biosensors group, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 42, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Amal Saafan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62511, Egypt.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Menoufia University, Shebin ElKoum 51132, Egypt.
| | - Tarek Dishisha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62511, Egypt.
| | - Yves Briers
- Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwijckweg 1, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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De Smet J, Hendrix H, Van den Bossche A. Analyzing Phage-Host Protein-Protein Interactions Using Strep-tag ® II Purifications. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1898:117-136. [PMID: 30570728 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8940-9_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
After injecting their genome into the bacterial host cell, bacteriophages need to convert the host metabolism toward efficient phage production. For this, specific proteins have evolved which interact with key host proteins to inhibit, activate or redirect the function of these proteins. Since 70% of the currently annotated phage genes are hypothetical proteins of unknown function, the identification and characterization of these phage proteins involved in host-phage protein-protein interactions remains challenging. Here, we describe a method to identify phage proteins involved in host-phage protein-protein interactions using a combination of affinity purifications and mass spectrometry analyses. A bacterial strain is engineered in which a bacterial target protein is fused to a Strep-tag® II at the C-terminal end. This strain is infected with a specific bacteriophage, followed by an affinity purification of the tagged protein which allows the copurification of all bacterial and phage specific interacting proteins. After SDS-PAGE analysis and an in-gel trypsin digestion, the purified interacting proteins are identified by mass spectrometry analysis. The identification of phage proteins involved in interactions provides first hints toward the elucidation of the biological function of these proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hanne Hendrix
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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35
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Buttimer C, Hendrix H, Lucid A, Neve H, Noben JP, Franz C, O'Mahony J, Lavigne R, Coffey A. Novel N4-Like Bacteriophages of Pectobacterium atrosepticum. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2018; 11:E45. [PMID: 29757952 PMCID: PMC6027278 DOI: 10.3390/ph11020045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pectobacterium atrosepticum is an economically important phytopathogen that is responsible for potato blackleg and soft rot, and for which current control strategies are limited. In this study, stem samples of potato crops exhibiting blackleg were taken from three farms in Co. Cork, Ireland, and they were found to be infected with P. atrosepticum. Three closely related bacteriophages (phages) that are specific to this phytopathogen were isolated and characterized, namely vB_PatP_CB1, vB_PatP_CB3, and vB_PatP_CB4 (abbreviated as CB1, CB3, and CB4). Both CB1 and CB3 were determined to infect 12 strains and CB4 10 strains of the 19 strains of P. atrosepticum tested. Morphology, latent periods, burst sizes, and their stability at various temperatures and pHs were also examined. Genome sequencing of the three phages revealed that they shared a minimum nucleotide identity of 93% with each other. Their genomes exhibited an Enquartavirinae genome organization, possessing several conserved proteins that were associated with phages of this group, like the type species Escherichia virus N4. Tandem electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) allowed for the identification of ten structural proteins that form the virion of CB1, six that are conserved in phage N4. Biocontrol experiments demonstrated that the phages suppress soft rot formation upon co-inoculation with P. atrosepticum on whole tubers. The results of this study indicate that CB1 related phages could be good candidates for phage-based control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Buttimer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland.
| | - Hanne Hendrix
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Alan Lucid
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland.
| | - Horst Neve
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, 24103 Kiel, Germany.
| | - Jean-Paul Noben
- Biomedical Research Institute and Transnational University Limburg, Hasselt University, 3590 Hasselt, Belgium.
| | - Charles Franz
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, 24103 Kiel, Germany.
| | - Jim O'Mahony
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland.
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Aidan Coffey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, T12 P928 Cork, Ireland.
- APC Microbiome Institute, University College, T12 YT20 Cork, Ireland.
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36
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37
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The Contribution of Bacteriophages to the Biology and Virulence of Pathogenic Clostridia. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2017; 101:169-200. [PMID: 29050666 DOI: 10.1016/bs.aambs.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are key players in the evolution of most bacteria. Temperate phages have been associated with virulence of some of the deadliest pathogenic bacteria. Among the most notorious cases, the genes encoding the botulinum neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum types C and D and the α-toxin (TcnA) produced by Clostridium novyi are both encoded within prophage genomes. Clostridium difficile is another important human pathogen and the recent identification of a complete binary toxin locus (CdtLoc) carried on a C. difficile prophage raises the potential for horizontal transfer of toxin genes by mobile genetic elements. Although the TcdA and TcdB toxins produced by C. difficile have never been found outside the pathogenicity locus (PaLoc), some prophages can still influence their production. Prophages can alter the expression of several metabolic and regulatory genes in C. difficile, as well as cell surface proteins such as CwpV, which confers phage resistance. Homologs of an Agr-like quorum sensing system have been identified in a C. difficile prophage, suggesting that it could possibly participate in cell-cell communication. Yet, other C. difficile prophages contain riboswitches predicted to recognize the secondary messenger molecule c-di-GMP involved in bacterial multicellular behaviors. Altogether, recent findings on clostridial phages underline the diversity of mechanisms and intricate relationship linking phages with their host. Here, milestone discoveries linking phages and virulence of some of the most pathogenic clostridial species will be retraced, with a focus on C. botulinum, C. novyi, C. difficile, and Clostridium perfringens phages, for which evidences are mostly available.
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38
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Oliveira H, Pinto G, Oliveira A, Noben JP, Hendrix H, Lavigne R, Łobocka M, Kropinski AM, Azeredo J. Characterization and genomic analyses of two newly isolated Morganella phages define distant members among Tevenvirinae and Autographivirinae subfamilies. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46157. [PMID: 28387353 PMCID: PMC5384007 DOI: 10.1038/srep46157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Morganella morganii is a common but frequent neglected environmental opportunistic pathogen which can cause deadly nosocomial infections. The increased number of multidrug-resistant M. morganii isolates motivates the search for alternative and effective antibacterials. We have isolated two novel obligatorily lytic M. morganii bacteriophages (vB_MmoM_MP1, vB_MmoP_MP2) and characterized them with respect to specificity, morphology, genome organization and phylogenetic relationships. MP1's dsDNA genome consists of 163,095 bp and encodes 271 proteins, exhibiting low DNA (<40%) and protein (<70%) homology to other members of the Tevenvirinae. Its unique property is a >10 kb chromosomal inversion that encompass the baseplate assembly and head outer capsid synthesis genes when compared to other T-even bacteriophages. MP2 has a dsDNA molecule with 39,394 bp and encodes 55 proteins, presenting significant genomic (70%) and proteomic identity (86%) but only to Morganella bacteriophage MmP1. MP1 and MP2 are then novel members of Tevenvirinae and Autographivirinae, respectively, but differ significantly from other tailed bacteriophages of these subfamilies to warrant proposing new genera. Both bacteriophages together could propagate in 23 of 27 M. morganii clinical isolates of different origin and antibiotic resistance profiles, making them suitable for further studies on a development of bacteriophage cocktail for potential therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Oliveira
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, LIBRO - Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Graça Pinto
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, LIBRO - Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Ana Oliveira
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, LIBRO - Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Jean-Paul Noben
- Biomedical Research Institute and Transnational University Limburg, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek 3590, Belgium
| | - Hanne Hendrix
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21 box 2462, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21 box 2462, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Małgorzata Łobocka
- Department of Microbial Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.,Autonomous Department of Microbial Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Andrew M Kropinski
- Departments of Food Science; Molecular and Cellular Biology; and, Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Joana Azeredo
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, LIBRO - Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
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39
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Parmar KM, Gaikwad SL, Dhakephalkar PK, Kothari R, Singh RP. Intriguing Interaction of Bacteriophage-Host Association: An Understanding in the Era of Omics. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:559. [PMID: 28439260 PMCID: PMC5383658 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Innovations in next-generation sequencing technology have introduced new avenues in microbial studies through “omics” approaches. This technology has considerably augmented the knowledge of the microbial world without isolation prior to their identification. With an enormous volume of bacterial “omics” data, considerable attempts have been recently invested to improve an insight into virosphere. The interplay between bacteriophages and their host has created a significant influence on the biogeochemical cycles, microbial diversity, and bacterial population regulation. This review highlights various concepts such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to infer the phylogenetic affiliation and function of bacteriophages and their impact on diverse microbial communities. Omics technologies illuminate the role of bacteriophage in an environment, the influences of phage proteins on the bacterial host and provide information about the genes important for interaction with bacteria. These investigations will reveal some of bio-molecules and biomarkers of the novel phage which demand to be unveiled.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ramesh Kothari
- Department of Biosciences, Saurashtra UniversityRajkot, India
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40
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Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients display an altered lipoprotein profile with dysfunctional HDL. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43410. [PMID: 28230201 PMCID: PMC5322497 DOI: 10.1038/srep43410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipoproteins modulate innate and adaptive immune responses. In the chronic inflammatory disease multiple sclerosis (MS), reports on lipoprotein level alterations are inconsistent and it is unclear whether lipoprotein function is affected. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we analysed the lipoprotein profile of relapsing-remitting (RR) MS patients, progressive MS patients and healthy controls (HC). We observed smaller LDL in RRMS patients compared to healthy controls and to progressive MS patients. Furthermore, low-BMI (BMI ≤ 23 kg/m2) RRMS patients show increased levels of small HDL (sHDL), accompanied by larger, triglyceride (TG)-rich VLDL, and a higher lipoprotein insulin resistance (LP-IR) index. These alterations coincide with a reduced serum capacity to accept cholesterol via ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter G1, an impaired ability of HDL3 to suppress inflammatory activity of human monocytes, and modifications of HDL3’s main protein component ApoA-I. In summary, lipoprotein levels and function are altered in RRMS patients, especially in low-BMI patients, which may contribute to disease progression in these patients.
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41
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Turner D, Wand ME, Briers Y, Lavigne R, Sutton JM, Reynolds DM. Characterisation and genome sequence of the lytic Acinetobacter baumannii bacteriophage vB_AbaS_Loki. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172303. [PMID: 28207864 PMCID: PMC5313236 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen in healthcare and community settings. While over 100 of Acinetobacter phages have been described in the literature, relatively few have been sequenced. This work describes the characterisation and genome annotation of a new lytic Acinetobacter siphovirus, vB_AbaS_Loki, isolated from activated sewage sludge. Sequencing revealed that Loki encapsulates a 41,308 bp genome, encoding 51 predicted open reading frames. Loki is most closely related to Acinetobacter phage IME_AB3 and more distantly related to Burkholderia phage KL1, Paracoccus phage vB_PmaS_IMEP1 and Pseudomonas phages vB_Pae_Kakheti25, vB_PaeS_SCH_Ab26 and PA73. Loki is characterised by a narrow host range, among the 40 Acinetobacter isolates tested, productive infection was only observed for the propagating host, A. baumannii ATCC 17978. Plaque formation was found to be dependent upon the presence of Ca2+ ions and adsorption to host cells was abolished upon incubation with a mutant of ATCC 17978 encoding a premature stop codon in lpxA. The complete genome sequence of vB_AbaS_Loki was deposited in the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) under the accession number LN890663.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dann Turner
- Centre for Research in Biosciences, Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew E. Wand
- National Infections Service, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
| | - Yves Briers
- Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology, Department of Applied Biosciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Biosystems Department, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Biosystems Department, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - J. Mark Sutton
- National Infections Service, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
| | - Darren M. Reynolds
- Centre for Research in Biosciences, Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, United Kingdom
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42
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Buttimer C, Hendrix H, Oliveira H, Casey A, Neve H, McAuliffe O, Ross RP, Hill C, Noben JP, O'Mahony J, Lavigne R, Coffey A. Things Are Getting Hairy: Enterobacteria Bacteriophage vB_PcaM_CBB. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:44. [PMID: 28174560 PMCID: PMC5259590 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterobacteria phage vB_PcaM_CBB is a "jumbo" phage belonging to the family Myoviridae. It possesses highly atypical whisker-like structures along the length of its contractile tail. It has a broad host range with the capability of infecting species of the genera Erwinia, Pectobacterium, and Cronobacter. With a genome of 355,922 bp, excluding a predicted terminal repeat of 22,456 bp, phage CBB is the third largest phage sequenced to date. Its genome was predicted to encode 554 ORFs with 33 tRNAs. Based on prediction and proteome analysis of the virions, 29% of its predicted ORFs could be functionally assigned. Protein comparison shows that CBB shares between 33-38% of its proteins with Cronobacter phage GAP32, coliphages PBECO4 and 121Q as well as Klebsiella phage vB_KleM_Rak2. This work presents a detailed and comparative analysis of vB_PcaM_CBB of a highly atypical jumbo myoviridae phage, contributing to a better understanding of phage diversity and biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Buttimer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of TechnologyCork, Ireland
| | - Hanne Hendrix
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU LeuvenLeuven, Belgium
| | - Hugo Oliveira
- Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, Centre of Biological Engineering, University of MinhoBraga, Portugal
| | - Aidan Casey
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark Fermoy, Co.Cork, Ireland
| | - Horst Neve
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-InstitutKiel, Germany
| | - Olivia McAuliffe
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark Fermoy, Co.Cork, Ireland
| | - R. Paul Ross
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark Fermoy, Co.Cork, Ireland
| | - Colin Hill
- APC Microbiome Institute and School of Microbiology, University CollegeCork, Ireland
| | - Jean-Paul Noben
- Biomedical Research Institute and Transnational University Limburg, Hasselt UniversityDiepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Jim O'Mahony
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of TechnologyCork, Ireland
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU LeuvenLeuven, Belgium
| | - Aidan Coffey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of TechnologyCork, Ireland
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43
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Dendooven T, Van den Bossche A, Hendrix H, Ceyssens PJ, Voet M, Bandyra KJ, De Maeyer M, Aertsen A, Noben JP, Hardwick SW, Luisi BF, Lavigne R. Viral interference of the bacterial RNA metabolism machinery. RNA Biol 2016; 14:6-10. [PMID: 27834591 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2016.1251003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In a recent publication, we reported a unique interaction between a protein encoded by the giant myovirus phiKZ and the Pseudomonas aeruginosa RNA degradosome. Crystallography, site-directed mutagenesis and interactomics approaches revealed this 'degradosome interacting protein' or Dip, to adopt an 'open-claw' dimeric structure that presents acidic patches on its outer surface which hijack 2 conserved RNA binding sites on the scaffold domain of the RNase E component of the RNA degradosome. This interaction prevents substrate RNAs from being bound and degraded by the RNA degradosome during the virus infection cycle. In this commentary, we provide a perspective into the biological role of Dip, its structural analysis and its mysterious evolutionary origin, and we suggest some therapeutic and biotechnological applications of this distinctive viral protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Dendooven
- a Laboratory of Gene Technology , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.,b Department of Biochemistry , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK
| | - An Van den Bossche
- a Laboratory of Gene Technology , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.,c Division of Bacterial Diseases, Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP) , Brussels , Belgium
| | - Hanne Hendrix
- a Laboratory of Gene Technology , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Pieter-Jan Ceyssens
- a Laboratory of Gene Technology , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.,c Division of Bacterial Diseases, Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP) , Brussels , Belgium
| | - Marleen Voet
- a Laboratory of Gene Technology , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - K J Bandyra
- b Department of Biochemistry , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK
| | - Marc De Maeyer
- d Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural Biology Section , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Abram Aertsen
- e Laboratory of Food Microbiology , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Jean-Paul Noben
- f Biomedical Research Institute and Transnational University Limburg, Hasselt University , Diepenbeek , Belgium
| | - Steven W Hardwick
- b Department of Biochemistry , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK
| | - Ben F Luisi
- b Department of Biochemistry , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK
| | - Rob Lavigne
- a Laboratory of Gene Technology , KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
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44
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Van den Bossche A, Hardwick SW, Ceyssens PJ, Hendrix H, Voet M, Dendooven T, Bandyra KJ, De Maeyer M, Aertsen A, Noben JP, Luisi BF, Lavigne R. Structural elucidation of a novel mechanism for the bacteriophage-based inhibition of the RNA degradosome. eLife 2016; 5:e16413. [PMID: 27447594 PMCID: PMC4980113 DOI: 10.7554/elife.16413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In all domains of life, the catalysed degradation of RNA facilitates rapid adaptation to changing environmental conditions, while destruction of foreign RNA is an important mechanism to prevent host infection. We have identified a virus-encoded protein termed gp37/Dip, which directly binds and inhibits the RNA degradation machinery of its bacterial host. Encoded by giant phage фKZ, this protein associates with two RNA binding sites of the RNase E component of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa RNA degradosome, occluding them from substrates and resulting in effective inhibition of RNA degradation and processing. The 2.2 Å crystal structure reveals that this novel homo-dimeric protein has no identifiable structural homologues. Our biochemical data indicate that acidic patches on the convex outer surface bind RNase E. Through the activity of Dip, фKZ has evolved a unique mechanism to down regulate a key metabolic process of its host to allow accumulation of viral RNA in infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Van den Bossche
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Division of Bacterial diseases, Scientific Institute of Public Health, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Steven W Hardwick
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Pieter-Jan Ceyssens
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Division of Bacterial diseases, Scientific Institute of Public Health, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hanne Hendrix
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marleen Voet
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Dendooven
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katarzyna J Bandyra
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marc De Maeyer
- Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural Biology Scetion, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Abram Aertsen
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jean-Paul Noben
- Biomedical Research Institute, University of Hasselt, Diepenbeek, Belgium
- Transnational University Limburg, University of Hasselt, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Ben F Luisi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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A proposed integrated approach for the preclinical evaluation of phage therapy in Pseudomonas infections. Sci Rep 2016; 6:28115. [PMID: 27301427 PMCID: PMC4908380 DOI: 10.1038/srep28115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage therapy is currently resurging as a potential complement/alternative to antibiotic treatment. However, preclinical evaluation lacks streamlined approaches. We here focus on preclinical approaches which have been implemented to assess bacteriophage efficacy against Pseudomonas biofilms and infections. Laser interferometry and profilometry were applied to measure biofilm matrix permeability and surface geometry changes, respectively. These biophysical approaches were combined with an advanced Airway Surface Liquid infection model, which mimics in vitro the normal and CF lung environments, and an in vivo Galleria larvae model. These assays have been implemented to analyze KTN4 (279,593 bp dsDNA genome), a type-IV pili dependent, giant phage resembling phiKZ. Upon contact, KTN4 immediately disrupts the P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm and reduces pyocyanin and siderophore production. The gentamicin exclusion assay on NuLi-1 and CuFi-1 cell lines revealed the decrease of extracellular bacterial load between 4 and 7 logs and successfully prevents wild-type Pseudomonas internalization into CF epithelial cells. These properties and the significant rescue of Galleria larvae indicate that giant KTN4 phage is a suitable candidate for in vivo phage therapy evaluation for lung infection applications.
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De Smet J, Zimmermann M, Kogadeeva M, Ceyssens PJ, Vermaelen W, Blasdel B, Bin Jang H, Sauer U, Lavigne R. High coverage metabolomics analysis reveals phage-specific alterations to Pseudomonas aeruginosa physiology during infection. ISME JOURNAL 2016; 10:1823-35. [PMID: 26882266 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2016.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Phage-mediated metabolic changes in bacteria are hypothesized to markedly alter global nutrient and biogeochemical cycles. Despite their theoretic importance, experimental data on the net metabolic impact of phage infection on the bacterial metabolism remains scarce. In this study, we tracked the dynamics of intracellular metabolites using untargeted high coverage metabolomics in Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells infected with lytic bacteriophages from six distinct phage genera. Analysis of the metabolomics data indicates an active interference in the host metabolism. In general, phages elicit an increase in pyrimidine and nucleotide sugar metabolism. Furthermore, clear phage-specific and infection stage-specific responses are observed, ranging from extreme metabolite depletion (for example, phage YuA) to complete reorganization of the metabolism (for example, phage phiKZ). As expected, pathways targeted by the phage-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) were enriched among the metabolites changing during infection. The effect on pyrimidine metabolism of phages encoding AMGs capable of host genome degradation (for example, YuA and LUZ19) was distinct from those lacking nuclease-encoding genes (for example, phiKZ), which demonstrates the link between the encoded set of AMGs of a phage and its impact on host physiology. However, a large fraction of the profound effect on host metabolism could not be attributed to the phage-encoded AMGs. We suggest a potentially crucial role for small, 'non-enzymatic' peptides in metabolism take-over and hypothesize on potential biotechnical applications for such peptides. The highly phage-specific nature of the metabolic impact emphasizes the potential importance of the 'phage diversity' parameter when studying metabolic interactions in complex communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen De Smet
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Michael Zimmermann
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Kogadeeva
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Pieter-Jan Ceyssens
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium.,Unit Bacterial Diseases, Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wesley Vermaelen
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Bob Blasdel
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Ho Bin Jang
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Uwe Sauer
- Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
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Korol N, Van den Bossche A, Romaniuk L, Noben JP, Lavigne R, Tovkach F. Experimental evidence for proteins constituting virion components and particle morphogenesis of bacteriophage ZF40. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2016; 363:fnw042. [PMID: 26887841 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnw042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage ZF40 is the only currently available, temperate Myoviridae phage infecting the potato pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. Despite its unusual tail morphology, its major tail sheath and tube proteins remained uncharacterized after the initial genome annotation. Using ESI tandem mass-spectrometry, 24 structural proteins of the ZF40 virion were identified, with a sequence coverage ranging between 15.8% and 87.8%. The putative function of 16 proteins could be elucidated based on secondary structure analysis and conservative domain searches. The experimental annotation of 35% of the encoded gene products within the structural region of the genome represents a complete view of the virion structure, which can serve as the basis for future structural analysis as a model phage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Korol
- Department of Bacteriophage Molecular Genetics, D. K. Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology, NAS of Ukraine, D03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - An Van den Bossche
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium Division of Bacterial Diseases, Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Liudmyla Romaniuk
- Department of Bacteriophage Molecular Genetics, D. K. Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology, NAS of Ukraine, D03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Jean-Paul Noben
- Biomedical Research Institute and Transnationale Universiteit Limburg, School of Life Sciences, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Fedor Tovkach
- Department of Bacteriophage Molecular Genetics, D. K. Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology, NAS of Ukraine, D03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
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Czajkowski R. Bacteriophages of Soft Rot Enterobacteriaceae-a minireview. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2015; 363:fnv230. [PMID: 26626879 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnv230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Soft rot Enterobacteriaceae (Pectobacterium spp. and Dickeya spp., formerly pectinolytic Erwinia spp.) are ubiquitous necrotrophic bacterial pathogens that infect a large number of different plant species worldwide, including economically important crops. Despite the fact that these bacteria have been studied for more than 50 years, little is known of their corresponding predators: bacteriophages, both lytic and lysogenic. The aim of this minireview is to critically summarize recent ecological, biological and molecular research on bacteriophages infecting Pectobacterium spp. and Dickeya spp. with the main focus on current and future perspectives in that field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Czajkowski
- Laboratory of Plant Protection and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Kladki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland
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