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Guo X, Luo G, Hou F, Zhou C, Liu X, Lei Z, Niu D, Ran T, Tan Z. A review of bacteriophage and their application in domestic animals in a post-antibiotic era. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 949:174931. [PMID: 39043300 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Revised: 07/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages for short) are the most abundant biological entities on Earth and are natural enemies of bacteria. Genomics and molecular biology have identified subtle and complex relationships among phages, bacteria and their animal hosts. This review covers composition, diversity and factors affecting gut phage, their lifecycle in the body, and interactions with bacteria and hosts. In addition, research regarding phage in poultry, aquaculture and livestock are summarized, and application of phages in antibiotic substitution, phage therapy and food safety are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Guowang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Fujiang Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
| | - Chuanshe Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Physiology and Metabolic Process, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, China
| | - Xiu Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Zhaomin Lei
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Dongyan Niu
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Tao Ran
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China.
| | - Zhiliang Tan
- CAS Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Physiology and Metabolic Process, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, China
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Haq IU, Rahim K, Paker NP. Exploring the historical roots, advantages and efficacy of phage therapy in plant diseases management. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 346:112164. [PMID: 38908799 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
In the drug-resistance era, phage therapy has received considerable attention from worldwide researchers. Phage therapy has been given much attention in public health but is rarely applied to control plant diseases. Herein, we discuss phage therapy as a biocontrol approach against several plant diseases. The emergence of antibiotic resistance in agriculturally important pathogenic bacteria and the toxic nature of different synthetic compounds used to control microbes has driven researchers to rethink the century-old strategy of phage therapy''. Compared to other treatment strategies, phage therapy offers remarkable advantages such as high specificity, less chances of drug resistance, non-harmful nature, and benefit to soil microbial flora. The optimizations and protective formulations of phages are significant accomplishments; however, steps towards a better understanding of the physiologic characteristics of phages need to be preceded to commercialize their use. The future of phage therapy in the context of plant disease management is promising and could play a significant role in sustainable agriculture. Ongoing research will likely affirm the safety of phage therapy, ensuring that it does not harm non-target organisms, including beneficial soil microbes. Phage therapy could become vital in addressing global food security challenges, particularly in regions heavily impacted by plant bacterial diseases. Efforts to create formulations that enhance the stability and shelf-life of phages will be crucial, especially for their use in varied environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihtisham Ul Haq
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Silesian University of Technology, M. Strzody 9, Gliwice 44-100, Poland; Joint Doctoral School, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 2A, Gliwice 44-100, Poland; Programa de Pos-graduacao em Invacao Tecnologia, Universidade de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
| | - Kashif Rahim
- School of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Najeeba Parre Paker
- Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan; Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK.
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Lyu D, Duan Q, Duan R, Qin S, Zheng X, Lu X, Bukai A, Zhang P, Han H, He Z, Sha H, Wu D, Xiao M, Jing H, Wang X. Symbiosis of a lytic bacteriophage and Yersinia pestis and characteristics of plague in Marmota himalayana. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0099524. [PMID: 39023266 PMCID: PMC11337824 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00995-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Surveillance for animal plague was conducted in the Marmota himalayana plague focus of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from 2020 to 2023. A 22.89% positive rate of serum F1 antibody was detected in live-caught marmots, alongside a 43.40% incidence of Yersinia pestis isolation from marmot carcasses. Marmot carcasses infected with plague exhibited a significantly higher spleen-somatic index (P < 0.05). Twenty-one Y. pestis-specific phages were isolated, among which one Y. pestis lytic phage (AKS2022HT87GU_phi) was isolated from the bone marrow of a marmot carcass (no. AKS2022HT87) and was found to be symbiotic with Y. pestis. Microscopy revealed the coexistence of lysed and non-lysed colonies of Y. pestis AKS2022HT87. Genome-wide analysis showed that certain strains of the Y. pestis AKS2022HT87 carried phage DNA fragments consistent with phage AKS2022HT87GU_phi. The rare symbiotic relationship between a lytic phage and Y. pestis observed in vitro was highlighted in this study, laying the basis for further exploring the relationship between Y. pestis and its bacteriophages.IMPORTANCEBacteriophages and host bacteria commonly coexist in vivo or in soil environments through complex and interdependent microbial interactions. However, recapitulating this symbiotic state remains challenging in vitro due to limited medium nutrients. In this work, the natural symbiosis between Yersinia pestis and specific phages has been discovered in a Marmota himalayana specimen. Epidemiological analysis presented the characteristics of the Y. pestis and specific phages in the area with a strong plague epidemic. Crucially, comparative genomics has been conducted to analyze the genetic changes in both the Y. pestis and phages over different periods, revealing the dynamic and evolving nature of their symbiosis. These are the critical steps to study the mechanism of the symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyue Lyu
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Qun Duan
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Ran Duan
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Qin
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojin Zheng
- Akesai Kazakh Autonomous County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiuquan, Gansu, China
| | - Xinmin Lu
- Akesai Kazakh Autonomous County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiuquan, Gansu, China
| | - Asaiti Bukai
- Akesai Kazakh Autonomous County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiuquan, Gansu, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Haonan Han
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaokai He
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Hanyu Sha
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Di Wu
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Xiao
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Huaiqi Jing
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Wang
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
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Peng J, Guo C, Yang C, Zhang L, Yang F, Huang X, Yu Y, Zhang T, Peng J. Phage Therapy for Bone and Joint Infections: A Comprehensive Exploration of Challenges, Dynamics, and Therapeutic Prospects. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2024:S2213-7165(24)00136-X. [PMID: 39168373 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2024.07.007] [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: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Bone and joint infections (BJI) pose formidable challenges in orthopedics due to antibiotic resistance and the complexities of biofilm, complicating treatment. This comprehensive exploration addresses the intricate challenges posed by BJI and highlights the significant role of phage therapy as a non-antibiotic strategy. BJI, which encompass prosthetic joint infections, osteomyelitis, and purulent arthritis, are exacerbated by biofilm formation on bone and implant surfaces, hindering treatment efficacy. Gram-negative bacterial infections, characterized by elevated antibiotic resistance, further contribute to the clinical challenge. Amidst this therapeutic challenge, phage therapy emerges as a potential strategy, showing unique characteristics such as strict host specificity and biofilm disruption capabilities. The review unveils the dynamics of phages, including their origins, lifecycle outcomes, and genomic characteristics. Animal studies, in vitro investigations, and clinical research provide compelling evidence of the efficacy of phages in treating Staphylococcus aureus infections, particularly in osteomyelitis cases. Phage lysins exhibit biofilm-disrupting capabilities, offering a meaningful method for addressing BJI. Recent statistical analyses reveal high clinical relief rates and a favorable safety profile for phage therapy. Despite its promise, phage therapy encounters limitations, including a narrow host range and potential immunogenicity. The comprehensive analysis navigates these challenges and charts the future of phage therapy, emphasizing standardization, pharmacokinetics, and global collaboration. Anticipated strides in phage engineering and combination therapy hold promise for combating antibiotic-resistant BJI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaze Peng
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.; Joint Orthopaedic Research Center of Zunyi Medical University & University of Rochester Medical Center, Zunyi, China
| | - Caopei Guo
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.; Joint Orthopaedic Research Center of Zunyi Medical University & University of Rochester Medical Center, Zunyi, China
| | - Chengbing Yang
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.; Joint Orthopaedic Research Center of Zunyi Medical University & University of Rochester Medical Center, Zunyi, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.; Joint Orthopaedic Research Center of Zunyi Medical University & University of Rochester Medical Center, Zunyi, China
| | - Fuyin Yang
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.; Joint Orthopaedic Research Center of Zunyi Medical University & University of Rochester Medical Center, Zunyi, China
| | - Xianpeng Huang
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.; Joint Orthopaedic Research Center of Zunyi Medical University & University of Rochester Medical Center, Zunyi, China
| | - Yang Yu
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.; Joint Orthopaedic Research Center of Zunyi Medical University & University of Rochester Medical Center, Zunyi, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cell Engineering of Guizhou Province, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China..
| | - Jiachen Peng
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.; Joint Orthopaedic Research Center of Zunyi Medical University & University of Rochester Medical Center, Zunyi, China.; Department of Burn and Plastic surgery, Affiliated hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Tissue Damage Repair and Regeneration Medicine, Zunyi, China..
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Hugerth LW, Krog MC, Vomstein K, Du J, Bashir Z, Kaldhusdal V, Fransson E, Engstrand L, Nielsen HS, Schuppe-Koistinen I. Defining Vaginal Community Dynamics: daily microbiome transitions, the role of menstruation, bacteriophages, and bacterial genes. MICROBIOME 2024; 12:153. [PMID: 39160615 PMCID: PMC11331738 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-024-01870-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The composition of the vaginal microbiota during the menstrual cycle is dynamic, with some women remaining eu- or dysbiotic and others transitioning between these states. What defines these dynamics, and whether these differences are microbiome-intrinsic or mostly driven by the host is unknown. To address this, we characterized 49 healthy, young women by metagenomic sequencing of daily vaginal swabs during a menstrual cycle. We classified the dynamics of the vaginal microbiome and assessed the impact of host behavior as well as microbiome differences at the species, strain, gene, and phage levels. RESULTS Based on the daily shifts in community state types (CSTs) during a menstrual cycle, the vaginal microbiome was classified into four Vaginal Community Dynamics (VCDs) and reported in a classification tool, named VALODY: constant eubiotic, constant dysbiotic, menses-related, and unstable dysbiotic. The abundance of bacteria, phages, and bacterial gene content was compared between the four VCDs. Women with different VCDs showed significant differences in relative phage abundance and bacterial composition even when assigned to the same CST. Women with unstable VCDs had higher phage counts and were more likely dominated by L. iners. Their Gardnerella spp. strains were also more likely to harbor bacteriocin-coding genes. CONCLUSIONS The VCDs present a novel time series classification that highlights the complexity of varying degrees of vaginal dysbiosis. Knowing the differences in phage gene abundances and the genomic strains present allows a deeper understanding of the initiation and maintenance of permanent dysbiosis. Applying the VCDs to further characterize the different types of microbiome dynamics qualifies the investigation of disease and enables comparisons at individual and population levels. Based on our data, to be able to classify a dysbiotic sample into the accurate VCD, clinicians would need two to three mid-cycle samples and two samples during menses. In the future, it will be important to address whether transient VCDs pose a similar risk profile to persistent dysbiosis with similar clinical outcomes. This framework may aid interdisciplinary translational teams in deciphering the role of the vaginal microbiome in women's health and reproduction. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa W Hugerth
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, 75237, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 6, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Christine Krog
- The Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Unit, The Capital Region, Copenhagen University Hospitals, Rigshospitalet and Hvidovre Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen and Kettegård Alle 30, 2650, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Copenhagen University, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kilian Vomstein
- The Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Unit, The Capital Region, Copenhagen University Hospitals, Rigshospitalet and Hvidovre Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen and Kettegård Alle 30, 2650, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre Hospital, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Juan Du
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 6, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Zahra Bashir
- The Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Unit, The Capital Region, Copenhagen University Hospitals, Rigshospitalet and Hvidovre Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen and Kettegård Alle 30, 2650, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Region Zealand, Slagelse Hospital, Fælledvej 13, 4200, Slagelse, Denmark
| | - Vilde Kaldhusdal
- Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Center for Molecular Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emma Fransson
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 6, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarskjölds Vägäg 20, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Engstrand
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 6, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Henriette Svarre Nielsen
- The Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Unit, The Capital Region, Copenhagen University Hospitals, Rigshospitalet and Hvidovre Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen and Kettegård Alle 30, 2650, Hvidovre, Denmark.
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Copenhagen University, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre Hospital, Kettegård Alle 30, 2650, Hvidovre, Denmark.
| | - Ina Schuppe-Koistinen
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Centre for Translational Microbiome Research, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 6, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
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Jia P, Liang JL, Lu JL, Zhong SJ, Xiong T, Feng SW, Wang Y, Wu ZH, Yi XZ, Gao SM, Zheng J, Wen P, Li F, Li Y, Liao B, Shu WS, Li JT. Soil keystone viruses are regulators of ecosystem multifunctionality. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 191:108964. [PMID: 39173234 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Ecosystem multifunctionality reflects the capacity of ecosystems to simultaneously maintain multiple functions which are essential bases for human sustainable development. Whereas viruses are a major component of the soil microbiome that drive ecosystem functions across biomes, the relationships between soil viral diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality remain under-studied. To address this critical knowledge gap, we employed a combination of amplicon and metagenomic sequencing to assess prokaryotic, fungal and viral diversity, and to link viruses to putative hosts. We described the features of viruses and their potential hosts in 154 soil samples from 29 farmlands and 25 forests distributed across China. Although 4,460 and 5,207 viral populations (vOTUs) were found in the farmlands and forests respectively, the diversity of specific vOTUs rather than overall soil viral diversity was positively correlated with ecosystem multifunctionality in both ecosystem types. Furthermore, the diversity of these keystone vOTUs, despite being 10-100 times lower than prokaryotic or fungal diversity, was a better predictor of ecosystem multifunctionality and more strongly associated with the relative abundances of prokaryotic genes related to soil nutrient cycling. Gemmatimonadota and Actinobacteria dominated the host community of soil keystone viruses in the farmlands and forests respectively, but were either absent or showed a significantly lower relative abundance in that of soil non-keystone viruses. These findings provide novel insights into the regulators of ecosystem multifunctionality and have important implications for the management of ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Jia
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Jie-Liang Liang
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Jing-Li Lu
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Sheng-Ji Zhong
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Tian Xiong
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Shi-Wei Feng
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Yutao Wang
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Zhuo-Hui Wu
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Xin-Zhu Yi
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Shao-Ming Gao
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Jin Zheng
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Ping Wen
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Fenglin Li
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Yanying Li
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Bin Liao
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Wen-Sheng Shu
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China
| | - Jin-Tian Li
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, PR China.
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7
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Costa P, Pereira C, Romalde JL, Almeida A. A game of resistance: War between bacteria and phages and how phage cocktails can be the solution. Virology 2024; 599:110209. [PMID: 39186863 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110209] [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: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
While phages hold promise as an antibiotic alternative, they encounter significant challenges in combating bacterial infections, primarily due to the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria. Bacterial defence mechanisms like superinfection exclusion, CRISPR, and restriction-modification systems can hinder phage effectiveness. Innovative strategies, such as combining different phages into cocktails, have been explored to address these challenges. This review delves into these defence mechanisms and their impact at each stage of the infection cycle, their challenges, and the strategies phages have developed to counteract them. Additionally, we examine the role of phage cocktails in the evolving landscape of antibacterial treatments and discuss recent studies that highlight the effectiveness of diverse phage cocktails in targeting essential bacterial receptors and combating resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Costa
- CESAM, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Carla Pereira
- CESAM, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Jesús L Romalde
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, CRETUS & CIBUS - Faculty of Biology, University of Santiago de Compostela, CP 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Adelaide Almeida
- CESAM, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
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8
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Stiffler AK, Hesketh-Best PJ, Varona NS, Zagame A, Wallace BA, Lapointe BE, Silveira CB. Genomic and induction evidence for bacteriophage contributions to sargassum-bacteria symbioses. MICROBIOME 2024; 12:143. [PMID: 39090708 PMCID: PMC11295528 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-024-01860-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Symbioses between primary producers and bacteria are crucial for nutrient exchange that fosters host growth and niche adaptation. Yet, how viruses that infect bacteria (phages) influence these bacteria-eukaryote interactions is still largely unknown. Here, we investigate the role of viruses on the genomic diversity and functional adaptations of bacteria associated with pelagic sargassum. This brown alga has dramatically increased its distribution range in the Atlantic in the past decade and is predicted to continue expanding, imposing severe impacts on coastal ecosystems, economies, and human health. RESULTS We reconstructed 73 bacterial and 3963 viral metagenome-assembled genomes (bMAGs and vMAGs, respectively) from coastal Sargassum natans VIII and surrounding seawater. S. natans VIII bMAGs were enriched in prophages compared to seawater (28% and 0.02%, respectively). Rhodobacterales and Synechococcus bMAGs, abundant members of the S. natans VIII microbiome, were shared between the algae and seawater but were associated with distinct phages in each environment. Genes related to biofilm formation and quorum sensing were enriched in S. natans VIII phages, indicating their potential to influence algal association in their bacterial hosts. In-vitro assays with a bacterial community harvested from sargassum surface biofilms and depleted of free viruses demonstrated that these bacteria are protected from lytic infection by seawater viruses but contain intact and inducible prophages. These bacteria form thicker biofilms when growing on sargassum-supplemented seawater compared to seawater controls, and phage induction using mitomycin C was associated with a significant decrease in biofilm formation. The induced metagenomes were enriched in genomic sequences classified as temperate viruses compared to uninduced controls. CONCLUSIONS Our data shows that prophages contribute to the flexible genomes of S. natans VIII-associated bacteria. These prophages encode genes with symbiotic functions, and their induction decreases biofilm formation, an essential capacity for flexible symbioses between bacteria and the alga. These results indicate that prophage acquisition and induction contribute to genomic and functional diversification during sargassum-bacteria symbioses, with potential implications for algae growth. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Poppy J Hesketh-Best
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Natascha S Varona
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Ashley Zagame
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Bailey A Wallace
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Brian E Lapointe
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL, 34946, USA
| | - Cynthia B Silveira
- Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA.
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33149, USA.
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9
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Felipe-Ruiz A, Zamora-Caballero S, Bendori SO, Penadés JR, Eldar A, Marina A. Extracellular proteolysis of tandemly duplicated pheromone propeptides affords additional complexity to bacterial quorum sensing. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002744. [PMID: 39137235 PMCID: PMC11343458 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 08/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial interactions are vital for adapting to changing environments, with quorum sensing (QS) systems playing a central role in coordinating behaviors through small signaling molecules. The RRNPPA family is the prevalent QS systems in Bacillota and mediating communication through secreted oligopeptides, which are processed into active pheromones by extracellular proteases. Notably, in several cases the propeptides show the presence of multiple putative pheromones within their sequences, which has been proposed as a mechanism to diversify peptide-receptor specificity and potentially facilitate new functions. However, neither the processes governing the maturation of propeptides containing multiple pheromones, nor their functional significance has been evaluated. Here, using 2 Rap systems from bacteriophages infecting Bacillus subtilis that exhibit different types of pheromone duplication in their propeptides, we investigate the maturation process and the molecular and functional activities of the produced pheromones. Our results reveal that distinct maturation processes generate multiple mature pheromones, which bind to receptors with varying affinities but produce identical structural and biological responses. These findings add additional layers in the complexity of QS communication and regulation, opening new possibilities for microbial social behaviors, highlighting the intricate nature of bacterial interactions and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alonso Felipe-Ruiz
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV)-CSIC and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER)-ISCIII, Valencia, Spain
| | - Sara Zamora-Caballero
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV)-CSIC and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER)-ISCIII, Valencia, Spain
| | - Shira Omer Bendori
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - José R. Penadés
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
- School of Health Sciences, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, CEU Universities, Alfara del Patriarca, Spain
| | - Avigdor Eldar
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Alberto Marina
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV)-CSIC and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER)-ISCIII, Valencia, Spain
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10
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Beggs GA, Bassler BL. Phage small proteins play large roles in phage-bacterial interactions. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 80:102519. [PMID: 39047312 PMCID: PMC11323111 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Phages have wide influence on bacterial physiology, and likewise, bacterial processes impinge on phage biology. Key to these interactions are phage small proteins (<100 aa). Long underappreciated, recent work has revealed millions of phage small proteins, and increasingly, mechanisms by which they function to dictate phage and/or bacterial behavior and evolution. Here, we describe select phage small proteins that mediate phage-bacterial interactions by modulating phage lifestyle decision-making components or by altering host gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace A Beggs
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Bonnie L Bassler
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
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11
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Santoriello FJ, Bassler BL. The LuxO-OpaR quorum-sensing cascade differentially controls Vibriophage VP882 lysis-lysogeny decision making in liquid and on surfaces. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011243. [PMID: 39078816 PMCID: PMC11315295 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) is a process of cell-to-cell communication that bacteria use to synchronize collective behaviors. QS relies on the production, release, and group-wide detection of extracellular signaling molecules called autoinducers. Vibrios use two QS systems: the LuxO-OpaR circuit and the VqmA-VqmR circuit. Both QS circuits control group behaviors including biofilm formation and surface motility. The Vibrio parahaemolyticus temperate phage φVP882 encodes a VqmA homolog (called VqmAφ). When VqmAφ is produced by φVP882 lysogens, it binds to the host-produced autoinducer called DPO and launches the φVP882 lytic cascade. This activity times induction of lysis with high host cell density and presumably promotes maximal phage transmission to new cells. Here, we explore whether, in addition to induction from lysogeny, QS controls the initial establishment of lysogeny by φVP882 in naïve host cells. Using mutagenesis, phage infection assays, and phenotypic analyses, we show that φVP882 connects its initial lysis-lysogeny decision to both host cell density and whether the host resides in liquid or on a surface. Host cells in the low-cell-density QS state primarily undergo lysogenic conversion. The QS regulator LuxO~P promotes φVP882 lysogenic conversion of low-cell-density planktonic host cells. By contrast, the ScrABC surface-sensing system regulates lysogenic conversion of low-cell-density surface-associated host cells. ScrABC controls the abundance of the second messenger molecule cyclic diguanylate, which in turn, modulates motility. The scrABC operon is only expressed when its QS repressor, OpaR, is absent. Thus, at low cell density, QS-dependent derepression of scrABC drives lysogenic conversion in surface-associated host cells. These results demonstrate that φVP882 integrates cues from multiple sensory pathways into its lifestyle decision making upon infection of a new host cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis J. Santoriello
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Bonnie L. Bassler
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States of America
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12
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Hvid U, Mitarai N. Competitive advantages of T-even phage lysis inhibition in response to secondary infection. PLoS Comput Biol 2024; 20:e1012242. [PMID: 38976747 PMCID: PMC11257392 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
T-even bacteriophages are known to employ lysis inhibition (LIN), where the lysis of an infected host is delayed in response to secondary adsorptions. Upon the eventual burst of the host, significantly more phage progenies are released. Here, we analysed the competitive advantage of LIN using a mathematical model. In batch culture, LIN provides a bigger phage yield at the end of the growth where all the hosts are infected due to an exceeding number of phage particles and, in addition, gives a competitive advantage against LIN mutants with rapid lysis by letting them adsorb to already infected hosts in the LIN state. By simulating plaque formation in a spatially structured environment, we show that, while LIN phages will produce a smaller zone of clearance, the area over which the phages spread is actually comparable to those without LIN. The analysis suggests that LIN induced by secondary adsorption is favourable in terms of competition, both in spatially homogeneous and inhomogeneous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrik Hvid
- The Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Namiko Mitarai
- The Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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13
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Thomas MJN, Brockhurst MA, Coyte KZ. What makes a temperate phage an effective bacterial weapon? mSystems 2024; 9:e0103623. [PMID: 38727217 PMCID: PMC11237456 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01036-23] [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: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Temperate bacteriophages (phages) are common features of bacterial genomes and can act as self-amplifying biological weapons, killing susceptible competitors and thus increasing the fitness of their bacterial hosts (lysogens). Despite their prevalence, however, the key characteristics of an effective temperate phage weapon remain unclear. Here, we use systematic mathematical analyses coupled with experimental tests to understand what makes an effective temperate phage weapon. We find that effectiveness is controlled by phage life history traits-in particular, the probability of lysis and induction rate-but that the optimal combination of traits varies with the initial frequency of a lysogen within a population. As a consequence, certain phage weapons can be detrimental when their hosts are rare yet beneficial when their hosts are common, while subtle changes in individual life history traits can completely reverse the impact of an individual phage weapon on lysogen fitness. We confirm key predictions of our model experimentally, using temperate phages isolated from the clinically relevant Liverpool epidemic strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Through these experiments, we further demonstrate that nutrient availability can also play a critical role in driving frequency-dependent patterns in phage-mediated competition. Together, these findings highlight the complex and context-dependent nature of temperate phage weapons and the importance of both ecological and evolutionary processes in shaping microbial community dynamics more broadly. IMPORTANCE Temperate bacteriophages-viruses that integrate within bacterial DNA-are incredibly common within bacterial genomes and can act as powerful self-amplifying weapons. Bacterial hosts that carry temperate bacteriophages can thus gain a fitness advantage within a given niche by killing competitors. But what makes an effective phage weapon? Here, we first use a simple mathematical model to explore the factors determining bacteriophage weapon utility. Our models suggest that bacteriophage weapons are nuanced and context-dependent; an individual bacteriophage may be beneficial or costly depending upon tiny changes to how it behaves or the bacterial community it inhabits. We then confirm these mathematical predictions experimentally, using phages isolated from cystic fibrosis patients. But, in doing so, we also find that another factor-nutrient availability-plays a key role in shaping bacteriophage-mediated competition. Together, our results provide new insights into how temperate bacteriophages modulate bacterial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J N Thomas
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - M A Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - K Z Coyte
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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14
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Li L, Zhang H, Jin H, Guo J, Liu P, Yang J, Wang Z, Zhang E, Yu B, Shi L, He J, Wang P, Wei J, Zhong Y, Li W. Identification and characterization of two Bacillus anthracis bacteriophages. Arch Virol 2024; 169:134. [PMID: 38834736 PMCID: PMC11150296 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-024-06005-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Anthrax is an acute infectious zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, a bacterium that is considered a potential biological warfare agent. Bacillus bacteriophages shape the composition and evolution of bacterial communities in nature and therefore have important roles in the ecosystem community. B. anthracis phages are not only used in etiological diagnostics but also have promising prospects in clinical therapeutics or for disinfection in anthrax outbreaks. In this study, two temperate B. anthracis phages, vB_BanS_A16R1 (A16R1) and vB_BanS_A16R4 (A16R4), were isolated and showed siphovirus-like morphological characteristics. Genome sequencing showed that the genomes of phages A16R1 and A16R4 are 36,569 bp and 40,059 bp in length, respectively. A16R1 belongs to the genus Wbetavirus, while A16R4 belongs to the genus Hubeivirus and is the first phage of that genus found to lyse B. anthracis. Because these two phages can comparatively specifically lyse B. anthracis, they could be used as alternative diagnostic tools for identification of B. anthracis infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lun Li
- Yunnan Institute for Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali, China
- School of Public Health, Dali University, Dali, China
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (ICDC), China CDC, Beijing, China
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Huijuan Zhang
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (ICDC), China CDC, Beijing, China
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Haixiao Jin
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (ICDC), China CDC, Beijing, China
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Guo
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (ICDC), China CDC, Beijing, China
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Pan Liu
- Yunnan Institute for Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali, China
| | - Jiao Yang
- Yunnan Institute for Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali, China
| | - Zijian Wang
- Yunnan Institute for Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali, China
| | - Enmin Zhang
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (ICDC), China CDC, Beijing, China
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Binbin Yu
- Yunnan Institute for Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali, China
| | - Liyuan Shi
- Yunnan Institute for Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali, China
| | - Jinrong He
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (ICDC), China CDC, Beijing, China
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Yunnan Institute for Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali, China
| | - Jianchun Wei
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (ICDC), China CDC, Beijing, China
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Youhong Zhong
- Yunnan Institute for Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali, China.
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali, China.
| | - Wei Li
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (ICDC), China CDC, Beijing, China.
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China.
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15
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Debatisse K, Lopez P, Poli M, Rousseau P, Campos M, Coddeville M, Cocaign-Bousquet M, Le Bourgeois P. Redefining the bacteriophage mv4 site-specific recombination system and the sequence specificity of its attB and core-attP sites. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:1200-1216. [PMID: 38705589 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Through their involvement in the integration and excision of a large number of mobile genetic elements, such as phages and integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs), site-specific recombination systems based on heterobivalent tyrosine recombinases play a major role in genome dynamics and evolution. However, despite hundreds of these systems having been identified in genome databases, very few have been described in detail, with none from phages that infect Bacillota (formerly Firmicutes). In this study, we reanalyzed the recombination module of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus phage mv4, previously considered atypical compared with classical systems. Our results reveal that mv4 integrase is a 369 aa protein with all the structural hallmarks of recombinases from the Tn916 family and that it cooperatively interacts with its recombination sites. Using randomized DNA libraries, NGS sequencing, and other molecular approaches, we show that the 21-bp core-attP and attB sites have structural similarities to classical systems only if considering the nucleotide degeneracy, with two 7-bp inverted regions corresponding to mv4Int core-binding sites surrounding a 7-bp strand-exchange region. We also examined the different compositional constraints in the core-binding regions, which define the sequence space of permissible recombination sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Debatisse
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | - Pierre Lopez
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | - Maryse Poli
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
| | - Philippe Rousseau
- CBI, LMGM, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
- Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Manuel Campos
- CBI, LMGM, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
- Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Michèle Coddeville
- CBI, LMGM, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
- Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Pascal Le Bourgeois
- TBI, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Toulouse, France
- Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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16
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Casters Y, Bäcker LE, Broux K, Aertsen A. Phage transmission strategies: are phages farming their host? Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 79:102481. [PMID: 38677076 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Extensive coevolution has led to utterly intricate interactions between phages and their bacterial hosts. While both the (short-term) intracellular molecular host-subversion mechanisms during a phage infection cycle and the (long-term) mutational arms race between phages and host cells have traditionally received a lot of attention, there has been an underestimating neglect of (mid-term) transmission strategies by which phages manage to cautiously spread throughout their host population. However, recent findings underscore that phages encode mechanisms to avoid host cell scarcity and promote coexistence with the host, giving the impression that some phages manage to 'farm' their host population to ensure access to host cells for lytic consumption. Given the tremendous impact of phages on bacterial ecology, charting and understanding the complexity of such transmission strategies is of key importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yorben Casters
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 23 - bus 2457, 3001, Belgium
| | - Leonard E Bäcker
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 23 - bus 2457, 3001, Belgium
| | - Kevin Broux
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 23 - bus 2457, 3001, Belgium
| | - Abram Aertsen
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 23 - bus 2457, 3001, Belgium.
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17
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Al-Faliti M, Wang P, Smith AL, Delgado Vela J. Phage phylogeny, molecular signaling, and auxiliary antimicrobial resistance in aerobic and anaerobic membrane bioreactors. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 256:121620. [PMID: 38677036 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Phage emit communication signals that inform their lytic and lysogenic life cycles. However, little is known regarding the abundance and diversity of the genes associated with phage communication systems in wastewater treatment microbial communities. This study focused on phage communities within two distinct biochemical wastewater environments, specifically aerobic membrane bioreactors (AeMBRs) and anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) exposed to varying antibiotic concentrations. Metagenomic data from the bench-scale systems were analyzed to explore phage phylogeny, life cycles, and genetic capacity for antimicrobial resistance and quorum sensing. Two dominant phage families, Schitoviridae and Peduoviridae, exhibited redox-dependent dynamics. Schitoviridae prevailed in anaerobic conditions, while Peduoviridae dominated in aerobic conditions. Notably, the abundance of lytic and lysogenic proteins varied across conditions, suggesting the coexistence of both life cycles. Furthermore, the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) within viral contigs highlighted the potential for phage to transfer ARGs in AeMBRs. Finally, quorum sensing genes in the virome of AeMBRs indicated possible molecular signaling between phage and bacteria. Overall, this study provides insights into the dynamics of viral communities across varied redox conditions in MBRs. These findings shed light on phage life cycles, and auxiliary genetic capacity such as antibiotic resistance and bacterial quorum sensing within wastewater treatment microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitham Al-Faliti
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Howard University, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Phillip Wang
- Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Adam L Smith
- Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeseth Delgado Vela
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Howard University, Washington, D.C., USA.
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18
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Sprenger M, Siemers M, Krautwurst S, Papenfort K. Small RNAs direct attack and defense mechanisms in a quorum sensing phage and its host. Cell Host Microbe 2024; 32:727-738.e6. [PMID: 38579715 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.03.010] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Many, if not all, bacteria use quorum sensing (QS) to control collective behaviors, and more recently, QS has also been discovered in bacteriophages (phages). Phages can produce communication molecules of their own, or "listen in" on the host's communication processes, to switch between lytic and lysogenic modes of infection. Here, we study the interaction of Vibrio cholerae with the lysogenic phage VP882, which is activated by the QS molecule DPO. We discover that induction of VP882 results in the binding of phage transcripts to the major RNA chaperone Hfq, which in turn outcompetes and downregulates host-encoded small RNAs (sRNAs). VP882 itself also encodes Hfq-binding sRNAs, and we demonstrate that one of these sRNAs, named VpdS, promotes phage replication by regulating host and phage mRNA levels. We further show that host-encoded sRNAs can antagonize phage replication by downregulating phage mRNA expression and thus might be part of the host's phage defense arsenal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Sprenger
- Friedrich Schiller University, Institute of Microbiology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Malte Siemers
- Friedrich Schiller University, Institute of Microbiology, 07745 Jena, Germany; Microverse Cluster, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | | | - Kai Papenfort
- Friedrich Schiller University, Institute of Microbiology, 07745 Jena, Germany; Microverse Cluster, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany.
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19
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Wienhausen G, Moraru C, Bruns S, Tran DQ, Sultana S, Wilkes H, Dlugosch L, Azam F, Simon M. Ligand cross-feeding resolves bacterial vitamin B 12 auxotrophies. Nature 2024; 629:886-892. [PMID: 38720071 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07396-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Cobalamin (vitamin B12, herein referred to as B12) is an essential cofactor for most marine prokaryotes and eukaryotes1,2. Synthesized by a limited number of prokaryotes, its scarcity affects microbial interactions and community dynamics2-4. Here we show that two bacterial B12 auxotrophs can salvage different B12 building blocks and cooperate to synthesize B12. A Colwellia sp. synthesizes and releases the activated lower ligand α-ribazole, which is used by another B12 auxotroph, a Roseovarius sp., to produce the corrin ring and synthesize B12. Release of B12 by Roseovarius sp. happens only in co-culture with Colwellia sp. and only coincidently with the induction of a prophage encoded in Roseovarius sp. Subsequent growth of Colwellia sp. in these conditions may be due to the provision of B12 by lysed cells of Roseovarius sp. Further evidence is required to support a causative role for prophage induction in the release of B12. These complex microbial interactions of ligand cross-feeding and joint B12 biosynthesis seem to be widespread in marine pelagic ecosystems. In the western and northern tropical Atlantic Ocean, bacteria predicted to be capable of salvaging cobinamide and synthesizing only the activated lower ligand outnumber B12 producers. These findings add new players to our understanding of B12 supply to auxotrophic microorganisms in the ocean and possibly in other ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit Wienhausen
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Marine Biology Research Division, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Cristina Moraru
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Stefan Bruns
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Den Quoc Tran
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Sabiha Sultana
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Heinz Wilkes
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Leon Dlugosch
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Farooq Azam
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Marine Biology Research Division, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Meinhard Simon
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), Oldenburg, Germany.
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20
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Baaziz H, Makhlouf R, McClelland M, Hsu BB. Bacterial resistance to temperate phage is influenced by the frequency of lysogenic establishment. iScience 2024; 27:109595. [PMID: 38623331 PMCID: PMC11016777 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Temperate phages can shape bacterial community dynamics and evolution through lytic and lysogenic life cycles. In response, bacteria that resist phage infection can emerge. This study explores phage-based factors that influence bacterial resistance using a model system of temperate P22 phage and Salmonella both inside and outside the mammalian host. Phages that remained functional despite gene deletions had minimal impact on lysogeny and phage resistance except for deletions in the immI region that substantially reduced lysogeny and increased phage resistance to levels comparable to that observed with an obligately lytic P22. This immI deletion does not make the lysogen less competitive but instead increases the frequency of bacterial lysis. Thus, subtle changes in the balance between lysis and lysogeny during the initial stages of infection can significantly influence the extent of phage resistance in the bacterial population. Our work highlights the complex nature of the phage-bacteria-mammalian host triad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiba Baaziz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Center for Emerging, and Zoonotic, Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Rita Makhlouf
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Center for Emerging, and Zoonotic, Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Michael McClelland
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Bryan B. Hsu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Center for Emerging, and Zoonotic, Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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21
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Luo R, Guan A, Ma B, Gao Y, Peng Y, He Y, Xu Q, Li K, Zhong Y, Luo R, Cao R, Jin H, Lin Y, Shang P. Developmental Dynamics of the Gut Virome in Tibetan Pigs at High Altitude: A Metagenomic Perspective across Age Groups. Viruses 2024; 16:606. [PMID: 38675947 PMCID: PMC11054254 DOI: 10.3390/v16040606] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Tibetan pig is a geographically isolated pig breed that inhabits high-altitude areas of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. At present, there is limited research on viral diseases in Tibetan pigs. This study provides a novel metagenomic exploration of the gut virome in Tibetan pigs (altitude ≈ 3000 m) across three critical developmental stages, including lactation, nursery, and fattening. The composition of viral communities in the Tibetan pig intestine, with a dominant presence of Microviridae phages observed across all stages of development, in combination with the previous literature, suggest that it may be associated with geographical locations with high altitude. Functional annotation of viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs) highlights that, among the constantly increasing vOTUs groups, the adaptability of viruses to environmental stressors such as salt and heat indicates an evolutionary response to high-altitude conditions. It shows that the lactation group has more abundant viral auxiliary metabolic genes (vAMGs) than the nursery and fattening groups. During the nursery and fattening stages, this leaves only DNMT1 at a high level. which may be a contributing factor in promoting gut health. The study found that viruses preferentially adopt lytic lifestyles at all three developmental stages. These findings not only elucidate the dynamic interplay between the gut virome and host development, offering novel insights into the virome ecology of Tibetan pigs and their adaptation to high-altitude environments, but also provide a theoretical basis for further studies on pig production and epidemic prevention under extreme environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runbo Luo
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Linzhi 860000, China; (R.L.); (K.L.); (Y.Z.)
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China;
| | - Aohan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Bin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Yuna Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Yanling He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Qianshuai Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Kexin Li
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Linzhi 860000, China; (R.L.); (K.L.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yanan Zhong
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Linzhi 860000, China; (R.L.); (K.L.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Rui Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Ruibing Cao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China;
| | - Hui Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Yan Lin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Peng Shang
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Linzhi 860000, China; (R.L.); (K.L.); (Y.Z.)
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22
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Srivastava A, Verma N, Kumar V, Apoorva P, Agarwal V. Biofilm inhibition/eradication: exploring strategies and confronting challenges in combatting biofilm. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:212. [PMID: 38616221 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-03938-0] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms enclosed in a self-produced extracellular matrix, posing a significant threat to different sectors, including healthcare and industry. This review provides an overview of the challenges faced due to biofilm formation and different novel strategies that can combat biofilm formation. Bacteria inside the biofilm exhibit increased resistance against different antimicrobial agents, including conventional antibiotics, which can lead to severe problems in livestock and animals, including humans. In addition, biofilm formation also imposes heavy economic pressure on industries. Hence it becomes necessary to explore newer alternatives to eradicate biofilms effectively without applying selection pressure on the bacteria. Excessive usage of antibiotics may also lead to an increase in the number of resistant strains as bacteria employ an advanced antimicrobial resistance mechanism. This review provides insight into multifaceted technologies like quorum sensing inhibition, enzymes, antimicrobial peptides, bacteriophage, phytocompounds, and nanotechnology to neutralize biofilms without developing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Furthermore, it will pave the way for developing newer therapeutic agents to deal with biofilms more efficiently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anmol Srivastava
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Nidhi Verma
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vivek Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Pragati Apoorva
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vishnu Agarwal
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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23
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Roughgarden J. Lytic/Lysogenic Transition as a Life-History Switch. Virus Evol 2024; 10:veae028. [PMID: 38756985 PMCID: PMC11097211 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veae028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The transition between lytic and lysogenic life cycles is the most important feature of the life-history of temperate viruses. To explain this transition, an optimal life-history model is offered based a discrete-time formulation of phage/bacteria population dynamics that features infection of bacteria by Poisson sampling of virions from the environment. The time step is the viral latency period. In this model, density-dependent viral absorption onto the bacterial surface produces virus/bacteria coexistence and density dependence in bacterial growth is not needed. The formula for the transition between lytic and lysogenic phases is termed the 'fitness switch'. According to the model, the virus switches from lytic to lysogenic when its population grows faster as prophage than as virions produced by lysis of the infected cells, and conversely for the switch from lysogenic to lytic. A prophage that benefits the bacterium it infects automatically incurs lower fitness upon exiting the bacterial genome, resulting in its becoming locked into the bacterial genome in what is termed here as a 'prophage lock'. The fitness switch qualitatively predicts the ecogeographic rule that environmental enrichment leads to microbialization with a concomitant increase in lysogeny, fluctuating environmental conditions promote virus-mediated horizontal gene transfer, and prophage-containing bacteria can integrate into the microbiome of a eukaryotic host forming a functionally integrated tripartite holobiont. These predictions accord more with the 'Piggyback-the-Winner' hypothesis than with the 'Kill-the-Winner' hypothesis in virus ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Roughgarden
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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24
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Li Y, Huo Y, Liang L, Li D, Zhang Z, Yang H. Bacillus phage phi18-2 is a novel temperate virus with an unintegrated genome present in the cytoplasm of lysogenic cells as a linear phage-plasmid. Arch Virol 2024; 169:81. [PMID: 38519716 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-024-06014-6] [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: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis is a Gram-positive bacterium that is widely used in fermentation and in the pharmaceutical industry. Phage contamination occasionally occurs in various fermentation processes and causes significant economic loss. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a temperate B. subtilis phage, termed phi18-2, from spore powder manufactured in a fermentation plant. Transmission electron microscopy showed that phi18-2 has a symmetrical polyhedral head and a long noncontractile tail. Receptor analysis showed that phi18-2 recognizes wall teichoic acid (WTA) for infection. The phage virions have a linear double-stranded DNA genome of 64,467 bp with identical direct repeat sequences of 309 bp at each end of the genome. In lysogenic cells, the phage genome was found to be present in the cytoplasm without integration into the host cell chromosome, and possibly as a linear phage-plasmid with unmodified ends. Our data may provide some insight into the molecular basis of the unique lysogenic cycle of phage phi18-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Yansheng Huo
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Li Liang
- Shandong Vland Biotech Co., Ltd., Shandong, 251700, China
| | - Donghang Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Zhiqiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Hongjiang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China.
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25
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Tung A, Sperry MM, Clawson W, Pavuluri A, Bulatao S, Yue M, Flores RM, Pai VP, McMillen P, Kuchling F, Levin M. Embryos assist morphogenesis of others through calcium and ATP signaling mechanisms in collective teratogen resistance. Nat Commun 2024; 15:535. [PMID: 38233424 PMCID: PMC10794468 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44522-2] [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: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Information for organismal patterning can come from a variety of sources. We investigate the possibility that instructive influences for normal embryonic development are provided not only at the level of cells within the embryo, but also via interactions between embryos. To explore this, we challenge groups of embryos with disruptors of normal development while varying group size. Here, we show that Xenopus laevis embryos are much more sensitive to a diverse set of chemical and molecular-biological perturbations when allowed to develop alone or in small groups, than in large groups. Keeping per-embryo exposure constant, we find that increasing the number of exposed embryos in a cohort increases the rate of survival while incidence of defects decreases. This inter-embryo assistance effect is mediated by short-range diffusible signals and involves the P2 ATP receptor. Our data and computational model emphasize that morphogenesis is a collective phenomenon not only at the level of cells, but also of whole bodies, and that cohort size is a crucial variable in studies of ecotoxicology, teratogenesis, and developmental plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Tung
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Megan M Sperry
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Wesley Clawson
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Ananya Pavuluri
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Sydney Bulatao
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Michelle Yue
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ramses Martinez Flores
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Vaibhav P Pai
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Patrick McMillen
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Franz Kuchling
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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26
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Samson R, Dharne M, Khairnar K. Bacteriophages: Status quo and emerging trends toward one health approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168461. [PMID: 37967634 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
The alarming rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among the drug-resistant pathogens has been attributed to the ESKAPEE group (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter sp., and Escherichia coli). Recently, these AMR microbes have become difficult to treat, as they have rendered the existing therapeutics ineffective. Thus, there is an urgent need for effective alternatives to lessen or eliminate the current infections and limit the spread of emerging diseases under the "One Health" framework. Bacteriophages (phages) are naturally occurring biological resources with extraordinary potential for biomedical, agriculture/food safety, environmental protection, and energy production. Specific unique properties of phages, such as their bactericidal activity, host specificity, potency, and biocompatibility, make them desirable candidates in therapeutics. The recent biotechnological advancement has broadened the repertoire of phage applications in nanoscience, material science, physical chemistry, and soft-matter research. Herein, we present a comprehensive review, coupling the substantial aspects of phages with their applicability status and emerging opportunities in several interdependent areas under one health concept. Consolidating the recent state-of-the-art studies that integrate human, animal, plant, and environment health, the following points have been highlighted: (i) The biomedical and pharmacological advantages of phages and their antimicrobial derivatives with particular emphasis on in-vivo and clinical studies. (ii) The remarkable potential of phages to be altered, improved, and applied for drug delivery, biosensors, biomedical imaging, tissue engineering, energy, and catalysis. (iii) Resurgence of phages in biocontrol of plant, food, and animal-borne pathogens. (iv) Commercialization of phage-based products, current challenges, and perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Samson
- National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (NCIM), Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune 411008, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002, India
| | - Mahesh Dharne
- National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (NCIM), Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune 411008, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002, India.
| | - Krishna Khairnar
- National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (NCIM), Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune 411008, India; Environmental Virology Cell (EVC), CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440020, India.
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27
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Guler P, Bendori SO, Borenstein T, Aframian N, Kessel A, Eldar A. Arbitrium communication controls phage lysogeny through non-lethal modulation of a host toxin-antitoxin defence system. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:150-160. [PMID: 38177304 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01551-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Temperate Bacillus phages often utilize arbitrium communication to control lysis/lysogeny decisions, but the mechanisms by which this control is exerted remains largely unknown. Here we find that the arbitrium system of Bacillus subtilis phage ϕ3T modulates the host-encoded MazEF toxin-antitoxin system to this aim. Upon infection, the MazF ribonuclease is activated by three phage genes. At low arbitrium signal concentrations, MazF is inactivated by two phage-encoded MazE homologues: the arbitrium-controlled AimX and the later-expressed YosL proteins. At high signal, MazF remains active, promoting lysogeny without harming the bacterial host. MazF cleavage sites are enriched on transcripts of phage lytic genes but absent from the phage repressor in ϕ3T and other Spβ-like phages. Combined with low activation levels of MazF during infections, this pattern explains the phage-specific effect. Our results show how a bacterial toxin-antitoxin system has been co-opted by a phage to control lysis/lysogeny decisions without compromising host viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina Guler
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Shira Omer Bendori
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Tom Borenstein
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Nitzan Aframian
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Amit Kessel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Avigdor Eldar
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
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28
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Kulshrestha M, Tiwari M, Tiwari V. Bacteriophage therapy against ESKAPE bacterial pathogens: Current status, strategies, challenges, and future scope. Microb Pathog 2024; 186:106467. [PMID: 38036110 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106467] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
The ESKAPE pathogens are the primary threat due to their constant spread of drug resistance worldwide. These pathogens are also regarded as opportunistic pathogens and could potentially cause nosocomial infections. Most of the ESKAPE pathogens have developed resistance to almost all the antibiotics that are used against them. Therefore, to deal with antimicrobial resistance, there is an urgent requirement for alternative non-antibiotic strategies to combat this rising issue of drug-resistant organisms. One of the promising alternatives to this scenario is implementing bacteriophage therapy. This under-explored mode of treatment in modern medicine has posed several concerns, such as preferable phages for the treatment, impact on the microbiome (or gut microflora), dose optimisation, safety, etc. The review will cover a rationale for phage therapy, clinical challenges, and propose phage therapy as an effective therapeutic against bacterial coinfections during pandemics. This review also addresses the expected uncertainties for administering the phage as a treatment against the ESKAPE pathogens and the advantages of using lytic phage over temperate, the immune response to phages, and phages in combinational therapies. The interaction between bacteria and bacteriophages in humans and countless animal models can also be used to design novel and futuristic therapeutics like personalised medicine or bacteriophages as anti-biofilm agents. Hence, this review explores different aspects of phage therapy and its potential to emerge as a frontline therapy against the ESKAPE bacterial pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukta Kulshrestha
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, 305817, India
| | - Monalisa Tiwari
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, 305817, India
| | - Vishvanath Tiwari
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, 305817, India.
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29
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Carrasco ST, Morbidoni HR. Bioinformatic Analysis of Staphylococcus Phages: A Key Step for Safe Cocktail Development. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2738:203-214. [PMID: 37966601 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3549-0_13] [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: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
An in-depth analysis of phage genomic sequences is essential for the proposal of a cocktail for therapeutic uses. With the burst of publications on phage isolation and genetic studies during the last decade, several different bioinformatics programs have been used. Here we describe our studies on the genetic organization of phages infecting Staphylococcus aureus, a pathogen of human importance, by using an assembly of tools for gene annotation, identification of expression components, and phylogeny analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soledad Telma Carrasco
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Héctor Ricardo Morbidoni
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
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30
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Dahan Y, Wingreen NS, Meir Y. The value of information gathering in phage-bacteria warfare. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgad431. [PMID: 38196923 PMCID: PMC10776245 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Phages-viruses that infect bacteria-have evolved over billions of years to overcome bacterial defenses. Temperate phage, upon infection, can "choose" between two pathways: lysis-in which the phage create multiple new phage particles, which are then liberated by cell lysis, and lysogeny-where the phage's genetic material is added to the bacterial DNA and transmitted to the bacterial progeny. It was recently discovered that some phages can read information from the environment related to the density of bacteria or the number of nearby infection attempts. Such information may help phage make the right choice between the two pathways. Here, we develop a theoretical model that allows an infecting phage to change its strategy (i.e. the ratio of lysis to lysogeny) depending on an outside signal, and we find the optimal strategy that maximizes phage proliferation. While phages that exploit extra information naturally win in competition against phages with a fixed strategy, there may be costs to information, e.g. as the necessary extra genes may affect the growth rate of a lysogen or the burst size of new phage for the lysis pathway. Surprisingly, even when phages pay a large price for information, they can still maintain an advantage over phages that lack this information, indicating the high benefit of intelligence gathering in phage-bacteria warfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Dahan
- Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Ned S Wingreen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Yigal Meir
- Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, 84105, Israel
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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31
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Inglis LK, Roach MJ, Edwards RA. Prophages: an integral but understudied component of the human microbiome. Microb Genom 2024; 10:001166. [PMID: 38264887 PMCID: PMC10868603 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001166] [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: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Phages integrated into a bacterial genome - called prophages - continuously monitor the vigour of the host bacteria to determine when to escape the genome and to protect their host from other phage infections, and they may provide genes that promote bacterial growth. Prophages are essential to almost all microbiomes, including the human microbiome. However, most human microbiome studies have focused on bacteria, ignoring free and integrated phages, so we know little about how these prophages affect the human microbiome. To address this gap in our knowledge, we compared the prophages identified in 14 987 bacterial genomes isolated from human body sites to characterize prophage DNA in the human microbiome. Here, we show that prophage DNA is ubiquitous, comprising on average 1-5 % of each bacterial genome. The prophage content per genome varies with the isolation site on the human body, the health of the human and whether the disease was symptomatic. The presence of prophages promotes bacterial growth and sculpts the microbiome. However, the disparities caused by prophages vary throughout the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura K. Inglis
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Michael J. Roach
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Robert A. Edwards
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
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32
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Zamora-Caballero S, Chmielowska C, Quiles-Puchalt N, Brady A, Gallego Del Sol F, Mancheño-Bonillo J, Felipe-Ruíz A, Meijer WJJ, Penadés JR, Marina A. Antagonistic interactions between phage and host factors control arbitrium lysis-lysogeny decision. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:161-172. [PMID: 38177302 PMCID: PMC10769878 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01550-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Phages can use a small-molecule communication arbitrium system to coordinate lysis-lysogeny decisions, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here we determined that the arbitrium system in Bacillus subtilis phage phi3T modulates the bacterial toxin-antitoxin system MazE-MazF to regulate the phage life cycle. We show that phi3T expresses AimX and YosL, which bind to and inactivate MazF. AimX also inhibits the function of phi3T_93, a protein that promotes lysogeny by binding to MazE and releasing MazF. Overall, these mutually exclusive interactions promote the lytic cycle of the phage. After several rounds of infection, the phage-encoded AimP peptide accumulates intracellularly and inactivates the phage antiterminator AimR, a process that eliminates aimX expression from the aimP promoter. Therefore, when AimP increases, MazF activity promotes reversion back to lysogeny, since AimX is absent. Altogether, our study reveals the evolutionary strategy used by arbitrium to control lysis-lysogeny by domesticating and fine-tuning a phage-defence mechanism.
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Grants
- Wellcome Trust
- Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness | Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación)
- Regional Government of Valencia | Conselleria d'Educació, Investigació, Cultura i Esport (Conselleria d'Educació, Investigació, Cultura i Esport de la Generalitat Valenciana)
- NYSE Euronext
- European Commission NextGenerationEU fund (EU 2020/2094), through CSIC’s Global Health Platform (PTI Salud Global). Block allocation group (BAG) DLS Proposal MX28394, ALBA Proposal 2020074406 and ESRF proposal MX-2452
- grants PID2019-108541GB-I00 and PID2022-137201NB-I00 from Spanish Government (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación), PROMETEO/2020/012 by Valencian Government
- MR/M003876/1, MR/V000772/1 and MR/S00940X/1 from the Medical Research Council (UK), BB/N002873/1, BB/V002376/1 and BB/S003835/1 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC, UK), ERC-ADG-2014 Proposal n° 670932 Dut-signal (from EU), and Wellcome Trust 201531/Z/16/Z
- RCUK | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
- RCUK | Medical Research Council (MRC)
- Wellcome Trust (Wellcome)
- EC | EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 | H2020 Priority Excellent Science | H2020 European Research Council (H2020 Excellent Science - European Research Council)
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Zamora-Caballero
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV)-CSIC and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER)-ISCIII, Valencia, Spain
| | - Cora Chmielowska
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Nuria Quiles-Puchalt
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, CEU Universities, Alfara del Patriarca, Spain
| | - Aisling Brady
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Francisca Gallego Del Sol
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV)-CSIC and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER)-ISCIII, Valencia, Spain
| | - Javier Mancheño-Bonillo
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV)-CSIC and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER)-ISCIII, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alonso Felipe-Ruíz
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV)-CSIC and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER)-ISCIII, Valencia, Spain
| | - Wilfried J J Meijer
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - José R Penadés
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Alberto Marina
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV)-CSIC and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER)-ISCIII, Valencia, Spain.
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33
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Muscatt G, Cook R, Millard A, Bending GD, Jameson E. Viral metagenomics reveals diverse virus-host interactions throughout the soil depth profile. mBio 2023; 14:e0224623. [PMID: 38032184 PMCID: PMC10746233 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02246-23] [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: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Soil viruses can moderate the roles that their host microbes play in global carbon cycling. However, given that most studies investigate the surface layer (i.e., top 20 cm) of soil, the extent to which this occurs in subsurface soil (i.e., below 20 cm) is unknown. Here, we leveraged public sequencing data to investigate the interactions between viruses and their hosts at soil depth intervals, down to 115 cm. While most viruses were detected throughout the soil depth profile, their adaptation to host microbes varied. Nonetheless, we uncovered evidence for the potential of soil viruses to encourage their hosts to recycle plant-derived carbon in both surface and subsurface soils. This work reasons that our understanding of soil viral functions requires us to continue to dig deeper and compare viruses existing throughout soil ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Muscatt
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan Cook
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Millard
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, Leicester Centre for Phage Research, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Gary D. Bending
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Jameson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
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34
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Brady A, Cabello-Yeves E, Gallego Del Sol F, Chmielowska C, Mancheño-Bonillo J, Zamora-Caballero S, Omer SB, Torres-Puente M, Eldar A, Quiles-Puchalt N, Marina A, Penadés JR. Characterization of a unique repression system present in arbitrium phages of the SPbeta family. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:2023-2037.e8. [PMID: 38035880 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Arbitrium-coding phages use peptides to communicate and coordinate the decision between lysis and lysogeny. However, the mechanism by which these phages establish lysogeny remains unknown. Here, focusing on the SPbeta phage family's model phages phi3T and SPβ, we report that a six-gene operon called the "SPbeta phages repressor operon" (sro) expresses not one but two master repressors, SroE and SroF, the latter of which folds like a classical phage integrase. To promote lysogeny, these repressors bind to multiple sites in the phage genome. SroD serves as an auxiliary repressor that, with SroEF, forms the repression module necessary for lysogeny establishment and maintenance. Additionally, the proteins SroABC within the operon are proposed to constitute the transducer module, connecting the arbitrium communication system to the activity of the repression module. Overall, this research sheds light on the intricate and specialized repression system employed by arbitrium SPβ-like phages in making lysis-lysogeny decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisling Brady
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK; Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Elena Cabello-Yeves
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), 46010 Valencia, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Francisca Gallego Del Sol
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), 46010 Valencia, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Cora Chmielowska
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Javier Mancheño-Bonillo
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), 46010 Valencia, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Sara Zamora-Caballero
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), 46010 Valencia, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Shira Bendori Omer
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Avigdor Eldar
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Nuria Quiles-Puchalt
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, CEU Universities, Alfara del Patriarca 46115, Spain
| | - Alberto Marina
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), 46010 Valencia, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 46010 Valencia, Spain.
| | - José R Penadés
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
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35
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Wang J, Liang S, Lu X, Xu Q, Zhu Y, Yu S, Zhang W, Liu S, Xie F. Bacteriophage endolysin Ply113 as a potent antibacterial agent against polymicrobial biofilms formed by enterococci and Staphylococcus aureus. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1304932. [PMID: 38152375 PMCID: PMC10751913 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1304932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance in Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus remains a major public health concern worldwide. Furthermore, these microbes frequently co-exist in biofilm-associated infections, largely nullifying antibiotic-based therapy. Therefore, it is imperative to develop an efficient therapeutic strategy for combating infections caused by polymicrobial biofilms. In this study, we investigated the antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of the bacteriophage endolysin Ply113 in vitro. Ply113 exhibited high and rapid lytic activity against E. faecium, E. faecalis, and S. aureus, including vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that Ply113 treatment led to the detachment of bacterial cell walls and considerable cell lysis. Ply113 maintained stable lytic activity over a temperature range of 4-45°C, over a pH range of 5.0-8.0, and in the presence of 0-400 mM NaCl. Ply113 treatment effectively eliminated the mono-species biofilms formed by E. faecium, E. faecalis, and S. aureus in a dose-dependent manner. Ply113 was also able to eliminate the dual-species biofilms of E. faecium-S. aureus and E. faecalis-S. aureus. Additionally, Ply113 exerted potent antibacterial efficacy in vivo, distinctly decreasing the bacterial loads in a murine peritoneal septicemia model. Our findings suggest that the bacteriophage endolysin Ply113 is a promising antimicrobial agent for the treatment of polymicrobial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Siguo Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Fang Xie
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
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36
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Hoshino M, Ota Y, Suyama T, Morishita Y, Tsuneda S, Noda N. Water-in-oil droplet-mediated method for detecting and isolating infectious bacteriophage particles via fluorescent staining. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1282372. [PMID: 38125569 PMCID: PMC10731258 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1282372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are the most abundant entities on Earth. In contrast with the number of phages considered to be in existence, current phage isolation and screening methods lack throughput. Droplet microfluidic technology has been established as a platform for high-throughput screening of biological and biochemical components. In this study, we developed a proof-of-concept method for isolating phages using water-in-oil droplets (droplets) as individual chambers for phage propagation and co-cultivating T2 phage and their host cell Escherichia coli within droplets. Liquid cultivation of microbes will facilitate the use of microbes that cannot grow on or degrade agar as host cells, ultimately resulting in the acquisition of phages that infect less known bacterial cells. The compartmentalizing characteristic of droplets and the use of a fluorescent dye to stain phages simultaneously enabled the enumeration and isolation of viable phage particles. We successfully recultivated the phages after simultaneously segregating single phage particles into droplets and inoculating them with their host cells within droplets. By recovering individual droplets into 96-well plates, we were able to isolate phage clones derived from single phage particles. The success rate for phage recovery was 35.7%. This study lays the building foundations for techniques yet to be developed that will involve the isolation and rupturing of droplets and provides a robust method for phage enumeration and isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miu Hoshino
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yuri Ota
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan
- On-chip Biotechnologies Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Suyama
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan
| | | | - Satoshi Tsuneda
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naohiro Noda
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
- Biomedical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Ibaraki, Japan
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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37
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Nikolic N, Anagnostidis V, Tiwari A, Chait R, Gielen F. Droplet-based methodology for investigating bacterial population dynamics in response to phage exposure. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1260196. [PMID: 38075890 PMCID: PMC10703435 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1260196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
An alarming rise in antimicrobial resistance worldwide has spurred efforts into the search for alternatives to antibiotic treatments. The use of bacteriophages, bacterial viruses harmless to humans, represents a promising approach with potential to treat bacterial infections (phage therapy). Recent advances in microscopy-based single-cell techniques have allowed researchers to develop new quantitative methodologies for assessing the interactions between bacteria and phages, especially the ability of phages to eradicate bacterial pathogen populations and to modulate growth of both commensal and pathogen populations. Here we combine droplet microfluidics with fluorescence time-lapse microscopy to characterize the growth and lysis dynamics of the bacterium Escherichia coli confined in droplets when challenged with phage. We investigated phages that promote lysis of infected E. coli cells, specifically, a phage species with DNA genome, T7 (Escherichia virus T7) and two phage species with RNA genomes, MS2 (Emesvirus zinderi) and Qβ (Qubevirus durum). Our microfluidic trapping device generated and immobilized picoliter-sized droplets, enabling stable imaging of bacterial growth and lysis in a temperature-controlled setup. Temporal information on bacterial population size was recorded for up to 25 h, allowing us to determine growth rates of bacterial populations and helping us uncover the extent and speed of phage infection. In the long-term, the development of novel microfluidic single-cell and population-level approaches will expedite research towards fundamental understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of rapid phage-induced lysis and eco-evolutionary aspects of bacteria-phage dynamics, and ultimately help identify key factors influencing the success of phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nela Nikolic
- Living Systems Institute, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Translational Research Exchange @ Exeter, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Vasileios Anagnostidis
- Living Systems Institute, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Anuj Tiwari
- Living Systems Institute, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Remy Chait
- Living Systems Institute, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Fabrice Gielen
- Living Systems Institute, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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38
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Barrero-Canosa J, Wang L, Oyugi A, Klaes S, Fischer P, Adrian L, Szewzyk U, Cooper M. Characterization of phage vB_EcoS-EE09 infecting E. coli DSM613 Isolated from Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent and Comparative Proteomics of the Infected and Non-Infected Host. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2688. [PMID: 38004701 PMCID: PMC10673088 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112688] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Phages influence microbial communities, can be applied in phage therapy, or may serve as bioindicators, e.g., in (waste)water management. We here characterized the Escherichia phage vB_EcoS-EE09 isolated from an urban wastewater treatment plant effluent. Phage vB_EcoS-EE09 belongs to the genus Dhillonvirus, class Caudoviricetes. It has an icosahedral capsid with a long non-contractile tail and a dsDNA genome with an approximate size of 44 kb and a 54.6% GC content. Phage vB_EcoS-EE09 infected 12 out of the 17 E. coli strains tested. We identified 16 structural phage proteins, including the major capsid protein, in cell-free lysates by protein mass spectrometry. Comparative proteomics of protein extracts of infected E. coli cells revealed that proteins involved in amino acid and protein metabolism were more abundant in infected compared to non-infected cells. Among the proteins involved in the stress response, 74% were less abundant in the infected cultures compared to the non-infected controls, with six proteins showing significant less abundance. Repressing the expression of these proteins may be a phage strategy to evade host defense mechanisms. Our results contribute to diversifying phage collections, identifying structural proteins to enable better reliability in annotating taxonomically related phage genomes, and understanding phage-host interactions at the protein level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Barrero-Canosa
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Chair of Environmental Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (L.W.); (A.O.); (P.F.); (U.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Luyao Wang
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Chair of Environmental Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (L.W.); (A.O.); (P.F.); (U.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Angelah Oyugi
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Chair of Environmental Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (L.W.); (A.O.); (P.F.); (U.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Simon Klaes
- Institute of Biotechnology, Chair of Geobiotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Ackerstraße 76, 13355 Berlin, Germany; (S.K.)
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH—UFZ, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Pascal Fischer
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Chair of Environmental Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (L.W.); (A.O.); (P.F.); (U.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Lorenz Adrian
- Institute of Biotechnology, Chair of Geobiotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Ackerstraße 76, 13355 Berlin, Germany; (S.K.)
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH—UFZ, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ulrich Szewzyk
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Chair of Environmental Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (L.W.); (A.O.); (P.F.); (U.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Myriel Cooper
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Chair of Environmental Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (L.W.); (A.O.); (P.F.); (U.S.); (M.C.)
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39
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Leeks A, Bono LM, Ampolini EA, Souza LS, Höfler T, Mattson CL, Dye AE, Díaz-Muñoz SL. Open questions in the social lives of viruses. J Evol Biol 2023; 36:1551-1567. [PMID: 37975507 PMCID: PMC11281779 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Social interactions among viruses occur whenever multiple viral genomes infect the same cells, hosts, or populations of hosts. Viral social interactions range from cooperation to conflict, occur throughout the viral world, and affect every stage of the viral lifecycle. The ubiquity of these social interactions means that they can determine the population dynamics, evolutionary trajectory, and clinical progression of viral infections. At the same time, social interactions in viruses raise new questions for evolutionary theory, providing opportunities to test and extend existing frameworks within social evolution. Many opportunities exist at this interface: Insights into the evolution of viral social interactions have immediate implications for our understanding of the fundamental biology and clinical manifestation of viral diseases. However, these opportunities are currently limited because evolutionary biologists only rarely study social evolution in viruses. Here, we bridge this gap by (1) summarizing the ways in which viruses can interact socially, including consequences for social evolution and evolvability; (2) outlining some open questions raised by viruses that could challenge concepts within social evolution theory; and (3) providing some illustrative examples, data sources, and conceptual questions, for studying the natural history of social viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher Leeks
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Quantitative Biology Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Lisa M. Bono
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Ampolini
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lucas S. Souza
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Thomas Höfler
- Institute of Virology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Courtney L. Mattson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Anna E. Dye
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Samuel L. Díaz-Muñoz
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
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40
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Igler C, Brockhurst M. Bacteriophage ecology: Getting a head start on genomic competitors. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R1011-R1013. [PMID: 37816320 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Temperate bacteriophages can actively replicate in bacterial host cells or lie dormant as prophages. Prophages inhabiting the same cell will then compete for cellular resources. A recent study indicates that prophages could circumvent this competition by responding to distinct activation cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Igler
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
| | - Michael Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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41
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Emencheta SC, Olovo CV, Eze OC, Kalu CF, Berebon DP, Onuigbo EB, Vila MMDC, Balcão VM, Attama AA. The Role of Bacteriophages in the Gut Microbiota: Implications for Human Health. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2416. [PMID: 37896176 PMCID: PMC10609668 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15102416] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are nano-sized viruses characterized by their inherent ability to live off bacteria. They utilize diverse mechanisms to absorb and gain entry into the bacterial cell wall via the release of viral genetic material, which uses the replication mechanisms of the host bacteria to produce and release daughter progeny virions that attack the surrounding host cells. They possess specific characteristics, including specificity for particular or closely related bacterial species. They have many applications, including as potential alternatives to antibiotics against multi-resistant bacterial pathogens and as control agents in bacteria-contaminated environments. They are ubiquitously abundant in nature and have diverse biota, including in the gut. Gut microbiota describes the community and interactions of microorganisms within the intestine. As with bacteria, parasitic bacteriophages constantly interact with the host bacterial cells within the gut system and have obvious implications for human health. However, it is imperative to understand these interactions as they open up possible applicable techniques to control gut-implicated bacterial diseases. Thus, this review aims to explore the interactions of bacteriophages with bacterial communities in the gut and their current and potential impacts on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen C. Emencheta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; (S.C.E.); (O.C.E.); (C.F.K.); (E.B.O.)
- VBlab—Laboratory of Bacterial Viruses, University of Sorocaba, Sorocaba 18023-000, Brazil; (M.M.D.C.V.); (V.M.B.)
| | - Chinasa V. Olovo
- Department of Microbiology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria;
| | - Osita C. Eze
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; (S.C.E.); (O.C.E.); (C.F.K.); (E.B.O.)
| | - Chisom F. Kalu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; (S.C.E.); (O.C.E.); (C.F.K.); (E.B.O.)
| | - Dinebari P. Berebon
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; (S.C.E.); (O.C.E.); (C.F.K.); (E.B.O.)
| | - Ebele B. Onuigbo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria; (S.C.E.); (O.C.E.); (C.F.K.); (E.B.O.)
| | - Marta M. D. C. Vila
- VBlab—Laboratory of Bacterial Viruses, University of Sorocaba, Sorocaba 18023-000, Brazil; (M.M.D.C.V.); (V.M.B.)
| | - Victor M. Balcão
- VBlab—Laboratory of Bacterial Viruses, University of Sorocaba, Sorocaba 18023-000, Brazil; (M.M.D.C.V.); (V.M.B.)
- Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, P-3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Anthony A. Attama
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria
- Institute for Drug-Herbal Medicine-Excipient Research and Development, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria
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Yang J, Bowring JZ, Krusche J, Lehmann E, Bejder BS, Silva SF, Bojer MS, Grunert T, Peschel A, Ingmer H. Cross-species communication via agr controls phage susceptibility in Staphylococcus aureus. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113154. [PMID: 37725513 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113154] [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: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria use quorum sensing (QS) to coordinate group behavior in response to cell density, and some bacterial viruses (phages) also respond to QS. In Staphylococcus aureus, the agr-encoded QS system relies on accumulation of auto-inducing cyclic peptides (AIPs). Other staphylococci also produce AIPs of which many inhibit S. aureus agr. We show that agr induction reduces expression of tarM, encoding a glycosyltransferase responsible for α-N-acetylglucosamine modification of the major S. aureus phage receptor, the wall teichoic acids. This allows lytic phage Stab20 and related phages to infect and kill S. aureus. However, in mixed communities, producers of inhibitory AIPs like S. haemolyticus, S. caprae, and S. pseudintermedius inhibit S. aureus agr, thereby impeding phage infection. Our results demonstrate that cross-species interactions dramatically impact phage susceptibility. These interactions likely influence microbial ecology and impact the efficacy of phages in medical and biotechnological applications such as phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxian Yang
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Janine Zara Bowring
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Janes Krusche
- Department of Infection Biology, Interfaculty Institute for Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections (CMFI)," German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Esther Lehmann
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Benjamin Svejdal Bejder
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stephanie Fulaz Silva
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Saxtorph Bojer
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tom Grunert
- Functional Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Peschel
- Department of Infection Biology, Interfaculty Institute for Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections (CMFI)," German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hanne Ingmer
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Kohm K, Jalomo-Khayrova E, Krüger A, Basu S, Steinchen W, Bange G, Frunzke J, Hertel R, Commichau F, Czech L. Structural and functional characterization of MrpR, the master repressor of the Bacillus subtilis prophage SPβ. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:9452-9474. [PMID: 37602373 PMCID: PMC10516654 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Prophages control their lifestyle to either be maintained within the host genome or enter the lytic cycle. Bacillus subtilis contains the SPβ prophage whose lysogenic state depends on the MrpR (YopR) protein, a key component of the lysis-lysogeny decision system. Using a historic B. subtilis strain harboring the heat-sensitive SPβ c2 mutant, we demonstrate that the lytic cycle of SPβ c2 can be induced by heat due to a single nucleotide exchange in the mrpR gene, rendering the encoded MrpRG136E protein temperature-sensitive. Structural characterization revealed that MrpR is a DNA-binding protein resembling the overall fold of tyrosine recombinases. MrpR has lost its recombinase function and the G136E exchange impairs its higher-order structure and DNA binding activity. Genome-wide profiling of MrpR binding revealed its association with the previously identified SPbeta repeated element (SPBRE) in the SPβ genome. MrpR functions as a master repressor of SPβ that binds to this conserved element to maintain lysogeny. The heat-inducible excision of the SPβ c2 mutant remains reliant on the serine recombinase SprA. A suppressor mutant analysis identified a previously unknown component of the lysis-lysogeny management system that is crucial for the induction of the lytic cycle of SPβ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Kohm
- FG Synthetic Microbiology, Institute for Biotechnology, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
- FG Molecular Microbiology, Institute for Biology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Ekaterina Jalomo-Khayrova
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, Phillips-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Aileen Krüger
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, iBG-1: Biotechnology, FZ Jülich, Germany
| | - Syamantak Basu
- FG Synthetic Microbiology, Institute for Biotechnology, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Wieland Steinchen
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, Phillips-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gert Bange
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, Phillips-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Max-Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Julia Frunzke
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, iBG-1: Biotechnology, FZ Jülich, Germany
| | - Robert Hertel
- FG Synthetic Microbiology, Institute for Biotechnology, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
- Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Fabian M Commichau
- FG Synthetic Microbiology, Institute for Biotechnology, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
- FG Molecular Microbiology, Institute for Biology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Laura Czech
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, Phillips-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Wortelboer K, de Jonge PA, Scheithauer TPM, Attaye I, Kemper EM, Nieuwdorp M, Herrema H. Phage-microbe dynamics after sterile faecal filtrate transplantation in individuals with metabolic syndrome: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial assessing efficacy and safety. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5600. [PMID: 37699894 PMCID: PMC10497675 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41329-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are bacterial viruses that have been shown to shape microbial communities. Previous studies have shown that faecal virome transplantation can decrease weight gain and normalize blood glucose tolerance in diet-induced obese mice. Therefore, we performed a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled pilot study in which 24 individuals with metabolic syndrome were randomised to a faecal filtrate transplantation (FFT) from a lean healthy donor (n = 12) or placebo (n = 12). The primary outcome, change in glucose metabolism, and secondary outcomes, safety and longitudinal changes within the intestinal bacteriome and phageome, were assessed from baseline up to 28 days. All 24 included subjects completed the study and are included in the analyses. While the overall changes in glucose metabolism are not significantly different between both groups, the FFT is well-tolerated and without any serious adverse events. The phage virion composition is significantly altered two days after FFT as compared to placebo, which coincides with more virulent phage-microbe interactions. In conclusion, we provide evidence that gut phages can be safely administered to transiently alter the gut microbiota of recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen Wortelboer
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Diabetes & Metabolism, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism, Endocrinology, metabolism and nutrition, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick A de Jonge
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Diabetes & Metabolism, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism, Endocrinology, metabolism and nutrition, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Torsten P M Scheithauer
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Diabetes & Metabolism, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism, Endocrinology, metabolism and nutrition, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ilias Attaye
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Diabetes & Metabolism, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism, Endocrinology, metabolism and nutrition, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - E Marleen Kemper
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Department of Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Max Nieuwdorp
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Diabetes & Metabolism, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism, Endocrinology, metabolism and nutrition, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije University Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Diabetes Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hilde Herrema
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Experimental Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Diabetes & Metabolism, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism, Endocrinology, metabolism and nutrition, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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45
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Attrill EL, Łapińska U, Westra ER, Harding SV, Pagliara S. Slow growing bacteria survive bacteriophage in isolation. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:95. [PMID: 37684358 PMCID: PMC10491631 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00299-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
The interactions between bacteria and bacteriophage have important roles in the global ecosystem; in turn changes in environmental parameters affect the interactions between bacteria and phage. However, there is a lack of knowledge on whether clonal bacterial populations harbour different phenotypes that respond to phage in distinct ways and whether the abundance of such phenotypes within bacterial populations is affected by variations in environmental parameters. Here we study the impact of variations in nutrient availability, bacterial growth rate and phage abundance on the interactions between the phage T4 and individual Escherichia coli cells confined in spatial refuges. Surprisingly, we found that fast growing bacteria survive together with all of their clonal kin cells, whereas slow growing bacteria survive in isolation. We also discovered that the number of bacteria that survive in isolation decreases at increasing phage doses possibly due to lysis inhibition in the presence of secondary adsorptions. We further show that these changes in the phenotypic composition of the E. coli population have important consequences on the bacterial and phage population dynamics and should therefore be considered when investigating bacteria-phage interactions in ecological, health or food production settings in structured environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Attrill
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Urszula Łapińska
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Edze R Westra
- Environment and Sustainability Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Sarah V Harding
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
- Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Stefano Pagliara
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
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Bareia T, Pollak S, Guler P, Puyesky S, Eldar A. Major distinctions between the two oligopeptide permease systems of Bacillus subtilis with respect to signaling, development and evolutionary divergence. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169:001382. [PMID: 37755230 PMCID: PMC10569065 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Oligopeptide-permeases (Opps) are used by bacteria to import short peptides. In addition to their metabolic benefit, imported short peptides are used in many Gram-positive bacteria as signalling molecules of the RRNPP super-family of quorum-sensing systems, making Opps an integral part of cell–cell communication. In some Gram-positive bacteria there exist multiple Opps and the relative importance of those to RRNPP quorum sensing are not fully clear. Specifically, in Bacillus subtilis , the Gram-positive model species, there exist two homologous oligopeptide permeases named Opp and App. Previous work showed that the App system is mutated in lab strain 168 and its recovery partially complements an Opp mutation for several developmental processes. Yet, the nature of the impact of App on signalling and development in wild-type strains, where both permeases are active was not studied. Here we re-examine the impact of the two permease systems. We find that App has a minor contribution to biofilm formation, surfactin production and phage infection compared to the effect of Opp. This reduced effect is also reflected in its lower ability to import the signals of four different Rap-Phr RRNPP systems. Further analysis of the App system revealed that, unlike Opp, some App genes have undergone horizontal transfer, resulting in two distinct divergent alleles of this system in B. subtilis strains. We found that both alleles were substantially better adapted than the Opp system to import an exogenous RRNPP signal of the Bacillus cereus group PlcR-PapR system. In summary, we find that the App system has only a minor role in signalling but may still be crucial for the import of other peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasneem Bareia
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Present address: Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biochemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shaul Pollak
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Present address: Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Science, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Polina Guler
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Shani Puyesky
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Avigdor Eldar
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
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47
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Huelgas-Méndez D, Cazares D, Alcaraz LD, Ceapã CD, Cocotl-Yañez M, Shotaro T, Maeda T, Fernández-Presas AM, Tostado-Islas O, González-Vadillo AL, Limones-Martínez A, Hernandez-Cuevas CE, González-García K, Jiménez-García LF, Martínez RL, Santos-López CS, Husain FM, Khan A, Arshad M, Kokila K, Wood TK, García-Contreras R. Exoprotease exploitation and social cheating in a Pseudomonas aeruginosa environmental lysogenic strain with a noncanonical quorum sensing system. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2023; 99:fiad086. [PMID: 37496200 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiad086] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Social cheating is the exploitation of public goods that are costly metabolites, like exoproteases. Exoprotease exploitation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been studied in reference strains. Experimental evolution with reference strains during continuous growth in casein has demonstrated that nonexoprotease producers that are lasR mutants are selected while they behave as social cheaters. However, noncanonical quorum-sensing systems exist in P. aeruginosa strains, which are diverse. In this work, the exploitation of exoproteases in the environmental strain ID4365 was evaluated; ID4365 has a nonsense mutation that precludes expression of LasR. ID4365 produces exoproteases under the control of RhlR, and harbors an inducible prophage. As expected, rhlR mutants of ID4365 behave as social cheaters, and exoprotease-deficient individuals accumulate upon continuous growth in casein. Moreover, in all continuous cultures, population collapses occur. However, this also sometimes happens before cheaters dominate. Interestingly, during growth in casein, ID4565's native prophage is induced, suggesting that the metabolic costs imposed by social cheating may increase its induction, promoting population collapses. Accordingly, lysogenization of the PAO1 lasR mutant with this prophage accelerated its collapse. These findings highlight the influence of temperate phages in social cheating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Huelgas-Méndez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Escolar 411A, Copilco Universidad, Coyoacán 04360, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel Cazares
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Broad St, Oxford OX1 3AZ, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Luis David Alcaraz
- Laboratorio de Genómica Ambiental, Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM, Circuito de la Investigación Científica, C.U., 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Corina Diana Ceapã
- Microbiology Laboratory, Chemistry Institute, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito de la Investigación Científica, C.U., 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Miguel Cocotl-Yañez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Escolar 411A, Copilco Universidad, Coyoacán 04360, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Toya Shotaro
- Department of Biological Functions Engineering, Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 2-4 Hibikino, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu 808-0196, Japan
| | - Toshinari Maeda
- Department of Biological Functions Engineering, Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 2-4 Hibikino, Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyushu 808-0196, Japan
| | - Ana María Fernández-Presas
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Escolar 411A, Copilco Universidad, Coyoacán 04360, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Oswaldo Tostado-Islas
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Escolar 411A, Copilco Universidad, Coyoacán 04360, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ana Lorena González-Vadillo
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Escolar 411A, Copilco Universidad, Coyoacán 04360, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Aldo Limones-Martínez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Escolar 411A, Copilco Universidad, Coyoacán 04360, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Carlos Eduardo Hernandez-Cuevas
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Escolar 411A, Copilco Universidad, Coyoacán 04360, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Karen González-García
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Escolar 411A, Copilco Universidad, Coyoacán 04360, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luis Felipe Jiménez-García
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito de la Investigación Científica, C.U., 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Reyna-Lara Martínez
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito de la Investigación Científica, C.U., 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Cristian Sadalis Santos-López
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Escolar 411A, Copilco Universidad, Coyoacán 04360, Mexico City, Mexico
- Universidad Tec Milenio, Toluca de Lerdo, Calle Guadalupe Victoria 221, Las Jaras, Metepe 52166, Mexico
| | - Fohad Mabood Husain
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Altaf Khan
- Department of Pharmacology, Central Laboratory, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Arshad
- Dental Biomaterials Research Chair, Dental Health Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kota Kokila
- Department of Biology, Ramapo College of New Jersey, 505 Ramapo Valley Rd, Mahwah, NJ 07430, United States
| | - Thomas K Wood
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802-4400, United States
| | - Rodolfo García-Contreras
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Escolar 411A, Copilco Universidad, Coyoacán 04360, Mexico City, Mexico
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Kazantseva OA, Skorynina AV, Piligrimova EG, Ryabova NA, Shadrin AM. A Genomic Analysis of the Bacillus Bacteriophage Kirovirus kirovense Kirov and Its Ability to Preserve Milk. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12584. [PMID: 37628765 PMCID: PMC10454425 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612584] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are widely recognized as alternatives to traditional antibiotics commonly used in the treatment of bacterial infection diseases and in the food industry, as phages offer a potential solution in combating multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. In this study, we describe a novel bacteriophage, Kirovirus kirovense Kirov, which infects members of the Bacillus cereus group. Kirovirus kirovense Kirov is a broad-host-range phage belonging to the Caudoviricetes class. Its chromosome is a linear 165,667 bp double-stranded DNA molecule that contains two short, direct terminal repeats, each 284 bp long. According to bioinformatics predictions, the genomic DNA contains 275 protein-coding genes and 5 tRNA genes. A comparative genomic analysis suggests that Kirovirus kirovense Kirov is a novel species within the Kirovirus genus, belonging to the Andregratiavirinae subfamily. Kirovirus kirovense Kirov demonstrates the ability to preserve and decontaminate B. cereus from cow milk when present in milk at a concentration of 104 PFU/mL. After 4 h of incubation with the phage, the bacterial titer drops from 105 to less than 102 CFU/mL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olesya A. Kazantseva
- Laboratory of Bacteriophage Biology, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, Prospect Nauki, 5, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (A.V.S.); (E.G.P.); (N.A.R.)
| | - Anna V. Skorynina
- Laboratory of Bacteriophage Biology, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, Prospect Nauki, 5, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (A.V.S.); (E.G.P.); (N.A.R.)
| | - Emma G. Piligrimova
- Laboratory of Bacteriophage Biology, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, Prospect Nauki, 5, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (A.V.S.); (E.G.P.); (N.A.R.)
| | - Natalya A. Ryabova
- Laboratory of Bacteriophage Biology, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, Prospect Nauki, 5, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (A.V.S.); (E.G.P.); (N.A.R.)
- Institute of Protein Research RAS, Institutskaya St., 4, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
| | - Andrey M. Shadrin
- Laboratory of Bacteriophage Biology, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, Prospect Nauki, 5, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (A.V.S.); (E.G.P.); (N.A.R.)
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49
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Silpe JE, Duddy OP, Johnson GE, Beggs GA, Hussain FA, Forsberg KJ, Bassler BL. Small protein modules dictate prophage fates during polylysogeny. Nature 2023; 620:625-633. [PMID: 37495698 PMCID: PMC10432266 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06376-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Most bacteria in the biosphere are predicted to be polylysogens harbouring multiple prophages1-5. In studied systems, prophage induction from lysogeny to lysis is near-universally driven by DNA-damaging agents6. Thus, how co-residing prophages compete for cell resources if they respond to an identical trigger is unknown. Here we discover regulatory modules that control prophage induction independently of the DNA-damage cue. The modules bear little resemblance at the sequence level but share a regulatory logic by having a transcription factor that activates the expression of a neighbouring gene that encodes a small protein. The small protein inactivates the master repressor of lysis, which leads to induction. Polylysogens that harbour two prophages exposed to DNA damage release mixed populations of phages. Single-cell analyses reveal that this blend is a consequence of discrete subsets of cells producing one, the other or both phages. By contrast, induction through the DNA-damage-independent module results in cells producing only the phage sensitive to that specific cue. Thus, in the polylysogens tested, the stimulus used to induce lysis determines phage productivity. Considering the lack of potent DNA-damaging agents in natural habitats, additional phage-encoded sensory pathways to lysis likely have fundamental roles in phage-host biology and inter-prophage competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin E Silpe
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Olivia P Duddy
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Grace E Johnson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Grace A Beggs
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Fatima A Hussain
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kevin J Forsberg
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Bonnie L Bassler
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
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50
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Nicholas-Haizelden K, Murphy B, Hoptroff M, Horsburgh MJ. Bioprospecting the Skin Microbiome: Advances in Therapeutics and Personal Care Products. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1899. [PMID: 37630459 PMCID: PMC10456854 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11081899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Bioprospecting is the discovery and exploration of biological diversity found within organisms, genetic elements or produced compounds with prospective commercial or therapeutic applications. The human skin is an ecological niche which harbours a rich and compositional diversity microbiome stemming from the multifactorial interactions between the host and microbiota facilitated by exploitable effector compounds. Advances in the understanding of microbial colonisation mechanisms alongside species and strain interactions have revealed a novel chemical and biological understanding which displays applicative potential. Studies elucidating the organismal interfaces and concomitant understanding of the central processes of skin biology have begun to unravel a potential wealth of molecules which can exploited for their proposed functions. A variety of skin-microbiome-derived compounds display prospective therapeutic applications, ranging from antioncogenic agents relevant in skin cancer therapy to treatment strategies for antimicrobial-resistant bacterial and fungal infections. Considerable opportunities have emerged for the translation to personal care products, such as topical agents to mitigate various skin conditions such as acne and eczema. Adjacent compound developments have focused on cosmetic applications such as reducing skin ageing and its associated changes to skin properties and the microbiome. The skin microbiome contains a wealth of prospective compounds with therapeutic and commercial applications; however, considerable work is required for the translation of in vitro findings to relevant in vivo models to ensure translatability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keir Nicholas-Haizelden
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK;
| | - Barry Murphy
- Unilever Research & Development, Port Sunlight, Wirral CH63 3JW, UK; (B.M.); (M.H.)
| | - Michael Hoptroff
- Unilever Research & Development, Port Sunlight, Wirral CH63 3JW, UK; (B.M.); (M.H.)
| | - Malcolm J. Horsburgh
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK;
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