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Zhang P, Wang Y, Lin H, Liang J, Wang J, Bai Y, Qu J, Wang A. Bacterial evolution in Biofiltration of drinking water treatment plant: Different response of phage and plasmid to varied water sources. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 259:121887. [PMID: 38870889 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121887] [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: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Biofiltration in drinking water treatment (BDWT) are popular as it holds promise as an alternative to chemical treatments, yet our understanding of the key drivers and trends underlying bacterial evolution within this process remains limited. While plasmids and phages are recognized as the main vectors of horizontal gene transfer (HGT), their roles in shaping bacterial evolution in BDWT remain largely unknown. Here we leverage global metagenomic data to unravel the primary forces driving bacterial evolution in BDWT. Our results revealed that the primary vector of HGT varies depending on the type of source water (groundwater and surface water). Both plasmids and phages accelerated bacterial evolution in BDWT by enhancing genetic diversity within species, but they drove contrasting evolutionary trends in functional redundancy in different source water types. Specifically, trends towards and away from functional redundancy (indicated as gene-protein ratio) were observed in surface-water and groundwater biofilters, respectively. Virulent phages drove bacterial evolution through synergistic interactions with bacterial species capable of natural transformation and with certain natural compounds that disrupt bacterial cytoplasmic membranes. Genes relating to water purification (such as Mn(II)-oxidizing genes), microbial risks (antibiotic resistance genes), and chemical risk (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) were enriched via HGT in BDWT, highlighting the necessity for heighted focus on these useful and risky objects. Overall, these discoveries enhance our understanding of bacterial evolution in BDWT and have implications for the optimization of water treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peijun Zhang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Yuhan Wang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Huan Lin
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jinsong Liang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Juntao Wang
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia; Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Penrith South DC, NSW 2751, Australia; School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Yaohui Bai
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Jiuhui Qu
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Center for Water and Ecology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Aijie Wang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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Sun X, Xue F, Cong C, Murtaza B, Wang L, Li X, Li S, Xu Y. Characterization of two virulent Salmonella phages and transient application in egg, meat and lettuce safety. Food Res Int 2024; 190:114607. [PMID: 38945617 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114607] [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: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Salmonella, a prominent foodborne pathogen, has posed enduring challenges to the advancement of food safety and global public health. The escalating concern over antibiotic misuse, resulting in the excessive presence of drug residues in animal-derived food products, necessitates urgent exploration of alternative strategies for Salmonella control. Bacteriophages emerge as promising green biocontrol agents against pathogenic bacteria. This study delineates the identification of two novel virulent Salmonella phages, namely phage vB_SalS_ABTNLsp11241 (referred to as sp11241) and phage 8-19 (referred to as 8-19). Both phages exhibited efficient infectivity against Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis (SE). Furthermore, this study evaluated the effectiveness of two phages to control SE in three different foods (whole chicken eggs, raw chicken meat, and lettuce) at different MOIs (1, 100, and 10000) at 4°C. It's worth noting that sp11241 and 8-19 achieved complete elimination of SE on eggs after 3 h and 6 h at MOI = 100, and after 2 h and 5 h at MOI = 10000, respectively. After 12 h of treatment with sp11241, a maximum reduction of 3.17 log10 CFU/mL in SE was achieved on raw chicken meat, and a maximum reduction of 3.00 log10 CFU/mL was achieved on lettuce. Phage 8-19 has the same effect on lettuce as sp11241, but is slightly less effective than sp11241 on chicken meat (a maximum 2.69 log10 CFU/mL reduction). In conclusion, sp11241 and 8-19 exhibit considerable potential for controlling Salmonella contamination in food at a low temperature and represent viable candidates as green antibacterial agents for food applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- XiaoWen Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bio-Intelligent Manufacturing, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Fan Xue
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bio-Intelligent Manufacturing, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Cong Cong
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Bilal Murtaza
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bio-Intelligent Manufacturing, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; Dalian SEM Bio-Engineering Technology Co. Ltd., Dalian 116620, China
| | - LiLi Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bio-Intelligent Manufacturing, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; Center for Food Safety of Animal Origin, Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116600, China
| | - XiaoYu Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bio-Intelligent Manufacturing, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; Center for Food Safety of Animal Origin, Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116600, China
| | - ShuYing Li
- Dalian SEM Bio-Engineering Technology Co. Ltd., Dalian 116620, China
| | - YongPing Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bio-Intelligent Manufacturing, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; Dalian SEM Bio-Engineering Technology Co. Ltd., Dalian 116620, China; Center for Food Safety of Animal Origin, Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116600, China.
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3
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Liu MY, Liu X, Wang CY, Wan QQ, Tian YF, Liu SL, Pang DW, Wang ZG. Inhalable Polymeric Microparticles for Phage and Photothermal Synergistic Therapy of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:8752-8762. [PMID: 38953881 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c02318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Acute methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia is a common and serious lung infection with high morbidity and mortality rates. Due to the increasing antibiotic resistance, toxicity, and pathogenicity of MRSA, there is an urgent need to explore effective antibacterial strategies. In this study, we developed a dry powder inhalable formulation which is composed of porous microspheres prepared from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), internally loaded with indocyanine green (ICG)-modified, heat-resistant phages that we screened for their high efficacy against MRSA. This formulation can deliver therapeutic doses of ICG-modified active phages to the deep lung tissue infection sites, avoiding rapid clearance by alveolar macrophages. Combined with the synergistic treatment of phage therapy and photothermal therapy, the formulation demonstrates potent bactericidal effects in acute MRSA pneumonia. With its long-term stability at room temperature and inhalable characteristics, this formulation has the potential to be a promising drug for the clinical treatment of MRSA pneumonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Yao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Centre for New Organic Matter, School of Medicine and College of Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Xing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Centre for New Organic Matter, School of Medicine and College of Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun-Yu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Centre for New Organic Matter, School of Medicine and College of Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian-Qian Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Centre for New Organic Matter, School of Medicine and College of Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Fan Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Centre for New Organic Matter, School of Medicine and College of Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu-Lin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Centre for New Organic Matter, School of Medicine and College of Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Dai-Wen Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Centre for New Organic Matter, School of Medicine and College of Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Gang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Frontiers Science Centre for New Organic Matter, School of Medicine and College of Chemistry, Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, People's Republic of China
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He Y, Zhuo S, Gao D, Pan Y, Li M, Pan J, Jiang Y, Hu Y, Guo J, Lin Q, Sanford RA, Sun W, Shang J, Wei N, Peng S, Jiang Z, Li S, Li Y, Dong Y, Shi L. Viral communities in a pH>10 serpentinite-like environment: insight into diversity and potential roles in modulating the microbiomes by bioactive vitamin B 9 synthesis. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024:e0085024. [PMID: 39016614 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00850-24] [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: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Viral communities exist in a variety of ecosystems and play significant roles in mediating biogeochemical processes, whereas viruses inhabiting strongly alkaline geochemical systems remain underexplored. In this study, the viral diversity, potential functionalities, and virus-host interactions in a strongly alkaline environment (pH = 10.4-12.4) exposed to the leachates derived from the serpentinization-like reactions of smelting slags were investigated. The viral populations (e.g., Herelleviridae, Queuovirinae, and Inoviridae) were closely associated with the dominating prokaryotic hosts (e.g., Meiothermus, Trueperaceae, and Serpentinomonas) in this ultrabasic environment. Auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) suggested that viruses may enhance hosts' fitness by facilitating cofactor biosynthesis, hydrogen metabolism, and carbon cycling. To evaluate the activity of synthesis of essential cofactor vitamin B9 by the viruses, a viral folA (vfolA) gene encoding dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) was introduced into a thymidine-auxotrophic strain Escherichia coli MG1655 ΔfolA mutant, which restored the growth of the latter in the absence of thymidine. Notably, the homologs of the validated vDHFR were globally distributed in the viromes across various ecosystems. The present study sheds new light on the unique viral communities in hyperalkaline ecosystems and their potential beneficial impacts on the coexisting microbial consortia by supplying essential cofactors. IMPORTANCE This study presents a comprehensive investigation into the diversity, potential functionalities, and virus-microbe interactions in an artificially induced strongly alkaline environment. Functional validation of the detected viral folA genes encoding dihydrofolate reductase substantiated the synthesis of essential cofactors by viruses, which may be ubiquitous, considering the broad distribution of the viral genes associated with folate cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu He
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Shiyan Zhuo
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Donghao Gao
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yue Pan
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Li
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Studies, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jie Pan
- Archaeal Biology Center, Institute for Advanced Studies, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yongguang Jiang
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yidan Hu
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinzhi Guo
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Qin Lin
- Shanghai Biozeron Biological Technology Co. Ltd, China, Shanghai, China
| | - Robert A Sanford
- Department of Earth Science & Environmental Change, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, llinois, USA
| | - Weimin Sun
- Guangdong Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Science, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianying Shang
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation in North China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
| | - Na Wei
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Shuming Peng
- Institute of Ecological Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhou Jiang
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuyi Li
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongzhe Li
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yiran Dong
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Yangtze Catchment Environmental Aquatic Science, Wuhan, China
| | - Liang Shi
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, China
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5
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Zhao J, Both JP, Rodriguez-R LM, Konstantinidis KT. GSearch: ultra-fast and scalable genome search by combining K-mer hashing with hierarchical navigable small world graphs. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae609. [PMID: 39011878 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Genome search and/or classification typically involves finding the best-match database (reference) genomes and has become increasingly challenging due to the growing number of available database genomes and the fact that traditional methods do not scale well with large databases. By combining k-mer hashing-based probabilistic data structures (i.e. ProbMinHash, SuperMinHash, Densified MinHash and SetSketch) to estimate genomic distance, with a graph based nearest neighbor search algorithm (Hierarchical Navigable Small World Graphs, or HNSW), we created a new data structure and developed an associated computer program, GSearch, that is orders of magnitude faster than alternative tools while maintaining high accuracy and low memory usage. For example, GSearch can search 8000 query genomes against all available microbial or viral genomes for their best matches (n = ∼318 000 or ∼3 000 000, respectively) within a few minutes on a personal laptop, using ∼6 GB of memory (2.5 GB via SetSketch). Notably, GSearch has an O(log(N)) time complexity and will scale well with billions of genomes based on a database splitting strategy. Further, GSearch implements a three-step search strategy depending on the degree of novelty of the query genomes to maximize specificity and sensitivity. Therefore, GSearch solves a major bottleneck of microbiome studies that require genome search and/or classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianshu Zhao
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Luis M Rodriguez-R
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Digital Science Center (DiSC), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Konstantinos T Konstantinidis
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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6
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Shi Z, Long X, Zhang C, Chen Z, Usman M, Zhang Y, Zhang S, Luo G. Viral and Bacterial Community Dynamics in Food Waste and Digestate from Full-Scale Biogas Plants. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38989650 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c04109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is commonly used in food waste treatment. Prokaryotic microbial communities in AD of food waste have been comprehensively studied. The role of viruses, known to affect microbial dynamics and metabolism, remains largely unexplored. This study employed metagenomic analysis and recovered 967 high-quality viral bins within food waste and digestate derived from 8 full-scale biogas plants. The diversity of viral communities was higher in digestate. In silico predictions linked 20.8% of viruses to microbial host populations, highlighting possible virus predators of key functional microbes. Lineage-specific virus-host ratio varied, indicating that viral infection dynamics might differentially affect microbial responses to the varying process parameters. Evidence for virus-mediated gene transfer was identified, emphasizing the potential role of viruses in controlling the microbiome. AD altered the specific process parameters, potentially promoting a shift in viral lifestyle from lysogenic to lytic. Viruses encoding auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) were involved in microbial carbon and nutrient cycling, and most AMGs were transcriptionally expressed in digestate, meaning that viruses with active functional states were likely actively involved in AD. These findings provided a comprehensive profile of viral and bacterial communities and expanded knowledge of the interactions between viruses and hosts in food waste and digestate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijian Shi
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xinyi Long
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Zheng Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Muhammad Usman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Yalei Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Shicheng Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Technical Service Platform for Pollution Control and Resource Utilization of Organic Wastes, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Gang Luo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
- Shanghai Technical Service Platform for Pollution Control and Resource Utilization of Organic Wastes, Shanghai 200438, China
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7
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Nguyen TVP, Wu Y, Yao T, Trinh JT, Zeng L, Chemla YR, Golding I. Coinfecting phages impede each other's entry into the cell. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2841-2853.e18. [PMID: 38878771 PMCID: PMC11233250 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.032] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
The developmental choice made by temperate phages, between cell death (lysis) and viral dormancy (lysogeny), is influenced by the relative abundance of viruses and hosts in the environment. The paradigm for this abundance-driven decision is phage lambda of E. coli, whose propensity to lysogenize increases with the number of viruses coinfecting the same bacterium. It is believed that lambda uses this number to infer whether phages or bacteria outnumber each other. However, this interpretation is premised on an accurate mapping between the extracellular phage-to-bacteria ratio and the intracellular multiplicity of infection (MOI). Here, we show this premise to be faulty. By simultaneously labeling phage capsids and genomes, we find that, while the number of phages landing on each cell reliably samples the population ratio, the number of phages entering the cell does not. Single-cell infections, performed in a microfluidic device and interpreted using a stochastic model, reveal that the probability and rate of phage entry decrease with the number of adsorbed phages. This decrease reflects an MOI-dependent perturbation to host physiology caused by phage attachment, as evidenced by compromised membrane integrity and loss of membrane potential. The dependence of entry dynamics on the surrounding medium results in a strong impact on the infection outcome, while the protracted entry of coinfecting phages increases the heterogeneity in infection outcome at a given MOI. Our findings in lambda, and similar results we obtained for phages T5 and P1, demonstrate the previously unappreciated role played by entry dynamics in determining the outcome of bacteriophage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thu Vu Phuc Nguyen
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yuchen Wu
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Tianyou Yao
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jimmy T Trinh
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Lanying Zeng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Yann R Chemla
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Ido Golding
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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8
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Kozlova AP, Muntyan VS, Vladimirova ME, Saksaganskaia AS, Kabilov MR, Gorbunova MK, Gorshkov AN, Grudinin MP, Simarov BV, Roumiantseva ML. Soil Giant Phage: Genome and Biological Characteristics of Sinorhizobium Jumbo Phage. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7388. [PMID: 39000497 PMCID: PMC11242549 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper presents the first in-depth research on the biological and genomic properties of lytic rhizobiophage AP-J-162 isolated from the soils of the mountainous region of Dagestan (North Caucasus), which belongs to the centers of origin of cultivated plants, according to Vavilov N.I. The rhizobiophage host strains are nitrogen-fixing bacteria of the genus Sinorhizobium spp., symbionts of leguminous forage grasses. The phage particles have a myovirus virion structure. The genome of rhizobiophage AP-J-162 is double-stranded DNA of 471.5 kb in length; 711 ORFs are annotated and 41 types of tRNAs are detected. The closest phylogenetic relative of phage AP-J-162 is Agrobacterium phage Atu-ph07, but no rhizobiophages are known. The replicative machinery, capsid, and baseplate proteins of phage AP-J-162 are structurally similar to those of Escherichia phage T4, but there is no similarity between their tail protein subunits. Amino acid sequence analysis shows that 339 of the ORFs encode hypothetical or functionally relevant products, while the remaining 304 ORFs are unique. Additionally, 153 ORFs are similar to those of Atu_ph07, with one-third of the ORFs encoding different enzymes. The biological properties and genomic characteristics of phage AP-J-162 distinguish it as a unique model for exploring phage-microbe interactions with nitrogen-fixing symbiotic microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra P Kozlova
- Laboratory of Genetics and Selection of Microorganisms, Federal State Budget Scientific Institution All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (FSBSI ARRIAM), 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Victoria S Muntyan
- Laboratory of Genetics and Selection of Microorganisms, Federal State Budget Scientific Institution All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (FSBSI ARRIAM), 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Maria E Vladimirova
- Laboratory of Genetics and Selection of Microorganisms, Federal State Budget Scientific Institution All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (FSBSI ARRIAM), 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alla S Saksaganskaia
- Laboratory of Genetics and Selection of Microorganisms, Federal State Budget Scientific Institution All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (FSBSI ARRIAM), 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Marsel R Kabilov
- SB RAS Genomics Core Facility, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Maria K Gorbunova
- Laboratory of Genetics and Selection of Microorganisms, Federal State Budget Scientific Institution All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (FSBSI ARRIAM), 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Andrey N Gorshkov
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Mikhail P Grudinin
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Boris V Simarov
- Laboratory of Genetics and Selection of Microorganisms, Federal State Budget Scientific Institution All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (FSBSI ARRIAM), 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Marina L Roumiantseva
- Laboratory of Genetics and Selection of Microorganisms, Federal State Budget Scientific Institution All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (FSBSI ARRIAM), 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
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9
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Dong Y, Chen WH, Zhao XM. VirRep: a hybrid language representation learning framework for identifying viruses from human gut metagenomes. Genome Biol 2024; 25:177. [PMID: 38965579 PMCID: PMC11229495 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03320-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Identifying viruses from metagenomes is a common step to explore the virus composition in the human gut. Here, we introduce VirRep, a hybrid language representation learning framework, for identifying viruses from human gut metagenomes. VirRep combines a context-aware encoder and an evolution-aware encoder to improve sequence representation by incorporating k-mer patterns and sequence homologies. Benchmarking on both simulated and real datasets with varying viral proportions demonstrates that VirRep outperforms state-of-the-art methods. When applied to fecal metagenomes from a colorectal cancer cohort, VirRep identifies 39 high-quality viral species associated with the disease, many of which cannot be detected by existing methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqi Dong
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Wei-Hua Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging, Center for Artificial Intelligence Biology, Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China.
- Institution of Medical Artificial Intelligence, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China.
| | - Xing-Ming Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital and Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- MOE Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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10
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Liu Y, Huang Q, Zhuang Z, Yang H, Gou X, Xu T, Liu K, Wang J, Liu B, Gao P, Cao F, Yang B, Zhang C, Chen M, Fan G. Gut virome alterations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0428723. [PMID: 38785444 PMCID: PMC11218493 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04287-23] [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: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the primary causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The gut microbiome, particularly the bacteriome, has been demonstrated to contribute to the progression of COPD. However, the influence of gut virome on the pathogenesis of COPD is rarely studied. Recent advances in viral metagenomics have enabled the rapid discovery of its remarkable role in COPD. In this study, deep metagenomics sequencing of fecal virus-like particles and bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing was performed on 92 subjects from China to characterize alterations of the gut virome in COPD. Lower richness and diversity of the gut virome were observed in the COPD subjects compared with the healthy individuals. Sixty-four viral species, including Clostridium phage, Myoviridae sp., and Synechococcus phage, showed positive relationships with pulmonary ventilation functions and had markedly declined population in COPD subjects. Multiple viral functions, mainly involved in bacterial susceptibility and the interaction between bacteriophages and bacterial hosts, were significantly declined in COPD. In addition, COPD was characterized by weakened viral-bacterial interactions compared with those in the healthy cohort. The gut virome showed diagnostic performance with an area under the curve (AUC) of 88.7%, which indicates the potential diagnostic value of the gut virome for COPD. These results suggest that gut virome may play an important role in the development of COPD. The information can provide a reference for the future investigation of diagnosis, treatment, and in-depth mechanism research of COPD. IMPORTANCE Previous studies showed that the bacteriome plays an important role in the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, little is known about the involvement of the gut virome in COPD. Our study explored the disease-specific virome signatures of patients with COPD. We found the diversity and compositions altered of the gut virome in COPD subjects compared with healthy individuals, especially those viral species positively correlated with pulmonary ventilation functions. Additionally, the declined bacterial susceptibility, the interaction between bacteriophages and bacterial hosts, and the weakened viral-bacterial interactions in COPD were observed. The findings also suggested the potential diagnostic value of the gut virome for COPD. The results highlight the significance of gut virome in COPD. The novel strategies for gut virome rectifications may help to restore the balance of gut microecology and represent promising therapeutics for COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Ethnic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Qingsong Huang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhenhua Zhuang
- Chengdu Life Baseline Technology Co., Ltd., Chengdu, China
| | - Hongjing Yang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoling Gou
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Ethnic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Tong Xu
- Chengdu Life Baseline Technology Co., Ltd., Chengdu, China
| | - Ke Liu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Chengdu Fifth People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Chengdu Fifth People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Peiyang Gao
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Feng Cao
- Chengdu Life Baseline Technology Co., Ltd., Chengdu, China
| | - Bin Yang
- Chengdu Life Baseline Technology Co., Ltd., Chengdu, China
| | - Chuantao Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Mei Chen
- School of Medical and Life Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Gang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Ethnic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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11
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Mäkelä K, Laanto E, Sundberg LR. Determinants in the phage life cycle: The dynamic nature of ssDNA phage FLiP and host interactions under varying environmental conditions and growth phases. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16670. [PMID: 38952172 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16670] [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: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
The influence of environmental factors on the interactions between phages and bacteria, particularly single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) phages, has been largely unexplored. In this study, we used Finnlakevirus FLiP, the first known ssDNA phage species with a lipid membrane, as our model phage. We examined the infectivity of FLiP with three Flavobacterium host strains, B330, B167 and B114. We discovered that FLiP infection is contingent on the host strain and conditions such as temperature and bacterial growth phase. FLiP can infect its hosts across a wide temperature range, but optimal phage replication varies with each host. We uncovered some unique aspects of phage infectivity: FLiP has limited infectivity in liquid-suspended cells, but it improves when cells are surface-attached. Moreover, FLiP infects stationary phase B167 and B114 cells more rapidly and efficiently than exponentially growing cells, a pattern not observed with the B330 host. We also present the first experimental evidence of endolysin function in ssDNA phages. The activity of FLiP's lytic enzymes was found to be condition-dependent. Our findings underscore the importance of studying phage ecology in contexts that are relevant to the environment, as both the host and the surrounding conditions can significantly alter the outcome of phage-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kati Mäkelä
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Nanoscience Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Elina Laanto
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Nanoscience Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Lotta-Riina Sundberg
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Nanoscience Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
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12
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Li W, Wang Y, Zhao K, Xu L, Shi T, Ma B, Lv X. Host-virus coevolution drives soil microbial function succession along a millennium land reclamation chronosequence. J Adv Res 2024:S2090-1232(24)00258-3. [PMID: 38960277 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2024.06.022] [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: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Gene exchange between viruses and hosts plays an important role in driving virus-host coevolution, enabling adaptation of both viruses and hosts to environmental changes. However, the mechanisms and functional significance of virus-host gene exchanges over long-term scales remain largely unexplored. OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to gain insights into the role of viruses in virus-host interactions and coevolution by monitoring virome dynamics along a millennium-long land reclamation chronosequence. METHODS We collected 24 soil samples from 8 stages of a millennium-long land reclamation chronosequence, including non-reclamation, and reclamation periods of 10, 50, 100, 300, 500, 700, and 1000 years. We characterized their metagenomes, and identified DNA viruses within these metagenomes. RESULTS Our findings reveal a significant shift in viral community composition after 50 years of land reclamation, but soil viral diversity reached a stable phase approximately 300 years after the initial reclamation. Analysis of the virus-host network showed a scale-free degree distribution and a reduction in complexity over time, with generalist viruses emerging as key facilitators of horizontal gene transfer. CONCLUSION These findings highlight the integral role of viruses, especially generalist types, in mediating gene exchanges between viruses and hosts, thereby influencing the coevolutionary dynamics in soil ecosystems over significant timescales. This study offers novel insights into long-term virus-host interactions, showing how the virome responds to environmental changes, driving shifts in various microbial functions in reclaimed land.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbing Li
- School of Engineering, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310018, China; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China.
| | - Yiling Wang
- Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Kankan Zhao
- Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Linya Xu
- Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Tingfeng Shi
- Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Bin Ma
- Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou 311200, China
| | - Xiaofei Lv
- Department of Environmental Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
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13
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Ruan C, Ramoneda J, Kan A, Rudge TJ, Wang G, Johnson DR. Phage predation accelerates the spread of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5397. [PMID: 38926498 PMCID: PMC11208555 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49840-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Phage predation is generally assumed to reduce microbial proliferation while not contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance. However, this assumption does not consider the effect of phage predation on the spatial organization of different microbial populations. Here, we show that phage predation can increase the spread of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance during surface-associated microbial growth by reshaping spatial organization. Using two strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli, we demonstrate that phage predation slows the spatial segregation of the strains during growth. This increases the number of cell-cell contacts and the extent of conjugation-mediated plasmid transfer between them. The underlying mechanism is that phage predation shifts the location of fastest growth from the biomass periphery to the interior where cells are densely packed and aligned closer to parallel with each other. This creates straighter interfaces between the strains that are less likely to merge together during growth, consequently slowing the spatial segregation of the strains and enhancing plasmid transfer between them. Our results have implications for the design and application of phage therapy and reveal a mechanism for how microbial functions that are deleterious to human and environmental health can proliferate in the absence of positive selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chujin Ruan
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Josep Ramoneda
- Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Blanes, Spain
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Anton Kan
- Department of Materials, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Timothy J Rudge
- Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems (ICOS) Research Group, School of Computing, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Gang Wang
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
- National Black Soil & Agriculture Research, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
| | - David R Johnson
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland.
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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14
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Zhang H, You J, Pan X, Hu Y, Zhang Z, Zhang X, Zhang W, Rao Z. Genomic and biological insights of bacteriophages JNUWH1 and JNUWD in the arms race against bacterial resistance. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1407039. [PMID: 38989022 PMCID: PMC11233448 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1407039] [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: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The coevolution of bacteria and bacteriophages has created a great diversity of mechanisms by which bacteria fight phage infection, and an equivalent diversity of mechanisms by which phages subvert bacterial immunity. Effective and continuous evolution by phages is necessary to deal with coevolving bacteria. In this study, to better understand the connection between phage genes and host range, we examine the isolation and genomic characterization of two bacteriophages, JNUWH1 and JNUWD, capable of infecting Escherichia coli. Sourced from factory fermentation pollutants, these phages were classified within the Siphoviridae family through TEM and comparative genomic analysis. Notably, the phages exhibited a viral burst size of 500 and 1,000 PFU/cell, with latent periods of 15 and 20 min, respectively. They displayed stability over a pH range of 5 to 10, with optimal activity at 37°C. The complete genomes of JNUWH1 and JNUWD were 44,785 bp and 43,818 bp, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed their close genetic relationship to each other. Antibacterial assays demonstrated the phages' ability to inhibit E. coli growth for up to 24 h. Finally, through laboratory-driven adaptive evolution, we successfully identified strains for both JNUWH1 and JNUWD with mutations in receptors specifically targeting lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and the lptD gene. Overall, these phages hold promise as additives in fermentation products to counter E. coli, offering potential solutions in the context of evolving bacterial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengwei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Jiajia You
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Xuewei Pan
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yanglu Hu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Zan Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Xian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Weiguo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Zhiming Rao
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
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15
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Lohrmann C, Holm C, Datta SS. Influence of bacterial swimming and hydrodynamics on attachment of phages. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:4795-4805. [PMID: 38847805 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00060a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriophages ("phages") are viruses that infect bacteria. Since they do not actively self-propel, phages rely on thermal diffusion to find target cells-but can also be advected by fluid flows, such as those generated by motile bacteria themselves in bulk fluids. How does the flow field generated by a swimming bacterium influence how it encounters phages? Here, we address this question using coupled molecular dynamics and lattice Boltzmann simulations of flagellated bacteria swimming through a bulk fluid containing uniformly-dispersed phages. We find that while swimming increases the rate at which phages attach to both the cell body and flagellar propeller, hydrodynamic interactions strongly suppress this increase at the cell body, but conversely enhance this increase at the flagellar bundle. Our results highlight the pivotal influence of hydrodynamics on the interactions between bacteria and phages, as well as other diffusible species, in microbial environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Lohrmann
- Institute for Computational Physics, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Christian Holm
- Institute for Computational Physics, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
| | - Sujit S Datta
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA.
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16
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Malla MA, Ansari FA, Bux F, Kumari S. Re-vitalizing wastewater: Nutrient recovery and carbon capture through microbe-algae synergy using omics-biology. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 259:119439. [PMID: 38901811 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Increasing amounts of wastewater is the most pervasive and challenging environmental problem globally. Conventional treatment methods are costly and entail huge energy, carbon consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Owing to their unique ability of carbon capturing and resource recovery, microalgae-microbiome based treatment is a potential approach and is widely used for carbon-neutral wastewater treatment. Microalgae-bacteria synergy (i.e., the functionally beneficial microbial synthetic communities) performs better and enhances carbon-sequestration and nutrient recovery from wastewater treatment plants. This review presents a comprehensive information regarding the potential of microalgae-microbiome as a sustainable agent for wastewater and discusses synergistic approaches for effective nutrient removal. Moreover, this review discusses, the role of omics-biology and Insilco approaches in unravelling and understanding the algae-microbe synergism and their response toward wastewater treatment. Finally, it discusses various microbiome engineering approaches for developing the effective microalgae-bacteria partners for carbon sequestration and nutrient recovery from wastewater, and summarizes future research perspectives on microalgae-microbiome based bioremediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muneer Ahmad Malla
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
| | - Faiz Ahmad Ansari
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
| | - Faizal Bux
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa
| | - Sheena Kumari
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa.
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17
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Guzel M, Yucefaydali A, Yetiskin S, Deniz A, Yaşar Tel O, Akçelik M, Soyer Y. Genomic analysis of Salmonella bacteriophages revealed multiple endolysin ORFs and importance of ligand-binding site of receptor-binding protein. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae079. [PMID: 38816206 PMCID: PMC11180984 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Salmonella is a prevalent foodborne pathogen causing millions of global cases annually. Antimicrobial resistance is a growing public health concern, leading to search for alternatives like bacteriophages. A total of 97 bacteriophages, isolated from cattle farms (n = 48), poultry farms (n = 37), and wastewater (n = 5) samples in Türkiye, were subjected to host-range analysis using 36 Salmonella isolates with 18 different serotypes. The broadest host range belonged to an Infantis phage (MET P1-091), lysing 28 hosts. A total of 10 phages with the widest host range underwent further analysis, revealing seven unique genomes (32-243 kb), including a jumbophage (>200 kb). Except for one with lysogenic properties, none of them harbored virulence or antibiotic resistance genes, making them potential Salmonella reducers in different environments. Examining open reading frames (ORFs) of endolysin enzymes revealed surprising findings: five of seven unique genomes contained multiple endolysin ORFs. Despite sharing same endolysin sequences, phages exhibited significant differences in host range. Detailed analysis unveiled diverse receptor-binding protein sequences, with similar structures but distinct ligand-binding sites. These findings emphasize the importance of ligand-binding sites of receptor-binding proteins. Additionally, bacterial reduction curve and virulence index revealed that Enteritidis phages inhibit bacterial growth even at low concentrations, unlike Infantis and Kentucky phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Guzel
- Department of Biotechnology, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Türkiye
- Department of Food Engineering, Hitit University, Corum 19030, Türkiye
| | - Aysenur Yucefaydali
- Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Türkiye
| | - Segah Yetiskin
- Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Türkiye
| | - Aysu Deniz
- Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Türkiye
| | - Osman Yaşar Tel
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Harran University, Şanlıurfa 63300, Türkiye
| | - Mustafa Akçelik
- Department of Biology, Ankara University, Ankara 06100, Türkiye
| | - Yeşim Soyer
- Department of Biotechnology, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Türkiye
- Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Türkiye
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18
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Ortiz de Ora L, Wiles ET, Zünd M, Bañuelos MS, Haro-Ramirez N, Suder DS, Ujagar N, Angulo JA, Trinh C, Knitter C, Gonen S, Nicholas DA, Wiles TJ. Phollow: Visualizing Gut Bacteriophage Transmission within Microbial Communities and Living Animals. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.12.598711. [PMID: 38915633 PMCID: PMC11195241 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.12.598711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial viruses (known as "phages") shape the ecology and evolution of microbial communities, making them promising targets for microbiome engineering. However, knowledge of phage biology is constrained because it remains difficult to study phage transmission dynamics within multi-member communities and living animal hosts. We therefore created "Phollow": a live imaging-based approach for tracking phage replication and spread in situ with single-virion resolution. Combining Phollow with optically transparent zebrafish enabled us to directly visualize phage outbreaks within the vertebrate gut. We observed that virions can be rapidly taken up by intestinal tissues, including by enteroendocrine cells, and quickly disseminate to extraintestinal sites, including the liver and brain. Moreover, antibiotics trigger waves of interbacterial transmission leading to sudden shifts in spatial organization and composition of defined gut communities. Phollow ultimately empowers multiscale investigations connecting phage transmission to transkingdom interactions that have the potential to open new avenues for viral-based microbiome therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizett Ortiz de Ora
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Wiles
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Mirjam Zünd
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Maria S Bañuelos
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Nancy Haro-Ramirez
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Diana S Suder
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Naveena Ujagar
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Julio Ayala Angulo
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Calvin Trinh
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Courtney Knitter
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Shane Gonen
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Dequina A Nicholas
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
- Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Travis J Wiles
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
- Center for Virus Research, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
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19
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Wang X, Wang S, Huang M, He Y, Guo S, Yang K, Wang N, Sun T, Yang H, Yang T, Xu Y, Shen Q, Friman VP, Wei Z. Phages enhance both phytopathogen density control and rhizosphere microbiome suppressiveness. mBio 2024; 15:e0301623. [PMID: 38780276 PMCID: PMC11237578 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03016-23] [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: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages, viruses that specifically target plant pathogenic bacteria, have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional agrochemicals. However, it remains unclear how phages should be applied to achieve efficient pathogen biocontrol and to what extent their efficacy is shaped by indirect interactions with the resident microbiota. Here, we tested if the phage biocontrol efficacy of Ralstonia solanacearum phytopathogenic bacterium can be improved by increasing the phage cocktail application frequency and if the phage efficacy is affected by pathogen-suppressing bacteria already present in the rhizosphere. We find that increasing phage application frequency improves R. solanacearum density control, leading to a clear reduction in bacterial wilt disease in both greenhouse and field experiments with tomato. The high phage application frequency also increased the diversity of resident rhizosphere microbiota and enriched several bacterial taxa that were associated with the reduction in pathogen densities. Interestingly, these taxa often belonged to Actinobacteria known for antibiotics production and soil suppressiveness. To test if they could have had secondary effects on R. solanacearum biocontrol, we isolated Actinobacteria from Nocardia and Streptomyces genera and tested their suppressiveness to the pathogen in vitro and in planta. We found that these taxa could clearly inhibit R. solanacearum growth and constrain bacterial wilt disease, especially when combined with the phage cocktail. Together, our findings unravel an undiscovered benefit of phage therapy, where phages trigger a second line of defense by the pathogen-suppressing bacteria that already exist in resident microbial communities. IMPORTANCE Ralstonia solanacearum is a highly destructive plant-pathogenic bacterium with the ability to cause bacterial wilt in several crucial crop plants. Given the limitations of conventional chemical control methods, the use of bacterial viruses (phages) has been explored as an alternative biological control strategy. In this study, we show that increasing the phage application frequency can improve the density control of R. solanacearum, leading to a significant reduction in bacterial wilt disease. Furthermore, we found that repeated phage application increased the diversity of rhizosphere microbiota and specifically enriched Actinobacterial taxa that showed synergistic pathogen suppression when combined with phages due to resource and interference competition. Together, our study unravels an undiscovered benefit of phages, where phages trigger a second line of defense by the pathogen-suppressing bacteria present in resident microbial communities. Phage therapies could, hence, potentially be tailored according to host microbiota composition to unlock the pre-existing benefits provided by resident microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Wang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mingcong Huang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yilin He
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Saisai Guo
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Keming Yang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ningqi Wang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tianyu Sun
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongwu Yang
- China National Tobacco Corporation Hunan Company, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Tianjie Yang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yangchun Xu
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qirong Shen
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ville-Petri Friman
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Zhong Wei
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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20
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Li Y, Xue Y, Roy Chowdhury T, Graham DE, Tringe SG, Jansson JK, Taş N. Genomic insights into redox-driven microbial processes for carbon decomposition in thawing Arctic soils and permafrost. mSphere 2024:e0025924. [PMID: 38860762 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00259-24] [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: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Climate change is rapidly transforming Arctic landscapes where increasing soil temperatures speed up permafrost thaw. This exposes large carbon stocks to microbial decomposition, possibly worsening climate change by releasing more greenhouse gases. Understanding how microbes break down soil carbon, especially under the anaerobic conditions of thawing permafrost, is important to determine future changes. Here, we studied the microbial community dynamics and soil carbon decomposition potential in permafrost and active layer soils under anaerobic laboratory conditions that simulated an Arctic summer thaw. The microbial and viral compositions in the samples were analyzed based on metagenomes, metagenome-assembled genomes, and metagenomic viral contigs (mVCs). Following the thawing of permafrost, there was a notable shift in microbial community structure, with fermentative Firmicutes and Bacteroidota taking over from Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria over the 60-day incubation period. The increase in iron and sulfate-reducing microbes had a significant role in limiting methane production from thawed permafrost, underscoring the competition within microbial communities. We explored the growth strategies of microbial communities and found that slow growth was the major strategy in both the active layer and permafrost. Our findings challenge the assumption that fast-growing microbes mainly respond to environmental changes like permafrost thaw. Instead, they indicate a common strategy of slow growth among microbial communities, likely due to the thermodynamic constraints of soil substrates and electron acceptors, and the need for microbes to adjust to post-thaw conditions. The mVCs harbored a wide range of auxiliary metabolic genes that may support cell protection from ice formation in virus-infected cells. IMPORTANCE As the Arctic warms, thawing permafrost unlocks carbon, potentially accelerating climate change by releasing greenhouse gases. Our research delves into the underlying biogeochemical processes likely mediated by the soil microbial community in response to the wet and anaerobic conditions, akin to an Arctic summer thaw. We observed a significant shift in the microbial community post-thaw, with fermentative bacteria like Firmicutes and Bacteroidota taking over and switching to different fermentation pathways. The dominance of iron and sulfate-reducing bacteria likely constrained methane production in the thawing permafrost. Slow-growing microbes outweighed fast-growing ones, even after thaw, upending the expectation that rapid microbial responses to dominate after permafrost thaws. This research highlights the nuanced and complex interactions within Arctic soil microbial communities and underscores the challenges in predicting microbial response to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoming Li
- College of Grassland Science, Beijing Forest University, Beijing, China
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Yaxin Xue
- Data Sciences and Quantitative Biology, Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - David E Graham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Susannah G Tringe
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Janet K Jansson
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Neslihan Taş
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Area, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
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21
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Hosseininasab SS, Naderifar M, Akbarizadeh MR, Rahimzadeh M, Soltaninejad S, Makarem Z, Satarzadeh N, Sadeghi Dousari A. The use of phages for the biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles and their biological applications: A review. J Cell Mol Med 2024; 28:e18383. [PMID: 38837580 PMCID: PMC11149492 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.18383] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, the use of biological methods of synthesis of nanoparticles as substitutes for methods that use high energy and consumption of expensive and dangerous materials is of interest to researchers all over the world. Biological methods of synthesising metal nanoparticles are very important because they are easy, affordable, safe, environmentally friendly and able to control the size and shape of nanoparticles. One of the methods that is of interest today is the use of bacteriophages as the most abundant organisms in nature in the synthesis of metal nanoparticles. Nanomaterials biosynthesized from phages have shown various clinical applications, including antimicrobial activities, biomedical sensors, drug and gene delivery systems, cancer treatment and tissue regeneration. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to investigate the biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles with phages and their biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mahin Naderifar
- School of Nursing & MidwiferyZabol University of Medical SciencesZabolIran
| | | | | | | | - Zohre Makarem
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research CenterBam University of Medical SciencesBamIran
| | - Naghmeh Satarzadeh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of PharmacyKerman University of Medical SciencesKermanIran
| | - Amin Sadeghi Dousari
- Medical Mycology and Bacteriology Research CenterKerman University of Medical SciencesKermanIran
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22
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Zhang J, Tang A, Jin T, Sun D, Guo F, Lei H, Lin L, Shu W, Yu P, Li X, Li B. A panoramic view of the virosphere in three wastewater treatment plants by integrating viral-like particle-concentrated and traditional non-concentrated metagenomic approaches. IMETA 2024; 3:e188. [PMID: 38898980 PMCID: PMC11183165 DOI: 10.1002/imt2.188] [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: 02/18/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Wastewater biotreatment systems harbor a rich diversity of microorganisms, and the effectiveness of biotreatment systems largely depends on the activity of these microorganisms. Specifically, viruses play a crucial role in altering microbial behavior and metabolic processes throughout their infection phases, an aspect that has recently attracted considerable interest. Two metagenomic approaches, viral-like particle-concentrated (VPC, representing free viral-like particles) and non-concentrated (NC, representing the cellular fraction), were employed to assess their efficacy in revealing virome characteristics, including taxonomy, diversity, host interactions, lifestyle, dynamics, and functional genes across processing units of three wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Our findings indicate that each approach offers unique insights into the viral community and functional composition. Their combined use proved effective in elucidating WWTP viromes. We identified nearly 50,000 viral contigs, with Cressdnaviricota and Uroviricota being the predominant phyla in the VPC and NC fractions, respectively. Notably, two pathogenic viral families, Asfarviridae and Adenoviridae, were commonly found in these WWTPs. We also observed significant differences in the viromes of WWTPs processing different types of wastewater. Additionally, various phage-derived auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) were active at the RNA level, contributing to the metabolism of the microbial community, particularly in carbon, sulfur, and phosphorus cycling. Moreover, we identified 29 virus-carried antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) with potential for host transfer, highlighting the role of viruses in spreading ARGs in the environment. Overall, this study provides a detailed and integrated view of the virosphere in three WWTPs through the application of VPC and NC metagenomic approaches. Our findings enhance the understanding of viral communities, offering valuable insights for optimizing the operation and regulation of wastewater treatment systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Zhang
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolTsinghua UniversityShenzhenChina
- Research Center for Eco‐Environmental EngineeringDongguan University of TechnologyDongguanChina
| | - Aixi Tang
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolTsinghua UniversityShenzhenChina
| | - Tao Jin
- Guangdong Magigene Biotechnology Co., Ltd.ShenzhenChina
| | - Deshou Sun
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolTsinghua UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Tongchen Biotechnology Co., LimitedShenzhenChina
| | - Fangliang Guo
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolTsinghua UniversityShenzhenChina
| | - Huaxin Lei
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolTsinghua UniversityShenzhenChina
| | - Lin Lin
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolTsinghua UniversityShenzhenChina
| | - Wensheng Shu
- Guangdong Magigene Biotechnology Co., Ltd.ShenzhenChina
- Institute of Ecological Science, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life SciencesSouth China Normal UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Pingfeng Yu
- College of Environmental and Resource SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolTsinghua UniversityShenzhenChina
| | - Bing Li
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate SchoolTsinghua UniversityShenzhenChina
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23
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Kraus S, Fletcher ML, Łapińska U, Chawla K, Baker E, Attrill EL, O'Neill P, Farbos A, Jeffries A, Galyov EE, Korbsrisate S, Barnes KB, Harding SV, Tsaneva-Atanasova K, Blaskovich MAT, Pagliara S. Phage-induced efflux down-regulation boosts antibiotic efficacy. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012361. [PMID: 38941361 PMCID: PMC11239113 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012361] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The interactions between a virus and its host vary in space and time and are affected by the presence of molecules that alter the physiology of either the host or the virus. Determining the molecular mechanisms at the basis of these interactions is paramount for predicting the fate of bacterial and phage populations and for designing rational phage-antibiotic therapies. We study the interactions between stationary phase Burkholderia thailandensis and the phage ΦBp-AMP1. Although heterogeneous genetic resistance to phage rapidly emerges in B. thailandensis, the presence of phage enhances the efficacy of three major antibiotic classes, the quinolones, the beta-lactams and the tetracyclines, but antagonizes tetrahydrofolate synthesis inhibitors. We discovered that enhanced antibiotic efficacy is facilitated by reduced antibiotic efflux in the presence of phage. This new phage-antibiotic therapy allows for eradication of stationary phase bacteria, whilst requiring reduced antibiotic concentrations, which is crucial for treating infections in sites where it is difficult to achieve high antibiotic concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Kraus
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Megan L Fletcher
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Urszula Łapińska
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Krina Chawla
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Evan Baker
- Department of Mathematics and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
- EPSRC Hub for Quantitative Modelling in Healthcare, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Erin L Attrill
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Paul O'Neill
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Audrey Farbos
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Aaron Jeffries
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Edouard E Galyov
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Sunee Korbsrisate
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok Thailand
| | - Kay B Barnes
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah V Harding
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
| | - Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova
- Department of Mathematics and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
- EPSRC Hub for Quantitative Modelling in Healthcare, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Mark A T Blaskovich
- Centre for Superbug Solutions, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stefano Pagliara
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
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24
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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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25
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Dantas CWD, Martins DT, Nogueira WG, Alegria OVC, Ramos RTJ. Tools and methodology to in silico phage discovery in freshwater environments. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1390726. [PMID: 38881659 PMCID: PMC11176557 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1390726] [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: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Freshwater availability is essential, and its maintenance has become an enormous challenge. Due to population growth and climate changes, freshwater sources are becoming scarce, imposing the need for strategies for its reuse. Currently, the constant discharge of waste into water bodies from human activities leads to the dissemination of pathogenic bacteria, negatively impacting water quality from the source to the infrastructure required for treatment, such as the accumulation of biofilms. Current water treatment methods cannot keep pace with bacterial evolution, which increasingly exhibits a profile of multidrug resistance to antibiotics. Furthermore, using more powerful disinfectants may affect the balance of aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, there is a need to explore sustainable ways to control the spreading of pathogenic bacteria. Bacteriophages can infect bacteria and archaea, hijacking their host machinery to favor their replication. They are widely abundant globally and provide a biological alternative to bacterial treatment with antibiotics. In contrast to common disinfectants and antibiotics, bacteriophages are highly specific, minimizing adverse effects on aquatic microbial communities and offering a lower cost-benefit ratio in production compared to antibiotics. However, due to the difficulty involving cultivating and identifying environmental bacteriophages, alternative approaches using NGS metagenomics in combination with some bioinformatic tools can help identify new bacteriophages that can be useful as an alternative treatment against resistant bacteria. In this review, we discuss advances in exploring the virome of freshwater, as well as current applications of bacteriophages in freshwater treatment, along with current challenges and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Willian Dias Dantas
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Laboratory of Simulation and Computational Biology - SIMBIC, High Performance Computing Center - CCAD, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomics of Microorganisms, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - David Tavares Martins
- Laboratory of Simulation and Computational Biology - SIMBIC, High Performance Computing Center - CCAD, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomics of Microorganisms, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Wylerson Guimarães Nogueira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Oscar Victor Cardenas Alegria
- Laboratory of Simulation and Computational Biology - SIMBIC, High Performance Computing Center - CCAD, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomics of Microorganisms, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Rommel Thiago Jucá Ramos
- Laboratory of Simulation and Computational Biology - SIMBIC, High Performance Computing Center - CCAD, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Genomics of Microorganisms, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
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26
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Xepapadaki P, Megremis S, Rovina N, Wardzyńska A, Pasioti M, Kritikou M, Papadopoulos NG. Exploring the Impact of Airway Microbiome on Asthma Morbidity: A Focus on the "Constructing a 'Eubiosis Reinstatement Therapy' for Asthma-CURE" Project. Pulm Ther 2024:10.1007/s41030-024-00261-3. [PMID: 38814533 DOI: 10.1007/s41030-024-00261-3] [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: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The asthma pandemic imposes a huge burden on patients and health systems in both developed and developing countries. Despite available treatments, symptom control is generally suboptimal, and hospitalizations and deaths remain at unacceptably high levels. A pivotal aspect of asthma that warrants further exploration is the influence of the respiratory microbiome and virome in modulating disease activity. A plethora of studies report that the respiratory microbiome is characteristically dysbiotic in asthma. In addition, our data suggest that dysbiosis is also observed on the respiratory virome, partly characterized by the reduced abundance of bacteriophages (phages). Even though phages can naturally infect and control their bacterial prey, phage therapy has been grossly neglected in the Western world, although more recently it is more widely used as a novel tool against bacterial infections. However, it has never been used for tackling microbiome dysbiosis in human non-communicable diseases. This review provides an up-to-date understanding of the microbiome and virome's role within the airways in relation to asthma morbidity. It also advances the rationale and hypothesis for the CURE project. Specifically, the CURE project suggests that managing the respiratory microbiome through phage therapy is viable and may result in restoring eubiosis within the asthmatic airway. This entails controlling immune dysregulation and the clinical manifestation of the disease. To accomplish this goal, it is crucial to predict the effects of introducing specific phage mixtures into the intricate ecology of the airways and devise suitable interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paraskevi Xepapadaki
- Allergy Department, 2nd Paediatric Clinic, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 41, Fidippidou, 11527, Athens, Greece.
| | - Spyridon Megremis
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, Centre for Phage Research, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Nikoletta Rovina
- 1st Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sotiria Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Maria Pasioti
- Allergy Department, 2nd Paediatric Clinic, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 41, Fidippidou, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Kritikou
- Allergy Department, 2nd Paediatric Clinic, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 41, Fidippidou, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos G Papadopoulos
- Allergy Department, 2nd Paediatric Clinic, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 41, Fidippidou, 11527, Athens, Greece
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27
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Moore CJ, Bornemann TLV, Figueroa-Gonzalez PA, Esser SP, Moraru C, Soares AR, Hinzke T, Trautwein-Schult A, Maaß S, Becher D, Starke J, Plewka J, Rothe L, Probst AJ. Time-series metaproteogenomics of a high-CO 2 aquifer reveals active viruses with fluctuating abundances and broad host ranges. MICROLIFE 2024; 5:uqae011. [PMID: 38855384 PMCID: PMC11162154 DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Ecosystems subject to mantle degassing are of particular interest for understanding global biogeochemistry, as their microbiomes are shaped by prolonged exposure to high CO2 and have recently been suggested to be highly active. While the genetic diversity of bacteria and archaea in these deep biosphere systems have been studied extensively, little is known about how viruses impact these microbial communities. Here, we show that the viral community in a high-CO2 cold-water geyser (Wallender Born, Germany) undergoes substantial fluctuations over a period of 12 days, although the corresponding prokaryotic community remains stable, indicating a newly observed "infect to keep in check" strategy that maintains prokaryotic community structure. We characterized the viral community using metagenomics and metaproteomics, revealing 8 654 viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs). CRISPR spacer-to-protospacer matching linked 278 vOTUs to 32 hosts, with many vOTUs sharing hosts from different families. High levels of viral structural proteins present in the metaproteome (several structurally annotated based on AlphaFold models) indicate active virion production at the time of sampling. Viral genomes expressed many proteins involved in DNA metabolism and manipulation, and encoded for auxiliary metabolic genes, which likely bolster phosphate and sulfur metabolism of their hosts. The active viral community encodes genes to facilitate acquisition and transformation of host nutrients, and appears to consist of many nutrient-demanding members, based on abundant virion proteins. These findings indicate viruses are inextricably linked to the biogeochemical cycling in this high-CO2 environment and substantially contribute to prokaryotic community stability in the deep biosphere hotspots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Julia Moore
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Centre One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Till L V Bornemann
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Centre One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
- Centre of Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Perla Abigail Figueroa-Gonzalez
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Centre One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Sarah P Esser
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Centre One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Cristina Moraru
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Centre One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - André Rodrigues Soares
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Centre One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
- Centre of Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Tjorven Hinzke
- Department for Microbial Physiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
- Department of Pathogen Evolution, Helmholtz Institute for One Health, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Anke Trautwein-Schult
- Microbial Proteomics, Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Sandra Maaß
- Microbial Proteomics, Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Dörte Becher
- Microbial Proteomics, Institute of Microbiology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Joern Starke
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Centre One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Julia Plewka
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Centre One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Lousia Rothe
- Centre of Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Alexander J Probst
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Centre One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
- Centre of Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
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Ren Y, Shi W, Chen J, Li J. Water quality drives the reconfiguration of riverine planktonic microbial food webs. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 249:118379. [PMID: 38331144 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118379] [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: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
The food web is a cycle of matter and energy within river ecosystems. River environmental changes resulting from human activities are increasingly threatening the composition and diversity of global aquatic organisms and the multi-trophic networks. How multiple environmental factors influence food web patterns among multi-trophic microbial communities in rivers remains largely unknown. Using water quality evaluation and meta-omics techniques, we investigated the composition, structure and interaction characteristics, and drivers of food webs of microorganisms (archaea, bacteria, fungi, protists, metazoa, viridiplantae and viruses) at multiple trophic levels in different water quality environments (Classes II, III, and IV). First, water quality deterioration led to significant changes in the composition of the microbial community at multiple trophic levels, which were represented by the enrichment of Euryarchaeota in the archaeal community, the increase of r-strategists in the bacterial community, and the increase of the proportion of predators in the protist community. Second, deteriorating water quality resulted in a significant reduction in the dissimilarity of community structure (homogenization of community structure in Class III and IV waters). Of the symbiotic, parasitic, and predatory networks, the community networks in Class II water all showed the most stable symbiotic, parasitic, and predatory correlations (higher levels of modularity in the networks). In Class III and IV waters, nutrient inputs have led to increased reciprocal symbiosis and decreased competition between communities, which may have the risk of a positive feedback loop driving a system collapse. Finally, inputs of phosphorus and organic matter could be the main drivers of changes in the planktonic microbial food web in the Fen River. Overall, the results indicated the potential ecological risks of exogenous nutrient inputs, which were important for aquatic ecosystem conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanmin Ren
- Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, China
| | - Wei Shi
- Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, China
| | - Jianwen Chen
- Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, China
| | - Junjian Li
- Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, Shanxi, China.
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Oyejobi GK, Zhang X, Xiong D, Xue H, Shi M, Yang H, Wei H. Phage-Bacterial Interaction Alters Phenotypes Associated with Virulence in Acinetobacter baumannii. Viruses 2024; 16:743. [PMID: 38793624 PMCID: PMC11125765 DOI: 10.3390/v16050743] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages exert strong selection on their bacterial hosts to evolve resistance. At the same time, the fitness costs on bacteria following phage resistance may change their virulence, which may affect the therapeutic outcomes of phage therapy. In this study, we set out to assess the costs of phage resistance on the in vitro virulence of priority 1 nosocomial pathogenic bacterium, Acinetobacter baumannii. By subjecting phage-resistant variant Ev5-WHG of A. baumannii WHG40004 to several in vitro virulence profiles, we found that its resistance to phage is associated with reduced fitness in host microenvironments. Also, the mutant exhibited impaired adhesion and invasion to mammalian cells, as well as increased susceptibility to macrophage phagocytosis. Furthermore, the whole-genome sequencing of the mutant revealed that there exist multiple mutations which may play a role in phage resistance and altered virulence. Altogether, this study demonstrates that resistance to phage can significantly alter phenotypes associated with virulence in Acinetobacter baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greater Kayode Oyejobi
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (G.K.O.); (X.Z.); (D.X.); (H.X.); (M.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiaoxu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (G.K.O.); (X.Z.); (D.X.); (H.X.); (M.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dongyan Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (G.K.O.); (X.Z.); (D.X.); (H.X.); (M.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Heng Xue
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (G.K.O.); (X.Z.); (D.X.); (H.X.); (M.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Mengjuan Shi
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (G.K.O.); (X.Z.); (D.X.); (H.X.); (M.S.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (G.K.O.); (X.Z.); (D.X.); (H.X.); (M.S.)
| | - Hongping Wei
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; (G.K.O.); (X.Z.); (D.X.); (H.X.); (M.S.)
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30
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Guo J, Zhong Y, Wang Y, Liu P, Jin H, Wang Y, Shi L, Wang P, Li W. Phylogenetic Relationships and Evolution of the Genus Eganvirus (186-Type) Yersinia pestis Bacteriophages. Viruses 2024; 16:748. [PMID: 38793629 PMCID: PMC11126057 DOI: 10.3390/v16050748] [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: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Plague is an endemic infectious disease caused by Yersinia pestis. In this study, we isolated fourteen phages with similar sequence arrangements to phage 186; these phages exhibited different lytic abilities in Enterobacteriaceae strains. To illustrate the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary relationships between previously designated 186-type phages, we analysed the complete sequences and important genes of the phages, including whole-genome average nucleotide identity (ANI) and collinearity comparison, evolutionary analysis of four conserved structural genes (V, T, R, and Q genes), and analysis of the regulatory genes (cI, apl, and cII) and integrase gene (int). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that thirteen of the newly isolated phages belong to the genus Eganvirus and one belongs to the genus Felsduovirus in the family Peduoviridae, and these Eganvirus phages can be roughly clustered into three subgroups. The topological relationships exhibited by the whole-genome and structural genes seemed similar and stable, while the regulatory genes presented different topological relationships with the structural genes, and these results indicated that there was some homologous recombination in the regulatory genes. These newly isolated 186-type phages were mostly isolated from dogs, suggesting that the resistance of Canidae to Y. pestis infection may be related to the wide distribution of phages with lytic capability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Guo
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Changping, Beijing 102206, China; (J.G.); (Y.W.); (H.J.); (Y.W.)
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Youhong Zhong
- Yunnan Institute for Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, China; (Y.Z.); (P.L.); (L.S.)
- Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, China
| | - Yiting Wang
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Changping, Beijing 102206, China; (J.G.); (Y.W.); (H.J.); (Y.W.)
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Pan Liu
- Yunnan Institute for Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, China; (Y.Z.); (P.L.); (L.S.)
- Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, China
| | - Haixiao Jin
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Changping, Beijing 102206, China; (J.G.); (Y.W.); (H.J.); (Y.W.)
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yumeng Wang
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Changping, Beijing 102206, China; (J.G.); (Y.W.); (H.J.); (Y.W.)
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Liyuan Shi
- Yunnan Institute for Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, China; (Y.Z.); (P.L.); (L.S.)
- Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Yunnan Institute for Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, China; (Y.Z.); (P.L.); (L.S.)
- Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, China
| | - Wei Li
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, Changping, Beijing 102206, China; (J.G.); (Y.W.); (H.J.); (Y.W.)
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Beijing 102206, China
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31
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Wang Y, Zhang Z, Kang J, Chen B, Hong W, Lv B, Wang T, Qian H. Phages in different habitats and their ability to carry antibiotic resistance genes. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 469:133941. [PMID: 38447371 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133941] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
As the most abundant organisms on Earth, phages play a key role in the evolution of bacterial antibiotic resistance. Although previous studies have demonstrated the molecular mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer mediated by mobile genetic elements, our understanding of the intertwined relationships between antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and phages is limited. In this study, we analysed 2781 metagenomic samples to reveal the composition and species interactions of phage communities in different habitats as well as their capacity to carry ARGs with health risks. The composition of phage communities varies in different habitats and mainly depends on environmental conditions. Terrestrial habitats display more complex and robust interactions between phages than aquatic and human-associated habitats, resulting in the highest biodiversity of phages. Several types of phages in certain taxa (4.95-7.67%, mainly belonging to Caudoviricetes) have the capacity to carry specific ARGs and display a high potential risk to human health, especially in human-associated habitats. Overall, our results provide insights into the assembly mechanisms of phage communities and their effects on the dissemination of antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, PR China
| | - Zhenyan Zhang
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, PR China
| | - Jian Kang
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, PR China; College of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241002, PR China
| | - Bingfeng Chen
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, PR China
| | - Wenjie Hong
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, PR China
| | - Binghai Lv
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, PR China
| | - Tingzhang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, PR China.
| | - Haifeng Qian
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, PR China.
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32
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Wang Y, Gao Y, Wang X, Lin Y, Xu G, Yang F, Ni K. Insights into the phage community structure and potential function in silage fermentation. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 358:120837. [PMID: 38593737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120837] [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: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
The virus that infects bacteria known as phage, plays a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients. However, the community structure and potential functions of phages in silage fermentation remain largely unexplored. In this study, we utilized viral metagenomics (viromics) to investigate the types, lifestyles, functions, and nutrient utilization patterns of phages in silage. Our findings indicated a high prevalence of annotated phages belonging to Caudovirales and Geplafuvirales, as well as unclassified phages in silage. The predominant host types for these phages were Campylobacterales and Enterobacterales. Virulent phages dominated the silage environment due to their broader range of hosts and enhanced survival capabilities. All identified phages present in silage were found to be non-pathogenic. Although temperate and virulent phages carried distinct genes associated with nutrient cycling processes, the shared genes (prsA) involved in carbon metabolism underscore the potential significance of phages in regulating carbon metabolism in silage. Overall, our findings provide a valuable foundation for further exploring the complex interactions between phages and microorganisms in regulating silage fermentation quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Wang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China
| | - Yu Gao
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China
| | - Xin Wang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China
| | - Yanli Lin
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China
| | - Gang Xu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China
| | - Fuyu Yang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China.
| | - Kuikui Ni
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China.
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33
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Zhou K, Zhou H. Distribution patterns and functional diversity of DNA viruses determined by ecological niches in huge river ecosystems. Virology 2024; 593:110015. [PMID: 38359578 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
While the vast number of DNA and RNA viruses participate in biogeochemical cycles in natural systems, little is known about virome in river ecosystems. Here, we analyzed the DNA viral composition and its metabolic potential in the Yangtze River, including freshwater (FW) and freshwater sediments (FWS). A total of 1237 river-derived virus contigs (RVCs) were obtained following de novo assembly from 62 metagenomics. We found that the viral diversity is significantly positively correlated longitudinally. Moreover, FW exhibited a greater viral variety and significantly different composition than FWS. The viral co-occurrence network suggested that positive correlations predominate between RVCs. Lastly, 1657 viral functions were predicted by gene ontology. Notably, 96 of 150 RVCs with higher weights identified by random-forest classier were more abundant in FW, which most engage organic cyclic compound metabolic processes and hydrolase activity. Together, this study highlights the previously unrecognized viruses and the importance of their distributions and functions in major river systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| | - Hui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
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34
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Tan J, Wei N, Turcotte MM. Trophic interactions in microbiomes influence plant host population size and ecosystem function. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240612. [PMID: 38772419 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0612] [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: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant microbiomes that comprise diverse microorganisms, including prokaryotes, eukaryotes and viruses, are the key determinants of plant population dynamics and ecosystem function. Despite their importance, little is known about how species interactions (especially trophic interactions) between microbes from different domains modify the importance of microbiomes for plant hosts and ecosystems. Using the common duckweed Lemna minor, we experimentally examined the effects of predation (by bacterivorous protists) and parasitism (by bacteriophages) within microbiomes on plant population size and ecosystem phosphorus removal. Our results revealed that the addition of predators increased plant population size and phosphorus removal, whereas the addition of parasites showed the opposite pattern. The structural equation modelling further pointed out that predation and parasitism affected plant population size and ecosystem function via distinct mechanisms that were both mediated by microbiomes. Our results highlight the importance of understanding microbial trophic interactions for predicting the outcomes and ecosystem impacts of plant-microbiome symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisianan State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Na Wei
- The Holden Arboretum, Kirtland, OH 44094, USA
| | - Martin M Turcotte
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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35
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Kretz J, Börner J, Friedrich T, McIntosh M, Procida-Kowalski T, Gerken F, Wilhelm J, Klug G. Function of the RNA-targeting class 2 type VI CRISPR Cas system of Rhodobacter capsulatus. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1384543. [PMID: 38741736 PMCID: PMC11089165 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1384543] [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: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria use CRISPR Cas systems to defend against invading foreign nucleic acids, e.g., phage genomes, plasmids or mobile genetic elements. Some CRISPR Cas systems were reported to have physiological importance under a variety of abiotic stress conditions. We used physiological tests under different stress conditions and RNA-seq analyses to address the possible function of the RNA-targeting class 2 type VI CRISPR Cas system of the facultative phototrophic α-proteobacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus. Expression of the system was low under exponential non-stress conditions and high during oxidative stress, membrane stress and in stationary phase. Induction of the CRISPR Cas system in presence of a target protospacer RNA resulted in a growth arrest of R. capsulatus. RNA-seq revealed a strong alteration of the R. capsulatus transcriptome when cas13a was induced in presence of a target protospacer. RNA 5' end mapping indicated that the CRISPR Cas-dependent transcriptome remodeling is accompanied by fragmentation of cellular RNAs, e.g., for mRNAs originating from a genomic locus which encodes multiple ribosomal proteins and the RNA polymerase subunits RpoA, RpoB and RpoC. The data suggest a function of this CRISPR Cas system in regulated growth arrest, which may prevent the spread of phages within the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Kretz
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Janek Börner
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Tobias Friedrich
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
- Biomedical Informatics and Systems Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Matthew McIntosh
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Florian Gerken
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jochen Wilhelm
- Institute for Lung Health, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Gabriele Klug
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
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Chitboonthavisuk C, Martin C, Huss P, Peters JM, Anantharaman K, Raman S. Systematic genome-wide discovery of host factors governing bacteriophage infectivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.20.590424. [PMID: 38659955 PMCID: PMC11042327 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.20.590424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial host factors regulate the infection cycle of bacteriophages. Except for some well-studied host factors (e.g., receptors or restriction-modification systems), the contribution of the rest of the host genome on phage infection remains poorly understood. We developed PHAGEPACK, a pooled assay that systematically and comprehensively measures each host-gene impact on phage fitness. PHAGEPACK combines CRISPR interference with phage packaging to link host perturbation to phage fitness during active infection. Using PHAGEPACK, we constructed a genome-wide map of genes impacting T7 phage fitness in permissive E. coli, revealing pathways previously unknown to affect phage packaging. When applied to the non-permissive E. coli O121, PHAGEPACK identified pathways leading to host resistance; their removal increased phage susceptibility up to a billion-fold. Bioinformatic analysis indicates phage genomes carry homologs or truncations of key host factors, potentially for fitness advantage. In summary, PHAGEPACK offers valuable insights into phage-host interactions, phage evolution, and bacterial resistance.
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Zhong Q, Liao B, Liu J, Shen W, Wang J, Wei L, Ma Y, Dong PT, Bor B, McLean JS, Chang Y, Shi W, Cen L, Wu M, Liu J, Li Y, He X, Le S. Episymbiotic Saccharibacteria TM7x modulates the susceptibility of its host bacteria to phage infection and promotes their coexistence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319790121. [PMID: 38593079 PMCID: PMC11032452 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319790121] [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: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) play critical roles in modulating microbial ecology. Within the human microbiome, the factors influencing the long-term coexistence of phages and bacteria remain poorly investigated. Saccharibacteria (formerly TM7) are ubiquitous members of the human oral microbiome. These ultrasmall bacteria form episymbiotic relationships with their host bacteria and impact their physiology. Here, we showed that during surface-associated growth, a human oral Saccharibacteria isolate (named TM7x) protects its host bacterium, a Schaalia odontolytica strain (named XH001) against lytic phage LC001 predation. RNA-Sequencing analysis identified in XH001 a gene cluster with predicted functions involved in the biogenesis of cell wall polysaccharides (CWP), whose expression is significantly down-regulated when forming a symbiosis with TM7x. Through genetic work, we experimentally demonstrated the impact of the expression of this CWP gene cluster on bacterial-phage interaction by affecting phage binding. In vitro coevolution experiments further showed that the heterogeneous populations of TM7x-associated and TM7x-free XH001, which display differential susceptibility to LC001 predation, promote bacteria and phage coexistence. Our study highlights the tripartite interaction between the bacterium, episymbiont, and phage. More importantly, we present a mechanism, i.e., episymbiont-mediated modulation of gene expression in host bacteria, which impacts their susceptibility to phage predation and contributes to the formation of "source-sink" dynamics between phage and bacteria in biofilm, promoting their long-term coexistence within the human microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu Zhong
- Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Microbial Engineering Under the Educational Committee in Chongqing, Army Medical University, Chongqing400038, China
| | - Binyou Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan610041, China
| | - Jiazhen Liu
- Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Microbial Engineering Under the Educational Committee in Chongqing, Army Medical University, Chongqing400038, China
| | - Wei Shen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing401336, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Microbial Engineering Under the Educational Committee in Chongqing, Army Medical University, Chongqing400038, China
| | - Leilei Wei
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing400038, China
| | - Yansong Ma
- Department of Orthodontics, Capital Medical University, Beijing100050, China
| | - Pu-Ting Dong
- Department of Microbiology, The American Dental Association Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA02142
| | - Batbileg Bor
- Department of Microbiology, The American Dental Association Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA02142
- Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA02115
| | - Jeffrey S. McLean
- Department of Periodontics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98119
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Yunjie Chang
- Department of Cell Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang310058, China
- Department of Infectious Disease of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang310058, China
| | - Wenyuan Shi
- Department of Microbiology, The American Dental Association Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA02142
| | - Lujia Cen
- Department of Microbiology, The American Dental Association Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA02142
| | - Miaomiao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan610041, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06536
| | - Yan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan610041, China
| | - Xuesong He
- Department of Microbiology, The American Dental Association Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA02142
- Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA02115
| | - Shuai Le
- Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Microbial Engineering Under the Educational Committee in Chongqing, Army Medical University, Chongqing400038, China
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Jibola-Shittu MY, Heng Z, Keyhani NO, Dang Y, Chen R, Liu S, Lin Y, Lai P, Chen J, Yang C, Zhang W, Lv H, Wu Z, Huang S, Cao P, Tian L, Qiu Z, Zhang X, Guan X, Qiu J. Understanding and exploring the diversity of soil microorganisms in tea ( Camellia sinensis) gardens: toward sustainable tea production. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1379879. [PMID: 38680916 PMCID: PMC11046421 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1379879] [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: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Leaves of Camellia sinensis plants are used to produce tea, one of the most consumed beverages worldwide, containing a wide variety of bioactive compounds that help to promote human health. Tea cultivation is economically important, and its sustainable production can have significant consequences in providing agricultural opportunities and lowering extreme poverty. Soil parameters are well known to affect the quality of the resultant leaves and consequently, the understanding of the diversity and functions of soil microorganisms in tea gardens will provide insight to harnessing soil microbial communities to improve tea yield and quality. Current analyses indicate that tea garden soils possess a rich composition of diverse microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) of which the bacterial Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes and Chloroflexi and fungal Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Glomeromycota are the prominent groups. When optimized, these microbes' function in keeping garden soil ecosystems balanced by acting on nutrient cycling processes, biofertilizers, biocontrol of pests and pathogens, and bioremediation of persistent organic chemicals. Here, we summarize research on the activities of (tea garden) soil microorganisms as biofertilizers, biological control agents and as bioremediators to improve soil health and consequently, tea yield and quality, focusing mainly on bacterial and fungal members. Recent advances in molecular techniques that characterize the diverse microorganisms in tea gardens are examined. In terms of viruses there is a paucity of information regarding any beneficial functions of soil viruses in tea gardens, although in some instances insect pathogenic viruses have been used to control tea pests. The potential of soil microorganisms is reported here, as well as recent techniques used to study microbial diversity and their genetic manipulation, aimed at improving the yield and quality of tea plants for sustainable production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motunrayo Y. Jibola-Shittu
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhiang Heng
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Nemat O. Keyhani
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Yuxiao Dang
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ruiya Chen
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Sen Liu
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yongsheng Lin
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Pengyu Lai
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jinhui Chen
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Chenjie Yang
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Weibin Zhang
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Huajun Lv
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ziyi Wu
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shuaishuai Huang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa, China
| | - Pengxi Cao
- School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa, China
| | - Lin Tian
- Tibet Plateau Institute of Biology, Lhasa, China
| | - Zhenxing Qiu
- Fuzhou Technology and Business University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiayu Guan
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Junzhi Qiu
- Key Lab of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
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Eddoubaji Y, Aldeia C, Campos-Madueno EI, Moser AI, Kundlacz C, Perreten V, Hilty M, Endimiani A. A new in vivo model of intestinal colonization using Zophobas morio larvae: testing hyperepidemic ESBL- and carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli clones. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1381051. [PMID: 38659985 PMCID: PMC11039899 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1381051] [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: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Finding strategies for decolonizing gut carriers of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (MDR-Ec) is a public-health priority. In this context, novel approaches should be validated in preclinical in vivo gut colonization models before being translated to humans. However, the use of mice presents limitations. Here, we used for the first time Zophobas morio larvae to design a new model of intestinal colonization (28-days duration, T28). Three hyperepidemic MDR-Ec producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) or carbapenemases were administered via contaminated food to larvae for the first 7 days (T7): Ec-4901.28 (ST131, CTX-M-15), Ec-042 (ST410, OXA-181) and Ec-050 (ST167, NDM-5). Growth curve analyses showed that larvae became rapidly colonized with all strains (T7, ~106-7 CFU/mL), but bacterial load remained high after the removal of contaminated food only in Ec-4901.28 and Ec-042 (T28, ~103-4 CFU/mL). Moreover, larvae receiving a force-feeding treatment with INTESTI bacteriophage cocktail (on T7 and T10 via gauge needle) were decolonized by Ec-4901.28 (INTESTI-susceptible); however, Ec-042 and Ec-050 (INTESTI-resistant) did not. Initial microbiota (before administering contaminated food) was very rich of bacterial genera (e.g., Lactococcus, Enterococcus, Spiroplasma), but patterns were heterogeneous (Shannon diversity index: range 1.1-2.7) and diverse to each other (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index ≥30%). However, when larvae were challenged with the MDR-Ec with or without administering bacteriophages the microbiota showed a non-significant reduction of the diversity during the 28-day experiments. In conclusion, the Z. morio larvae model promises to be a feasible and high-throughput approach to study novel gut decolonization strategies for MDR-Ec reducing the number of subsequent confirmatory mammalian experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine Eddoubaji
- Institute for Infectious Diseases (IFIK), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School of Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Aldeia
- Institute for Infectious Diseases (IFIK), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Edgar I. Campos-Madueno
- Institute for Infectious Diseases (IFIK), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School of Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Aline I. Moser
- Institute for Infectious Diseases (IFIK), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cindy Kundlacz
- Institute for Infectious Diseases (IFIK), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Perreten
- Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Markus Hilty
- Institute for Infectious Diseases (IFIK), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Endimiani
- Institute for Infectious Diseases (IFIK), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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40
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Wang X, Tang Y, Yue X, Wang S, Yang K, Xu Y, Shen Q, Friman VP, Wei Z. The role of rhizosphere phages in soil health. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae052. [PMID: 38678007 PMCID: PMC11065364 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
While the One Health framework has emphasized the importance of soil microbiomes for plant and human health, one of the most diverse and abundant groups-bacterial viruses, i.e. phages-has been mostly neglected. This perspective reviews the significance of phages for plant health in rhizosphere and explores their ecological and evolutionary impacts on soil ecosystems. We first summarize our current understanding of the diversity and ecological roles of phages in soil microbiomes in terms of nutrient cycling, top-down density regulation, and pathogen suppression. We then consider how phages drive bacterial evolution in soils by promoting horizontal gene transfer, encoding auxiliary metabolic genes that increase host bacterial fitness, and selecting for phage-resistant mutants with altered ecology due to trade-offs with pathogen competitiveness and virulence. Finally, we consider challenges and avenues for phage research in soil ecosystems and how to elucidate the significance of phages for microbial ecology and evolution and soil ecosystem functioning in the future. We conclude that similar to bacteria, phages likely play important roles in connecting different One Health compartments, affecting microbiome diversity and functions in soils. From the applied perspective, phages could offer novel approaches to modulate and optimize microbial and microbe-plant interactions to enhance soil health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Wang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yike Tang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiufeng Yue
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Keming Yang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yangchun Xu
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Qirong Shen
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Ville-Petri Friman
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Zhong Wei
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
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Mancilla-Rojano J, Flores V, Cevallos MA, Ochoa SA, Parra-Flores J, Arellano-Galindo J, Xicohtencatl-Cortes J, Cruz-Córdova A. A bioinformatic approach to identify confirmed and probable CRISPR-Cas systems in the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus- Acinetobacter baumannii complex genomes. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1335997. [PMID: 38655087 PMCID: PMC11035748 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1335997] [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: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex, or Acb complex, consists of six species: Acinetobacter baumannii, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Acinetobacter nosocomialis, Acinetobacter pittii, Acinetobacter seifertii, and Acinetobacter lactucae. A. baumannii is the most clinically significant of these species and is frequently related to healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) arrays and associated genes (cas) constitute bacterial adaptive immune systems and function as variable genetic elements. This study aimed to conduct a genomic analysis of Acb complex genomes available in databases to describe and characterize CRISPR systems and cas genes. Methods Acb complex genomes available in the NCBI and BV-BRC databases, the identification and characterization of CRISPR-Cas systems were performed using CRISPRCasFinder, CRISPRminer, and CRISPRDetect. Sequence types (STs) were determined using the Oxford scheme and ribosomal multilocus sequence typing (rMLST). Prophages were identified using PHASTER and Prophage Hunter. Results A total of 293 genomes representing six Acb species exhibited CRISPR-related sequences. These genomes originate from various sources, including clinical specimens, animals, medical devices, and environmental samples. Sequence typing identified 145 ribosomal multilocus sequence types (rSTs). CRISPR-Cas systems were confirmed in 26.3% of the genomes, classified as subtypes I-Fa, I-Fb and I-Fv. Probable CRISPR arrays and cas genes associated with CRISPR-Cas subtypes III-A, I-B, and III-B were also detected. Some of the CRISPR-Cas systems are associated with genomic regions related to Cap4 proteins, and toxin-antitoxin systems. Moreover, prophage sequences were prevalent in 68.9% of the genomes. Analysis revealed a connection between these prophages and CRISPR-Cas systems, indicating an ongoing arms race between the bacteria and their bacteriophages. Furthermore, proteins associated with anti-CRISPR systems, such as AcrF11 and AcrF7, were identified in the A. baumannii and A. pittii genomes. Discussion This study elucidates CRISPR-Cas systems and defense mechanisms within the Acb complex, highlighting their diverse distribution and interactions with prophages and other genetic elements. This study also provides valuable insights into the evolution and adaptation of these microorganisms in various environments and clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jetsi Mancilla-Rojano
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Víctor Flores
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Miguel A. Cevallos
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Programa de Genómica Evolutiva, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Sara A. Ochoa
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Julio Parra-Flores
- Department of Nutrition and Public Health, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
| | - José Arellano-Galindo
- Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gomez, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Juan Xicohtencatl-Cortes
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Ariadnna Cruz-Córdova
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Intestinal, Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico, Mexico
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42
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Alsaadi SE, Lu H, Zhang M, Dykes GF, Allison HE, Horsburgh MJ. Bacteriophages from human skin infecting coagulase-negative Staphylococcus: diversity, novelty and host resistance. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8245. [PMID: 38589670 PMCID: PMC11001980 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59065-9] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The human skin microbiome comprises diverse populations that differ temporally between body sites and individuals. The virome is a less studied component of the skin microbiome and the study of bacteriophages is required to increase knowledge of the modulation and stability of bacterial communities. Staphylococcus species are among the most abundant colonisers of skin and are associated with both health and disease yet the bacteriophages infecting the most abundant species on skin are less well studied. Here, we report the isolation and genome sequencing of 40 bacteriophages from human skin swabs that infect coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) species, which extends our knowledge of phage diversity. Six genetic clusters of phages were identified with two clusters representing novel phages, one of which we characterise and name Alsa phage. We identified that Alsa phages have a greater ability to infect the species S. hominis that was otherwise infected less than other CoNS species by the isolated phages, indicating an undescribed barrier to phage infection that could be in part due to numerous restriction-modification systems. The extended diversity of Staphylococcus phages here enables further research to define their contribution to skin microbiome research and the mechanisms that limit phage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samah E Alsaadi
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Hanshuo Lu
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Minxing Zhang
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Gregory F Dykes
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Heather E Allison
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Malcolm J Horsburgh
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
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43
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Hu X, Yu C, He Y, Zhu S, Wang S, Xu Z, You S, Jiao Y, Liu SL, Bao H. Integrative metagenomic analysis reveals distinct gut microbial signatures related to obesity. BMC Microbiol 2024; 24:119. [PMID: 38580930 PMCID: PMC10996249 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03278-5] [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: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a metabolic disorder closely associated with profound alterations in gut microbial composition. However, the dynamics of species composition and functional changes in the gut microbiome in obesity remain to be comprehensively investigated. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of metagenomic sequencing data from both obese and non-obese individuals across multiple cohorts, totaling 1351 fecal metagenomes. Our results demonstrate a significant decrease in both the richness and diversity of the gut bacteriome and virome in obese patients. We identified 38 bacterial species including Eubacterium sp. CAG:274, Ruminococcus gnavus, Eubacterium eligens and Akkermansia muciniphila, and 1 archaeal species, Methanobrevibacter smithii, that were significantly altered in obesity. Additionally, we observed altered abundance of five viral families: Mesyanzhinovviridae, Chaseviridae, Salasmaviridae, Drexlerviridae, and Casjensviridae. Functional analysis of the gut microbiome indicated distinct signatures associated to obesity and identified Ruminococcus gnavus as the primary driver for function enrichment in obesity, and Methanobrevibacter smithii, Akkermansia muciniphila, Ruminococcus bicirculans, and Eubacterium siraeum as functional drivers in the healthy control group. Additionally, our results suggest that antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial virulence factors may influence the development of obesity. Finally, we demonstrated that gut vOTUs achieved a diagnostic accuracy with an optimal area under the curve of 0.766 for distinguishing obesity from healthy controls. Our findings offer comprehensive and generalizable insights into the gut bacteriome and virome features associated with obesity, with the potential to guide the development of microbiome-based diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinliang Hu
- Genomics Research Center, Key Laboratory of Gut Microbiota and Pharmacogenomics of Heilongjiang Province, State-Province Key Laboratory of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Harbin Medical University-University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine Centre for Infection and Genomics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Chong Yu
- Genomics Research Center, Key Laboratory of Gut Microbiota and Pharmacogenomics of Heilongjiang Province, State-Province Key Laboratory of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Harbin Medical University-University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine Centre for Infection and Genomics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yuting He
- Genomics Research Center, Key Laboratory of Gut Microbiota and Pharmacogenomics of Heilongjiang Province, State-Province Key Laboratory of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Harbin Medical University-University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine Centre for Infection and Genomics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Songling Zhu
- Genomics Research Center, Key Laboratory of Gut Microbiota and Pharmacogenomics of Heilongjiang Province, State-Province Key Laboratory of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Harbin Medical University-University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine Centre for Infection and Genomics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences (State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Ziqiong Xu
- Genomics Research Center, Key Laboratory of Gut Microbiota and Pharmacogenomics of Heilongjiang Province, State-Province Key Laboratory of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Harbin Medical University-University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine Centre for Infection and Genomics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Shaohui You
- Genomics Research Center, Key Laboratory of Gut Microbiota and Pharmacogenomics of Heilongjiang Province, State-Province Key Laboratory of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Harbin Medical University-University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine Centre for Infection and Genomics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yanlei Jiao
- Genomics Research Center, Key Laboratory of Gut Microbiota and Pharmacogenomics of Heilongjiang Province, State-Province Key Laboratory of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Harbin Medical University-University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine Centre for Infection and Genomics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Shu-Lin Liu
- Genomics Research Center, Key Laboratory of Gut Microbiota and Pharmacogenomics of Heilongjiang Province, State-Province Key Laboratory of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
- Harbin Medical University-University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine Centre for Infection and Genomics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
| | - Hongxia Bao
- Genomics Research Center, Key Laboratory of Gut Microbiota and Pharmacogenomics of Heilongjiang Province, State-Province Key Laboratory of Biomedicine-Pharmaceutics of China, College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
- Harbin Medical University-University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine Centre for Infection and Genomics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
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44
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Flores VS, Amgarten DE, Iha BKV, Ryon KA, Danko D, Tierney BT, Mason C, da Silva AM, Setubal JC. Discovery and description of novel phage genomes from urban microbiomes sampled by the MetaSUB consortium. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7913. [PMID: 38575625 PMCID: PMC10994904 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58226-0] [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: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are recognized as the most abundant members of microbiomes and have therefore a profound impact on microbial communities through the interactions with their bacterial hosts. The International Metagenomics and Metadesign of Subways and Urban Biomes Consortium (MetaSUB) has sampled mass-transit systems in 60 cities over 3 years using metagenomics, throwing light into these hitherto largely unexplored urban environments. MetaSUB focused primarily on the bacterial community. In this work, we explored MetaSUB metagenomic data in order to recover and analyze bacteriophage genomes. We recovered and analyzed 1714 phage genomes with size at least 40 kbp, from the class Caudoviricetes, the vast majority of which (80%) are novel. The recovered genomes were predicted to belong to temperate (69%) and lytic (31%) phages. Thirty-three of these genomes have more than 200 kbp, and one of them reaches 572 kbp, placing it among the largest phage genomes ever found. In general, the phages tended to be site-specific or nearly so, but 194 genomes could be identified in every city from which phage genomes were retrieved. We predicted hosts for 48% of the phages and observed general agreement between phage abundance and the respective bacterial host abundance, which include the most common nosocomial multidrug-resistant pathogens. A small fraction of the phage genomes are carriers of antibiotic resistance genes, and such genomes tended to be particularly abundant in the sites where they were found. We also detected CRISPR-Cas systems in five phage genomes. This study expands the previously reported MetaSUB results and is a contribution to the knowledge about phage diversity, global distribution, and phage genome content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius S Flores
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Deyvid E Amgarten
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruno Koshin Vázquez Iha
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | | | | | - Braden T Tierney
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Aline Maria da Silva
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil.
| | - João Carlos Setubal
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil.
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45
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Mayo-Muñoz D, Pinilla-Redondo R, Camara-Wilpert S, Birkholz N, Fineran PC. Inhibitors of bacterial immune systems: discovery, mechanisms and applications. Nat Rev Genet 2024; 25:237-254. [PMID: 38291236 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-023-00676-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
To contend with the diversity and ubiquity of bacteriophages and other mobile genetic elements, bacteria have developed an arsenal of immune defence mechanisms. Bacterial defences include CRISPR-Cas, restriction-modification and a growing list of mechanistically diverse systems, which constitute the bacterial 'immune system'. As a response, bacteriophages and mobile genetic elements have evolved direct and indirect mechanisms to circumvent or block bacterial defence pathways and ensure successful infection. Recent advances in methodological and computational approaches, as well as the increasing availability of genome sequences, have boosted the discovery of direct inhibitors of bacterial defence systems. In this Review, we discuss methods for the discovery of direct inhibitors, their diverse mechanisms of action and perspectives on their emerging applications in biotechnology and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mayo-Muñoz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Rafael Pinilla-Redondo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | | | - Nils Birkholz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Peter C Fineran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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46
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Ding Y, Zhang Y, Huang C, Wang J, Li H, Wang X. An electrochemical biosensor based on phage-encoded protein RBP 41 for rapid and sensitive detection of Salmonella. Talanta 2024; 270:125561. [PMID: 38128279 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125561] [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: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Salmonellosis caused by Salmonella contaminated food poses a serious threat to human health. The rapid and accurate detection of Salmonella is critical for preventing foodborne illness outbreaks. In this study, an electrochemical biosensor was developed using a newly identified biorecognition element, RBP 41, which is capable of specifically recognizing and binding to Salmonella. The biosensor was constructed through a layer-by-layer assembly of graphene oxide (GO), gold nanoparticles (GNPs), and RBP 41 on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), with the GNPs amplifying the detection signal. The established biosensor was able to detect Salmonella in concentrations ranging from 3 to 106 CFU/mL within approximately 30 min by using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) signal, and the estimated detection limit was to be 0.2984 Log10 CFU/mL. The biosensor demonstrated excellent specificity and was effective in detecting Salmonella in food matrices, such as skim milk and lettuce. Overall, this study highlights the potential of phage tail receptor binding proteins in biosensing and the proposed biosensor as a promising alternative for rapid and sensitive Salmonella detection in various samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Ding
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| | - Yiming Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| | - Chenxi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| | - Jia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| | - Huihui Li
- College of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China; College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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47
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Agapov A, Baker KS, Bedekar P, Bhatia RP, Blower TR, Brockhurst MA, Brown C, Chong CE, Fothergill JL, Graham S, Hall JP, Maestri A, McQuarrie S, Olina A, Pagliara S, Recker M, Richmond A, Shaw SJ, Szczelkun MD, Taylor TB, van Houte S, Went SC, Westra ER, White MF, Wright R. Multi-layered genome defences in bacteria. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 78:102436. [PMID: 38368839 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102436] [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: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved a variety of defence mechanisms to protect against mobile genetic elements, including restriction-modification systems and CRISPR-Cas. In recent years, dozens of previously unknown defence systems (DSs) have been discovered. Notably, diverse DSs often coexist within the same genome, and some co-occur at frequencies significantly higher than would be expected by chance, implying potential synergistic interactions. Recent studies have provided evidence of defence mechanisms that enhance or complement one another. Here, we review the interactions between DSs at the mechanistic, regulatory, ecological and evolutionary levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksei Agapov
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Kate S Baker
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Paritosh Bedekar
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Rama P Bhatia
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Tim R Blower
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Michael A Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Dover Street, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Cooper Brown
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | | | - Joanne L Fothergill
- Dept of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Shirley Graham
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - James Pj Hall
- Dept of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Alice Maestri
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Stuart McQuarrie
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Anna Olina
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | | | - Mario Recker
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Anna Richmond
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Steven J Shaw
- DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS6 7YB, UK
| | - Mark D Szczelkun
- DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS6 7YB, UK
| | - Tiffany B Taylor
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | | | - Sam C Went
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Edze R Westra
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK.
| | - Malcolm F White
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Rosanna Wright
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Dover Street, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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48
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Zhang M, Zhou Y, Cui X, Zhu L. The Potential of Co-Evolution and Interactions of Gut Bacteria-Phages in Bamboo-Eating Pandas: Insights from Dietary Preference-Based Metagenomic Analysis. Microorganisms 2024; 12:713. [PMID: 38674657 PMCID: PMC11051890 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040713] [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: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria and phages are two of the most abundant biological entities in the gut microbiome, and diet and host phylogeny are two of the most critical factors influencing the gut microbiome. A stable gut bacterial community plays a pivotal role in the host's physiological development and immune health. A phage is a virus that directly infects bacteria, and phages' close associations and interactions with bacteria are essential for maintaining the stability of the gut bacterial community and the entire microbial ecosystem. Here, we utilized 99 published metagenomic datasets from 38 mammalian species to investigate the relationship (diversity and composition) and potential interactions between gut bacterial and phage communities and the impact of diet and phylogeny on these communities. Our results highlight the co-evolutionary potential of bacterial-phage interactions within the mammalian gut. We observed a higher alpha diversity in gut bacteria than in phages and identified positive correlations between bacterial and phage compositions. Furthermore, our study revealed the significant influence of diet and phylogeny on mammalian gut bacterial and phage communities. We discovered that the impact of dietary factors on these communities was more pronounced than that of phylogenetic factors at the order level. In contrast, phylogenetic characteristics had a more substantial influence at the family level. The similar omnivorous dietary preference and closer phylogenetic relationship (family Ursidae) may contribute to the similarity of gut bacterial and phage communities between captive giant panda populations (GPCD and GPYA) and omnivorous animals (OC; including Sun bear, brown bear, and Asian black bear). This study employed co-occurrence microbial network analysis to reveal the potential interaction patterns between bacteria and phages. Compared to other mammalian groups (carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores), the gut bacterial and phage communities of bamboo-eating species (giant pandas and red pandas) exhibited a higher level of interaction. Additionally, keystone species and modular analysis showed the potential role of phages in driving and maintaining the interaction patterns between bacteria and phages in captive giant pandas. In sum, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between the gut microbiota and phages in mammals is of great significance, which is of great value in promoting healthy and sustainable mammals and may provide valuable insights into the conservation of wildlife populations, especially endangered animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lifeng Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210098, China; (M.Z.); (Y.Z.); (X.C.)
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49
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Castledine M, Buckling A. Critically evaluating the relative importance of phage in shaping microbial community composition. Trends Microbiol 2024:S0966-842X(24)00057-X. [PMID: 38604881 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The ubiquity of bacteriophages (phages) and the major evolutionary and ecological impacts they can have on their microbial hosts has resulted in phages often cited as key drivers shaping microbial community composition (the relative abundances of species). However, the evidence for the importance of phages is mixed. Here, we critically review the theory and data exploring the role of phages in communities, identifying the conditions when phages are likely to be important drivers of community composition. At ecological scales, we conclude that phages are often followers rather than drivers of microbial population and community dynamics. While phages can affect strain diversity within species, there is yet to be strong evidence suggesting that fluctuations in species' strains affects community composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan Castledine
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - Angus Buckling
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK
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50
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Liu Y, Liang Z, Yu S, Ye Y, Lin Z. CRISPR RNA-Guided Transposases Facilitate Dispensable Gene Study in Phage. Viruses 2024; 16:422. [PMID: 38543787 PMCID: PMC10974960 DOI: 10.3390/v16030422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Phages provide a potential therapy for multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. However, a significant portion of viral genes often remains unknown, posing potential dangers. The identification of non-essential genes helps dissect and simplify phage genomes, but current methods have various limitations. In this study, we present an in vivo two-plasmid transposon insertion system to assess the importance of phage genes, which is based on the V. cholerae transposon Tn6677, encoding a nuclease-deficient type I-F CRISPR-Cas system. We first validated the system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and its phage S1. We then used the selection marker AcrVA1 to protect transposon-inserted phages from CRISPR-Cas12a and enriched the transposon-inserted phages. For a pool of selected 10 open-reading frames (2 known functional protein genes and 8 hypothetical protein genes) of phage S1, we identified 5 (2 known functional protein genes and 3 hypothetical protein genes) as indispensable genes and the remaining 5 (all hypothetical protein genes) as dispensable genes. This approach offers a convenient, site-specific method that does not depend on homologous arms and double-strand breaks (DSBs), holding promise for future applications across a broader range of phages and facilitating the identification of the importance of phage genes and the insertion of genetic cargos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanmei Liu
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; (Y.L.); (Z.L.); (S.Y.)
| | - Zizhen Liang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; (Y.L.); (Z.L.); (S.Y.)
| | - Shuting Yu
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; (Y.L.); (Z.L.); (S.Y.)
| | - Yanrui Ye
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; (Y.L.); (Z.L.); (S.Y.)
| | - Zhanglin Lin
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; (Y.L.); (Z.L.); (S.Y.)
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
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