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Kovacs CJ, Antonacci A, Graham A, Jessup F, Rankin W, Brasko B, Maguire F, Washington MA, Kua SC, Burpo FJ, Barnhill JC. Comparing Methods to Genetically Engineer Bacteriophage and Increase Host Range. Mil Med 2024; 189:e1488-e1496. [PMID: 38780999 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usae226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Antibacterial resistance is an emerging problem in military medicine. Disruptions to the health care systems in war-torn countries that result from ongoing conflict can potentially exacerbate this problem and increase the risk to U.S. forces in the deployed environment. Therefore, novel therapies are needed to mitigate the impact of these potentially devastating infections on military operations. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. They can be delivered as therapeutic agents and offer a promising alternative to traditional antibiotic chemotherapy. There are several potential benefits to their use, including high specificity and comparative ease of use in the field setting. However, the process of engineering phages for military medical applications can be a laborious and time-consuming endeavor. This review examines available techniques and compares their efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS This review evaluates the scientific literature on the development and application of four methods of bacteriophage genome engineering and their consideration in the context of military applications. Preffered Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed for a systematic review of available literature that met criteria for analysis and inclusion. The research completed for this review article originated from the United States Military Academy's library "Scout" search engine, which compiles results from 254 available databases (including PubMed, Google Scholar, and SciFinder). Particular attention was focused on identifying useful mechanistic insight into the nature of the engineering technique, the ease of use, and the applicability of the technique to countering the problem of antimicrobial resistance in the military setting. RESULTS A total of 52 studies were identified that met inclusion criteria following PRISMA guidelines. The bioengineering techniques analyzed included homologous recombination (12 articles), in vivo recombineering (9 articles), bacteriophage recombineering of electroporated DNA (7 articles), and the CRISPR-Cas system (10 articles). Rates of success and fidelity varied across each platform, and comparative benefits and drawbacks are considered. CONCLUSIONS Each of the phage engineering techniques addressed herein varies in amount of effort and overall success rate. CRISPR-Cas-facilitated modification of phage genomes presents a highly efficient method that does not require a lengthy purification and screening process. It therefore appears to be the method best suited for military medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Kovacs
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060, USA
| | - Alessia Antonacci
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Abigail Graham
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Faye Jessup
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - William Rankin
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Brianna Brasko
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Fiona Maguire
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Michael A Washington
- Department of Clinical Investigation, Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, GA 30905, USA
| | - Siang C Kua
- Department of Clinical Investigation, Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, GA 30905, USA
| | - F John Burpo
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Jason C Barnhill
- Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
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2
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Parker DR, Nugen SR. Bacteriophage-Based Bioanalysis. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY (PALO ALTO, CALIF.) 2024; 17:393-410. [PMID: 39018352 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anchem-071323-084224] [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: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriophages, which are viral predators of bacteria, have evolved to efficiently recognize, bind, infect, and lyse their host, resulting in the release of tens to hundreds of propagated viruses. These abilities have attracted biosensor developers who have developed new methods to detect bacteria. Recently, several comprehensive reviews have covered many of the advances made regarding the performance of phage-based biosensors. Therefore, in this review, we first describe the landscape of phage-based biosensors and then cover advances in other aspects of phage biology and engineering that can be used to make high-impact contributions to biosensor development. Many of these advances are in fields adjacent to analytical chemistry such as synthetic biology, machine learning, and genetic engineering and will allow those looking to develop phage-based biosensors to start taking alternative approaches, such as a bottom-up design and synthesis of custom phages with the singular task of detecting their host.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Parker
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA;
| | - Sam R Nugen
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA;
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Woudstra C, Sørensen AN, Brøndsted L. Engineering of Salmonella Phages into Novel Antimicrobial Tailocins. Cells 2023; 12:2637. [PMID: 37998371 PMCID: PMC10670071 DOI: 10.3390/cells12222637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the extensive use of antibiotics, the increase of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria is now a global health concern. Phages have proven useful for treating bacterial infections and represent a promising alternative or complement to antibiotic treatment. Yet, other alternatives exist, such as bacteria-produced non-replicative protein complexes that can kill their targeted bacteria by puncturing their membrane (Tailocins). To expand the repertoire of Tailocins available, we suggest a new approach that transforms phages into Tailocins. Here, we genetically engineered the virulent Ackermannviridae phage S117, as well as temperate phages Fels-1, -2 and Gifsy-1 and -2, targeting the food pathogen Salmonella, by deleting the portal vertex or major capsid gene using CRISPR-Cas9. We report the production of Tailocin particles from engineered virulent and temperate phages able to kill their native host. Our work represents a steppingstone that taps into the huge diversity of phages and transforms them into versatile puncturing new antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lone Brøndsted
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (C.W.); (A.N.S.)
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Carmody CM, Nugen SR. Monomeric streptavidin phage display allows efficient immobilization of bacteriophages on magnetic particles for the capture, separation, and detection of bacteria. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16207. [PMID: 37758721 PMCID: PMC10533843 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42626-9] [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: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Immobilization of bacteriophages onto solid supports such as magnetic particles has demonstrated ultralow detection limits as biosensors for the separation and detection of their host bacteria. While the potential impact of magnetized phages is high, the current methods of immobilization are either weak, costly, inefficient, or laborious making them less viable for commercialization. In order to bridge this gap, we have developed a highly efficient, site-specific, and low-cost method to immobilize bacteriophages onto solid supports. While streptavidin-biotin represents an ideal conjugation method, the functionalization of magnetic particles with streptavidin requires square meters of coverage and therefore is not amenable to a low-cost assay. Here, we genetically engineered bacteriophages to allow synthesis of a monomeric streptavidin during infection of the bacterial host. The monomeric streptavidin was fused to a capsid protein (Hoc) to allow site-specific self-assembly of up to 155 fusion proteins per capsid. Biotin coated magnetic nanoparticles were functionalized with mSA-Hoc T4 phage demonstrated in an E. coli detection assay with a limit of detection of < 10 CFU in 100 mLs of water. This work highlights the creation of genetically modified bacteriophages with a novel capsid modification, expanding the potential for bacteriophage functionalized biotechnologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Carmody
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Sam R Nugen
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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5
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Jo SJ, Kwon J, Kim SG, Lee SJ. The Biotechnological Application of Bacteriophages: What to Do and Where to Go in the Middle of the Post-Antibiotic Era. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2311. [PMID: 37764155 PMCID: PMC10534921 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092311] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Amid the escalating challenges of antibiotic resistance, bacterial infections have emerged as a global threat. Bacteriophages (phages), viral entities capable of selectively infecting bacteria, are gaining momentum as promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics. Their distinctive attributes, including host specificity, inherent self-amplification, and potential synergy with antibiotics, render them compelling candidates. Phage engineering, a burgeoning discipline, involves the strategic modification of bacteriophages to enhance their therapeutic potential and broaden their applications. The integration of CRISPR-Cas systems facilitates precise genetic modifications, enabling phages to serve as carriers of functional genes/proteins, thereby enhancing diagnostics, drug delivery, and therapy. Phage engineering holds promise in transforming precision medicine, addressing antibiotic resistance, and advancing diverse applications. Emphasizing the profound therapeutic potential of phages, this review underscores their pivotal role in combatting bacterial diseases and highlights their significance in the post-antibiotic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Jin Jo
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Kwon
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, 79 Gobong-ro, Iksan City 54596, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Guen Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Jun Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science and Engineering, Seowon University, 377-3 Musimseoro, Seowon-gu, Cheong-ju City 28674, Republic of Korea
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6
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Usman SS, Uba AI, Christina E. Bacteriophage genome engineering for phage therapy to combat bacterial antimicrobial resistance as an alternative to antibiotics. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:7055-7067. [PMID: 37392288 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08557-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that mainly infect bacteria and are ubiquitously distributed in nature, especially to their host. Phage engineering involves nucleic acids manipulation of phage genome for antimicrobial activity directed against pathogens through the applications of molecular biology techniques such as synthetic biology methods, homologous recombination, CRISPY-BRED and CRISPY-BRIP recombineering, rebooting phage-based engineering, and targeted nucleases including CRISPR/Cas9, zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs). Management of bacteria is widely achieved using antibiotics whose mechanism of action has been shown to target both the genetic dogma and the metabolism of pathogens. However, the overuse of antibiotics has caused the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria which account for nearly 5 million deaths as of 2019 thereby posing threats to the public health sector, particularly by 2050. Lytic phages have drawn attention as a strong alternative to antibiotics owing to the promising efficacy and safety of phage therapy in various models in vivo and human studies. Therefore, harnessing phage genome engineering methods, particularly CRISPR/Cas9 to overcome the limitations such as phage narrow host range, phage resistance or any potential eukaryotic immune response for phage-based enzymes/proteins therapy may designate phage therapy as a strong alternative to antibiotics for combatting bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Here, the current trends and progress in phage genome engineering techniques and phage therapy are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sani Sharif Usman
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T. Road, Phagwara, 144401, Punjab, India
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Federal University of Kashere, P.M.B. 0182, Gombe, Nigeria
| | - Abdullahi Ibrahim Uba
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul AREL University, 34537, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Evangeline Christina
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T. Road, Phagwara, 144401, Punjab, India.
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7
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Meile S, Du J, Staubli S, Grossmann S, Koliwer-Brandl H, Piffaretti P, Leitner L, Matter CI, Baggenstos J, Hunold L, Milek S, Guebeli C, Kozomara-Hocke M, Neumeier V, Botteon A, Klumpp J, Marschall J, McCallin S, Zbinden R, Kessler TM, Loessner MJ, Dunne M, Kilcher S. Engineered reporter phages for detection of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, and Klebsiella in urine. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4336. [PMID: 37474554 PMCID: PMC10359277 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39863-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid detection and species-level differentiation of bacterial pathogens facilitates antibiotic stewardship and improves disease management. Here, we develop a rapid bacteriophage-based diagnostic assay to detect the most prevalent pathogens causing urinary tract infections: Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., and Klebsiella spp. For each uropathogen, two virulent phages were genetically engineered to express a nanoluciferase reporter gene upon host infection. Using 206 patient urine samples, reporter phage-induced bioluminescence was quantified to identify bacteriuria and the assay was benchmarked against conventional urinalysis. Overall, E. coli, Enterococcus spp., and Klebsiella spp. were each detected with high sensitivity (68%, 78%, 87%), specificity (99%, 99%, 99%), and accuracy (90%, 94%, 98%) at a resolution of ≥103 CFU/ml within 5 h. We further demonstrate how bioluminescence in urine can be used to predict phage antibacterial activity, demonstrating the future potential of reporter phages as companion diagnostics that guide patient-phage matching prior to therapeutic phage application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Meile
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jiemin Du
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Samuel Staubli
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Lorenz Leitner
- Department of Neuro-Urology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Laura Hunold
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sonja Milek
- Department of Neuro-Urology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Vera Neumeier
- Department of Neuro-Urology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Angela Botteon
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jochen Klumpp
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Marschall
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, US
| | - Shawna McCallin
- Department of Neuro-Urology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Zbinden
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas M Kessler
- Department of Neuro-Urology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Matthew Dunne
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Samuel Kilcher
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.
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8
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Khambhati K, Bhattacharjee G, Gohil N, Maurya R, Singh V. Exploring the potential of phage and their applications. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 200:1-12. [PMID: 37739550 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2023.04.001] [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: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistant microorganisms are significantly increasing due to horizontal gene transfer, mutation and overdose of antibiotics leading to serious health conditions globally. Several multidrug resistant microorganisms have shown resistance to even the last line of antibiotics making it very difficult to treat them. Besides using antibiotics, an alternative approach to treat such resistant bacterial pathogens through the use of bacteriophage (phage) was used in the early 1900s which however declined and vanished after the discovery of antibiotics. In recent times, phage has emerged and gained interest as an alternative approach to antibiotics to treat MDR pathogens. Phage can self-replicate by utilizing cellular machinery of bacterial host by following lytic and lysogenic life cycles and therefore suitable for rapid regeneration. Application of phage for detection of bacterial pathogens, elimination of bacteria, agents for controlling food spoilage, treating human disease and several others entitles phage as a futuristic antibacterial armamentarium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khushal Khambhati
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Gargi Bhattacharjee
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Nisarg Gohil
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Rupesh Maurya
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Vijai Singh
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India.
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9
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Hussain W, Yang X, Ullah M, Wang H, Aziz A, Xu F, Asif M, Ullah MW, Wang S. Genetic engineering of bacteriophages: Key concepts, strategies, and applications. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 64:108116. [PMID: 36773707 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entity in the world and hold a tremendous amount of unexplored genetic information. Since their discovery, phages have drawn a great deal of attention from researchers despite their small size. The development of advanced strategies to modify their genomes and produce engineered phages with desired traits has opened new avenues for their applications. This review presents advanced strategies for developing engineered phages and their potential antibacterial applications in phage therapy, disruption of biofilm, delivery of antimicrobials, use of endolysin as an antibacterial agent, and altering the phage host range. Similarly, engineered phages find applications in eukaryotes as a shuttle for delivering genes and drugs to the targeted cells, and are used in the development of vaccines and facilitating tissue engineering. The use of phage display-based specific peptides for vaccine development, diagnostic tools, and targeted drug delivery is also discussed in this review. The engineered phage-mediated industrial food processing and biocontrol, advanced wastewater treatment, phage-based nano-medicines, and their use as a bio-recognition element for the detection of bacterial pathogens are also part of this review. The genetic engineering approaches hold great potential to accelerate translational phages and research. Overall, this review provides a deep understanding of the ingenious knowledge of phage engineering to move them beyond their innate ability for potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wajid Hussain
- Advanced Biomaterials & Tissues Engineering Center, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xiaohan Yang
- Advanced Biomaterials & Tissues Engineering Center, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Mati Ullah
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Huan Wang
- Advanced Biomaterials & Tissues Engineering Center, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Ayesha Aziz
- Advanced Biomaterials & Tissues Engineering Center, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Fang Xu
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology Hospital, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Muhammad Asif
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Plasma Chemistry and Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430205, China
| | - Muhammad Wajid Ullah
- Biofuels Institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
| | - Shenqi Wang
- Advanced Biomaterials & Tissues Engineering Center, College of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
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10
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Jenson JM, Li T, Du F, Ea CK, Chen ZJ. Ubiquitin-like conjugation by bacterial cGAS enhances anti-phage defence. Nature 2023; 616:326-331. [PMID: 36848932 PMCID: PMC10097602 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05862-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
cGAS is an evolutionarily conserved enzyme that has a pivotal role in immune defence against infection1-3. In vertebrate animals, cGAS is activated by DNA to produce cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP)4,5, which leads to the expression of antimicrobial genes6,7. In bacteria, cyclic dinucleotide (CDN)-based anti-phage signalling systems (CBASS) have been discovered8-11. These systems are composed of cGAS-like enzymes and various effector proteins that kill bacteria on phage infection, thereby stopping phage spread. Of the CBASS systems reported, approximately 39% contain Cap2 and Cap3, which encode proteins with homology to ubiquitin conjugating (E1/E2) and deconjugating enzymes, respectively8,12. Although these proteins are required to prevent infection of some bacteriophages8, the mechanism by which the enzymatic activities exert an anti-phage effect is unknown. Here we show that Cap2 forms a thioester bond with the C-terminal glycine of cGAS and promotes conjugation of cGAS to target proteins in a process that resembles ubiquitin conjugation. The covalent conjugation of cGAS increases the production of cGAMP. Using a genetic screen, we found that the phage protein Vs.4 antagonized cGAS signalling by binding tightly to cGAMP (dissociation constant of approximately 30 nM) and sequestering it. A crystal structure of Vs.4 bound to cGAMP showed that Vs.4 formed a hexamer that was bound to three molecules of cGAMP. These results reveal a ubiquitin-like conjugation mechanism that regulates cGAS activity in bacteria and illustrates an arms race between bacteria and viruses through controlling CDN levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M Jenson
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Center for Inflammation Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Tuo Li
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Center for Inflammation Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Fenghe Du
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Center for Inflammation Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Chee-Kwee Ea
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Center for Inflammation Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Zhijian J Chen
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Center for Inflammation Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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11
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Sun Q, Shen L, Zhang BL, Yu J, Wei F, Sun Y, Chen W, Wang S. Advance on Engineering of Bacteriophages by Synthetic Biology. Infect Drug Resist 2023; 16:1941-1953. [PMID: 37025193 PMCID: PMC10072152 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s402962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Since bacteriophages (phages) were firstly reported at the beginning of the 20th century, the study on them experiences booming-fading-emerging with discovery and overuse of antibiotics. Although they are the hotspots for therapy of antibiotic-resistant strains nowadays, natural phage applications encounter some challenges such as limited host range and bacterial resistance to phages. Synthetic biology, one of the most dramatic directions in the recent 20-years study of microbiology, has generated numerous methods and tools and has contributed a lot to understanding phage evolution, engineering modification, and controlling phage-bacteria interactions. In order to better modify and apply phages by using synthetic biology techniques in the future, in this review, we comprehensively introduce various strategies on engineering or modification of phage genome and rebooting of recombinant phages, summarize the recent researches and potential directions of phage synthetic biology, and outline the current application of engineered phages in practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Sun
- Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Shaanxi Province, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lixin Shen
- Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Shaanxi Province, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bai-Ling Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiaoyang Yu
- Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Shaanxi Province, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069, People’s Republic of China
- Clinical Research Center, the Second Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210003, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fu Wei
- Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Shaanxi Province, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanmei Sun
- Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Shaanxi Province, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Chen
- Clinical Research Center, the Second Hospital of Nanjing, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210003, People’s Republic of China
- The Clinical Infectious Disease Center of Nanjing, Nanjing, 210003, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Wei Chen; Shiwei Wang, Email ;
| | - Shiwei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Shaanxi Province, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, 710069, People’s Republic of China
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12
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Elois MA, da Silva R, Pilati GVT, Rodríguez-Lázaro D, Fongaro G. Bacteriophages as Biotechnological Tools. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020349. [PMID: 36851563 PMCID: PMC9963553 DOI: 10.3390/v15020349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are ubiquitous organisms that can be specific to one or multiple strains of hosts, in addition to being the most abundant entities on the planet. It is estimated that they exceed ten times the total number of bacteria. They are classified as temperate, which means that phages can integrate their genome into the host genome, originating a prophage that replicates with the host cell and may confer immunity against infection by the same type of phage; and lytics, those with greater biotechnological interest and are viruses that lyse the host cell at the end of its reproductive cycle. When lysogenic, they are capable of disseminating bacterial antibiotic resistance genes through horizontal gene transfer. When professionally lytic-that is, obligately lytic and not recently descended from a temperate ancestor-they become allies in bacterial control in ecological imbalance scenarios; these viruses have a biofilm-reducing capacity. Phage therapy has also been advocated by the scientific community, given the uniqueness of issues related to the control of microorganisms and biofilm production when compared to other commonly used techniques. The advantages of using bacteriophages appear as a viable and promising alternative. This review will provide updates on the landscape of phage applications for the biocontrol of pathogens in industrial settings and healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Alves Elois
- Laboratory of Applied Virology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Raphael da Silva
- Laboratory of Applied Virology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Giulia Von Tönnemann Pilati
- Laboratory of Applied Virology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil
| | - David Rodríguez-Lázaro
- Microbiology Division, Faculty of Sciences, University of Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain
- Research Centre for Emerging Pathogens and Global Health, University of Burgos, 09001 Burgos, Spain
| | - Gislaine Fongaro
- Laboratory of Applied Virology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil
- Correspondence:
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13
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Zhang T, Tamman H, Coppieters 't Wallant K, Kurata T, LeRoux M, Srikant S, Brodiazhenko T, Cepauskas A, Talavera A, Martens C, Atkinson GC, Hauryliuk V, Garcia-Pino A, Laub MT. Direct activation of a bacterial innate immune system by a viral capsid protein. Nature 2022; 612:132-140. [PMID: 36385533 PMCID: PMC9712102 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05444-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved diverse immunity mechanisms to protect themselves against the constant onslaught of bacteriophages1-3. Similar to how eukaryotic innate immune systems sense foreign invaders through pathogen-associated molecular patterns4 (PAMPs), many bacterial immune systems that respond to bacteriophage infection require phage-specific triggers to be activated. However, the identities of such triggers and the sensing mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we identify and investigate the anti-phage function of CapRelSJ46, a fused toxin-antitoxin system that protects Escherichia coli against diverse phages. Using genetic, biochemical and structural analyses, we demonstrate that the C-terminal domain of CapRelSJ46 regulates the toxic N-terminal region, serving as both antitoxin and phage infection sensor. Following infection by certain phages, newly synthesized major capsid protein binds directly to the C-terminal domain of CapRelSJ46 to relieve autoinhibition, enabling the toxin domain to pyrophosphorylate tRNAs, which blocks translation to restrict viral infection. Collectively, our results reveal the molecular mechanism by which a bacterial immune system directly senses a conserved, essential component of phages, suggesting a PAMP-like sensing model for toxin-antitoxin-mediated innate immunity in bacteria. We provide evidence that CapRels and their phage-encoded triggers are engaged in a 'Red Queen conflict'5, revealing a new front in the intense coevolutionary battle between phages and bacteria. Given that capsid proteins of some eukaryotic viruses are known to stimulate innate immune signalling in mammalian hosts6-10, our results reveal a deeply conserved facet of immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhang
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hedvig Tamman
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kyo Coppieters 't Wallant
- Centre for Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Tatsuaki Kurata
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Michele LeRoux
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sriram Srikant
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Albinas Cepauskas
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ariel Talavera
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Chloe Martens
- Centre for Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Gemma C Atkinson
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Vasili Hauryliuk
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Abel Garcia-Pino
- Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
- WELBIO, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Michael T Laub
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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14
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Magaziner SJ, Salmond GPC. A novel T4- and λ-based receptor binding protein family for bacteriophage therapy host range engineering. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1010330. [PMID: 36386655 PMCID: PMC9659904 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1010330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Widespread multidrug antimicrobial resistance in emerging pathogens has led to a renewed interest in phage therapy as an alternative or supplement to traditional small molecule drugs. The primary limiting factors of phage therapy deployment rest in the narrow host range specificity of phage as well as a poor understanding of many phages’ unintended downstream effects on host physiology and microbiota as well as on adverse pathogen evolution. Consequently, this has made assembling well-defined and safe “phage-cocktails” of solely naturally occurring phages labor- and time-intensive. To increase the speed, efficacy, and safety of therapeutic deployment, there is exceptional interest in modulating the host ranges of well-characterized lytic phages (e.g., T4 and T7) by using synthetic strategies to the swap phage tail components, the receptor binding proteins (RBPs) key for host specificity. Here we identify the RBP of the Citrobacter rodentium temperate phage ΦNP as ORF6. Through bioinformatic and phylogenetic assays, we demonstrate this RBP to be closely related to the known RBPs of T4 and λ. Further investigation reveals a novel, greater than 200 members RBP family with phages targeting several notable human pathogens, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Shigella spp. With well characterized lytic members, this RBP family represents an ideal candidate for use in synthetic strategies for expanding therapeutic phage host ranges.
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15
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Mahler M, Costa AR, van Beljouw SPB, Fineran PC, Brouns SJJ. Approaches for bacteriophage genome engineering. Trends Biotechnol 2022; 41:669-685. [PMID: 36117025 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, bacteriophage research has been boosted by a rising interest in using phage therapy to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. In addition, there is a desire to use phages and their unique proteins for specific biocontrol applications and diagnostics. However, the ability to manipulate phage genomes to understand and control gene functions, or alter phage properties such as host range, has remained challenging due to a lack of universal selectable markers. Here, we discuss the state-of-the-art techniques to engineer and select desired phage genomes using advances in cell-free methodologies and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR associated protein (CRISPR-Cas) counter-selection approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Mahler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Ana Rita Costa
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands; Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Sam P B van Beljouw
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands; Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Peter C Fineran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Genetics Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Stan J J Brouns
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands; Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, the Netherlands.
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16
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Perspectives on using bacteriophages in biogerontology research and interventions. Chem Biol Interact 2022; 366:110098. [PMID: 35995258 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
With the development of materials engineering, gerontology-related research on new tools for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, including precision and personalised medicine, has expanded significantly. Using nanotechnology, drugs can be precisely delivered to organs, tissues, cells, and cell organelles, thereby enhancing their therapeutic effects. Here, we discuss the possible use of bacteriophages as nanocarriers that can improve the safety, efficiency, and sensitivity of conventional medical therapies. Phages are a new class of targeted-delivery vectors, which can carry high concentrations of cargo and protect other nontargeted cells from the senescent cell killing effects of senolytics. Bacteriophages can also be subjected to chemical and/or genetic modifications that would acquire novel properties and improve their ability to detect senescent cells and deliver senolytics. Phage research in experimental biogerontology will also develop strategies to efficiently deliver senolytics, target senescent cells, activate extrinsic apoptosis pathways in senescent cells, trigger immune cells to recognise senescent cells, induce autophagy, promote cell and tissue regeneration, inhibit senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) by senomorphic activity, stimulate the properties of mild stress-inducing hormetic agents and hormetins, and modulate the gut microbiome.
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17
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Srikant S, Guegler CK, Laub MT. The evolution of a counter-defense mechanism in a virus constrains its host range. eLife 2022; 11:79549. [PMID: 35924892 PMCID: PMC9391042 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria use diverse immunity mechanisms to defend themselves against their viral predators, bacteriophages. In turn, phages can acquire counter-defense systems, but it remains unclear how such mechanisms arise and what factors constrain viral evolution. Here, we experimentally evolved T4 phage to overcome a phage-defensive toxin-antitoxin system, toxIN, in E. coli. Through recombination, T4 rapidly acquires segmental amplifications of a previously uncharacterized gene, now named tifA, encoding an inhibitor of the toxin, ToxN. These amplifications subsequently drive large deletions elsewhere in T4's genome to maintain a genome size compatible with capsid packaging. The deleted regions include accessory genes that help T4 overcome defense systems in alternative hosts. Thus, our results reveal a trade-off in viral evolution; the emergence of one counter-defense mechanism can lead to loss of other such mechanisms, thereby constraining host range. We propose that the accessory genomes of viruses reflect the integrated evolutionary history of the hosts they infected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriram Srikant
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Chantal K Guegler
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Michael T Laub
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
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18
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LeRoux M, Srikant S, Teodoro GIC, Zhang T, Littlehale ML, Doron S, Badiee M, Leung AKL, Sorek R, Laub MT. The DarTG toxin-antitoxin system provides phage defence by ADP-ribosylating viral DNA. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1028-1040. [PMID: 35725776 PMCID: PMC9250638 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01153-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are broadly distributed, yet poorly conserved, genetic elements whose biological functions are unclear and controversial. Some TA systems may provide bacteria with immunity to infection by their ubiquitous viral predators, bacteriophages. To identify such TA systems, we searched bioinformatically for those frequently encoded near known phage defence genes in bacterial genomes. This search identified homologues of DarTG, a recently discovered family of TA systems whose biological functions and natural activating conditions were unclear. Representatives from two different subfamilies, DarTG1 and DarTG2, strongly protected E. coli MG1655 against different phages. We demonstrate that for each system, infection with either RB69 or T5 phage, respectively, triggers release of the DarT toxin, a DNA ADP-ribosyltransferase, that then modifies viral DNA and prevents replication, thereby blocking the production of mature virions. Further, we isolated phages that have evolved to overcome DarTG defence either through mutations to their DNA polymerase or to an anti-DarT factor, gp61.2, encoded by many T-even phages. Collectively, our results indicate that phage defence may be a common function for TA systems and reveal the mechanism by which DarTG systems inhibit phage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele LeRoux
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sriram Srikant
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Tong Zhang
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Megan L Littlehale
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shany Doron
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Mohsen Badiee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anthony K L Leung
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Department of Genetic Medicine, Department of Oncology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rotem Sorek
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Michael T Laub
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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19
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Yue H, Li Y, Yang M, Mao C. T7 Phage as an Emerging Nanobiomaterial with Genetically Tunable Target Specificity. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2103645. [PMID: 34914854 PMCID: PMC8811829 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202103645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are specific antagonists against bacteria. T7 phage has drawn massive attention in precision medicine owing to its distinctive advantages, such as short replication cycle, ease in displaying peptides and proteins, high stability and cloning efficiency, facile manipulation, and convenient storage. By introducing foreign gene into phage DNA, T7 phage can present foreign peptides or proteins site-specifically on its capsid, enabling it to become a nanoparticle that can be genetically engineered to screen and display a peptide or protein capable of recognizing a specific target with high affinity. This review critically introduces the biomedical use of T7 phage, ranging from the detection of serological biomarkers and bacterial pathogens, recognition of cells or tissues with high affinity, design of gene vectors or vaccines, to targeted therapy of different challenging diseases (e.g., bacterial infection, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, inflammatory disease, and foot-mouth disease). It also discusses perspectives and challenges in exploring T7 phage, including the understanding of its interactions with human body, assembly into scaffolds for tissue regeneration, integration with genome editing, and theranostic use in clinics. As a genetically modifiable biological nanoparticle, T7 phage holds promise as biomedical imaging probes, therapeutic agents, drug and gene carriers, and detection tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Yue
- School of Materials Science and EngineeringZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310027P. R. China
| | - Yan Li
- Institute of Applied Bioresource ResearchCollege of Animal ScienceZhejiang UniversityYuhangtang Road 866HangzhouZhejiang310058P. R. China
| | - Mingying Yang
- Institute of Applied Bioresource ResearchCollege of Animal ScienceZhejiang UniversityYuhangtang Road 866HangzhouZhejiang310058P. R. China
| | - Chuanbin Mao
- School of Materials Science and EngineeringZhejiang UniversityHangzhouZhejiang310027P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryStephenson Life Science Research CenterInstitute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and TechnologyUniversity of Oklahoma101 Stephenson ParkwayNormanOklahoma73019‐5251USA
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20
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Adler BA, Hessler T, Cress BF, Lahiri A, Mutalik VK, Barrangou R, Banfield J, Doudna JA. Broad-spectrum CRISPR-Cas13a enables efficient phage genome editing. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1967-1979. [PMID: 36316451 PMCID: PMC9712115 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01258-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas13 proteins are RNA-guided RNA nucleases that defend against incoming RNA and DNA phages by binding to complementary target phage transcripts followed by general, non-specific RNA degradation. Here we analysed the defensive capabilities of LbuCas13a from Leptotrichia buccalis and found it to have robust antiviral activity unaffected by target phage gene essentiality, gene expression timing or target sequence location. Furthermore, we find LbuCas13a antiviral activity to be broadly effective against a wide range of phages by challenging LbuCas13a against nine E. coli phages from diverse phylogenetic groups. Leveraging the versatility and potency enabled by LbuCas13a targeting, we applied LbuCas13a towards broad-spectrum phage editing. Using a two-step phage-editing and enrichment method, we achieved seven markerless genome edits in three diverse phages with 100% efficiency, including edits as large as multi-gene deletions and as small as replacing a single codon. Cas13a can be applied as a generalizable tool for editing the most abundant and diverse biological entities on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A. Adler
- grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Tomas Hessler
- grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.184769.50000 0001 2231 4551Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Brady F. Cress
- grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Arushi Lahiri
- grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Vivek K. Mutalik
- grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.184769.50000 0001 2231 4551Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Rodolphe Barrangou
- grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.40803.3f0000 0001 2173 6074Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Jillian Banfield
- grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.184769.50000 0001 2231 4551Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XUniversity of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jennifer A. Doudna
- grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.184769.50000 0001 2231 4551Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA ,grid.184769.50000 0001 2231 4551MBIB Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA USA
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21
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Farquharson EL, Lightbown A, Pulkkinen E, Russell T, Werner B, Nugen SR. Evaluating Phage Tail Fiber Receptor-Binding Proteins Using a Luminescent Flow-Through 96-Well Plate Assay. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:741304. [PMID: 34975779 PMCID: PMC8719110 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.741304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Phages have demonstrated significant potential as therapeutics in bacterial disease control and as diagnostics due to their targeted bacterial host range. Host range has typically been defined by plaque assays; an important technique for therapeutic development that relies on the ability of a phage to form a plaque upon a lawn of monoculture bacteria. Plaque assays cannot be used to evaluate a phage's ability to recognize and adsorb to a bacterial strain of interest if the infection process is thwarted post-adsorption or is temporally delayed, and it cannot highlight which phages have the strongest adsorption characteristics. Other techniques, such as classic adsorption assays, are required to define a phage's "adsorptive host range." The issue shared amongst all adsorption assays, however, is that they rely on the use of a complete bacteriophage and thus inherently describe when all adsorption-specific machinery is working together to facilitate bacterial surface adsorption. These techniques cannot be used to examine individual interactions between a singular set of a phage's adsorptive machinery (like long tail fibers, short tail fibers, tail spikes, etc.) and that protein's targeted bacterial surface receptor. To address this gap in knowledge we have developed a high-throughput, filtration-based, bacterial binding assay that can evaluate the adsorptive capability of an individual set of a phage's adsorption machinery. In this manuscript, we used a fusion protein comprised of an N-terminal bioluminescent tag translationally fused to T4's long tail fiber binding tip (gp37) to evaluate and quantify gp37's relative adsorptive strength against the Escherichia coli reference collection (ECOR) panel of 72 Escherichia coli isolates. Gp37 could adsorb to 61 of the 72 ECOR strains (85%) but coliphage T4 only formed plaques on 8 of the 72 strains (11%). Overlaying these two datasets, we were able to identify ECOR strains incompatible with T4 due to failed adsorption, and strains T4 can adsorb to but is thwarted in replication at a step post-adsorption. While this manuscript only demonstrates our assay's ability to characterize adsorptive capabilities of phage tail fibers, our assay could feasibly be modified to evaluate other adsorption-specific phage proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Sam R. Nugen
- Nugen Research Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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22
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Dong J, Chen C, Liu Y, Zhu J, Li M, Rao VB, Tao P. Engineering T4 Bacteriophage for In Vivo Display by Type V CRISPR-Cas Genome Editing. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:2639-2648. [PMID: 34546037 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophage T4 has enormous potential for biomedical applications due to its large size, capsid architecture, and high payload capability for protein and DNA delivery. However, it is not very easy to genetically engineer its genome heavily modified by cytosine hydroxymethylation and glucosylation. The glucosyl hydroxymethyl cytosine (ghmC) genome of phage is completely resistant to most restriction endonucleases and exhibits various degrees of resistance to CRISPR-Cas systems. Here, we found that the type V CRISPR-Cas12a system, which shows efficient cleavage of ghmC-modified genome when compared to the type II CRISPR-Cas9 system, can be synergistically employed to generate recombinant T4 phages. Focused on surface display, we analyzed the ability of phage T4 outer capsid proteins Hoc (highly antigenic outer capsid protein) and Soc (small outer capsid protein) to tether, in vivo, foreign peptides and proteins to T4 capsid. Our data show that while these could be successfully expressed and displayed during the phage infection, shorter peptides are present at a much higher copy number than full-length proteins. However, the copy number of the latter could be elevated by driving the expression of the transgene using the strong T7 RNA polymerase expression system. This CRISPR-inspired approach has the potential to expand the application of phages to various basic and translational research projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhua Dong
- Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
- Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Cen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
- Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Yuepeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
- Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Jingen Zhu
- Bacteriophage Medical Research Center, Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, District of Columbia 20064, United States
| | - Mengling Li
- Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
- Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Venigalla B Rao
- Bacteriophage Medical Research Center, Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, District of Columbia 20064, United States
| | - Pan Tao
- Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
- Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
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23
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Construction of Leaderless-Bacteriocin-Producing Bacteriophage Targeting E. coli and Neighboring Gram-Positive Pathogens. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0014121. [PMID: 34259542 PMCID: PMC8552711 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00141-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lytic bacteriophages are expected as effective tools to control infectious bacteria in human and pathogenic or spoilage bacteria in foods. Leaderless bacteriocins (LLBs) are simple bacteriocins produced by Gram-positive bacteria. LLBs do not possess an N-terminal leader peptide in the precursor, which means that they are active immediately after translation. In this study, we constructed a novel antimicrobial agent, an LLB-producing phage (LLB-phage), by genetic engineering to introduce the LLB structural gene into the lytic phage genome. To this end, lnqQ (structure gene of an LLB, lacticin Q) and trxA, an essential gene for T7 phage genome replication, were integrated in tandem into T7 phage genome using homologous recombination in Escherichia coli host strain. The recombinant lnqQ-T7 phage was isolated by a screening method using ΔtrxA host strain. lnqQ-T7 phage formed a clear halo in agar plates containing both E. coli and lacticin Q-susceptible Bacillus coagulans, indicating that lnqQ-T7 phage could produce a significant amount of lacticin Q. Lacticin Q production did not exert a significant effect on the lytic cycle of T7 phage. In fact, the production of lacticin Q enhanced T7 phage lytic activity and helped to prevent the emergence of bacterial populations resistant against this phage. These results serve as a proof of principle for LLB-phages. There are different types of LLBs and phages, meaning that in the future, it may be possible to produce any number of LLB-phages which can be designed to efficiently control different types of bacterial contamination in different settings. IMPORTANCE We demonstrated that we could combine LLB and phage to construct promising novel antimicrobial agents, LLB-phage. The first LLB-phage, lnqQ-T7 phage, can control the growth of both the Gram-negative host strain and neighboring Gram-positive bacteria while preventing the emergence of phage resistance in the host strain. There are several different types of LLBs and phages, suggesting that we may be able to design a battery of LLB-phages by selecting novel combinations of LLBs and phages. These constructs could be tailored to control various bacterial contaminations and infectious diseases.
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O'Connell L, Marcoux PR, Roupioz Y. Strategies for Surface Immobilization of Whole Bacteriophages: A Review. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021; 7:1987-2014. [PMID: 34038088 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophage immobilization is a key unit operation in emerging biotechnologies, enabling new possibilities for biodetection of pathogenic microbes at low concentration, production of materials with novel antimicrobial properties, and fundamental research on bacteriophages themselves. Wild type bacteriophages exhibit extreme binding specificity for a single species, and often for a particular subspecies, of bacteria. Since their specificity originates in epitope recognition by capsid proteins, which can be altered by chemical or genetic modification, their binding specificity may also be redirected toward arbitrary substrates and/or a variety of analytes in addition to bacteria. The immobilization of bacteriophages on planar and particulate substrates is thus an area of active and increasing scientific interest. This review assembles the knowledge gained so far in the immobilization of whole phage particles, summarizing the main chemistries, and presenting the current state-of-the-art both for an audience well-versed in bioconjugation methods as well as for those who are new to the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry O'Connell
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, LETI, F38054 Grenoble, France.,Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, SyMMES, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | - Yoann Roupioz
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, SyMMES, 38000 Grenoble, France
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25
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Abstract
Bacteriophages are viruses whose ubiquity in nature and remarkable specificity to their host bacteria enable an impressive and growing field of tunable biotechnologies in agriculture and public health. Bacteriophage capsids, which house and protect their nucleic acids, have been modified with a range of functionalities (e.g., fluorophores, nanoparticles, antigens, drugs) to suit their final application. Functional groups naturally present on bacteriophage capsids can be used for electrostatic adsorption or bioconjugation, but their impermanence and poor specificity can lead to inconsistencies in coverage and function. To overcome these limitations, researchers have explored both genetic and chemical modifications to enable strong, specific bonds between phage capsids and their target conjugates. Genetic modification methods involve introducing genes for alternative amino acids, peptides, or protein sequences into either the bacteriophage genomes or capsid genes on host plasmids to facilitate recombinant phage generation. Chemical modification methods rely on reacting functional groups present on the capsid with activated conjugates under the appropriate solution pH and salt conditions. This review surveys the current state-of-the-art in both genetic and chemical bacteriophage capsid modification methodologies, identifies major strengths and weaknesses of methods, and discusses areas of research needed to propel bacteriophage technology in development of biosensors, vaccines, therapeutics, and nanocarriers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julie M. Goddard
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Sam R. Nugen
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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