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Oka GU, Souza DP, Sgro GG, Guzzo CR, Dunger G, Farah CS. Xanthomonas immunity proteins protect against the cis-toxic effects of their cognate T4SS effectors. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:1436-1452. [PMID: 38332152 PMCID: PMC10933484 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-024-00060-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Many bacteria kill rival species by translocating toxic effectors into target cells. Effectors are often encoded along with cognate immunity proteins that could (i) protect against "friendly-fire" (trans-intoxication) from neighboring sister cells and/or (ii) protect against internal cis-intoxication (suicide). Here, we distinguish between these two mechanisms in the case of the bactericidal Xanthomonas citri Type IV Secretion System (X-T4SS). We use a set of X. citri mutants lacking multiple effector/immunity protein (X-Tfe/X-Tfi) pairs to show that X-Tfis are not absolutely required to protect against trans-intoxication by wild-type cells. Our investigation then focused on the in vivo function of the lysozyme-like effector X-TfeXAC2609 and its cognate immunity protein X-TfiXAC2610. In the absence of X-TfiXAC2610, we observe X-TfeXAC2609-dependent and X-T4SS-independent accumulation of damage in the X. citri cell envelope, cell death, and inhibition of biofilm formation. While immunity proteins in other systems have been shown to protect against attacks by sister cells (trans-intoxication), this is an example of an antibacterial secretion system in which the immunity proteins are dedicated to protecting cells against cis-intoxication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel U Oka
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Structure and Function of Bacterial Nanomachines, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie-CNRS, UMR 5234 Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité University of Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Diorge P Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Division of Cell Biology, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Germán G Sgro
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Departamento de Ciências BioMoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Cristiane R Guzzo
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - German Dunger
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias del Litoral (ICiAgro Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Esperanza, Argentina
| | - Chuck S Farah
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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2
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Samir S. Molecular Machinery of the Triad Holin, Endolysin, and Spanin: Key Players Orchestrating Bacteriophage-Induced Cell Lysis and their Therapeutic Applications. Protein Pept Lett 2024; 31:85-96. [PMID: 38258777 DOI: 10.2174/0109298665181166231212051621] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Phage therapy, a promising alternative to combat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, harnesses the lytic cycle of bacteriophages to target and eliminate bacteria. Key players in this process are the phage lysis proteins, including holin, endolysin, and spanin, which work synergistically to disrupt the bacterial cell wall and induce lysis. Understanding the structure and function of these proteins is crucial for the development of effective therapies. Recombinant versions of these proteins have been engineered to enhance their stability and efficacy. Recent progress in the field has led to the approval of bacteriophage-based therapeutics as drugs, paving the way for their clinical use. These proteins can be combined in phage cocktails or combined with antibiotics to enhance their activity against bacterial biofilms, a common cause of treatment failure. Animal studies and clinical trials are being conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of phage therapy in humans. Overall, phage therapy holds great potential as a valuable tool in the fight against multidrug- resistant bacteria, offering hope for the future of infectious disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safia Samir
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
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Premetis GE, Georgakis ND, Stathi A, Labrou NE. Metaviromics analysis of marine biofilm reveals a glycoside hydrolase endolysin with high specificity towards Acinetobacter baumannii. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2023; 1871:140918. [PMID: 37150474 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2023.140918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are a growing threat to the public health. Among them, the Gram-negative Acinetobacter baumannii is considered today as the most dangerous MDR pathogen. Phage-derived endolysins are peptidoglycan (PG) hydrolytic enzymes that can function as effective tools in the fight against MDR bacteria. In the present work, the viral diversity of a marine environmental sample (biofilm), formed near an industrial zone, was mined for the identification of a putative endolysin (AbLys2) that belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family 24 (GH24, EC 3.2.1.17). The coding sequence of AbLys2 was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The lytic activity and specificity of the recombinant enzyme were evaluated against suspensions of a range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative human pathogens using turbidity assays. AbLys2 displayed enhanced selectivity towards A. baumannii cells, compared to other bacteria. Kinetics analysis was carried out to characterize the dependence of its lytic activity on pH and showed that the enzyme exhibits its maximal activity at pH 5.5. Thermostability analysis showed that AbLys2 displays melting temperature Tm 47.1 °C. Florescence microscopy and cell viability assays established that AbLys2 is active towards live cultures of A. baumannii cells with an inhibitory concentration IC50 3.41 ± 0.09 μM. Molecular modeling allowed the prediction of important amino acid residues involved in catalysis. The results of the present study suggest that AbLys2 provides efficient lytic and antimicrobial activity towards A. baumannii cells and therefore is a promising new antimicrobial against this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios E Premetis
- Laboratory of Enzyme Technology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Street, GR-11855 -Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos D Georgakis
- Laboratory of Enzyme Technology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Street, GR-11855 -Athens, Greece
| | - Angeliki Stathi
- Department of Microbiology, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos E Labrou
- Laboratory of Enzyme Technology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Street, GR-11855 -Athens, Greece.
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4
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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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Sanya DRA, Onésime D, Vizzarro G, Jacquier N. Recent advances in therapeutic targets identification and development of treatment strategies towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:86. [PMID: 36991325 PMCID: PMC10060139 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-02832-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the causal agent of a wide variety of infections. This non-fermentative Gram-negative bacillus can colonize zones where the skin barrier is weakened, such as wounds or burns. It also causes infections of the urinary tract, respiratory system or bloodstream. P. aeruginosa infections are common in hospitalized patients for which multidrug-resistant, respectively extensively drug-resistant isolates can be a strong contributor to a high rate of in-hospital mortality. Moreover, chronic respiratory system infections of cystic fibrosis patients are especially concerning, since very tedious to treat. P. aeruginosa exploits diverse cell-associated and secreted virulence factors, which play essential roles in its pathogenesis. Those factors encompass carbohydrate-binding proteins, quorum sensing that monitor the production of extracellular products, genes conferring extensive drug resistance, and a secretion system to deliver effectors to kill competitors or subvert host essential functions. In this article, we highlight recent advances in the understanding of P. aeruginosa pathogenicity and virulence as well as efforts for the identification of new drug targets and the development of new therapeutic strategies against P. aeruginosa infections. These recent advances provide innovative and promising strategies to circumvent infection caused by this important human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Djamila Onésime
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, Jouy-en-Josas, 78350, France
| | - Grazia Vizzarro
- Institute of Microbiology, University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland
- Present Address: Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Station 19, EPFL-SV-UPBLO, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Jacquier
- Institute of Microbiology, University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1011, Switzerland.
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Yutin N, Rayko M, Antipov D, Mutz P, Wolf YI, Krupovic M, Koonin EV. Varidnaviruses in the Human Gut: A Major Expansion of the Order Vinavirales. Viruses 2022; 14:v14091842. [PMID: 36146653 PMCID: PMC9502842 DOI: 10.3390/v14091842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages play key roles in the dynamics of the human microbiome. By far the most abundant components of the human gut virome are tailed bacteriophages of the realm Duplodnaviria, in particular, crAss-like phages. However, apart from duplodnaviruses, the gut virome has not been dissected in detail. Here we report a comprehensive census of a minor component of the gut virome, the tailless bacteriophages of the realm Varidnaviria. Tailless phages are primarily represented in the gut by prophages, that are mostly integrated in genomes of Alphaproteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia and belong to the order Vinavirales, which currently consists of the families Corticoviridae and Autolykiviridae. Phylogenetic analysis of the major capsid proteins (MCP) suggests that at least three new families should be established within Vinavirales to accommodate the diversity of prophages from the human gut virome. Previously, only the MCP and packaging ATPase genes were reported as conserved core genes of Vinavirales. Here we report an extended core set of 12 proteins, including MCP, packaging ATPase, and previously undetected lysis enzymes, that are shared by most of these viruses. We further demonstrate that replication system components are frequently replaced in the genomes of Vinavirales, suggestive of selective pressure for escape from yet unknown host defenses or avoidance of incompatibility with coinfecting related viruses. The results of this analysis show that, in a sharp contrast to marine viromes, varidnaviruses are a minor component of the human gut virome. Moreover, they are primarily represented by prophages, as indicated by the analysis of the flanking genes, suggesting that there are few, if any, lytic varidnavirus infections in the gut at any given time. These findings complement the existing knowledge of the human gut virome by exploring a group of viruses that has been virtually overlooked in previous work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalya Yutin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Mike Rayko
- Center for Algorithmic Biotechnology, Institute for Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, 199004 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Dmitry Antipov
- Center for Algorithmic Biotechnology, Institute for Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, 199004 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Pascal Mutz
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Yuri I. Wolf
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Mart Krupovic
- Archaeal Virology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Eugene V. Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
- Correspondence:
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