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Ruan C, Ramoneda J, Kan A, Rudge TJ, Wang G, Johnson DR. Phage predation accelerates the spread of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5397. [PMID: 38926498 PMCID: PMC11208555 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49840-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Phage predation is generally assumed to reduce microbial proliferation while not contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance. However, this assumption does not consider the effect of phage predation on the spatial organization of different microbial populations. Here, we show that phage predation can increase the spread of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance during surface-associated microbial growth by reshaping spatial organization. Using two strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli, we demonstrate that phage predation slows the spatial segregation of the strains during growth. This increases the number of cell-cell contacts and the extent of conjugation-mediated plasmid transfer between them. The underlying mechanism is that phage predation shifts the location of fastest growth from the biomass periphery to the interior where cells are densely packed and aligned closer to parallel with each other. This creates straighter interfaces between the strains that are less likely to merge together during growth, consequently slowing the spatial segregation of the strains and enhancing plasmid transfer between them. Our results have implications for the design and application of phage therapy and reveal a mechanism for how microbial functions that are deleterious to human and environmental health can proliferate in the absence of positive selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chujin Ruan
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Josep Ramoneda
- Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Blanes, Spain
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Anton Kan
- Department of Materials, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Timothy J Rudge
- Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex Biosystems (ICOS) Research Group, School of Computing, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Gang Wang
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
- National Black Soil & Agriculture Research, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
| | - David R Johnson
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland.
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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2
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Liu Y, Yao Z, Mao Z, Tang M, Chen H, Qian C, Zeng W, Zhou T, Wu Q. Quorum sensing gene lasR promotes phage vB_Pae_PLY infection in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. BMC Microbiol 2024; 24:207. [PMID: 38858621 PMCID: PMC11163716 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03349-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell density-based intercellular communication system that controls virulence gene expression and biofilm formation. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), the LasR system sits at the top of the QS hierarchy and coordinates the expression of a series of important traits. However, the role of lasR in phage infection remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the role of lasR QS in phage infection. METHODS The P. aeruginosa phage was isolated from sewage, and its biological characteristics and whole genome were analyzed. The adsorption receptor was identified via a phage adsorption assay. Following lasR gene knockout, the adsorption rate and bactericidal activity of phage were analyzed. Finally, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was conducted to explore how lasR promoting phage infection. RESULTS The lytic phage vB_Pae_PLY was isolated and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was identified as its adsorption receptor. The adsorption rate and bactericidal activity of vB_Pae_PLY were reduced after lasR knockout. RT-qPCR results showed that the expression of galU, a key gene involved in LPS synthesis, was down-regulated, and several genes related to type IV pili (T4P) were also down-regulated in the lasR mutant PaΔlasR. CONCLUSIONS The study showed that QS lasR may promote phage vB_Pae_PLY infection by involving in the synthesis of LPS and T4P. This study provides an example of QS in promoting phage infection and deepens the understanding of phage-bacteria interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Zhuocheng Yao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Zhenzhi Mao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Miran Tang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Huanchang Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Changrui Qian
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Weiliang Zeng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Tieli Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China.
| | - Qing Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China.
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Rodriguez-Gonzalez RA, Balacheff Q, Debarbieux L, Marchi J, Weitz JS. Metapopulation model of phage therapy of an acute Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.31.578251. [PMID: 38352502 PMCID: PMC10862780 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.31.578251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Infections caused by multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogenic bacteria are a global health threat. Phage therapy, which uses phage to kill bacterial pathogens, is increasingly used to treat patients infected by MDR bacteria. However, the therapeutic outcome of phage therapy may be limited by the emergence of phage resistance during treatment and/or by physical constraints that impede phage-bacteria interactions in vivo. In this work, we evaluate the role of lung spatial structure on the efficacy of phage therapy for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. To do so, we developed a spatially structured metapopulation network model based on the geometry of the bronchial tree, and included the emergence of phage-resistant bacterial mutants and host innate immune responses. We model the ecological interactions between bacteria, phage, and the host innate immune system at the airway (node) level. The model predicts the synergistic elimination of a P. aeruginosa infection due to the combined effects of phage and neutrophils given sufficiently active immune states and suitable phage life history traits. Moreover, the metapopulation model simulations predict that local MDR pathogens are cleared faster at distal nodes of the bronchial tree. Notably, image analysis of lung tissue time series from wild-type and lymphocyte-depleted mice (n=13) revealed a concordant, statistically significant pattern: infection intensity cleared in the bottom before the top of the lungs. Overall, the combined use of simulations and image analysis of in vivo experiments further supports the use of phage therapy for treating acute lung infections caused by P. aeruginosa while highlighting potential limits to therapy given a spatially structured environment, such as impaired innate immune responses and low phage efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rogelio A Rodriguez-Gonzalez
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Quentin Balacheff
- CHU Felix Guyon, Service des maladies respiratoires, La Réunion, France
| | | | - Jacopo Marchi
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Joshua S Weitz
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
- Institut de Biologie de l'École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
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4
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Gliźniewicz M, Miłek D, Olszewska P, Czajkowski A, Serwin N, Cecerska-Heryć E, Dołęgowska B, Grygorcewicz B. Advances in bacteriophage-mediated strategies for combating polymicrobial biofilms. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1320345. [PMID: 38249486 PMCID: PMC10797108 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1320345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria and fungi tend to coexist within biofilms instead of in planktonic states. Usually, such communities include cross-kingdom microorganisms, which make them harder to remove from abiotic surfaces or infection sites. Additionally, the produced biofilm matrix protects embedded microorganisms from antibiotics, disinfectants, or the host immune system. Therefore, classic therapies based on antibiotics might be ineffective, especially when multidrug-resistant bacteria are causative factors. The complexities surrounding the eradication of biofilms from diverse surfaces and the human body have spurred the exploration of alternative therapeutic modalities. Among these options, bacteriophages and their enzymatic counterparts have emerged as promising candidates, either employed independently or in synergy with antibiotics and other agents. Phages are natural bacteria killers because of mechanisms of action that differ from antibiotics, phages might answer worldwide problems with bacterial infections. In this review, we report the attempts to use bacteriophages in combating polymicrobial biofilms in in vitro studies, using different models, including the therapeutical use of phages. In addition, we sum up the advantages, disadvantages, and perspectives of phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Gliźniewicz
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Dominika Miłek
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Patrycja Olszewska
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Artur Czajkowski
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Natalia Serwin
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Cecerska-Heryć
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Barbara Dołęgowska
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Grygorcewicz
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
- Department of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Institute of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection Processes, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Poland
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5
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Attrill EL, Łapińska U, Westra ER, Harding SV, Pagliara S. Slow growing bacteria survive bacteriophage in isolation. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:95. [PMID: 37684358 PMCID: PMC10491631 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00299-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
The interactions between bacteria and bacteriophage have important roles in the global ecosystem; in turn changes in environmental parameters affect the interactions between bacteria and phage. However, there is a lack of knowledge on whether clonal bacterial populations harbour different phenotypes that respond to phage in distinct ways and whether the abundance of such phenotypes within bacterial populations is affected by variations in environmental parameters. Here we study the impact of variations in nutrient availability, bacterial growth rate and phage abundance on the interactions between the phage T4 and individual Escherichia coli cells confined in spatial refuges. Surprisingly, we found that fast growing bacteria survive together with all of their clonal kin cells, whereas slow growing bacteria survive in isolation. We also discovered that the number of bacteria that survive in isolation decreases at increasing phage doses possibly due to lysis inhibition in the presence of secondary adsorptions. We further show that these changes in the phenotypic composition of the E. coli population have important consequences on the bacterial and phage population dynamics and should therefore be considered when investigating bacteria-phage interactions in ecological, health or food production settings in structured environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Attrill
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Urszula Łapińska
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Edze R Westra
- Environment and Sustainability Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Sarah V Harding
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
- Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Stefano Pagliara
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
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6
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Ruan C, Borer B, Ramoneda J, Wang G, Johnson DR. Evaporation-induced hydrodynamics control plasmid transfer during surface-associated microbial growth. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2023; 9:58. [PMID: 37608025 PMCID: PMC10444754 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-023-00428-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Droplet evaporation is a general process in unsaturated environments that results in micro-scale hydrodynamic flows which in turn determine the spatial distributions of microbial cells across surfaces. These spatial distributions can have significant effects on the development and functioning of surface-associated microbial communities, with consequences for important processes such as the spread of plasmids. Here, we experimentally quantified how evaporation-induced hydrodynamic processes modulate the initial deposition patterns of microbial cells (via the coffee ring effect and Marangoni convection) and how these patterns control the spread of an antibiotic resistance-encoding plasmid during surface-associated growth. We found that plasmid spread is a function of the initial density of cells deposited along the droplet periphery, which is a manifestation of the coffee ring effect. Using an individual-based model, we systematically linked how the different initial cell deposition patterns caused by the relative strengths of the coffee ring effect and Marangoni convection determine the extent of plasmid transfer during surface-associated growth. Our study demonstrates that evaporation-induced hydrodynamic processes that are common in nature can alter crucial ecological properties of surface-associated microbial communities and control the proliferation of plasmids, with consequences on the spread of antibiotic resistance and other plasmid-encoded traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chujin Ruan
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Benedict Borer
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Josep Ramoneda
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Gang Wang
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
- National Black Soil & Agriculture Research, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
| | - David R Johnson
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, Switzerland.
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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7
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Forsyth JH, Barron NL, Scott L, Watson BNJ, Chisnall MAW, Meaden S, van Houte S, Raymond B. Decolonizing drug-resistant E. coli with phage and probiotics: breaking the frequency-dependent dominance of residents. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169:001352. [PMID: 37418300 PMCID: PMC10433417 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Widespread antibiotic resistance in commensal bacteria creates a persistent challenge for human health. Resident drug-resistant microbes can prevent clinical interventions, colonize wounds post-surgery, pass resistance traits to pathogens or move to more harmful niches following routine interventions such as catheterization. Accelerating the removal of resistant bacteria or actively decolonizing particular lineages from hosts could therefore have a number of long-term benefits. However, removing resident bacteria via competition with probiotics, for example, poses a number of ecological challenges. Resident microbes are likely to have physiological and numerical advantages and competition based on bacteriocins or other secreted antagonists is expected to give advantages to the dominant partner, via positive frequency dependence. Since a narrow range of Escherichia coli genotypes (primarily those belonging to the clonal group ST131) cause a significant proportion of multidrug-resistant infections, this group presents a promising target for decolonization with bacteriophage, as narrow-host-range viral predation could lead to selective removal of particular genotypes. In this study we tested how a combination of an ST131-specific phage and competition from the well-known probiotic E. coli Nissle strain could displace E. coli ST131 under aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions in vitro. We showed that the addition of phage was able to break the frequency-dependent advantage of a numerically dominant ST131 isolate. Moreover, the addition of competing E. coli Nissle could improve the ability of phage to suppress ST131 by two orders of magnitude. Low-cost phage resistance evolved readily in these experiments and was not inhibited by the presence of a probiotic competitor. Nevertheless, combinations of phage and probiotic produced stable long-term suppression of ST131 over multiple transfers and under both aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions. Combinations of phage and probiotic therefore have real potential for accelerating the removal of drug-resistant commensal targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica H. Forsyth
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
- Present address: Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Natalie L. Barron
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Lucy Scott
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | | | | | - Sean Meaden
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
- Present address: Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Stineke van Houte
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Ben Raymond
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
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8
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Petrovic Fabijan A, Iredell J, Danis-Wlodarczyk K, Kebriaei R, Abedon ST. Translating phage therapy into the clinic: Recent accomplishments but continuing challenges. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002119. [PMID: 37220114 PMCID: PMC10204993 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Phage therapy is a medical form of biological control of bacterial infections, one that uses naturally occurring viruses, called bacteriophages or phages, as antibacterial agents. Pioneered over 100 years ago, phage therapy nonetheless is currently experiencing a resurgence in interest, with growing numbers of clinical case studies being published. This renewed enthusiasm is due in large part to phage therapy holding promise for providing safe and effective cures for bacterial infections that traditional antibiotics acting alone have been unable to clear. This Essay introduces basic phage biology, provides an outline of the long history of phage therapy, highlights some advantages of using phages as antibacterial agents, and provides an overview of recent phage therapy clinical successes. Although phage therapy has clear clinical potential, it faces biological, regulatory, and economic challenges to its further implementation and more mainstream acceptance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Petrovic Fabijan
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jonathan Iredell
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Westmead Hospital, Western Sydney Local Health District, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katarzyna Danis-Wlodarczyk
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Razieh Kebriaei
- P3 Research Laboratory, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Stephen T. Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, Ohio, United States of America
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9
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Cremin K, Duxbury SJN, Rosko J, Soyer OS. Formation and emergent dynamics of spatially organized microbial systems. Interface Focus 2023; 13:20220062. [PMID: 36789239 PMCID: PMC9912014 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2022.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatial organization is the norm rather than the exception in the microbial world. While the study of microbial physiology has been dominated by studies in well-mixed cultures, there is now increasing interest in understanding the role of spatial organization in microbial physiology, coexistence and evolution. Where studied, spatial organization has been shown to influence all three of these aspects. In this mini review and perspective article, we emphasize that the dynamics within spatially organized microbial systems (SOMS) are governed by feedbacks between local physico-chemical conditions, cell physiology and movement, and evolution. These feedbacks can give rise to emergent dynamics, which need to be studied through a combination of spatio-temporal measurements and mathematical models. We highlight the initial formation of SOMS and their emergent dynamics as two open areas of investigation for future studies. These studies will benefit from the development of model systems that can mimic natural ones in terms of species composition and spatial structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey Cremin
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | | | - Jerko Rosko
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Orkun S. Soyer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
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10
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Srisangthong I, Sangseedum C, Chaichanit N, Surachat K, Suanyuk N, Mittraparp-arthorn P. Characterization and Genome Analysis of Vibrio campbellii Lytic Bacteriophage OPA17. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0162322. [PMID: 36719217 PMCID: PMC10101143 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01623-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrio campbellii is a marine bacterium that is associated with luminous vibriosis, especially in the hatchery and nursery stages of penaeid shrimp cultivation worldwide, which has led to low survival rates of shrimp during aquaculture. Phage therapy has been reported as an alternative biocontrol agent which can reduce or replace the use of antibiotics and other chemicals. This study characterized a lytic V. campbellii bacteriophage, OPA17, originally isolated from bloody clams and investigated its biocontrol efficacy against V. campbellii infection in a model system, Artemia franciscana. Phage OPA17 lysed 83.89% of V. campbellii strains tested (n = 118) with clear plaque morphology. Some strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus were also infected by phage OPA17. Transmission electron microscopy and genetic features indicated that OPA17 belongs to the Siphoviridae family. The latent period and burst size of OPA17 were approximately 50 min and 123 PFU/cell, respectively. Moreover, it survived in artificial seawater throughout the 2-month study period and effectively destroyed Vibrio campbellii biofilms after 4 h of incubation. The addition of OPA17 significantly increased the survival of A. franciscana nauplii infected with V. campbellii. The genome sequence of OPA17 showed that it does not carry genes unsuitable for phage therapy. The phylogenetic tree analysis showed that OPA17 was closely related to the V. vulnificus lytic phage SSP002 (98.90% similarity), which was previously reported as a potential biocontrol agent. Accordingly, the results of this study provide valuable information regarding the potential biocontrol application of phage OPA17 against V. campbellii. IMPORTANCE V. campbellii is an emerging luminous pathogen associated with vibriosis, especially in marine shrimp hatcheries. Several strategies, including pond management and use of natural antimicrobials and probiotics, have been studied for control of this organism. Phage therapy is considered one of the effective biocontrol strategies against bacterial infections in aquaculture. However, there has been limited study of V. campbellii bacteriophages. In this study, V. campbellii-specific bacteriophage OPA17 was isolated, characterized, and investigated for its biocontrol efficacy against V. campbellii infection in an Artemia nauplii model. Phage OPA17 belongs to the Siphoviridae family and shares significant genome similarity to phage SSP002, a potential biocontrol agent against V. vulnificus infection in a murine model. However, the host range of OPA17 was broader than that of SSP002. Overall, we discuss the potential of OPA17 for phage therapy application in shrimp hatcheries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Intraporn Srisangthong
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Chadtida Sangseedum
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Netnapa Chaichanit
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
- Molecular Evolution and Computational Biology Research Unit, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Komwit Surachat
- Molecular Evolution and Computational Biology Research Unit, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
- Division of Computational Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Naraid Suanyuk
- Aquatic Science and Innovative Management Division, Faculty of Natural Resources, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Pimonsri Mittraparp-arthorn
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
- Molecular Evolution and Computational Biology Research Unit, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
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11
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Abedon ST. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Hindering Phage Therapy: The Phage Tolerance vs. Phage Resistance of Bacterial Biofilms. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:245. [PMID: 36830158 PMCID: PMC9952518 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12020245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
As with antibiotics, we can differentiate various acquired mechanisms of bacteria-mediated inhibition of the action of bacterial viruses (phages or bacteriophages) into ones of tolerance vs. resistance. These also, respectively, may be distinguished as physiological insensitivities (or protections) vs. resistance mutations, phenotypic resistance vs. genotypic resistance, temporary vs. more permanent mechanisms, and ecologically vs. also near-term evolutionarily motivated functions. These phenomena can result from multiple distinct molecular mechanisms, many of which for bacterial tolerance of phages are associated with bacterial biofilms (as is also the case for the bacterial tolerance of antibiotics). The resulting inhibitions are relevant from an applied perspective because of their potential to thwart phage-based treatments of bacterial infections, i.e., phage therapies, as well as their potential to interfere more generally with approaches to the phage-based biological control of bacterial biofilms. In other words, given the generally low toxicity of properly chosen therapeutic phages, it is a combination of phage tolerance and phage resistance, as displayed by targeted bacteria, that seems to represent the greatest impediments to phage therapy's success. Here I explore general concepts of bacterial tolerance of vs. bacterial resistance to phages, particularly as they may be considered in association with bacterial biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH 44906, USA
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12
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Winans JB, Wucher BR, Nadell CD. Multispecies biofilm architecture determines bacterial exposure to phages. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001913. [PMID: 36548227 PMCID: PMC9778933 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous ecological interactions among microbes-for example, competition for space and resources, or interaction among phages and their bacterial hosts-are likely to occur simultaneously in multispecies biofilm communities. While biofilms formed by just a single species occur, multispecies biofilms are thought to be more typical of microbial communities in the natural environment. Previous work has shown that multispecies biofilms can increase, decrease, or have no measurable impact on phage exposure of a host bacterium living alongside another species that the phages cannot target. The reasons underlying this variability are not well understood, and how phage-host encounters change within multispecies biofilms remains mostly unexplored at the cellular spatial scale. Here, we study how the cellular scale architecture of model 2-species biofilms impacts cell-cell and cell-phage interactions controlling larger scale population and community dynamics. Our system consists of dual culture biofilms of Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae under exposure to T7 phages, which we study using microfluidic culture, high-resolution confocal microscopy imaging, and detailed image analysis. As shown previously, sufficiently mature biofilms of E. coli can protect themselves from phage exposure via their curli matrix. Before this stage of biofilm structural maturity, E. coli is highly susceptible to phages; however, we show that these bacteria can gain lasting protection against phage exposure if they have become embedded in the bottom layers of highly packed groups of V. cholerae in co-culture. This protection, in turn, is dependent on the cell packing architecture controlled by V. cholerae biofilm matrix secretion. In this manner, E. coli cells that are otherwise susceptible to phage-mediated killing can survive phage exposure in the absence of de novo resistance evolution. While co-culture biofilm formation with V. cholerae can confer phage protection to E. coli, it comes at the cost of competing with V. cholerae and a disruption of normal curli-mediated protection for E. coli even in dual species biofilms grown over long time scales. This work highlights the critical importance of studying multispecies biofilm architecture and its influence on the community dynamics of bacteria and phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B. Winans
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Benjamin R. Wucher
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Carey D. Nadell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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13
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Ulrich L, Giez C, Steiner LX, Hentschel U, Lachnit T. Adaptive lifestyle of bacteria determines phage-bacteria interaction. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1056388. [PMID: 36560945 PMCID: PMC9763317 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1056388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages and their interactions with microbes are not well understood. As a first step toward achieving a better understanding, we isolated and sequenced the Curvibacter phage PCA1 for the purpose of eliminating Curvibacter sp. AEP1.3, the main colonizer of Hydra vulgaris AEP. Our experiments showed that PCA1 phage caused a strong, virulent infection only in sessile Curvibacter sp. AEP1.3 but was unable to infect planktonic and host-associated bacterial cells of the same strain. In an effort to investigate this phenomenon, we compared sessile, planktonic, and host-associated bacteria via RNA sequencing and found that all three states differed significantly in their expression patterns. This finding led us to propose that the adaptive lifestyle of Curvibacter sp. AEP1.3 results in varying degrees of susceptibility to bacteriophage infection. This concept could be relevant for phage research and phage therapy in particular. Finally, we were able to induce phage infection in planktonic cells and pinpoint the infection process to a membrane protein. We further identified potential phage-binding protein candidates based on expression pattern analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ulrich
- Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christoph Giez
- Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Kiel, Germany
| | - Leon X. Steiner
- RD3 Marine Ecology, RU Marine Symbioses, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ute Hentschel
- RD3 Marine Ecology, RU Marine Symbioses, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tim Lachnit
- Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Kiel, Germany,*Correspondence: Tim Lachnit,
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14
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In vitro and in vivo therapeutical efficiency of the staphylococcus phages and the effect of phage infectivity in well-mixed and spatial environment. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01236-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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15
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Ciofu O, Moser C, Jensen PØ, Høiby N. Tolerance and resistance of microbial biofilms. Nat Rev Microbiol 2022; 20:621-635. [PMID: 35115704 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-022-00682-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 302] [Impact Index Per Article: 151.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Chronic infections caused by microbial biofilms represent an important clinical challenge. The recalcitrance of microbial biofilms to antimicrobials and to the immune system is a major cause of persistence and clinical recurrence of these infections. In this Review, we present the extent of the clinical problem, and the mechanisms underlying the tolerance of biofilms to antibiotics and to host responses. We also explore the role of biofilms in the development of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oana Ciofu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Claus Moser
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Østrup Jensen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Høiby
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Costerton Biofilm Center, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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16
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Somerville V, Schowing T, Chabas H, Schmidt RS, von Ah U, Bruggmann R, Engel P. Extensive diversity and rapid turnover of phage defense repertoires in cheese-associated bacterial communities. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:137. [PMID: 36028909 PMCID: PMC9419375 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01328-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phages are key drivers of genomic diversity in bacterial populations as they impose strong selective pressure on the evolution of bacterial defense mechanisms across closely related strains. The pan-immunity model suggests that such diversity is maintained because the effective immune system of a bacterial species is the one distributed across all strains present in the community. However, only few studies have analyzed the distribution of bacterial defense systems at the community-level, mostly focusing on CRISPR and comparing samples from complex environments. Here, we studied 2778 bacterial genomes and 188 metagenomes from cheese-associated communities, which are dominated by a few bacterial taxa and occur in relatively stable environments. RESULTS We corroborate previous laboratory findings that in cheese-associated communities nearly identical strains contain diverse and highly variable arsenals of innate and adaptive (i.e., CRISPR-Cas) immunity systems suggesting rapid turnover. CRISPR spacer abundance correlated with the abundance of matching target sequences across the metagenomes providing evidence that the identified defense repertoires are functional and under selection. While these characteristics align with the pan-immunity model, the detected CRISPR spacers only covered a subset of the phages previously identified in cheese, providing evidence that CRISPR does not enable complete immunity against all phages, and that the innate immune mechanisms may have complementary roles. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that the evolution of bacterial defense mechanisms is a highly dynamic process and highlight that experimentally tractable, low complexity communities such as those found in cheese, can help to understand ecological and molecular processes underlying phage-defense system relationships. These findings can have implications for the design of robust synthetic communities used in biotechnology and the food industry. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Somerville
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Thibault Schowing
- Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland
- Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hélène Chabas
- Institute for Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Rémy Bruggmann
- Interfaculty Bioinformatics Unit and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Engel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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17
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Debray R, De Luna N, Koskella B. Historical contingency drives compensatory evolution and rare reversal of phage resistance. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6673247. [PMID: 35994371 PMCID: PMC9447851 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria and lytic viruses (phages) engage in highly dynamic coevolutionary interactions over time, yet we have little idea of how transient selection by phages might shape the future evolutionary trajectories of their host populations. To explore this question, we generated genetically diverse phage-resistant mutants of the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae. We subjected the panel of mutants to prolonged experimental evolution in the absence of phages. Some populations re-evolved phage sensitivity, whereas others acquired compensatory mutations that reduced the costs of resistance without altering resistance levels. To ask whether these outcomes were driven by the initial genetic mechanisms of resistance, we next evolved independent replicates of each individual mutant in the absence of phages. We found a strong signature of historical contingency: some mutations were highly reversible across replicate populations, whereas others were highly entrenched. Through whole-genome sequencing of bacteria over time, we also found that populations with the same resistance gene acquired more parallel sets of mutations than populations with different resistance genes, suggesting that compensatory adaptation is also contingent on how resistance initially evolved. Our study identifies an evolutionary ratchet in bacteria–phage coevolution and may explain previous observations that resistance persists over time in some bacterial populations but is lost in others. We add to a growing body of work describing the key role of phages in the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of their host communities. Beyond this specific trait, our study provides a new insight into the genetic architecture of historical contingency, a crucial component of interpreting and predicting evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reena Debray
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Nina De Luna
- Department of Immunology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Britt Koskella
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.,Chan Zuckerberg BioHub, San Francisco, CA, USA
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18
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Venturini C, Petrovic Fabijan A, Fajardo Lubian A, Barbirz S, Iredell J. Biological foundations of successful bacteriophage therapy. EMBO Mol Med 2022; 14:e12435. [PMID: 35620963 PMCID: PMC9260219 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202012435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are selective viral predators of bacteria. Abundant and ubiquitous in nature, phages can be used to treat bacterial infections (phage therapy), including refractory infections and those resistant to antibiotics. However, despite an abundance of anecdotal evidence of efficacy, significant hurdles remain before routine implementation of phage therapy into medical practice, including a dearth of robust clinical trial data. Phage-bacterium interactions are complex and diverse, characterized by co-evolution trajectories that are significantly influenced by the environments in which they occur (mammalian body sites, water, soil, etc.). An understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning these dynamics is essential for successful clinical translation. This review aims to cover key aspects of bacterium-phage interactions that affect bacterial killing by describing the most relevant published literature and detailing the current knowledge gaps most likely to influence therapeutic success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Venturini
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and MicrobiologyWestmead Institute for Medical ResearchWestmeadNSWAustralia
- Faculty of ScienceSydney School of Veterinary ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Aleksandra Petrovic Fabijan
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and MicrobiologyWestmead Institute for Medical ResearchWestmeadNSWAustralia
- Faculty of Health and MedicineSchool of MedicineSydney Medical SchoolThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Alicia Fajardo Lubian
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and MicrobiologyWestmead Institute for Medical ResearchWestmeadNSWAustralia
- Faculty of Health and MedicineSchool of MedicineSydney Medical SchoolThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Stefanie Barbirz
- Department of MedicineScience FacultyMSB Medical School BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Jonathan Iredell
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and MicrobiologyWestmead Institute for Medical ResearchWestmeadNSWAustralia
- Faculty of Health and MedicineSchool of MedicineSydney Medical SchoolThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Westmead HospitalWestern Sydney Local Health DistrictWestmeadNSWAustralia
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19
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Koskella B, Hernandez CA, Wheatley RM. Understanding the Impacts of Bacteriophage Viruses: From Laboratory Evolution to Natural Ecosystems. Annu Rev Virol 2022; 9:57-78. [PMID: 35584889 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-virology-091919-075914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Viruses of bacteriophages (phages) have broad effects on bacterial ecology and evolution in nature that mediate microbial interactions, shape bacterial diversity, and influence nutrient cycling and ecosystem function. The unrelenting impact of phages within the microbial realm is the result, in large part, of their ability to rapidly evolve in response to bacterial host dynamics. The knowledge gained from laboratory systems, typically using pairwise interactions between single-host and single-phage systems, has made clear that phages coevolve with their bacterial hosts rapidly, somewhat predictably, and primarily by counteradapting to host resistance. Recent advancement in metagenomics approaches, as well as a shifting focus toward natural microbial communities and host-associated microbiomes, is beginning to uncover the full picture of phage evolution and ecology within more complex settings. As these data reach their full potential, it will be critical to ask when and how insights gained from studies of phage evolution in vitro can be meaningfully applied to understanding bacteria-phage interactions in nature. In this review, we explore the myriad ways that phages shape and are themselves shaped by bacterial host populations and communities, with a particular focus on observed and predicted differences between the laboratory and complex microbial communities. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Virology, Volume 9 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt Koskella
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA;
| | - Catherine A Hernandez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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20
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Visnapuu A, Van der Gucht M, Wagemans J, Lavigne R. Deconstructing the Phage-Bacterial Biofilm Interaction as a Basis to Establish New Antibiofilm Strategies. Viruses 2022; 14:v14051057. [PMID: 35632801 PMCID: PMC9145820 DOI: 10.3390/v14051057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial biofilm constitutes a complex environment that endows the bacterial community within with an ability to cope with biotic and abiotic stresses. Considering the interaction with bacterial viruses, these biofilms contain intrinsic defense mechanisms that protect against phage predation; these mechanisms are driven by physical, structural, and metabolic properties or governed by environment-induced mutations and bacterial diversity. In this regard, horizontal gene transfer can also be a driver of biofilm diversity and some (pro)phages can function as temporary allies in biofilm development. Conversely, as bacterial predators, phages have developed counter mechanisms to overcome the biofilm barrier. We highlight how these natural systems have previously inspired new antibiofilm design strategies, e.g., by utilizing exopolysaccharide degrading enzymes and peptidoglycan hydrolases. Next, we propose new potential approaches including phage-encoded DNases to target extracellular DNA, as well as phage-mediated inhibitors of cellular communication; these examples illustrate the relevance and importance of research aiming to elucidate novel antibiofilm mechanisms contained within the vast set of unknown ORFs from phages.
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21
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You X, Kallies R, Kühn I, Schmidt M, Harms H, Chatzinotas A, Wick LY. Phage co-transport with hyphal-riding bacteria fuels bacterial invasion in a water-unsaturated microbial model system. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:1275-1283. [PMID: 34903848 PMCID: PMC9039081 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01155-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Nonmotile microorganisms often enter new habitats by co-transport with motile microorganisms. Here, we report that also lytic phages can co-transport with hyphal-riding bacteria and facilitate bacterial colonization of a new habitat. This is comparable to the concept of biological invasions in macroecology. In analogy to invasion frameworks in plant and animal ecology, we tailored spatially organized, water-unsaturated model microcosms using hyphae of Pythium ultimum as invasion paths and flagellated soil-bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440 as carrier for co-transport of Escherichia virus T4. P. putida KT2440 efficiently dispersed along P. ultimum to new habitats and dispatched T4 phages across air gaps transporting ≈0.6 phages bacteria−1. No T4 displacement along hyphae was observed in the absence of carrier bacteria. If E. coli occupied the new habitat, T4 co-transport fueled the fitness of invading P. putida KT2440, while the absence of phage co-transport led to poor colonization followed by extinction. Our data emphasize the importance of hyphal transport of bacteria and associated phages in regulating fitness and composition of microbial populations in water-unsaturated systems. As such co-transport seems analogous to macroecological invasion processes, hyphosphere systems with motile bacteria and co-transported phages could be useful models for testing hypotheses in invasion ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin You
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - René Kallies
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ingolf Kühn
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, 06120, Halle, Germany.,Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Schmidt
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hauke Harms
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antonis Chatzinotas
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Talstr. 33, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Lukas Y Wick
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.
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22
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Deka D, Annapure US, Shirkole SS, Thorat BN. Bacteriophages: An organic approach to food decontamination. J FOOD PROCESS PRES 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jfpp.16101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Darshana Deka
- Department of Food Engineering and Technology Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai, ICT – IOC Campus Bhubaneswar India
| | - U. S. Annapure
- Department of Food Engineering and Technology Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai India
| | - S. S. Shirkole
- Department of Food Engineering and Technology Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai, ICT – IOC Campus Bhubaneswar India
| | - B. N. Thorat
- Department of Food Engineering and Technology Institute of Chemical Technology Mumbai, ICT – IOC Campus Bhubaneswar India
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23
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Attrill EL, Claydon R, Łapińska U, Recker M, Meaden S, Brown AT, Westra ER, Harding SV, Pagliara S. Individual bacteria in structured environments rely on phenotypic resistance to phage. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001406. [PMID: 34637438 PMCID: PMC8509860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages represent an avenue to overcome the current antibiotic resistance crisis, but evolution of genetic resistance to phages remains a concern. In vitro, bacteria evolve genetic resistance, preventing phage adsorption or degrading phage DNA. In natural environments, evolved resistance is lower possibly because the spatial heterogeneity within biofilms, microcolonies, or wall populations favours phenotypic survival to lytic phages. However, it is also possible that the persistence of genetically sensitive bacteria is due to less efficient phage amplification in natural environments, the existence of refuges where bacteria can hide, and a reduced spread of resistant genotypes. Here, we monitor the interactions between individual planktonic bacteria in isolation in ephemeral refuges and bacteriophage by tracking the survival of individual cells. We find that in these transient spatial refuges, phenotypic resistance due to reduced expression of the phage receptor is a key determinant of bacterial survival. This survival strategy is in contrast with the emergence of genetic resistance in the absence of ephemeral refuges in well-mixed environments. Predictions generated via a mathematical modelling framework to track bacterial response to phages reveal that the presence of spatial refuges leads to fundamentally different population dynamics that should be considered in order to predict and manipulate the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of bacteria–phage interactions in naturally structured environments. Bacteriophages represent a promising avenue to overcome the current antibiotic resistance crisis, but evolution of phage resistance remains a concern. This study shows that in the presence of spatial refuges, genetic resistance to phage is less of a problem than commonly assumed, but the persistence of genetically susceptible bacteria suggests that eradicating bacterial pathogens from structured environments may require combined phage-antibiotic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L. Attrill
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Rory Claydon
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Urszula Łapińska
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Mario Recker
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Sean Meaden
- Environment and Sustainability Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Aidan T. Brown
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Edze R. Westra
- Environment and Sustainability Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah V. Harding
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano Pagliara
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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24
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Egido JE, Costa AR, Aparicio-Maldonado C, Haas PJ, Brouns SJJ. Mechanisms and clinical importance of bacteriophage resistance. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 46:6374866. [PMID: 34558600 PMCID: PMC8829019 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We are in the midst of a golden age of uncovering defense systems against bacteriophages. Apart from the fundamental interest in these defense systems, and revolutionary applications that have been derived from them (e.g. CRISPR-Cas9 and restriction endonucleases), it is unknown how defense systems contribute to resistance formation against bacteriophages in clinical settings. Bacteriophages are now being reconsidered as therapeutic agents against bacterial infections due the emergence of multidrug resistance. However, bacteriophage resistance through defense systems and other means could hinder the development of successful phage-based therapies. Here, we review the current state of the field of bacteriophage defense, highlight the relevance of bacteriophage defense for potential clinical use of bacteriophages as therapeutic agents and suggest new directions of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia E Egido
- Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ana Rita Costa
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands.,Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, Netherlands.,Fagenbank, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Cristian Aparicio-Maldonado
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands.,Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Pieter-Jan Haas
- Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Stan J J Brouns
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands.,Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, Netherlands.,Fagenbank, Delft, Netherlands
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25
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da Silva RAG, Afonina I, Kline KA. Eradicating biofilm infections: an update on current and prospective approaches. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 63:117-125. [PMID: 34333239 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Biofilm formation is a multifactorial process and often a multi-species endeavour that involves complex signalling networks, chemical gradients, bacterial adhesion, and production or acquisition of matrix components. Antibiotics remain the main choice when treating bacterial biofilm-associated infections despite their intrinsic tolerance to antimicrobials, and propensity for acquisition and rapid dissemination of antimicrobial resistance within the biofilm. Eliminating hard to treat biofilm-associated infections that are antibiotic resistant will demand a holistic and multi-faceted approach, targeting multiple stages of biofilm formation, many of which are already in development. This mini review will highlight the current approaches that are employed to treat bacterial biofilm infections and discuss new approaches in development that have promise to reach clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronni A G da Silva
- Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Antimicrobial Drug Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Science Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Irina Afonina
- Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Antimicrobial Drug Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Science Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Kimberly A Kline
- Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Antimicrobial Drug Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Science Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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26
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Abstract
Bacteriophages and bacterial biofilms are widely present in natural environments, a fact that has accelerated the evolution of phages and their bacterial hosts in these particular niches. Phage-host interactions in biofilm communities are rather complex, where phages are not always merely predators but also can establish symbiotic relationships that induce and strengthen biofilms. In this review we provide an overview of the main features affecting phage-biofilm interactions as well as the currently available methods of studying these interactions. In addition, we address the applications of phages for biofilm control in different contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana P Pires
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal;
| | - Luís D R Melo
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal;
| | - Joana Azeredo
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal;
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27
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Wong GCL, Antani JD, Lele PP, Chen J, Nan B, Kühn MJ, Persat A, Bru JL, Høyland-Kroghsbo NM, Siryaporn A, Conrad JC, Carrara F, Yawata Y, Stocker R, Brun YV, Whitfield GB, Lee CK, de Anda J, Schmidt WC, Golestanian R, O’Toole GA, Floyd KA, Yildiz FH, Yang S, Jin F, Toyofuku M, Eberl L, Nomura N, Zacharoff LA, El-Naggar MY, Yalcin SE, Malvankar NS, Rojas-Andrade MD, Hochbaum AI, Yan J, Stone HA, Wingreen NS, Bassler BL, Wu Y, Xu H, Drescher K, Dunkel J. Roadmap on emerging concepts in the physical biology of bacterial biofilms: from surface sensing to community formation. Phys Biol 2021; 18:10.1088/1478-3975/abdc0e. [PMID: 33462162 PMCID: PMC8506656 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/abdc0e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms are communities of bacteria that exist as aggregates that can adhere to surfaces or be free-standing. This complex, social mode of cellular organization is fundamental to the physiology of microbes and often exhibits surprising behavior. Bacterial biofilms are more than the sum of their parts: single-cell behavior has a complex relation to collective community behavior, in a manner perhaps cognate to the complex relation between atomic physics and condensed matter physics. Biofilm microbiology is a relatively young field by biology standards, but it has already attracted intense attention from physicists. Sometimes, this attention takes the form of seeing biofilms as inspiration for new physics. In this roadmap, we highlight the work of those who have taken the opposite strategy: we highlight the work of physicists and physical scientists who use physics to engage fundamental concepts in bacterial biofilm microbiology, including adhesion, sensing, motility, signaling, memory, energy flow, community formation and cooperativity. These contributions are juxtaposed with microbiologists who have made recent important discoveries on bacterial biofilms using state-of-the-art physical methods. The contributions to this roadmap exemplify how well physics and biology can be combined to achieve a new synthesis, rather than just a division of labor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard C L Wong
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
| | - Jyot D Antani
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States of America
| | - Pushkar P Lele
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States of America
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA24061, United States of America
| | - Beiyan Nan
- Department of Biology, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas, TX 77845, United States of America
| | - Marco J Kühn
- Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Persat
- Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Louis Bru
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California—Irvine, California, CA 92697, United States of America
| | | | - Albert Siryaporn
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California—Irvine, California, CA 92697, United States of America
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California—Irvine, California, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Jacinta C Conrad
- William A Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, TX 77204, United States of America
| | - Francesco Carrara
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yutaka Yawata
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
- Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability, University of Tsukuba, 305-8572 Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Roman Stocker
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yves V Brun
- University of Montreal, Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Gregory B Whitfield
- University of Montreal, Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Calvin K Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
| | - Jaime de Anda
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
| | - William C Schmidt
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, CA 90095, United States of America
| | - Ramin Golestanian
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS), D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
| | - George A O’Toole
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, United States of America
| | - Kyle A Floyd
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California—Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, CA 95060, United States of America
| | - Fitnat H Yildiz
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California—Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, CA 95060, United States of America
| | - Shuai Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fan Jin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, People’s Republic of China
| | - Masanori Toyofuku
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
- Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability, University of Tsukuba, 305-8572 Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Leo Eberl
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nobuhiko Nomura
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
- Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability, University of Tsukuba, 305-8572 Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Lori A Zacharoff
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, CA 90089, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, CA 90089, United States of America
| | - Mohamed Y El-Naggar
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, CA 90089, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, CA 90089, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, CA 90089, United States of America
| | - Sibel Ebru Yalcin
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06516, United States of America
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06516, United States of America
| | - Nikhil S Malvankar
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06516, United States of America
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06516, United States of America
| | - Mauricio D Rojas-Andrade
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California—Irvine, Irvine, California CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Allon I Hochbaum
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California—Irvine, California, CA 92697, United States of America
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California—Irvine, Irvine, California CA 92697, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, University of California—Irvine, Irvine, California, CA 92697, United States of America
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California—Irvine, Irvine, California, CA 92697, United States of America
| | - Jing Yan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06511, United States of America
| | - Howard A Stone
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, NJ 08544, United States of America
| | - Ned S Wingreen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, NJ 08544, United States of America
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, NJ 08544, United States of America
| | - Bonnie L Bassler
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, NJ 08544, United States of America
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland MD 20815, United States of America
| | - Yilin Wu
- Department of Physics and Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haoran Xu
- Department of Physics and Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Knut Drescher
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Physics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Jörn Dunkel
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, MA 02139-4307, United States of America
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Kauppinen A, Siponen S, Pitkänen T, Holmfeldt K, Pursiainen A, Torvinen E, Miettinen IT. Phage Biocontrol of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Water. Viruses 2021; 13:928. [PMID: 34067885 PMCID: PMC8156286 DOI: 10.3390/v13050928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage control of harmful or pathogenic bacteria has aroused growing interest, largely due to the rise of antibiotic resistance. The objective of this study was to test phages as potential agents for the biocontrol of an opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa in water. Two P. aeruginosa bacteriophages (vB_PaeM_V523 and vB_PaeM_V524) were isolated from wastewater and characterized physically and functionally. Genomic and morphological characterization showed that both were myoviruses within the Pbunavirus genus. Both had a similar latent period (50-55 min) and burst size (124-134 PFU/infected cell), whereas there was variation in the host range. In addition to these environmental phages, a commercial Pseudomonas phage, JG003 (DSM 19870), was also used in the biocontrol experiments. The biocontrol potential of the three phages in water was tested separately and together as a cocktail against two P. aeruginosa strains; PAO1 and the environmental strain 17V1507. With PAO1, all phages initially reduced the numbers of the bacterial host, with phage V523 being the most efficient (>2.4 log10 reduction). For the environmental P. aeruginosa strain (17V1507), only the phage JG003 caused a reduction (1.2 log10) compared to the control. The cocktail of three phages showed a slightly higher decrease in the level of the hosts compared to the use of individual phages. Although no synergistic effect was observed in the host reduction with the use of the phage cocktail, the cocktail-treated hosts did not appear to acquire resistance as rapidly as hosts treated with a single phage. The results of this study provide a significant step in the development of bacteriophage preparations for the control of pathogens and harmful microbes in water environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari Kauppinen
- Expert Microbiology Unit, Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland; (S.S.); (T.P.); (A.P.); (I.T.M.)
| | - Sallamaari Siponen
- Expert Microbiology Unit, Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland; (S.S.); (T.P.); (A.P.); (I.T.M.)
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland;
| | - Tarja Pitkänen
- Expert Microbiology Unit, Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland; (S.S.); (T.P.); (A.P.); (I.T.M.)
- Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Karin Holmfeldt
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Linnaeus University, SE-39231 Kalmar, Sweden;
| | - Anna Pursiainen
- Expert Microbiology Unit, Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland; (S.S.); (T.P.); (A.P.); (I.T.M.)
| | - Eila Torvinen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland;
| | - Ilkka T. Miettinen
- Expert Microbiology Unit, Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland; (S.S.); (T.P.); (A.P.); (I.T.M.)
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29
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Pires DP, Costa AR, Pinto G, Meneses L, Azeredo J. Current challenges and future opportunities of phage therapy. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 44:684-700. [PMID: 32472938 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a major public health challenge worldwide, whose implications for global health might be devastating if novel antibacterial strategies are not quickly developed. As natural predators of bacteria, (bacterio)phages may play an essential role in escaping such a dreadful future. The rising problem of antibiotic resistance has revived the interest in phage therapy and important developments have been achieved over the last years. But where do we stand today and what can we expect from phage therapy in the future? This is the question we set to answer in this review. Here, we scour the outcomes of human phage therapy clinical trials and case reports, and address the major barriers that stand in the way of using phages in clinical settings. We particularly address the potential of phage resistance to hinder phage therapy and discuss future avenues to explore the full capacity of phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana P Pires
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Ana Rita Costa
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Graça Pinto
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Luciana Meneses
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Joana Azeredo
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
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30
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A Spontaneous rapZ Mutant Impairs Infectivity of Lytic Bacteriophage vB_EcoM_JS09 against Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. mSphere 2021; 6:6/2/e01286-20. [PMID: 33658278 PMCID: PMC8546717 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.01286-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the mechanisms underlying phage-bacterium interactions remains limited. In Escherichia coli, RapZ regulates glucosamine-6-phosphate (GlcN6P) metabolism, the formation of which initiates synthesis of the bacterial cell envelope, including lipopolysaccharides (LPS). However, the role of RapZ, if any, on phage infectivity remains to be investigated. Here, we isolated strains of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) resistant to its specific lytic bacteriophage vB_EcoM_JS09 (JS09) in a phage aerosol spray experiment. Whole-genome analysis of phage-resistant bacteria revealed the rapZ gene acquired a premature stop mutation at amino acid 227. Here, we report that the mutation in the rapZ gene confers resistance by inhibiting 93.5% phage adsorption. Furthermore, this mutation changes the morphology of phage plaques, reduces efficiency of plating and phage propagation efficiency, and impairs the infectivity of phage JS09 against ETEC. Using scanning electron microscopy assays, we attribute the inability of the phage to adsorb to the loss of receptors in strains with defective RapZ. Analysis of the LPS profile shows that strains with defective RapZ inhibit phage infection by changing the LPS profile in E. coli. Preincubation of phage JS09 with LPS extracted from a wild-type (WT) strain blocked infection, suggesting LPS is the host receptor for phage JS09 adsorption. Our data uncover the mechanism by which ETEC resists infection of phage JS09 by mutating the rapZ gene and then increasing the expression of glmS and changing the phage receptor-LPS profile. These findings provide insight into the function of the rapZ gene for efficient infection of phage JS09. IMPORTANCE The development of phage-resistant bacteria is a challenging problem for phage therapy. However, our knowledge of phage resistance mechanisms is still limited. RapZ is an RNase adaptor protein encoded by the rapZ gene and plays an important function in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we report the whole-genome analysis of a phage-resistant enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strain, which revealed that the rapZ gene acquired a premature stop mutation (E227Stop). We show that the premature stop mutation of rapZ impairs the infectivity of phage JS09 in ETEC. Furthermore, our findings indicate that ETEC becomes resistant against the adsorption and infection of phage JS09 by mutating the rapZ gene, increasing the expression of glmS, and changing the phage receptor-LPS profile. It is also first reported here that RapZ is essential for efficient infection of phage JS09.
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31
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Tian F, Li J, Nazir A, Tong Y. Bacteriophage - A Promising Alternative Measure for Bacterial Biofilm Control. Infect Drug Resist 2021; 14:205-217. [PMID: 33505163 PMCID: PMC7829120 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s290093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms can enhance bacteria's viability by providing resistance against antibiotics and conventional disinfectants. The existence of biofilm is a serious threat to human health, causing incalculable loss. Therefore, new strategies to deal with bacterial biofilms are needed. Bacteriophages are unique due to their activity on bacteria and do not pose a threat to humans. Consequently, they are considered safe alternatives to drugs for the treatment of bacterial diseases. They can effectively obliterate bacterial biofilms and have great potential in medical treatment, the food industry, and pollution control. There are intricate mechanisms of interaction between phages and biofilms. Biofilms may prevent the invasion of phages, and phages can kill bacteria for biofilm control purposes or influence the formation of biofilms. At present, there are various measures for the prevention and control of biofilms through phages, including the combined use of drugs and the application of phage cocktails. This article mainly reviews the function and formation process of bacterial biofilms, summarizes the different mechanisms between phages and biofilms, briefly explains the phage usage for the control of bacterial biofilms, and promotes phage application maintenance human health and the protection of the natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengjuan Tian
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Amina Nazir
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yigang Tong
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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32
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Borer B, Ciccarese D, Johnson D, Or D. Spatial organization in microbial range expansion emerges from trophic dependencies and successful lineages. Commun Biol 2020; 3:685. [PMID: 33208809 PMCID: PMC7674409 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01409-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that bacterial community spatial organization affects their ecological function, yet details of the mechanisms that promote spatial patterns remain difficult to resolve experimentally. In contrast to bacterial communities in liquid cultures, surface-attached range expansion fosters genetic segregation of the growing population with preferential access to nutrients and reduced mechanical restrictions for cells at the expanding periphery. Here we elucidate how localized conditions in cross-feeding bacterial communities shape community spatial organization. We combine experiments with an individual based mathematical model to resolve how trophic dependencies affect localized growth rates and nucleate successful cell lineages. The model tracks individual cell lineages and attributes these with trophic dependencies that promote counterintuitive reproductive advantages and result in lasting influences on the community structure, and potentially, on its functioning. We examine persistence of lucky lineages in structured habitats where expansion is interrupted by physical obstacles to gain insights into patterns in porous domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict Borer
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Davide Ciccarese
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - David Johnson
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Dani Or
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland
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33
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Fazzino L, Anisman J, Chacón JM, Harcombe WR. Phage cocktail strategies for the suppression of a pathogen in a cross-feeding coculture. Microb Biotechnol 2020; 13:1997-2007. [PMID: 32814365 PMCID: PMC7533344 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cocktail combinations of bacteria-infecting viruses (bacteriophages) can suppress pathogenic bacterial growth. However, predicting how phage cocktails influence microbial communities with complex ecological interactions, specifically cross-feeding interactions in which bacteria exchange nutrients, remains challenging. Here, we used experiments and mathematical simulations to determine how to best suppress a model pathogen, E. coli, when obligately cross-feeding with S. enterica. We tested whether the duration of pathogen suppression caused by a two-lytic phage cocktail was maximized when both phages targeted E. coli, or when one phage targeted E. coli and the other its cross-feeding partner, S. enterica. Experimentally, we observed that cocktails targeting both cross-feeders suppressed E. coli growth longer than cocktails targeting only E. coli. Two non-mutually exclusive mechanisms could explain these results: (i) we found that treatment with two E. coli phage led to the evolution of a mucoid phenotype that provided cross-resistance against both phages, and (ii) S. enterica set the growth rate of the coculture, and therefore, targeting S. enterica had a stronger effect on pathogen suppression. Simulations suggested that cross-resistance and the relative growth rates of cross-feeders modulated the duration of E. coli suppression. More broadly, we describe a novel bacteriophage cocktail strategy for pathogens that cross-feed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Fazzino
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMNUSA
- BioTechnology InstituteUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMNUSA
| | - Jeremy Anisman
- College of Continuing and Professional StudiesUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMNUSA
- Department of Diagnostic and Biological SciencesSchool of DentistryUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMNUSA
| | - Jeremy M. Chacón
- BioTechnology InstituteUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMNUSA
- Department of Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMNUSA
| | - William R. Harcombe
- BioTechnology InstituteUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMNUSA
- Department of Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMNUSA
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34
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Conradi FD, Mullineaux CW, Wilde A. The Role of the Cyanobacterial Type IV Pilus Machinery in Finding and Maintaining a Favourable Environment. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10110252. [PMID: 33114175 PMCID: PMC7690835 DOI: 10.3390/life10110252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Type IV pili (T4P) are proteinaceous filaments found on the cell surface of many prokaryotic organisms and convey twitching motility through their extension/retraction cycles, moving cells across surfaces. In cyanobacteria, twitching motility is the sole mode of motility properly characterised to date and is the means by which cells perform phototaxis, the movement towards and away from directional light sources. The wavelength and intensity of the light source determine the direction of movement and, sometimes in concert with nutrient conditions, act as signals for some cyanobacteria to form mucoid multicellular assemblages. Formation of such aggregates or flocs represents an acclimation strategy to unfavourable environmental conditions and stresses, such as harmful light conditions or predation. T4P are also involved in natural transformation by exogenous DNA, secretion processes, and in cellular adaptation and survival strategies, further cementing the role of cell surface appendages. In this way, cyanobacteria are finely tuned by external stimuli to either escape unfavourable environmental conditions via phototaxis, exchange genetic material, and to modify their surroundings to fit their needs by forming multicellular assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian D. Conradi
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK; (F.D.C.); (C.W.M.)
| | - Conrad W. Mullineaux
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK; (F.D.C.); (C.W.M.)
| | - Annegret Wilde
- Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg; Germany
- Correspondence:
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Zhang B, Yu P, Wang Z, Alvarez PJJ. Hormetic Promotion of Biofilm Growth by Polyvalent Bacteriophages at Low Concentrations. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:12358-12365. [PMID: 32886494 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c03558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between bacteriophages (phages) and biofilms are poorly understood despite their broad ecological and water quality implications. Here, we report that biofilm exposure to lytic polyvalent phages at low concentrations (i.e., 102-104 phages/mL) can counterintuitively promote biofilm growth and densification (corroborated by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM)). Such exposure hormetically upregulated quorum sensing genes (by 4.1- to 24.9-fold), polysaccharide production genes (by 3.7- to 9.3-fold), and curli synthesis genes (by 4.5- to 6.5-fold) in the biofilm-dwelling bacterial hosts (i.e., Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) relative to unexposed controls. Accordingly, the biofilm matrix increased its polysaccharide and extracellular DNA content relative to unexposed controls (by 41.8 ± 2.3 and 81.4 ± 2.2%, respectively), which decreased biofilm permeability and increased structural integrity. This contributed to enhanced resistance to disinfection with chlorine (bacteria half-lives were 6.08 ± 0.05 vs 3.91 ± 0.03 min for unexposed controls) and to subsequent phage infection (biomass removal was 18.2 ± 1.2 vs 32.3 ± 1.2% for unexposed controls), apparently by mitigating diffusion of these antibacterial agents through the biofilm. Overall, low concentrations of phages reaching a biofilm may result in unintended biofilm stimulation, which might accelerate biofouling, biocorrosion, or other biofilm-related water quality problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Pingfeng Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston 77005, United States
| | - Zijian Wang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Pedro J J Alvarez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston 77005, United States
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Simmons EL, Bond MC, Koskella B, Drescher K, Bucci V, Nadell CD. Biofilm Structure Promotes Coexistence of Phage-Resistant and Phage-Susceptible Bacteria. mSystems 2020; 5:e00877-19. [PMID: 32576653 PMCID: PMC7311319 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00877-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Encounters among bacteria and their viral predators (bacteriophages) are among the most common ecological interactions on Earth. These encounters are likely to occur with regularity inside surface-bound communities that microbes most often occupy in natural environments. Such communities, termed biofilms, are spatially constrained: interactions become limited to near neighbors, diffusion of solutes and particulates can be reduced, and there is pronounced heterogeneity in nutrient access and physiological state. It is appreciated from prior theoretical work that phage-bacteria interactions are fundamentally different in spatially structured contexts, as opposed to well-mixed liquid culture. Spatially structured communities are predicted to promote the protection of susceptible host cells from phage exposure, and thus weaken selection for phage resistance. The details and generality of this prediction in realistic biofilm environments, however, are not known. Here, we explore phage-host interactions using experiments and simulations that are tuned to represent the essential elements of biofilm communities. Our simulations show that in biofilms, phage-resistant cells-as their relative abundance increases-can protect clusters of susceptible cells from phage exposure, promoting the coexistence of susceptible and phage-resistant bacteria under a large array of conditions. We characterize the population dynamics underlying this coexistence, and we show that coexistence is recapitulated in an experimental model of biofilm growth measured with confocal microscopy. Our results provide a clear view into the dynamics of phage resistance in biofilms with single-cell resolution of the underlying cell-virion interactions, linking the predictions of canonical theory to realistic models and in vitro experiments of biofilm growth.IMPORTANCE In the natural environment, bacteria most often live in communities bound to one another by secreted adhesives. These communities, or biofilms, play a central role in biogeochemical cycling, microbiome functioning, wastewater treatment, and disease. Wherever there are bacteria, there are also viruses that attack them, called phages. Interactions between bacteria and phages are likely to occur ubiquitously in biofilms. We show here, using simulations and experiments, that biofilms will in most conditions allow phage-susceptible bacteria to be protected from phage exposure, if they are growing alongside other cells that are phage resistant. This result has implications for the fundamental ecology of phage-bacteria interactions, as well as the development of phage-based antimicrobial therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia L Simmons
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Matthew C Bond
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Britt Koskella
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Knut Drescher
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
- Department of Physics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Vanni Bucci
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Carey D Nadell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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