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Vacek L, Polaštík Kleknerová D, Lipový B, Holoubek J, Matysková D, Černá E, Brtníková J, Jeklová E, Kobzová Š, Janda L, Lišková L, Diabelko D, Botka T, Pantůček R, Růžička F, Vojtová L. Phage therapy combined with Gum Karaya injectable hydrogels for treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus deep wound infection in a porcine model. Int J Pharm 2024; 660:124348. [PMID: 38885776 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) represent a significant healthcare challenge, particularly in the context of increasing antibiotic resistance. This study investigates the efficacy of a novel therapeutic approach combining bacteriophage (phage) therapy with a gum Karaya (GK)-based hydrogel delivery system in a porcine model of deep staphylococcal SSTIs. The study exploits the lytic activity and safety of the Staphylococcus phage 812K1/420 of the Kayvirus genus, which is active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The GK injectable hydrogels and hydrogel films, developed by our research group, serve as effective, non-toxic, and easy-to-apply delivery systems, supporting moist wound healing and re-epithelialization. In the porcine model, the combined treatment showed asynergistic effect, leading to a significant reduction in bacterial load (2.5 log CFU/gram of tissue) within one week. Local signs of inflammation were significantly reduced by day 8, with clear evidence of re-epithelialization and wound contraction. Importantly, no adverse effects of the GK-based delivery system were observed throughout the study. The results highlight the potential of this innovative therapeutic approach to effectively treat deep staphylococcal SSTIs, providing a promising avenue for further research and clinical application in the field of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Vacek
- Department of Microbiology, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Pekařská 53, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - D Polaštík Kleknerová
- Department of Microbiology, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Pekařská 53, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - B Lipový
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Advanced Biomaterials Group, Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 656/123, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - J Holoubek
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - D Matysková
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - E Černá
- Advanced Biomaterials Group, Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 656/123, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - J Brtníková
- Advanced Biomaterials Group, Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 656/123, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - E Jeklová
- Clinical Immunology and Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 296/70, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Š Kobzová
- Clinical Immunology and Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 296/70, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - L Janda
- Clinical Immunology and Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 296/70, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - L Lišková
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - D Diabelko
- Department of Microbiology, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Pekařská 53, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - T Botka
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - R Pantůček
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - F Růžička
- Department of Microbiology, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Pekařská 53, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - L Vojtová
- Advanced Biomaterials Group, Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 656/123, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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2
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Cingolani G, Iglesias S, Hou CF, Lemire S, Soriaga A, Kyme P. Cryo-EM analysis of Pseudomonas phage Pa193 structural components. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4189479. [PMID: 38659960 PMCID: PMC11042391 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4189479/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The World Health Organization has designated Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a critical pathogen for the development of new antimicrobials. Bacterial viruses, or bacteriophages, have been used in various clinical settings, commonly called phage therapy, to address this growing public health crisis. Here, we describe a high-resolution structural atlas of a therapeutic, contractile-tailed Pseudomonas phage, Pa193. We used bioinformatics, proteomics, and cryogenic electron microscopy single particle analysis to identify, annotate, and build atomic models for 21 distinct structural polypeptide chains forming the icosahedral capsid, neck, contractile tail, and baseplate. We identified a putative scaffolding protein stabilizing the interior of the capsid 5-fold vertex. We also visualized a large portion of Pa193 ~ 500 Å long tail fibers and resolved the interface between the baseplate and tail fibers. The work presented here provides a framework to support a better understanding of phages as biomedicines for phage therapy and inform engineering opportunities.
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Berkson JD, Wate CE, Allen GB, Schubert AM, Dunbar KE, Coryell MP, Sava RL, Gao Y, Hastie JL, Smith EM, Kenneally CR, Zimmermann SK, Carlson PE. Phage-specific immunity impairs efficacy of bacteriophage targeting Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus in a murine model. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2993. [PMID: 38582763 PMCID: PMC10998888 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47192-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage therapy is a promising approach to address antimicrobial infections though questions remain regarding the impact of the immune response on clinical effectiveness. Here, we develop a mouse model to assess phage treatment using a cocktail of five phages from the Myoviridae and Siphoviridae families that target Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus gut colonization. Phage treatment significantly reduces fecal bacterial loads of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus. We also characterize immune responses elicited following administration of the phage cocktail. While minimal innate responses are observed after phage administration, two rounds of treatment induces phage-specific neutralizing antibodies and accelerate phage clearance from tissues. Interestingly, the myophages in our cocktail induce a more robust neutralizing antibody response than the siphophages. This anti-phage immunity reduces the effectiveness of the phage cocktail in our murine model. Collectively, this study shows phage-specific immune responses may be an important consideration in the development of phage cocktails for therapeutic use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia D Berkson
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Division of Bacterial Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Laboratory of Mucosal Pathogens and Cellular Immunology, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20832, USA
| | - Claire E Wate
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Division of Bacterial Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Laboratory of Mucosal Pathogens and Cellular Immunology, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20832, USA
| | - Garrison B Allen
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Division of Bacterial Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Laboratory of Mucosal Pathogens and Cellular Immunology, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20832, USA
| | - Alyxandria M Schubert
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Division of Bacterial Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Laboratory of Mucosal Pathogens and Cellular Immunology, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20832, USA
| | - Kristin E Dunbar
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Division of Bacterial Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Laboratory of Mucosal Pathogens and Cellular Immunology, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20832, USA
| | - Michael P Coryell
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Division of Bacterial Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Laboratory of Mucosal Pathogens and Cellular Immunology, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20832, USA
| | - Rosa L Sava
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Division of Bacterial Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Laboratory of Mucosal Pathogens and Cellular Immunology, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20832, USA
| | - Yamei Gao
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Division of Viral Products, Laboratory of Pediatric and Respiratory Viral Diseases, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20832, USA
| | - Jessica L Hastie
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Division of Bacterial Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Laboratory of Mucosal Pathogens and Cellular Immunology, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20832, USA
| | - Emily M Smith
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Division of Bacterial Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Laboratory of Mucosal Pathogens and Cellular Immunology, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20832, USA
| | - Charlotte R Kenneally
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Division of Bacterial Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Laboratory of Mucosal Pathogens and Cellular Immunology, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20832, USA
| | - Sally K Zimmermann
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Division of Bacterial Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Laboratory of Mucosal Pathogens and Cellular Immunology, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20832, USA
| | - Paul E Carlson
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Division of Bacterial Parasitic and Allergenic Products, Laboratory of Mucosal Pathogens and Cellular Immunology, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD, 20832, USA.
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4
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Dicks LMT, Vermeulen W. Bacteriophage-Host Interactions and the Therapeutic Potential of Bacteriophages. Viruses 2024; 16:478. [PMID: 38543843 PMCID: PMC10975011 DOI: 10.3390/v16030478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Healthcare faces a major problem with the increased emergence of antimicrobial resistance due to over-prescribing antibiotics. Bacteriophages may provide a solution to the treatment of bacterial infections given their specificity. Enzymes such as endolysins, exolysins, endopeptidases, endosialidases, and depolymerases produced by phages interact with bacterial surfaces, cell wall components, and exopolysaccharides, and may even destroy biofilms. Enzymatic cleavage of the host cell envelope components exposes specific receptors required for phage adhesion. Gram-positive bacteria are susceptible to phage infiltration through their peptidoglycan, cell wall teichoic acid (WTA), lipoteichoic acids (LTAs), and flagella. In Gram-negative bacteria, lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), pili, and capsules serve as targets. Defense mechanisms used by bacteria differ and include physical barriers (e.g., capsules) or endogenous mechanisms such as clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated protein (Cas) systems. Phage proteins stimulate immune responses against specific pathogens and improve antibiotic susceptibility. This review discusses the attachment of phages to bacterial cells, the penetration of bacterial cells, the use of phages in the treatment of bacterial infections, and the limitations of phage therapy. The therapeutic potential of phage-derived proteins and the impact that genomically engineered phages may have in the treatment of infections are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon M. T. Dicks
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa;
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Xiong X, Gong J, Lu T, Yuan L, Lan Y, Tu X. Characteristics of intestinal bacteriophages and their relationship with Bacteria and serum metabolites during quail sexual maturity transition. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:93. [PMID: 38459523 PMCID: PMC10921806 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-03945-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacteriophages are prokaryotic viruses that rank among the most abundant microbes in the gut but remain among the least understood, especially in quails. In this study, we surveyed the gut bacteriophage communities in 22 quails at different ages (days 20 and 70) using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. We then systematically evaluated the relationships with gut bacteria and host serum metabolites. RESULTS We discovered that Myoviridae and Siphoviridae were the dominant bacteriophage families in quails. Through a random forest and LEfSe analysis, we identified 23 differential bacteriophages with overlapping presence. Of these, 21 bacteriophages (e.g., Enterococcus phage IME-EFm5 and Enterococcus phage IME-EFm1) showed higher abundances in the day 20 group, while two bacteriophages (Bacillus phage Silence and Bacillus virus WPh) were enriched in the day 70 group. These key bacteriophages can serve as biomarkers for quail sexual maturity. Additionally, the differential bacteriophages significantly correlated with specific bacterial species and shifts in the functional capacities of the gut microbiome. For example, Enterococcus phages (e.g., Enterococcus phage EFP01, Enterococcus phage IME-EFm5, and Enterococcus phage IME-EFm1) were significantly (P < 0.001, FDR) and positively correlated with Enterococcus faecalis. However, the relationships between the host serum metabolites and either bacteriophages or bacterial species varied. None of the bacteriophages significantly (P > 0.05, FDR) correlated with nicotinamide riboside and triacetate lactone. In contrast, some differential bacterial species (e.g., Christensenella massiliensis and Bacteroides neonati) significantly (P < 0.05, FDR) correlated with nicotinamide riboside and triacetate lactone. Furthermore, characteristic successional alterations in gut bacteriophages, bacteria, and host serum metabolites across different ages highlighted a sexual maturity transition coexpression network. CONCLUSION This study improves our understanding of the gut bacteriophage characteristics in quails and offers profound insights into the interactions among gut bacteriophages, bacteria, and host serum metabolites during the quail's sexual maturity transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinwei Xiong
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Poultry Genetic Improvement, Nanchang Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330032, China.
| | - Jishang Gong
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Poultry Genetic Improvement, Nanchang Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330032, China
| | - Tian Lu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Poultry Genetic Improvement, Nanchang Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330032, China
| | - Liuying Yuan
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Poultry Genetic Improvement, Nanchang Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330032, China
| | - Yuehang Lan
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Poultry Genetic Improvement, Nanchang Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330032, China
| | - Xutang Tu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Poultry Genetic Improvement, Nanchang Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330032, China.
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Sonani RR, Palmer LK, Esteves NC, Horton AA, Sebastian AL, Kelly RJ, Wang F, Kreutzberger MAB, Russell WK, Leiman PG, Scharf BE, Egelman EH. An extensive disulfide bond network prevents tail contraction in Agrobacterium tumefaciens phage Milano. Nat Commun 2024; 15:756. [PMID: 38272938 PMCID: PMC10811340 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44959-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
A contractile sheath and rigid tube assembly is a widespread apparatus used by bacteriophages, tailocins, and the bacterial type VI secretion system to penetrate cell membranes. In this mechanism, contraction of an external sheath powers the motion of an inner tube through the membrane. The structure, energetics, and mechanism of the machinery imply rigidity and straightness. The contractile tail of Agrobacterium tumefaciens bacteriophage Milano is flexible and bent to varying degrees, which sets it apart from other contractile tail-like systems. Here, we report structures of the Milano tail including the sheath-tube complex, baseplate, and putative receptor-binding proteins. The flexible-to-rigid transformation of the Milano tail upon contraction can be explained by unique electrostatic properties of the tail tube and sheath. All components of the Milano tail, including sheath subunits, are crosslinked by disulfides, some of which must be reduced for contraction to occur. The putative receptor-binding complex of Milano contains a tailspike, a tail fiber, and at least two small proteins that form a garland around the distal ends of the tailspikes and tail fibers. Despite being flagellotropic, Milano lacks thread-like tail filaments that can wrap around the flagellum, and is thus likely to employ a different binding mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi R Sonani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Lee K Palmer
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Nathaniel C Esteves
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Abigail A Horton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Amanda L Sebastian
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Rebecca J Kelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Fengbin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA
| | - Mark A B Kreutzberger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - William K Russell
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Petr G Leiman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.
| | - Birgit E Scharf
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
| | - Edward H Egelman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA.
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Tasdurmazli S, Dokuz S, Erdogdu B, Var I, Chen JYS, Ozbek T. The evaluation of biotechnological potential of Gp144, the key molecule of natural predator bacteriophage K in Staphylococcus aureus hunting mechanism. Biotechnol J 2023; 18:e2300145. [PMID: 37300362 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages, which selectively infect bacteria, and phage-derived structures are considered promising agents for the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial infections due to the increasing antibiotic resistance. The binding of phages to their specific receptors on host bacteria is highly specific and irreversible, and therefore, the characterization of receptor-binding proteins(RBPs), which are key determinants of phage specificity, is crucial for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic products. This study highlights the biotechnological potential of Gp144, an RBP located in the tail baseplate of bacteriophage K and responsible for adsorption of phageK to S. aureus. Once it was established that recombinant Gp144 (rGp144)is biocompatible and does not exhibit lytic effects on bacteria, its interaction with the host, the binding efficiency and performance were assessed in vitro using microscopic and serological methods. Results showed that rGp144 has a capture efficiency (CE) of over 87% and the best CE score is %96 which captured 9 CFU mL-1 out of 10 CFU mL-1 bacteria, indicating that very low number of bacteria could be detected. Additionally, it was shown for the first time in the literature that rGp144 binds to both S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) cells in vitro, while its affinity to different Gram-positive bacteria (E. faecalis and B. cereus) was not observed. The findings suggest that rGp144 can be effectively used for the diagnosis of S. aureus and MRSA, and that the use of RBPs in host-phage interaction can be a novel and effective strategy for imaging and diagnosing the site of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Semra Tasdurmazli
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Senanur Dokuz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Berna Erdogdu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Isil Var
- Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural, Cukurova University, Sarıcam-Adana, Turkey
| | - John Yu-Shen Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tulin Ozbek
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
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Wang Z, Fokine A, Guo X, Jiang W, Rossmann MG, Kuhn RJ, Luo ZH, Klose T. Structure of Vibrio Phage XM1, a Simple Contractile DNA Injection Machine. Viruses 2023; 15:1673. [PMID: 37632015 PMCID: PMC10457771 DOI: 10.3390/v15081673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance poses a growing risk to public health, requiring new tools to combat pathogenic bacteria. Contractile injection systems, including bacteriophage tails, pyocins, and bacterial type VI secretion systems, can efficiently penetrate cell envelopes and become potential antibacterial agents. Bacteriophage XM1 is a dsDNA virus belonging to the Myoviridae family and infecting Vibrio bacteria. The XM1 virion, made of 18 different proteins, consists of an icosahedral head and a contractile tail, terminated with a baseplate. Here, we report cryo-EM reconstructions of all components of the XM1 virion and describe the atomic structures of 14 XM1 proteins. The XM1 baseplate is composed of a central hub surrounded by six wedge modules to which twelve spikes are attached. The XM1 tail contains a fewer number of smaller proteins compared to other reported phage baseplates, depicting the minimum requirements for building an effective cell-envelope-penetrating machine. We describe the tail sheath structure in the pre-infection and post-infection states and its conformational changes during infection. In addition, we report, for the first time, the in situ structure of the phage neck region to near-atomic resolution. Based on these structures, we propose mechanisms of virus assembly and infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqing Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- National Cryo-EM Facility, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Andrei Fokine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Xinwu Guo
- Sansure Biotech Inc., Changsha 410205, China
| | - Wen Jiang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Michael G. Rossmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Richard J. Kuhn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Zhu-Hua Luo
- Key Laboratory of Marine Biogenetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
- School of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
| | - Thomas Klose
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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9
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Li F, Hou CFD, Lokareddy RK, Yang R, Forti F, Briani F, Cingolani G. High-resolution cryo-EM structure of the Pseudomonas bacteriophage E217. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4052. [PMID: 37422479 PMCID: PMC10329688 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39756-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
E217 is a Pseudomonas phage used in an experimental cocktail to eradicate cystic fibrosis-associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we describe the structure of the whole E217 virion before and after DNA ejection at 3.1 Å and 4.5 Å resolution, respectively, determined using cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). We identify and build de novo structures for 19 unique E217 gene products, resolve the tail genome-ejection machine in both extended and contracted states, and decipher the complete architecture of the baseplate formed by 66 polypeptide chains. We also determine that E217 recognizes the host O-antigen as a receptor, and we resolve the N-terminal portion of the O-antigen-binding tail fiber. We propose that E217 design principles presented in this paper are conserved across PB1-like Myoviridae phages of the Pbunavirus genus that encode a ~1.4 MDa baseplate, dramatically smaller than the coliphage T4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenglin Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Chun-Feng David Hou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Ravi K Lokareddy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Ruoyu Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Francesca Forti
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Briani
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Gino Cingolani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
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10
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Kornienko M, Bespiatykh D, Gorodnichev R, Abdraimova N, Shitikov E. Transcriptional Landscapes of Herelleviridae Bacteriophages and Staphylococcus aureus during Phage Infection: An Overview. Viruses 2023; 15:1427. [PMID: 37515114 PMCID: PMC10383478 DOI: 10.3390/v15071427] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The issue of antibiotic resistance in healthcare worldwide has led to a pressing need to explore and develop alternative approaches to combat infectious diseases. Among these methods, phage therapy has emerged as a potential solution to tackle this growing challenge. Virulent phages of the Herelleviridae family, known for their ability to cause lysis of Staphylococcus aureus, a clinically significant pathogen frequently associated with multidrug resistance, have proven to be one of the most effective viruses utilized in phage therapy. In order to utilize phages for therapeutic purposes effectively, a thorough investigation into their physiology and mechanisms of action on infected cells is essential. The use of omics technologies, particularly total RNA sequencing, is a promising approach for analyzing the interaction between phages and their hosts, allowing for the assessment of both the behavior of the phage during infection and the cell's response. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the physiology of the Herelleviridae family, utilizing existing analyses of their total phage transcriptomes. Additionally, it sheds light on the changes that occur in the metabolism of S. aureus when infected with virulent bacteriophages, contributing to a deeper understanding of the phage-host interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kornienko
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency Medicine, Moscow 119435, Russia
| | - Dmitry Bespiatykh
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency Medicine, Moscow 119435, Russia
| | - Roman Gorodnichev
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency Medicine, Moscow 119435, Russia
| | - Narina Abdraimova
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency Medicine, Moscow 119435, Russia
| | - Egor Shitikov
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency Medicine, Moscow 119435, Russia
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11
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Podgorski JM, Freeman K, Gosselin S, Huet A, Conway JF, Bird M, Grecco J, Patel S, Jacobs-Sera D, Hatfull G, Gogarten JP, Ravantti J, White SJ. A structural dendrogram of the actinobacteriophage major capsid proteins provides important structural insights into the evolution of capsid stability. Structure 2023; 31:282-294.e5. [PMID: 36649709 PMCID: PMC10071307 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2022.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Many double-stranded DNA viruses, including tailed bacteriophages (phages) and herpesviruses, use the HK97-fold in their major capsid protein to make the capsomers of the icosahedral viral capsid. After the genome packaging at near-crystalline densities, the capsid is subjected to a major expansion and stabilization step that allows it to withstand environmental stresses and internal high pressure. Several different mechanisms for stabilizing the capsid have been structurally characterized, but how these mechanisms have evolved is still not understood. Using cryo-EM structure determination of 10 capsids, structural comparisons, phylogenetic analyses, and Alphafold predictions, we have constructed a detailed structural dendrogram describing the evolution of capsid structural stability within the actinobacteriophages. We show that the actinobacteriophage major capsid proteins can be classified into 15 groups based upon their HK97-fold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Podgorski
- Biology/Physics Building, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 91 North Eagleville Road, Unit-3125, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA
| | - Krista Freeman
- Clapp Hall, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Sophia Gosselin
- Biology/Physics Building, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 91 North Eagleville Road, Unit-3125, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA
| | - Alexis Huet
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - James F Conway
- Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mary Bird
- Biology/Physics Building, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 91 North Eagleville Road, Unit-3125, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA
| | - John Grecco
- Biology/Physics Building, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 91 North Eagleville Road, Unit-3125, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA
| | - Shreya Patel
- Biology/Physics Building, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 91 North Eagleville Road, Unit-3125, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA
| | - Deborah Jacobs-Sera
- Clapp Hall, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Graham Hatfull
- Clapp Hall, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Johann Peter Gogarten
- Biology/Physics Building, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 91 North Eagleville Road, Unit-3125, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA; Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06268-3125, USA
| | - Janne Ravantti
- University of Helsinki, Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Simon J White
- Biology/Physics Building, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 91 North Eagleville Road, Unit-3125, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA.
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12
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Zhang Y, Zou G, Islam MS, Liu K, Xue S, Song Z, Ye Y, Zhou Y, Shi Y, Wei S, Zhou R, Chen H, Li J. Combine thermal processing with polyvalent phage LPEK22 to prevent the Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica contamination in food. Food Res Int 2023; 165:112454. [PMID: 36869473 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Thermal processing is the most frequently used method to destruct bacteria in food processing. However, insufficient thermal processing may lead to the outbreak of foodborne illness. This study combined thermal processing with thermostable phage to prevent food contamination. The thermostable phages were screened which can retain activity at 70 °C for 1 h. Among them, the polyvalent phage LPEK22 was obtained to lyse Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica, especially several multi-drug resistant bacteria. In milk (liquid food matrix), LPEK22 significantly reduced the E. coli by 5.00 ± 0.18 log10 CFU/mL and S. enterica by 4.20 ± 0.23 log10 CFU/mL after thermal processing at 63 °C for 30 min. For beef sausage (solid food matrix), LPEK22 significantly reduced the E. coli by 2.34 ± 0.17 log10 CFU/cm2 and S. enterica by 1.54 ± 0.13 log10 CFU/cm2 after thermal processing at 66 °C for 90 s. Genome analysis revealed that LPEK22 was a novel phage with a unique tail spike protein belonging to the family of Ackermannviridae. LPEK22 did not contain lysogenic, drug-resistant, and virulent genes that may compromise the safety of food application. These results determined that LPEK22, a novel polyvalent Ackermannviridae phage, could combine with thermal processing to prevent drug-resistant E. coli and S. enterica both in vitro and in foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Biomedicine and Health, College of Food Science and Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Geng Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Biomedicine and Health, College of Food Science and Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Md Sharifull Islam
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Biomedicine and Health, College of Food Science and Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China; Center for Cancer Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Kun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Biomedicine and Health, College of Food Science and Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Suqiang Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Biomedicine and Health, College of Food Science and Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Zhiyong Song
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Biomedicine and Health, College of Food Science and Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Yingwang Ye
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Yuanguo Shi
- Shenzhen Institute of Quality & Safety Inspection and Research, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Shaozhong Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Biomedicine and Health, College of Food Science and Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Rui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Biomedicine and Health, College of Food Science and Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Huanchun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Biomedicine and Health, College of Food Science and Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Jinquan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Biomedicine and Health, College of Food Science and Technology, Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and Health, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518000, China.
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13
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Staphylococcus aureus Prophage-Encoded Protein Causes Abortive Infection and Provides Population Immunity against Kayviruses. mBio 2023; 14:e0249022. [PMID: 36779718 PMCID: PMC10127798 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02490-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Both temperate and obligately lytic phages have crucial roles in the biology of staphylococci. While superinfection exclusion among closely related temperate phages is a well-characterized phenomenon, the interactions between temperate and lytic phages in staphylococci are not understood. Here, we present a resistance mechanism toward lytic phages of the genus Kayvirus, mediated by the membrane-anchored protein designated PdpSau encoded by Staphylococcus aureus prophages, mostly of the Sa2 integrase type. The prophage accessory gene pdpSau is strongly linked to the lytic genes for holin and ami2-type amidase and typically replaces genes for the toxin Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL). The predicted PdpSau protein structure shows the presence of a membrane-binding α-helix in its N-terminal part and a cytoplasmic positively charged C terminus. We demonstrated that the mechanism of action of PdpSau does not prevent the infecting kayvirus from adsorbing onto the host cell and delivering its genome into the cell, but phage DNA replication is halted. Changes in the cell membrane polarity and permeability were observed from 10 min after the infection, which led to prophage-activated cell death. Furthermore, we describe a mechanism of overcoming this resistance in a host-range Kayvirus mutant, which was selected on an S. aureus strain harboring prophage 53 encoding PdpSau, and in which a chimeric gene product emerged via adaptive laboratory evolution. This first case of staphylococcal interfamily phage-phage competition is analogous to some other abortive infection defense systems and to systems based on membrane-destructive proteins. IMPORTANCE Prophages play an important role in virulence, pathogenesis, and host preference, as well as in horizontal gene transfer in staphylococci. In contrast, broad-host-range lytic staphylococcal kayviruses lyse most S. aureus strains, and scientists worldwide have come to believe that the use of such phages will be successful for treating and preventing bacterial diseases. The effectiveness of phage therapy is complicated by bacterial resistance, whose mechanisms related to therapeutic staphylococcal phages are not understood in detail. In this work, we describe a resistance mechanism targeting kayviruses that is encoded by a prophage. We conclude that the defense mechanism belongs to a broader group of abortive infections, which is characterized by suicidal behavior of infected cells that are unable to produce phage progeny, thus ensuring the survival of the host population. Since the majority of staphylococcal strains are lysogenic, our findings are relevant for the advancement of phage therapy.
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R-Type Fonticins Produced by Pragia fontium Form Large Pores with High Conductance. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0031522. [PMID: 36541812 PMCID: PMC9879110 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00315-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fonticins are phage tail-like bacteriocins produced by the Gram-negative bacterium Pragia fontium from the family Budviciaceae. This bacterium produces contractile-type particles that adsorb on the surface of sensitive bacteria and penetrate the cell wall, probably during contraction, in a way similar to the type VI secretion system. We characterized the pore-forming activity of fonticins using both living cells and in vitro model membranes. Using a potassium leakage assay, we show that fonticins are able to permeabilize sensitive cells. On black lipid membranes, single-pore conductance is about 0.78 nS in 1 M NaCl and appears to be linearly dependent on the increasing molar strength of NaCl solution, which is a property of considerably large pores. In agreement with these findings, fonticins are not ion selective for Na+, K+, and Cl-. Polyethylene glycol 3350 (PEG 3350) molecules of about 3.5 nm in diameter can enter the fonticin pore lumen, whereas the larger molecules cannot pass the pore. The size of fonticin pores was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The terminal membrane-piercing complex of the fonticin tube probably creates a selective barrier restricting passage of macromolecules. IMPORTANCE Phage tail-like bacteriocins are now the subject of research as potent antibacterial agents due to their narrow host specificity and single-hit mode of action. In this work, we focused on the structure and mode of action of fonticins. According to some theories, related particles were initially adapted for passage of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecules, but fonticins changed their function during the evolution; they are able to form large pores through the bacterial envelope of Gram-negative bacteria. As various pore-forming proteins are extensively used for nanopore sequencing and stochastic sensing, we decided to investigate the pore-forming properties of fonticin protein complexes on artificial lipid membranes. Our research revealed remarkable structural properties of these particles that may have a potential application as a nanodevice.
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15
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Si D, Chen J, Nakamura A, Chang L, Guan H. Smart de novo Macromolecular Structure Modeling from Cryo-EM Maps. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:167967. [PMID: 36681181 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.167967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The study of macromolecular structures has expanded our understanding of the amazing cell machinery and such knowledge has changed how the pharmaceutical industry develops new vaccines in recent years. Traditionally, X-ray crystallography has been the main method for structure determination, however, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has increasingly become more popular due to recent advancements in hardware and software. The number of cryo-EM maps deposited in the EMDataResource (formerly EMDatabase) since 2002 has been dramatically increasing and it continues to do so. De novo macromolecular complex modeling is a labor-intensive process, therefore, it is highly desirable to develop software that can automate this process. Here we discuss our automated, data-driven, and artificial intelligence approaches including map processing, feature extraction, modeling building, and target identification. Recently, we have enabled DNA/RNA modeling in our deep learning-based prediction tool, DeepTracer. We have also developed DeepTracer-ID, a tool that can identify proteins solely based on the cryo-EM map. In this paper, we will present our accumulated experiences in developing deep learning-based methods surrounding macromolecule modeling applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Si
- Division of Computing and Software Systems, University of Washington Bothell, Bothell, WA 98011, United States.
| | - Jason Chen
- Division of Computing and Software Systems, University of Washington Bothell, Bothell, WA 98011, United States
| | - Andrew Nakamura
- Division of Computing and Software Systems, University of Washington Bothell, Bothell, WA 98011, United States
| | - Luca Chang
- Division of Computing and Software Systems, University of Washington Bothell, Bothell, WA 98011, United States
| | - Haowen Guan
- Division of Computing and Software Systems, University of Washington Bothell, Bothell, WA 98011, United States
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16
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A Capsid Structure of Ralstonia solanacearum podoviridae GP4 with a Triangulation Number T = 9. Viruses 2022; 14:v14112431. [PMID: 36366529 PMCID: PMC9698820 DOI: 10.3390/v14112431] [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: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
GP4, a new Ralstonia solanacearum phage, is a short-tailed phage. Few structures of Ralstonia solanacearum phages have been resolved to near-atomic resolution until now. Here, we present a 3.7 Å resolution structure of the GP4 head by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The GP4 head contains 540 copies of major capsid protein (MCP) gp2 and 540 copies of cement protein (CP) gp1 arranged in an icosahedral shell with a triangulation number T = 9. The structures of gp2 and gp1 show a canonical HK97-like fold and an Ig-like fold, respectively. The trimeric CPs stick on the surface of the head along the quasi-threefold axis of the icosahedron generating a sandwiched three-layer electrostatic complementary potential, thereby enhancing the head stability. The assembly pattern of the GP4 head provides a platform for the further exploration of the interaction between Ralstonia solanacearum and corresponding phages.
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Structural Insights into the Chaperone-Assisted Assembly of a Simplified Tail Fiber of the Myocyanophage Pam3. Viruses 2022; 14:v14102260. [PMID: 36298815 PMCID: PMC9608196 DOI: 10.3390/v14102260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
At the first step of phage infection, the receptor-binding proteins (RBPs) such as tail fibers are responsible for recognizing specific host surface receptors. The proper folding and assembly of tail fibers usually requires a chaperone encoded by the phage genome. Despite extensive studies on phage structures, the molecular mechanism of phage tail fiber assembly remains largely unknown. Here, using a minimal myocyanophage, termed Pam3, isolated from Lake Chaohu, we demonstrate that the chaperone gp25 forms a stable complex with the tail fiber gp24 at a stoichiometry of 3:3. The 3.1-Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of this complex revealed an elongated structure with the gp25 trimer embracing the distal moieties of gp24 trimer at the center. Each gp24 subunit consists of three domains: the N-terminal α-helical domain required for docking to the baseplate, the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like and glycine-rich domains responsible for recognizing the host receptor. Each gp25 subunit consists of two domains: a non-conserved N-terminal β-sandwich domain that binds to the TNF-like and glycine-rich domains of the fiber, and a C-terminal α-helical domain that mediates trimerization/assembly of the fiber. Structural analysis enabled us to propose the assembly mechanism of phage tail fibers, in which the chaperone first protects the intertwined and repetitive distal moiety of each fiber subunit, further ensures the proper folding of these highly plastic structural elements, and eventually enables the formation of the trimeric fiber. These findings provide the structural basis for the design and engineering of phage fibers for biotechnological applications.
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Finstrlová A, Mašlaňová I, Blasdel Reuter BG, Doškař J, Götz F, Pantůček R. Global Transcriptomic Analysis of Bacteriophage-Host Interactions between a Kayvirus Therapeutic Phage and Staphylococcus aureus. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0012322. [PMID: 35435752 PMCID: PMC9241854 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00123-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Kayviruses are polyvalent broad host range staphylococcal phages with a potential to combat staphylococcal infections. However, the implementation of rational phage therapy in medicine requires a thorough understanding of the interactions between bacteriophages and pathogens at omics level. To evaluate the effect of a phage used in therapy on its host bacterium, we performed differential transcriptomic analysis by RNA-Seq from bacteriophage K of genus Kayvirus infecting two Staphylococcus aureus strains, prophage-less strain SH1000 and quadruple lysogenic strain Newman. The temporal transcriptional profile of phage K was comparable in both strains except for a few loci encoding hypothetical proteins. Stranded sequencing revealed transcription of phage noncoding RNAs that may play a role in the regulation of phage and host gene expression. The transcriptional response of S. aureus to phage K infection resembles a general stress response with differential expression of genes involved in a DNA damage response. The host transcriptional changes involved upregulation of nucleotide, amino acid and energy synthesis and transporter genes and downregulation of host transcription factors. The interaction of phage K with variable genetic elements of the host showed slight upregulation of gene expression of prophage integrases and antirepressors. The virulence genes involved in adhesion and immune evasion were only marginally affected, making phage K suitable for therapy. IMPORTANCE Bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is a common human and veterinary pathogen that causes mild to life-threatening infections. As strains of S. aureus are becoming increasingly resistant to multiple antibiotics, the need to search for new therapeutics is urgent. A promising alternative to antibiotic treatment of staphylococcal infections is a phage therapy using lytic phages from the genus Kayvirus. Here, we present a comprehensive view on the phage-bacterium interactions on transcriptomic level that improves the knowledge of molecular mechanisms underlying the Kayvirus lytic action. The results will ensure safer usage of the phage therapeutics and may also serve as a basis for the development of new antibacterial strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adéla Finstrlová
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ivana Mašlaňová
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Jiří Doškař
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Friedrich Götz
- Microbial Genetics, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Roman Pantůček
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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Liu S, Hon K, Bouras GS, Psaltis AJ, Shearwin K, Wormald PJ, Vreugde S. APTC-C-SA01: A Novel Bacteriophage Cocktail Targeting Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA Biofilms. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116116. [PMID: 35682794 PMCID: PMC9181636 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The high infection and mortality rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) necessitates the urgent development of new treatment strategies. Bacteriophages (phages) have several advantages compared to antibiotics for the treatment of multi-drug-resistant bacterial infections, and thus provide a promising alternative to antibiotics. Here, S. aureus phages were isolated from patients and environmental sources. Phages were characterized for stability, morphology and genomic sequence and their bactericidal activity against the biofilm form of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and MRSA was investigated. Four S. aureus phages were isolated and tested against 51 MSSA and MRSA clinical isolates and reference strains. The phages had a broad host range of 82−94% individually and of >98% when combined and could significantly reduce the viability of S. aureus biofilms. The phages had a latent period of ≤20 min and burst size of >11 plaque forming units (PFU)/infected cell. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) identified phages belonging to the family of Myoviridae. Genomic sequencing indicated the lytic nature of all four phages, with no identified resistance or virulence genes. The 4 phages showed a high complementarity with 49/51 strains (96%) sensitive to at least 2/4 phages tested. Furthermore, the frequency of bacteriophage insensitive mutant (BIM) generation was lower when the phages were combined into the phage cocktail APTC-C-SA01 than for bacteria exposed to each of the phages alone. In conclusion, APTC-C-SA01, containing four lytic S. aureus phages has the potential for further development as a treatment against MSSA and MRSA infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Liu
- Department of Surgery-Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Woodville, SA 5011, Australia; (S.L.); (K.H.); (G.S.B.); (A.J.P.); (P.-J.W.)
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Karen Hon
- Department of Surgery-Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Woodville, SA 5011, Australia; (S.L.); (K.H.); (G.S.B.); (A.J.P.); (P.-J.W.)
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - George Spyro Bouras
- Department of Surgery-Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Woodville, SA 5011, Australia; (S.L.); (K.H.); (G.S.B.); (A.J.P.); (P.-J.W.)
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Alkis James Psaltis
- Department of Surgery-Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Woodville, SA 5011, Australia; (S.L.); (K.H.); (G.S.B.); (A.J.P.); (P.-J.W.)
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Keith Shearwin
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia;
| | - Peter-John Wormald
- Department of Surgery-Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Woodville, SA 5011, Australia; (S.L.); (K.H.); (G.S.B.); (A.J.P.); (P.-J.W.)
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Sarah Vreugde
- Department of Surgery-Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Woodville, SA 5011, Australia; (S.L.); (K.H.); (G.S.B.); (A.J.P.); (P.-J.W.)
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-8-8222-6928
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Evseev P, Shneider M, Miroshnikov K. Evolution of Phage Tail Sheath Protein. Viruses 2022; 14:v14061148. [PMID: 35746620 PMCID: PMC9230969 DOI: 10.3390/v14061148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sheath proteins comprise a part of the contractile molecular machinery present in bacteriophages with myoviral morphology, contractile injection systems, and the type VI secretion system (T6SS) found in many Gram-negative bacteria. Previous research on sheath proteins has demonstrated that they share common structural features, even though they vary in their size and primary sequence. In this study, 112 contractile phage tail sheath proteins (TShP) representing different groups of bacteriophages and archaeal viruses with myoviral morphology have been modelled with the novel machine learning software, AlphaFold 2. The obtained structures have been analysed and conserved and variable protein parts and domains have been identified. The common core domain of all studied sheath proteins, including viral and T6SS proteins, comprised both N-terminal and C-terminal parts, whereas the other parts consisted of one or several moderately conserved domains, presumably added during phage evolution. The conserved core appears to be responsible for interaction with the tail tube protein and assembly of the phage tail. Additional domains may have evolved to maintain the stability of the virion or for adsorption to the host cell. Evolutionary relations between TShPs representing distinct viral groups have been proposed using a phylogenetic analysis based on overall structural similarity and other analyses.
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21
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Hatoum-Aslan A. The phages of staphylococci: critical catalysts in health and disease. Trends Microbiol 2021; 29:1117-1129. [PMID: 34030968 PMCID: PMC8578144 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The phages that infect Staphylococcus species are dominant residents of the skin microbiome that play critical roles in health and disease. While temperate phages, which can integrate into the host genome, have the potential to promote staphylococcal pathogenesis, the strictly lytic variety are powerful antimicrobials that are being exploited for therapeutic applications. This article reviews recent insights into the diversity of staphylococcal phages and newly described mechanisms by which they influence host pathogenicity. The latest efforts to harness these viruses to eradicate staphylococcal infections are also highlighted. Decades of research has focused on the temperate phages of Staphylococcus aureus as model systems, thus underscoring the need to broaden basic research efforts to include diverse phages that infect other clinically relevant Staphylococcus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Hatoum-Aslan
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Microbiology, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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22
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Structural Studies of the Phage G Tail Demonstrate an Atypical Tail Contraction. Viruses 2021; 13:v13102094. [PMID: 34696524 PMCID: PMC8570332 DOI: 10.3390/v13102094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Phage G is recognized as having a remarkably large genome and capsid size among isolated, propagated phages. Negative stain electron microscopy of the host–phage G interaction reveals tail sheaths that are contracted towards the distal tip and decoupled from the head–neck region. This is different from the typical myophage tail contraction, where the sheath contracts upward, while being linked to the head–neck region. Our cryo-EM structures of the non-contracted and contracted tail sheath show that: (1) The protein fold of the sheath protein is very similar to its counterpart in smaller, contractile phages such as T4 and phi812; (2) Phage G’s sheath structure in the non-contracted and contracted states are similar to phage T4’s sheath structure. Similarity to other myophages is confirmed by a comparison-based study of the tail sheath’s helical symmetry, the sheath protein’s evolutionary timetree, and the organization of genes involved in tail morphogenesis. Atypical phase G tail contraction could be due to a missing anchor point at the upper end of the tail sheath that allows the decoupling of the sheath from the head–neck region. Explaining the atypical tail contraction requires further investigation of the phage G sheath anchor points.
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23
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Structural changes in bacteriophage T7 upon receptor-induced genome ejection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2102003118. [PMID: 34504014 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2102003118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Many tailed bacteriophages assemble ejection proteins and a portal-tail complex at a unique vertex of the capsid. The ejection proteins form a transenvelope channel extending the portal-tail channel for the delivery of genomic DNA in cell infection. Here, we report the structure of the mature bacteriophage T7, including the ejection proteins, as well as the structures of the full and empty T7 particles in complex with their cell receptor lipopolysaccharide. Our near-atomic-resolution reconstruction shows that the ejection proteins in the mature T7 assemble into a core, which comprises a fourfold gene product 16 (gp16) ring, an eightfold gp15 ring, and a putative eightfold gp14 ring. The gp15 and gp16 are mainly composed of helix bundles, and gp16 harbors a lytic transglycosylase domain for degrading the bacterial peptidoglycan layer. When interacting with the lipopolysaccharide, the T7 tail nozzle opens. Six copies of gp14 anchor to the tail nozzle, extending the nozzle across the lipopolysaccharide lipid bilayer. The structures of gp15 and gp16 in the mature T7 suggest that they should undergo remarkable conformational changes to form the transenvelope channel. Hydrophobic α-helices were observed in gp16 but not in gp15, suggesting that gp15 forms the channel in the hydrophilic periplasm and gp16 forms the channel in the cytoplasmic membrane.
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24
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Ning H, Lin H, Wang J, He X, Lv X, Ju L. Characterizations of the endolysin Lys84 and its domains from phage qdsa002 with high activities against Staphylococcus aureus and its biofilms. Enzyme Microb Technol 2021; 148:109809. [PMID: 34116743 DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2021.109809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), particularly methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and its biofilms are great threats in the food industry. Bacteriophage-encoded endolysins are promising tools to inhibit pathogens and to eliminate their biofilms. In this work, a virulent phage qdsa002 against S. aureus ATCC43300 (MRSA) was isolated, and the phage's endolysin (Lys84) and its domains were expressed and purified. Morphological and genome analyses demonstrated that qdsa002 is a Twort-like phage from Myoviridae. Lys84 contains two catalytic domains (CHAP and Amidase_2) and one cell binding domain (SH3b). This endolysin exhibits a strong lytic activity against S. aureus and has a wider bactericidal spectrum than qdsa002. Moreover, Lys84 exceed 10 μM effectively removed around 90 % of the biofilms of S. aureus. Besides, CHAP and Amidase_2 domains remained 61.20 % and 59.46 % of lytic activity as well as 84.31 % and 70.11 % of anti-biofilm activity of Lys84, respectively. The lytic and anti-biofilm activities of the combination of CHAP and Amidase_2 were close to 90 % of those of Lys84. These results indicated that Lys84 and its domains might be alternative antimicrobials for controlling S. aureus and its biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houqi Ning
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 5, Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province, 266003, PR China
| | - Hong Lin
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 5, Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province, 266003, PR China
| | - Jingxue Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 5, Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province, 266003, PR China.
| | - Xuebing He
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 5, Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province, 266003, PR China
| | - Xiaoqian Lv
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 5, Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province, 266003, PR China
| | - Lei Ju
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No. 5, Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province, 266003, PR China
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25
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Comparative Genomics of Three Novel Jumbo Bacteriophages Infecting Staphylococcus aureus. J Virol 2021; 95:e0239120. [PMID: 34287047 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02391-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of previously described Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophages belong to three major groups: P68-like podophages, Twort-like or K-like myophages, and a more diverse group of temperate siphophages. Here we present three novel S. aureus "jumbo" phages: MarsHill, Madawaska, and Machias. These phages were isolated from swine production environments in the United States and represent a novel clade of S. aureus myophage. The average genome size for these phages is ∼269 kb with each genome encoding ∼263 predicted protein-coding genes. Phage genome organization and content is similar to known jumbo phages of Bacillus, including AR9 and vB_BpuM-BpSp. All three phages possess genes encoding complete virion and non-virion RNA polymerases, multiple homing endonucleases, and a retron-like reverse transcriptase. Like AR9, all of these phages are presumed to have uracil-substituted DNA which interferes with DNA sequencing. These phages are also able to transduce host plasmids, which is significant as these phages were found circulating in swine production environments and can also infect human S. aureus isolates. Importance of work: This study describes the comparative genomics of three novel S. aureus jumbo phages: MarsHill, Madawaska, and Machias. These three S. aureus myophages represent an emerging class of S. aureus phage. These genomes contain abundant introns which show a pattern consistent with repeated acquisition rather than vertical inheritance, suggesting intron acquisition and loss is an active process in the evolution of these phages. These phages have presumably hypermodified DNA which inhibits sequencing by several different common platforms. Therefore, these phages also represent potential genomic diversity that has been missed due to the limitations of standard sequencing techniques. In particular, such hypermodified genomes may be missed by metagenomic studies due to their resistance to standard sequencing techniques. Phage MarsHill was found to be able to transduce host DNA at levels comparable to that found for other transducing S. aureus phages, making them a potential vector for horizontal gene transfer in the environment.
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26
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Aslam B, Arshad MI, Aslam MA, Muzammil S, Siddique AB, Yasmeen N, Khurshid M, Rasool M, Ahmad M, Rasool MH, Fahim M, Hussain R, Xia X, Baloch Z. Bacteriophage Proteome: Insights and Potentials of an Alternate to Antibiotics. Infect Dis Ther 2021; 10:1171-1193. [PMID: 34170506 PMCID: PMC8322358 DOI: 10.1007/s40121-021-00446-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The mounting incidence of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains and the dearth of novel antibiotics demand alternate therapies to manage the infections caused by resistant superbugs. Bacteriophages and phage=derived proteins are considered as potential alternates to treat such infections, and have several applications in health care systems. The aim of this review is to explore the hidden potential of bacteriophage proteins which may be a practical alternative approach to manage the threat of antibiotic resistance. Results Clinical trials are in progress for the use of phage therapy as a tool for routine medical use; however, the existing regulations may hamper their development of routine antimicrobial agents. The advancement of molecular techniques and the advent of sequencing have opened new potentials for the design of engineered bacteriophages as well as recombinant bacteriophage proteins. The phage enzymes and proteins encoded by the lysis cassette genes, especially endolysins, holins, and spanins, have shown plausible potentials as therapeutic candidates. Conclusion This review offers an integrated viewpoint that aims to decipher the insights and abilities of bacteriophages and their derived proteins as potential alternatives to antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilal Aslam
- Department of Microbiology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran Arshad
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Aamir Aslam
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Saima Muzammil
- Department of Microbiology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Abu Baker Siddique
- Department of Microbiology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Nafeesa Yasmeen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, P.R. China
| | - Mohsin Khurshid
- Department of Microbiology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Maria Rasool
- Department of Microbiology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Moeed Ahmad
- Department of Microbiology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Mohammad Fahim
- College of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Riaz Hussain
- University College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Islamia University Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Xueshan Xia
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, P.R. China.
| | - Zulqarnain Baloch
- Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, P.R. China.
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27
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Shimamori Y, Pramono AK, Kitao T, Suzuki T, Aizawa SI, Kubori T, Nagai H, Takeda S, Ando H. Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Phage SaGU1 that Infects Staphylococcus aureus Clinical Isolates from Patients with Atopic Dermatitis. Curr Microbiol 2021; 78:1267-1276. [PMID: 33638001 PMCID: PMC7997843 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-021-02395-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, which colonizes healthy human skin, may cause diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD). Treatment for such AD cases involves antibiotic use; however, alternate treatments are preferred owing to the development of antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to characterize the novel bacteriophage SaGU1 as a potential agent for phage therapy to treat S. aureus infections. SaGU1 that infects S. aureus strains previously isolated from the skin of patients with AD was screened from sewage samples in Gifu, Japan. Its genome was sequenced and analyzed using bioinformatics tools, and the morphology, lytic activity, stability, and host range of the phage were determined. The SaGU1 genome was 140,909 bp with an average GC content of 30.2%. The viral chromosome contained 225 putative protein-coding genes and four tRNA genes, carrying neither toxic nor antibiotic resistance genes. Electron microscopy analysis revealed that SaGU1 belongs to the Myoviridae family. Stability tests showed that SaGU1 was heat-stable under physiological and acidic conditions. Host range testing revealed that SaGU1 can infect a broad range of S. aureus clinical isolates present on the skin of AD patients, whereas it did not kill strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis, which are symbiotic resident bacteria on human skin. Hence, our data suggest that SaGU1 is a potential candidate for developing a phage therapy to treat AD caused by pathogenic S. aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzuki Shimamori
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.,Division of Molecular Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, 1-5-1 Tenjin-cho, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan
| | - Ajeng K Pramono
- Laboratory of Phage Biologics, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan
| | - Tomoe Kitao
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan
| | - Tohru Suzuki
- Genome Microbiology Laboratory, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Aizawa
- Prefectural University of Hiroshima, 562 Nanatsuka, Shobara, Hiroshima, 727-0023, Japan
| | - Tomoko Kubori
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.,G-CHAIN, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan
| | - Hiroki Nagai
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.,G-CHAIN, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan
| | - Shigeki Takeda
- Division of Molecular Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, 1-5-1 Tenjin-cho, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan
| | - Hiroki Ando
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan. .,Laboratory of Phage Biologics, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan. .,G-CHAIN, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Gifu, 501-1194, Japan.
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28
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Esmael A, Azab E, Gobouri AA, Nasr-Eldin MA, Moustafa MMA, Mohamed SA, Badr OAM, Abdelatty AM. Isolation and Characterization of Two Lytic Bacteriophages Infecting a Multi-Drug Resistant Salmonella Typhimurium and Their Efficacy to Combat Salmonellosis in Ready-to-Use Foods. Microorganisms 2021; 9:423. [PMID: 33670722 PMCID: PMC7922427 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Foodborne salmonellosis is a global threat to public health. In the current study, we describe the isolation and characterization of two broad-spectrum, lytic Salmonella phages: SPHG1 and SPHG3 infecting a multidrug-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium EG.SmT3. Electron microscopy and whole genome analysis identified SPHG1 as a Myovirus, while SPHG3 as a new member of the genus "Kuttervirus" within the family Ackermannviridae. SPHG1 and SPHG3 had a lysis time of 60 min. with burst sizes of 104 and 138 PFU/cell, respectively. The two phages were robust at variable temperatures and pH ranges that match the corresponding values of most of the food storage and processing conditions. A phage cocktail containing the two phages was stable in the tested food articles for up to 48 h. The application of the phage cocktail at MOIs of 1000 or 100 resulted in a significant reduction in the viable count of S. Typhimurium by 4.2 log10/sample in milk, water, and on chicken breast. Additionally, the phage cocktail showed a prospective ability to eradicate and reduce the biofilm that formed by S. Typhimurium EG.SmT3. A phage cocktail of SPHG1 and SPHG3 is considered as a promising candidate as a biocontrol agent against foodborne salmonellosis due to its broad host ranges, highly lytic activities, and the absence of any virulence or lysogeny-related genes in their genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Esmael
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Qalubiya Governorate 13511, Egypt;
| | - Ehab Azab
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Adil A. Gobouri
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Mohamed A. Nasr-Eldin
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Qalubiya Governorate 13511, Egypt;
| | - Mahmoud M. A. Moustafa
- Department of Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Qalubiya Governorate 13736, Egypt; (M.M.A.M.); (S.A.M.); (O.A.M.B.)
| | - Shereen A. Mohamed
- Department of Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Qalubiya Governorate 13736, Egypt; (M.M.A.M.); (S.A.M.); (O.A.M.B.)
| | - Omnia A. M. Badr
- Department of Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Qalubiya Governorate 13736, Egypt; (M.M.A.M.); (S.A.M.); (O.A.M.B.)
| | - Alzahraa M. Abdelatty
- Department of Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt
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29
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Huang L, Xiang Y. Structures of the tailed bacteriophages that infect Gram-positive bacteria. Curr Opin Virol 2020; 45:65-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2020.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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30
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Computational image analysis of the baseplate-tail complex of O1 ElTor vibriophage M4. Arch Virol 2020; 165:2641-2646. [DOI: 10.1007/s00705-020-04765-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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31
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Pilát Z, Jonáš A, Pilátová J, Klementová T, Bernatová S, Šiler M, Maňka T, Kizovský M, Růžička F, Pantůček R, Neugebauer U, Samek O, Zemánek P. Analysis of Bacteriophage-Host Interaction by Raman Tweezers. Anal Chem 2020; 92:12304-12311. [PMID: 32815709 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c01963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages, or "phages" for short, are viruses that replicate in bacteria. The therapeutic and biotechnological potential of phages and their lytic enzymes is of interest for their ability to selectively destroy pathogenic bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains. Introduction of phage preparations into medicine, biotechnology, and food industry requires a thorough characterization of phage-host interaction on a molecular level. We employed Raman tweezers to analyze the phage-host interaction of Staphylococcus aureus strain FS159 with a virulent phage JK2 (=812K1/420) of the Myoviridae family and a temperate phage 80α of the Siphoviridae family. We analyzed the timeline of phage-induced molecular changes in infected host cells. We reliably detected the presence of replicating phages in bacterial cells within 5 min after infection. Our results lay the foundations for building a Raman-based diagnostic instrument capable of real-time, in vivo, in situ, nondestructive characterization of the phage-host relationship on the level of individual cells, which has the potential of importantly contributing to the development of phage therapy and enzybiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdeněk Pilát
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alexandr Jonáš
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Pilátová
- Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 5, 128 44 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Klementová
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Silvie Bernatová
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Šiler
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tadeáš Maňka
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kizovský
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Růžička
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and St. Anne's Faculty Hospital, Pekařská 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Pantůček
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ute Neugebauer
- Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, D-07747 Jena, Germany.,Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz-IPHT), Albert-Einstein-Str. 9, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Ota Samek
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Zemánek
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 147, 612 64 Brno, Czech Republic
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32
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Neumann E, Kawasaki T, Effantin G, Estrozi LF, Chatchawankanphanich O, Yamada T, Schoehn G. 3D structure of three jumbo phage heads. J Gen Virol 2020; 101:1219-1226. [PMID: 32840476 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Jumbo phages are bacteriophages that carry more than 200 kbp of DNA. In this study we characterized two jumbo phages (ΦRSL2 and ΦXacN1) and one semi-jumbo phage (ΦRP13) at the structural level by cryo-electron microscopy. Focusing on their capsids, three-dimensional structures of the heads at resolutions ranging from 16 to 9 Å were calculated. Based on these structures we determined the geometrical basis on which the icosahedral capsids of these phages are constructed, which includes the accessory and decorative proteins that complement them. A triangulation number novel to Myoviridae (ΦRP13; T=21) was discovered as well as two others, which are more common for jumbo phages (T=27 and T=28). Based on one of the structures we also provide evidence that accessory or decorative proteins are not a prerequisite for maintaining the structural integrity of very large capsids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Neumann
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institute for Structural Biology (IBS), F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Takeru Kawasaki
- Unit of Biotechnology, Division of Biological and Life Science, Graduate School of Integrated Science for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8530, Japan
| | - Grégory Effantin
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institute for Structural Biology (IBS), F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Leandro F Estrozi
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institute for Structural Biology (IBS), F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Orawan Chatchawankanphanich
- Plant Research Laboratory, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, NSTDA, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Takashi Yamada
- Unit of Biotechnology, Division of Biological and Life Science, Graduate School of Integrated Science for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8530, Japan.,Hiroshima Study Center, The Open University of Japan, Hiroshima 730-0053, Japan
| | - Guy Schoehn
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institute for Structural Biology (IBS), F-38000, Grenoble, France
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Hardy JM, Dunstan RA, Grinter R, Belousoff MJ, Wang J, Pickard D, Venugopal H, Dougan G, Lithgow T, Coulibaly F. The architecture and stabilisation of flagellotropic tailed bacteriophages. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3748. [PMID: 32719311 PMCID: PMC7385642 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17505-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Flagellotropic bacteriophages engage flagella to reach the bacterial surface as an effective means to increase the capture radius for predation. Structural details of these viruses are of great interest given the substantial drag forces and torques they face when moving down the spinning flagellum. We show that the main capsid and auxiliary proteins form two nested chainmails that ensure the integrity of the bacteriophage head. Core stabilising structures are conserved in herpesviruses suggesting their ancestral origin. The structure of the tail also reveals a robust yet pliable assembly. Hexameric rings of the tail-tube protein are braced by the N-terminus and a β-hairpin loop, and interconnected along the tail by the splayed β-hairpins. By contrast, we show that the β-hairpin has an inhibitory role in the tail-tube precursor, preventing uncontrolled self-assembly. Dyads of acidic residues inside the tail-tube present regularly-spaced motifs well suited to DNA translocation into bacteria through the tail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Hardy
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Rhys A Dunstan
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Rhys Grinter
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Matthew J Belousoff
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Jiawei Wang
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Derek Pickard
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hariprasad Venugopal
- Ramaciotti Centre for Cryo-Electron Microscopy, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Gordon Dougan
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Trevor Lithgow
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
| | - Fasséli Coulibaly
- Infection & Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute & Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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34
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Bárdy P, Füzik T, Hrebík D, Pantůček R, Thomas Beatty J, Plevka P. Structure and mechanism of DNA delivery of a gene transfer agent. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3034. [PMID: 32541663 PMCID: PMC7296036 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16669-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Alphaproteobacteria, which are the most abundant microorganisms of temperate oceans, produce phage-like particles called gene transfer agents (GTAs) that mediate lateral gene exchange. However, the mechanism by which GTAs deliver DNA into cells is unknown. Here we present the structure of the GTA of Rhodobacter capsulatus (RcGTA) and describe the conformational changes required for its DNA ejection. The structure of RcGTA resembles that of a tailed phage, but it has an oblate head shortened in the direction of the tail axis, which limits its packaging capacity to less than 4,500 base pairs of linear double-stranded DNA. The tail channel of RcGTA contains a trimer of proteins that possess features of both tape measure proteins of long-tailed phages from the family Siphoviridae and tail needle proteins of short-tailed phages from the family Podoviridae. The opening of a constriction within the RcGTA baseplate enables the ejection of DNA into bacterial periplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavol Bárdy
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tibor Füzik
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Dominik Hrebík
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Pantůček
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - J Thomas Beatty
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, BC, Canada
| | - Pavel Plevka
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Abstract
SAR11 clade members are among the most abundant bacteria on Earth. Their study is complicated by their great diversity and difficulties in being grown and manipulated in the laboratory. On the other hand, and due to their extraordinary abundance, metagenomic data sets provide enormous richness of information about these microbes. Given the major role played by phages in the lifestyle and evolution of prokaryotic cells, the contribution of several new bacteriophage genomes preying on this clade opens windows into the infection strategies and life cycle of its viruses. Such strategies could provide models of attack of large-genome phages preying on streamlined aquatic microbes. The SAR11 clade is one of the most abundant bacterioplankton groups in surface waters of most of the oceans and lakes. However, only 15 SAR11 phages have been isolated thus far, and only one of them belongs to the Myoviridae family (pelagimyophages). Here, we have analyzed 26 sequences of myophages that putatively infect the SAR11 clade. They have been retrieved by mining ca. 45 Gbp aquatic assembled cellular metagenomes and viromes. Most of the myophages were obtained from the cellular fraction (0.2 μm), indicating a bias against this type of virus in viromes. We have found the first myophages that putatively infect Candidatus Fonsibacter (freshwater SAR11) and another group putatively infecting bathypelagic SAR11 phylogroup Ic. The genomes have similar sizes and maintain overall synteny in spite of low average nucleotide identity values, revealing high similarity to marine cyanomyophages. Pelagimyophages recruited metagenomic reads widely from several locations but always much more from cellular metagenomes than from viromes, opposite to what happens with pelagipodophages. Comparing the genomes resulted in the identification of a hypervariable island that is related to host recognition. Interestingly, some genes in these islands could be related to host cell wall synthesis and coinfection avoidance. A cluster of curli-related proteins was widespread among the genomes, although its function is unclear. IMPORTANCE SAR11 clade members are among the most abundant bacteria on Earth. Their study is complicated by their great diversity and difficulties in being grown and manipulated in the laboratory. On the other hand, and due to their extraordinary abundance, metagenomic data sets provide enormous richness of information about these microbes. Given the major role played by phages in the lifestyle and evolution of prokaryotic cells, the contribution of several new bacteriophage genomes preying on this clade opens windows into the infection strategies and life cycle of its viruses. Such strategies could provide models of attack of large-genome phages preying on streamlined aquatic microbes.
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36
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Double Tubular Contractile Structure of the Type VI Secretion System Displays Striking Flexibility and Elasticity. J Bacteriol 2019; 202:JB.00425-19. [PMID: 31636107 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00425-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial treatment can induce many bacterial pathogens to enter a cell wall-deficient state that contributes to persistent infections. The effect of this physiological state on the assembly of transenvelope-anchored organelles is not well understood. The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a widespread molecular weapon for interspecies interactions and virulence, comprising a long double tubular structure and a transenvelope/baseplate complex. Here, we report that cell wall-deficient spheroplasts assembled highly flexible and elastic T6SS structures forming U, O, or S shapes. Upon contacting the inner membrane, the T6SS tubes did not contract but rather continued to grow along the membrane. Such deformation likely results from continual addition of sheath/tube subunits at the distal end. Induction of TagA repressed curved sheath formation. Curved sheaths could also contract and deliver T6SS substrates and were readily disassembled by the ClpV ATPase after contraction. Our data highlight the dramatic effect of cell wall deficiency on the shape of the T6SS structures and reveal the elastic nature of this double tubular contractile injection nanomachine.IMPORTANCE The cell wall is a physical scaffold that all transenvelope complexes have to cross for assembly. However, the cell wall-deficient state has been described as a common condition found in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens during persistent infections. Loss of cell wall is known to have pleiotropic physiological effects, but how membrane-anchored large cellular organelles adapt to this unique state is less completely understood. Our study examined the assembly of the T6SS in cell wall-deficient spheroplast cells. We report the elastic nature of contractile T6SS tubules under such conditions, providing key insights for understanding how large intracellular structures such as the T6SS accommodate the multifaceted changes in cell wall-deficient cells.
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37
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How the phage T4 injection machinery works including energetics, forces, and dynamic pathway. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:25097-25105. [PMID: 31767752 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1909298116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The virus bacteriophage T4, from the family Myoviridae, employs an intriguing contractile injection machine to inject its genome into the bacterium Escherichia coli Although the atomic structure of phage T4 is largely understood, the dynamics of its injection machinery remains unknown. This study contributes a system-level model describing the nonlinear dynamics of the phage T4 injection machinery interacting with a host cell. The model employs a continuum representation of the contractile sheath using elastic constants inferred from atomistic molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations. Importantly, the sheath model is coupled to component models representing the remaining structures of the virus and the host cell. The resulting system-level model captures virus-cell interactions as well as competing energetic mechanisms that release and dissipate energy during the injection process. Simulations reveal the dynamical pathway of the injection process as a "contraction wave" that propagates along the sheath, the energy that powers the injection machinery, the forces responsible for piercing the host cell membrane, and the energy dissipation that controls the timescale of the injection process. These results from the model compare favorably with the available (but limited) experimental measurements.
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38
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Chatterjee A, Maghsoodi A, Perkins NC, Andricioaei I. Elastic continuum stiffness of contractile tail sheaths from molecular dynamics simulations. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:185103. [PMID: 31731851 DOI: 10.1063/1.5125807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Contractile tails are key components of the biological nanomachinery involved in cell membrane puncturing, where they provide a means to deliver molecules and ions inside cells. Two intriguing examples of contractile tails are those from bacteriophage T4 and R2-pyocin. Although the two systems are different in terms of biological activity, they share a fascinatingly similar injection mechanism, during which the tail sheaths of both systems contract from a so-called extended state to around half of their length (the contracted state), accompanied by release of elastic energy originally stored in the sheath. Despite the great prevalence and biomedical importance of contractile delivery systems, many fundamental details of their injection machinery and dynamics are still unknown. In this work, we calculate the bending and torsional stiffness constants of a helical tail sheath strand of bacteriophage T4 and R2-pyocin, in both extended and contracted states, using molecular dynamics simulations of about one-sixth of the entire sheath. Differences in stiffness constants between the two systems are rationalized by comparing their all-atom monomer structures, changes in sheath architecture on contraction, and differences in interstrand interactions. The calculated coefficients indicate that the T4 strand is stiffer for both bending and torsion than the corresponding R2-pyocin strands in both extended and contracted conformations. The sheath strands also have greater stiffness in the contracted state for both systems. As the main application of this study, we describe how the stiffness constants can be incorporated in a model to simulate the dynamics of contractile nanoinjection machineries.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - A Maghsoodi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - N C Perkins
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
| | - I Andricioaei
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
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39
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Hrebík D, Štveráková D, Škubník K, Füzik T, Pantůček R, Plevka P. Structure and genome ejection mechanism of Staphylococcus aureus phage P68. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaaw7414. [PMID: 31663016 PMCID: PMC6795507 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw7414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Phages infecting Staphylococcus aureus can be used as therapeutics against antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. However, there is limited information about the mechanism of genome delivery of phages that infect Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we present the structures of native S. aureus phage P68, genome ejection intermediate, and empty particle. The P68 head contains 72 subunits of inner core protein, 15 of which bind to and alter the structure of adjacent major capsid proteins and thus specify attachment sites for head fibers. Unlike in the previously studied phages, the head fibers of P68 enable its virion to position itself at the cell surface for genome delivery. The unique interaction of one end of P68 DNA with one of the 12 portal protein subunits is disrupted before the genome ejection. The inner core proteins are released together with the DNA and enable the translocation of phage genome across the bacterial membrane into the cytoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Hrebík
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Dana Štveráková
- Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Škubník
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tibor Füzik
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Pantůček
- Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Plevka
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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40
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Jin H, Jiang YL, Yang F, Zhang JT, Li WF, Zhou K, Ju J, Chen Y, Zhou CZ. Capsid Structure of a Freshwater Cyanophage Siphoviridae Mic1. Structure 2019; 27:1508-1516.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2019.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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41
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Islam MS, Zhou Y, Liang L, Nime I, Liu K, Yan T, Wang X, Li J. Application of a Phage Cocktail for Control of Salmonella in Foods and Reducing Biofilms. Viruses 2019; 11:E841. [PMID: 31510005 PMCID: PMC6784009 DOI: 10.3390/v11090841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Revised: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Salmonella contamination in foods and their formation of biofilms in food processing facility are the primary bacterial cause of a significant number of foodborne outbreaks and infections. Broad lytic phages are promising alternatives to conventional technologies for pathogen biocontrol in food matrices and reducing biofilms. In this study, 42 Salmonella phages were isolated from environmentally-sourced water samples. We characterized the host range and lytic capacity of phages LPSTLL, LPST94 and LPST153 against Salmonella spp., and all showed a wide host range and broad lytic activity. Electron microscopy analysis indicated that LPSTLL, LPST94, and LPST153 belonged to the family of Siphoviridae, Ackermannviridae and Podoviridae, respectively. We established a phage cocktail containing three phages (LPSTLL, LPST94 and LPST153) that had broad spectrum to lyse diverse Salmonella serovars. A significant decrease was observed in Salmonella with a viable count of 3 log10 CFU in milk and chicken breast at either 25 °C or 4 °C. It was found that treatment with phage cocktail was able to significantly reduced biofilm on a 96-well microplate (44-63%) and on a stainless steel surface (5.23 to 6.42 log10). These findings demonstrated that the phage cocktail described in this study can be potentially used as a biological control agent against Salmonella in food products and also has the effect to reduce Salmonella formed biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Sharifull Islam
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Yang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Lu Liang
- Division of Food Sciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK.
| | - Ishatur Nime
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Kun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Ting Yan
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Jinquan Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment Correlative Dietology, College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
- Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065-6399, USA.
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42
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Ingmer H, Gerlach D, Wolz C. Temperate Phages of Staphylococcus aureus. Microbiol Spectr 2019; 7:10.1128/microbiolspec.gpp3-0058-2018. [PMID: 31562736 PMCID: PMC10921950 DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.gpp3-0058-2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Most Staphylococcus aureus isolates carry multiple bacteriophages in their genome, which provide the pathogen with traits important for niche adaptation. Such temperate S. aureus phages often encode a variety of accessory factors that influence virulence, immune evasion and host preference of the bacterial lysogen. Moreover, transducing phages are primary vehicles for horizontal gene transfer. Wall teichoic acid (WTA) acts as a common phage receptor for staphylococcal phages and structural variations of WTA govern phage-host specificity thereby shaping gene transfer across clonal lineages and even species. Thus, bacteriophages are central for the success of S. aureus as a human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanne Ingmer
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David Gerlach
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christiane Wolz
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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43
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Broeker NK, Roske Y, Valleriani A, Stephan MS, Andres D, Koetz J, Heinemann U, Barbirz S. Time-resolved DNA release from an O-antigen-specific Salmonella bacteriophage with a contractile tail. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:11751-11761. [PMID: 31189652 PMCID: PMC6682738 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.008133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Myoviruses, bacteriophages with T4-like architecture, must contract their tails prior to DNA release. However, quantitative kinetic data on myovirus particle opening are lacking, although they are promising tools in bacteriophage-based antimicrobial strategies directed against Gram-negative hosts. For the first time, we show time-resolved DNA ejection from a bacteriophage with a contractile tail, the multi-O-antigen-specific Salmonella myovirus Det7. DNA release from Det7 was triggered by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-antigen receptors and notably slower than in noncontractile-tailed siphoviruses. Det7 showed two individual kinetic steps for tail contraction and particle opening. Our in vitro studies showed that highly specialized tailspike proteins (TSPs) are necessary to attach the particle to LPS. A P22-like TSP confers specificity for the Salmonella Typhimurium O-antigen. Moreover, crystal structure analysis at 1.63 Å resolution confirmed that Det7 recognized the Salmonella Anatum O-antigen via an ϵ15-like TSP, DettilonTSP. DNA ejection triggered by LPS from either host showed similar velocities, so particle opening is thus a process independent of O-antigen composition and the recognizing TSP. In Det7, at permissive temperatures TSPs mediate O-antigen cleavage and couple cell surface binding with DNA ejection, but no irreversible adsorption occurred at low temperatures. This finding was in contrast to short-tailed Salmonella podoviruses, illustrating that tailed phages use common particle-opening mechanisms but have specialized into different infection niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina K Broeker
- Department of Physikalische Biochemie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Yvette Roske
- Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Angelo Valleriani
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Mareike S Stephan
- Department of Physikalische Biochemie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Dorothee Andres
- Department of Physikalische Biochemie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Joachim Koetz
- Kolloidchemie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Udo Heinemann
- Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin, Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
- Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Freie Universität, Takustrasse 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefanie Barbirz
- Department of Physikalische Biochemie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
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44
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Plattner M, Shneider MM, Arbatsky NP, Shashkov AS, Chizhov AO, Nazarov S, Prokhorov NS, Taylor NMI, Buth SA, Gambino M, Gencay YE, Brøndsted L, Kutter EM, Knirel YA, Leiman PG. Structure and Function of the Branched Receptor-Binding Complex of Bacteriophage CBA120. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:3718-3739. [PMID: 31325442 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages recognize their host cells with the help of tail fiber and tailspike proteins that bind, cleave, or modify certain structures on the cell surface. The spectrum of ligands to which the tail fibers and tailspikes can bind is the primary determinant of the host range. Bacteriophages with multiple tailspike/tail fibers are thought to have a wider host range than their less endowed relatives but the function of these proteins remains poorly understood. Here, we describe the structure, function, and substrate specificity of three tailspike proteins of bacteriophage CBA120-TSP2, TSP3 and TSP4 (orf211 through orf213, respectively). We show that tailspikes TSP2, TSP3 and TSP4 are hydrolases that digest the O157, O77, and O78 Escherichia coli O-antigens, respectively. We demonstrate that recognition of the E. coli O157:H7 host by CBA120 involves binding to and digesting the O157 O-antigen by TSP2. We report the crystal structure of TSP2 in complex with a repeating unit of the O157 O-antigen. We demonstrate that according to the specificity of its tailspikes TSP2, TSP3, and TSP4, CBA120 can infect E. coli O157, O77, and O78, respectively. We also show that CBA120 infects Salmonella enterica serovar Minnesota, and this host range expansion is likely due to the function of TSP1. Finally, we describe the assembly pathway and the architecture of the TSP1-TSP2-TSP3-TSP4 branched complex in CBA120 and its related ViI-like phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Plattner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555-0647, USA; École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Mikhail M Shneider
- Laboratory of Molecular Bioengineering, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, 16/10 Miklukho-Maklaya St., 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Nikolay P Arbatsky
- N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander S Shashkov
- N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander O Chizhov
- N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey Nazarov
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Nikolai S Prokhorov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555-0647, USA
| | - Nicholas M I Taylor
- Structural Biology of Molecular Machines Group, Protein Structure & Function Programme, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Sergey A Buth
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555-0647, USA
| | - Michela Gambino
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Yilmaz Emre Gencay
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Lone Brøndsted
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | | | - Yuriy A Knirel
- N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Petr G Leiman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555-0647, USA.
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45
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Attai H, Brown PJB. Isolation and Characterization T4- and T7-Like Phages that Infect the Bacterial Plant Pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Viruses 2019; 11:v11060528. [PMID: 31181591 PMCID: PMC6630229 DOI: 10.3390/v11060528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In the rhizosphere, bacteria-phage interactions are likely to have important impacts on the ecology of microbial communities and microbe-plant interactions. To better understand the dynamics of Agrobacteria-phage interactions, we have isolated diverse bacteriophages which infect the bacterial plant pathogen, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Here, we complete the genomic characterization of Agrobacterium tumefaciens phages Atu_ph04 and Atu_ph08. Atu_ph04-a T4-like phage belonging to the Myoviridae family-was isolated from waste water and has a 143,349 bp genome that encodes 223 predicted open reading frames (ORFs). Based on phylogenetic analysis and whole-genome alignments, Atu_ph04 is a member of a newly described T4 superfamily that contains other Rhizobiales-infecting phages. Atu_ph08, a member of the Podoviridae T7-like family, was isolated from waste water, has a 59,034 bp genome, and encodes 75 ORFs. Based on phylogenetic analysis and whole-genome alignments, Atu_ph08 may form a new T7 superfamily which includes Sinorhizobium phage PCB5 and Ochrobactrum phage POI1126. Atu_ph08 is predicted to have lysogenic activity, as we found evidence of an integrase and several transcriptional repressors with similarity to proteins in transducing phage P22. Together, this data suggests that Agrobacterium phages are diverse in morphology, genomic content, and lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hedieh Attai
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
| | - Pamela J B Brown
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
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46
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McNulty R, Cardone G, Gilcrease EB, Baker TS, Casjens SR, Johnson JE. Cryo-EM Elucidation of the Structure of Bacteriophage P22 Virions after Genome Release. Biophys J 2019; 114:1295-1301. [PMID: 29590587 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 12/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome ejection proteins are required to facilitate transport of bacteriophage P22 double-stranded DNA safely through membranes of Salmonella. The structures and locations of all proteins in the context of the mature virion are known, with the exception of three ejection proteins. Furthermore, the changes that occur to the proteins residing in the mature virion upon DNA release are not fully understood. We used cryogenic electron microscopy to obtain what is, to our knowledge, the first asymmetric reconstruction of mature bacteriophage P22 after double-stranded DNA has been extruded from the capsid-a state representative of one step during viral infection. Results of icosahedral and asymmetric reconstructions at estimated resolutions of 7.8 and 12.5 Å resolutions, respectively, are presented. The reconstruction shows tube-like protein density extending from the center of the tail assembly. The portal protein does not revert to the more contracted, procapsid state, but instead maintains an extended and splayed barrel structure. These structural details contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanism of P22 phage infection and also set the foundation for future exploitation serving engineering purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reginald McNulty
- Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California.
| | - Giovanni Cardone
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Eddie B Gilcrease
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology Department, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Timothy S Baker
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California; Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Sherwood R Casjens
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology Department, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - John E Johnson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California.
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47
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Botka T, Pantůček R, Mašlaňová I, Benešík M, Petráš P, Růžičková V, Havlíčková P, Varga M, Žemličková H, Koláčková I, Florianová M, Jakubů V, Karpíšková R, Doškař J. Lytic and genomic properties of spontaneous host-range Kayvirus mutants prove their suitability for upgrading phage therapeutics against staphylococci. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5475. [PMID: 30940900 PMCID: PMC6445280 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41868-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lytic bacteriophages are valuable therapeutic agents against bacterial infections. There is continual effort to obtain new phages to increase the effectivity of phage preparations against emerging phage-resistant strains. Here we described the genomic diversity of spontaneous host-range mutants of kayvirus 812. Five mutant phages were isolated as rare plaques on phage-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. The host range of phage 812-derived mutants was 42% higher than the wild type, determined on a set of 186 methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains representing the globally circulating human and livestock-associated clones. Comparative genomics revealed that single-nucleotide polymorphisms from the parental phage 812 population were fixed in next-step mutants, mostly in genes for tail and baseplate components, and the acquired point mutations led to diverse receptor binding proteins in the phage mutants. Numerous genome changes associated with rearrangements between direct repeat motifs or intron loss were found. Alterations occurred in host-takeover and terminal genomic regions or the endolysin gene of mutants that exhibited the highest lytic activity, which implied various mechanisms of overcoming bacterial resistance. The genomic data revealed that Kayvirus spontaneous mutants are free from undesirable genes and their lytic properties proved their suitability for rapidly updating phage therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tibor Botka
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Pantůček
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic.
| | - Ivana Mašlaňová
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Benešík
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Petráš
- National Institute of Public Health, Praha, 100 42, Czech Republic
| | - Vladislava Růžičková
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic
| | - Pavla Havlíčková
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic
| | - Marian Varga
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic
| | - Helena Žemličková
- National Institute of Public Health, Praha, 100 42, Czech Republic.,Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, 500 05, Czech Republic
| | | | | | - Vladislav Jakubů
- National Institute of Public Health, Praha, 100 42, Czech Republic
| | | | - Jiří Doškař
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, 611 37, Czech Republic
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48
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The Robust Self-Assembling Tubular Nanostructures Formed by gp053 from Phage vB_EcoM_FV3. Viruses 2019; 11:v11010050. [PMID: 30641882 PMCID: PMC6357053 DOI: 10.3390/v11010050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The recombinant phage tail sheath protein, gp053, from Escherichia coli infecting myovirus vB_EcoM_FV3 (FV3) was able to self-assemble into long, ordered and extremely stable tubular structures (polysheaths) in the absence of other viral proteins. TEM observations revealed that those protein nanotubes varied in length (~10–1000 nm). Meanwhile, the width of the polysheaths (~28 nm) corresponded to the width of the contracted tail sheath of phage FV3. The formed protein nanotubes could withstand various extreme treatments including heating up to 100 °C and high concentrations of urea. To determine the shortest variant of gp053 capable of forming protein nanotubes, a set of N- or/and C-truncated as well as poly-His-tagged variants of gp053 were constructed. The TEM analysis of these mutants showed that up to 25 and 100 amino acid residues could be removed from the N and C termini, respectively, without disturbing the process of self-assembly. In addition, two to six copies of the gp053 encoding gene were fused into one open reading frame. All the constructed oligomers of gp053 self-assembled in vitro forming structures of different regularity. By using the modification of cysteines with biotin, the polysheaths were tested for exposed thiol groups. Polysheaths formed by the wild-type gp053 or its mutants possess physicochemical properties, which are very attractive for the construction of self-assembling nanostructures with potential applications in different fields of nanosciences.
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49
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Guerrero-Ferreira RC, Hupfeld M, Nazarov S, Taylor NM, Shneider MM, Obbineni JM, Loessner MJ, Ishikawa T, Klumpp J, Leiman PG. Structure and transformation of bacteriophage A511 baseplate and tail upon infection of Listeria cells. EMBO J 2019; 38:embj.201899455. [PMID: 30606715 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201899455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Contractile injection systems (bacteriophage tails, type VI secretions system, R-type pyocins, etc.) utilize a rigid tube/contractile sheath assembly for breaching the envelope of bacterial and eukaryotic cells. Among contractile injection systems, bacteriophages that infect Gram-positive bacteria represent the least understood members. Here, we describe the structure of Listeria bacteriophage A511 tail in its pre- and post-host attachment states (extended and contracted, respectively) using cryo-electron microscopy, cryo-electron tomography, and X-ray crystallography. We show that the structure of the tube-baseplate complex of A511 is similar to that of phage T4, but the A511 baseplate is decorated with different receptor-binding proteins, which undergo a large structural transformation upon host attachment and switch the symmetry of the baseplate-tail fiber assembly from threefold to sixfold. For the first time under native conditions, we show that contraction of the phage tail sheath assembly starts at the baseplate and propagates through the sheath in a domino-like motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo C Guerrero-Ferreira
- Laboratory of Structural Biology and Biophysics, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mario Hupfeld
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sergey Nazarov
- Laboratory of Structural Biology and Biophysics, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicholas Mi Taylor
- Laboratory of Structural Biology and Biophysics, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mikhail M Shneider
- Laboratory of Structural Biology and Biophysics, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Laboratory of Molecular Bioengineering, Moscow, Russia
| | - Jagan M Obbineni
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland.,Centre for Agricultural Innovations and Advanced Learning (VAIAL), Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
| | - Martin J Loessner
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Takashi Ishikawa
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Jochen Klumpp
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petr G Leiman
- Laboratory of Structural Biology and Biophysics, School of Basic Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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50
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Structural analysis and proteomics studies on the Myoviridae vibriophage M4. Arch Virol 2018; 164:523-534. [PMID: 30478789 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-018-4100-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages play a crucial role in tracking the spread of bacterial epidemics. The frequent emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains throughout the world has motivated studies on bacteriophages that can potentially be used in phage therapy as an alternative to conventional antibiotic treatment. A recent outbreak of cholera in Haiti took many lives due to a rapid development of resistance to the available antibiotics. The properties of vibriophages, bacteriophages that infect Vibrio cholerae, are therefore of practical interest. A detailed understanding of the structure and assembly of a vibriophage is potentially useful in developing phage therapy against cholera as well as for fabricating artificial nanocontainers. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the three-dimensional organization of vibriophage M4 at sub-nanometer resolution by electron microscopy and single-particle analysis techniques to facilitate its use as a therapeutic agent. We found that M4 has a large capsid with T = 13 icosahedral symmetry and a long contractile tail. This double-stranded DNA phage also contains a head-to-tail connector protein complex that joins the capsid to the tail and a prominent baseplate at the end of the tail. This study also provides information regarding the proteome of this phage, which is proteins similar to that of other Myoviridae phages, and most of the encoded proteins are structural proteins that form the exquisite architecture of this bacteriophage.
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